Action plan for 1999-2001 - Electronic Government
Historical archive
Published under: Bondevik's 1st Government
Publisher: Arbeids- og administrasjonsdepartementet
Report | Date: 29/01/1999
Action plan for 1999-2001
Electronic Government
Cross-sectoral development of information technology
in the central government administration
29 January 1999
P 0879E
Table of contents
PREFACE 3
1. ABOUT "ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT"4
2. IT AND ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY 6
2.1 IT in government administration 6
2.2 Administrative policy goals 6
2.3 Electronic Government: IT supporting f administrative policy goals 7
3. SELECTION OF PRIORITY AREAS 9
3.1 Important elements of Electronic Government 9
3.2 Priorities 10
4. ROLES, INSTRUMENTS AND FOUNDATION 13
4.1 Cross-sectoral measures shall support the primary line of responsibility 13
4.2 Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) sector 13
4.3 Foundation for work 14
4.4 Transfer of experience and research in the area 15
4.5 Instruments 15
5. DETAILS OF PRIORITY AREAS 17
5.1 Year 2000 security 17
5.2 Infrastructure 19
5.3 IT security 24
5.4 Information services on the Internet 25
5.5 Electronic administrative procedures 28
5.6 Electronic data interchange 31
5.7 Electronic commerce for public procurement 33
5.8 IT management and organisation 34
6. APPENDICES: RELEVANT BACKGROUND WORK, REPORTS, MEMORANDA, ETC. 38
The Government seeks a living democracy where the citizens can influence their own daily life and future, and actively participate in the decision-making processes at all levels of society. A well-functioning and open public administration is a prerequisite for achieving our objective. This means that both the central and local government administrations must be open to adapting to a new environment and prerequisites, and willing to change their work methods, organisation and competence requirements in step with a society undergoing rapid change. Public administration in Norway has also undergone major changes during its 200-year history. These changes have reflected the transformations that have taken place in our society. We have developed from an agricultural to an industrialised society, and now we are in the age of the knowledge and information society.
The use of information technology is affecting our work processes, entertainment and recreation, as well as the exchange of information and inter-human communication, in an ever more far-reaching manner. In such a society the institutions and accustomed patterns for interaction change much more rapidly than before. The ability to find, process and pass information on is becoming increasingly important. The established knowledge monopolies and flows of information are breaking down, and radical changes are taking place on the media scene. Education and learning are becoming a lifelong process.
The government administration cannot remain detached from or indifferent to such a development. It is my hope that new technology will serve as a useful tool for the realisation of the Government's main political goals for the administration, namely a simpler, more open and user-friendlier administration.
The technology shall not be a goal in itself. This would mean that we would risk the technology controlling us and that we would make ourselves dependent on the technological solutions. It is precisely in this context that it is so important that we master the transition to the year 2000.
The new technology will give us an opportunity to interact across the various sectors and levels. This interaction is a prerequisite for our ability to see the overall consequences of our actions, which allows us in turn to simplify the regulations and make the administration more user-friendly.
Electronic Government can be an exciting arena for dialogue between citizens and the administration and thus contribute to more openness. That in itself is one of the most important prerequisites for a living democracy.
Oslo, 13 January 1999
Eldbjørg Løwer
Minister of Labour and Government Administration 1. About "Electronic Government"
The action plan "Electronic Government" seeks to answer three questions concerning the development of the use of information technology (IT) in the central government administration:
1. How can information technology be used to support our primary administrative development goals?
2. What problems must be solved so that the IT systems and solutions in the various sectors can work together as part of a comprehensive and efficient electronic government?
3. What general steps and advice can ensure an efficient and appropriate development and application of information technology in the individual sectors?
The first question concerns the strategic application of information technology in the central government administration as a whole. The second question focuses on the co-ordination and harmonisation of the sectors' use of information technology. The third question deals with methods and guidelines for a good development and application of information technology in the individual sectors.
Altogether these three questions define the underlying foundation for the cross-sectoral development of information technology in the central government administration. It is in the aforementioned areas that the sector specific IT strategies developed by the individual specialist ministries should be supplemented and supported by cross-sectoral strategies and measures.
"Electronic Government" outlines the plans for cross-sectoral IT development in the central government administration according to these principles during the period from 1999 to 2001. It is a supplement to the IT strategies that are developed by the individual specialist ministries.
Action plans like this one are developed in the borderland between two different considerations that each draws in a different direction: the dictates of realism and the dictates of having a vision. This action plan shall provide the central government administration with visions that it can strive for in the IT area. Realism shall at the same time be taken into account in the specific measures that are proposed for the various priority areas.
Three years is a long planning horizon in the IT area. Due to the high rate of technological development and constant changes in the application patterns the central government administration may experience major changes in the opportunities and challenges provided by IT during this period. As a rule it is the market actors and not the administration itself that develop new solutions in this area. One example here is the dynamics of the Internet with regard to its increased distribution and capacity as well as its functional development. These dynamics continuously change the premises for the administration's use of IT. "Electronic Government" must therefore be a living document. This action plan will be a revolving plan where the direction of the plan will be adjusted as required based on the development in the area. Thus the plan seeks to combine the necessity of a long-term perspective for extensive IT projects with an updated understanding of IT.
The continuous further development of the action plan will be carried out in a close dialogue with the specialist ministries and the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration's (AAD's) underlying agencies. Important arenas for dialogue will be the State Secretary Committee on Information Technology, State Secretary Committee on Reorganisation and Renewal, the Ministries' Information Technology Co-ordinating Committee (DEPIT) and the IT Forum of the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration and its underlying agencies (AADIT). The draft action plan has been distributed to all the ministries and relevant underlying agencies under the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration in 1998. The plan has also been submitted to the AADIT, State Secretary Committee on Reorganisation and Renewal and the State Secretary Committee on Information Technology.
The action plan "Electronic Government" will provide the specialist ministries with general information on the long-term cross-sectoral IT commitments in the central government administration, so that the cross-sectoral and sector specific IT efforts can be harmonised with each other. Thus the target group for the plan encompasses government executives and anyone who works with IT strategy and development in the central government administration. The target group includes to some extent the entire public administration; i.e. it also encompