ICT for policy innovation:

empowering the policy production

process process Sylvie Occelli

IRES - Istituto di Ricerche Economico Sociali del Piemonte, Via Nizza 18, 10125 Turin, Italy.

occelli@ires.piemonte.it

INPUT Conference –Informatics and Urban and Regional Planning Cagliari, May 10-12

Premises

�ICT have supported the creation of a radically different policy background, also

popularized as the e-government and e-governance transformation

�the impact of ICT applications in policy practices however has been limited

� main reason of failure: e-government programs have been defined narrowly

as a technology to enhance the efficiency of transactions; they have given scanty

attention at their potential in facilitating the linkages between the various

government departments and institutions F

(scanty attention at the deeper transformations occurring in both market and

�But people and their empowered capabilities enabled by ICT networks are

a main vehicle for innovation. These processes cannot be overlooked in today

policy practices and provide and provide unprecedented stimuli for change

(scanty attention at the deeper transformations occurring in both market and

the state)

Contents

� innovation in the public sector: an oxymoron ? ….but we can do it

�A claim: ICT are a main vehicle through which innovation can establish

itself in the public sector

� innovation in the public sector: an oxymoron ? ….but we can do it

�a regional case of (potential) innovation: the Piedmont Road Safety

Monitoring Centre

�concluding remarks

Current attempts:

� identification of measurement

An unaddressed topic!�Extent of mandate changes�Weakness of the ecological force of competition�The pursue of max of public value, which makes it difficult to measure sector

Innovation in the public sector: why not !!!

Transformational

Transforming the whole

relationship between the � identification of measurementindices (both the components andthe stages of development ofinnovation)

�development of a systemicapproach: incorporating the societalconcerns of transformativeinnovation, OASIS (2011)

Transformational

governmentrelationship between the

public sector and their users

a) a managed process of

ICT enabled change

Requirements

b) needs of

citizens and

businesses

are at the

heart of the

process c) impacts are

achieved on the

efficiency and

effectiveness of

government R2) restructuring the public labour to take

advantage of new efficiencies

R1) managing the downstream benefits

after the completion of an ICT project

� getting hold of the processes by whichvariety changes can take place

�variety changes: in the constitutive

components of both services and their

delivery alternatives.

innovation would ensue from an increased

variety in the delivered services, because of

the inclusion of different and more pro-

active types of actors as well as from a wider

set of ICT- enabled service functionalities

Innovation in the public sector: makes it happen by leveraging its design

and realization

variety changes can take place

creation of public value, not only from thesupply of certain services or cost reductionsbut also from the quality of their interactionwith citizens

ICT are crucial enablers:

a) they empower the observation lens of thedifferent actors involved

b) they make it possible to create (improve)the socio technical systems, through whichprocesses can be implemented.

set of ICT- enabled service functionalities

many formulations, sharing 2 facts:

�the interaction of social and technicalnetworks creates the conditions for successful(or unsuccessful) system organizationalperformance

�addressing each network alone (socio ortechnical) tends to amplify those networkeffects that are detrimental to the system

Technical system

Human system

Socio Technical System

Socio Technical System (STS): an old concept for new kind of systems 1)

�STS is a comprehensive entity encompassing human and

Technical system

Human system

Socio Technical System

�STS is a comprehensive entity encompassing human and

technological elements, communicating and interacting

(sometimes in a non-linear ways) by means of manifold

social and technical networks. (Identification of the

components)

�although no supremacy is alleged by one type of network

in shaping the resulting socio-technical system, each one

plays a role (Identification of the forms of interaction) they

must close the gap between social needs and technical

performance, between what communities want and what

the technology does (identification of the patterns)

Socio Technical System: an old concept for new kind of systems 2

STS as Human Complex Adaptive System

S

B) Networks and

applications

C) Affordances: ICT

adoptions and usages

D) Systemic learning

Constsructs of an

inforrmation wired

environment

C) ICT/web applications and functionality/range of usages

B) Uptake of Internet and BB

among households, firms and

D) new forms of service delivery in the activity systems (schools,

health, transport, PA, etc.)

STS

LA

H

RA

Selection of

measurement /

policy indicators

level of

decision

making

level of system

description

Organizing

principles

A) Broadband

and ICT

applications

A) BB spatial coverage, wired

and wireless services

govermental bodies

H

LA making

level of

organization

H

Perspectives (types of level) Main issues involved

A) level of description (description by

strata)

selection of strata depends on the observer (i.e.

strategic, tactical, operational)

B)level of decision-making (description by

layers)identification of the functional hierarchy entailed in a

choice process (search, selection/adaptation, evaluation)

C) level of organization (description by

echelons)

definition of the structure of an organization

(elementary units and their arrangements)

. ICT diffusion in Piedmont: providing ground for a region wide STS

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2006-2011 profile

Households with broadband connections

25,4 37,2 45,5 57,8 67,1

Firms with broadband connections

80,1 85,4 90,1 85,4 84,3

Internet users 42,7 46,7 53,7 50,9 64,6

Individuals interacting with LAs

26,7 27,0 36,7 32,6 50,8

Firms with a website 80,5 81,6 88,4 85,7 86

�A broadband policy program (Wi-Pie)

�A regional system in transition!!

Firms with a website 80,5 81,6 88,4 85,7 86

Firms interacting with LAs 66,8 59,9 56,5 64,4 71,5

LAs with a standard URL0

0 59 64,4 75,7 87,2

LA websites with at least 1 online service (level >=1)

0 32,6 72 62,1 80,2 88

LA websites with at least 1 online service (level >=3)

0 0 9,5 17,6 6,1 7,5

2. ICT diffusion in Piedmont: providing ground for a region wide STS 1.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Broadband coverage for

all (2013)

Broadband coverage

>10Mbps

50% of citizens buying

online

20% of citizens buying

online cross-boarder

33% of SMEs bying

online

33% of SMEs selling

online

75% Internet regular

user

60% internet use by

disadvantaged people

85% internet use

50% of citizens using e-

government

25% of citizens using e-

government and

returning forms

Digital Agenda target indicators (2010) Regular Internet users (2010)

Piedmont Italy

Europe 27 Target DA

ALESSANDRIA

ASTI

BIELLA

CUNEO

NOVARA

TORINO

VCO

VERCELLI

PIEMONTE

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170

Diffusione

A

p

p

r

o

p

r

i

a

z

i

o

n

e

2009

ALESSANDRIAASTI

BIELLA

CUNEO

NOVARA

TORINO

VCO

VERCELLI

PIEMONTE

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170

Diffusione

A

p

p

r

o

p

r

i

a

z

i

o

n

e

2010

ICT diffusion in the regionalsub-areas, 2009-2010

2. ICT diffusion in Piedmont: providing ground for a region wide STS 2.

Important or primary action domains in service

improvements for small and large municipalities in

Piedmont, 2011

Important or primary action domains in

service improvements for small and large

municipalities in Piedmont, 2011

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

users' need

quality of service

promo ng service

func onality

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

administra ve

simplifica on

online access

interoperability

among

governments

employees'

competences

norms

PROMOTION

0%

less than 5000

inhabitants

more than 5000

inhabitants

Piedmont

more than 5000 inhabitants less than 5000 inhabitants Piedmont

81.062.0

59.052.0

55.0

81.0

70.0

62.0

73.062.0

64.0

62.070.0

62.0

75.068.0

65.0

59.073.0

75.0

81.0

78.0

52.062.0

68.0

81.0

73.0

55.064.0

65.0

78.073.0

NEEDS

QoS

PROMOTION

NORMS_POP

SIMPLIFICATION_POP

ACCESS_POPEMPLOYEE_POP

LA_INTEROPERABILITY_POP

3. an example of a STS for road safety 1)

Death for 100 thousand vehicles Accidents/km on regional roads

design and implementation of the STS: 1)

The development of the STS for road safety monitoring builds upon a conceptual

framework which posits that an information wired environment results from the

deployment of an innovation kernel (i.e. a systemic entity made up of ICTs,

information and functionalities), operated upon by agents with reflexive and

reflective capabilities

Four constructs are used setting up the STS: Broadband access, ICT users, ICT

application, and systemic learning

Regional Monitoring

Center (RMC)

Province Monitoring

Centers

Municipalities

(local polices)

Carabinieri Traffic Police

Police data

General

Public

Governmental

bodies

National Bureau

of Statistics

based at the regional level

based at the national level

Regional

Consortium of

Information

Systems

(CSI-Piemonte)

Web data

entry (TWIST)

Regional

Data-

Wharehouse

SOCIAL NETWORKTECHNOLOGICAL

NETWORK

RMC

web-portal

Making STS into action: adopting a developmental path capable of enrolling both

stakeholders and technology

b) ICT users

c) ICT systems

d) systemic

learning

education and dissemination among the

agents involved in data gathering

improving the usability requirements

of the software

understanding road safety phenomena and

enabling the monitoring road safety policy

actions

improving a shared understanding

among the road safety stakeholders

it entails to cope with the

degree of wickedness

encountered in the road

safety problems: An

improved mutual

understanding among the

various stakeholders and a

more appreciative regional

context are needed

a)broadband

accessalerting about poor access in sub-regional

areas

supporting a shared commitment by the road

safety stakeholders

it implies to deal with the complexity of the STS

social network and with its capability to effectively

address road safety issues. Creating the conditions

for the agents to commit themselves to a common

goal directed endeavor

The STS has become fully operational in

January 2009 Currently, about 2200

users (more than 600 police

departments) have subscribed to TWIST.

Concluding remarks: we can build innovation !

STS and namely the co-evolutive coupling between ICT and social networks and the resulting

knowledge flows yielded from it, are a main (although not unique) vehicle for innovative

changes in the public sector.

Open issues:

�the extent to which a STS can provide an

environment (a platform) where policy actions

can be designed on a shared basis,

experimented and progressively refined as the

Piedmont case study shows that:

�awareness about the opportunities

likely to be associated with a region

wide STS is increasing.

�for these opportunities to generate

innovative transformations in serviceexperimented and progressively refined as the

(social) system learn to build itself;

�the kind of structure a STS, as a Human

Complex Adaptive system, should exhibit in

order to maintain its openness and flexibility

while guaranteeing robustness for the

development of a certain policy.

innovative transformations in service

delivery and policy activities, the whole

socio-informational linkages

underpinning government

organizations should change.

�ICT usage should extend from

disseminating information to

establishing relationships between

outside and inside government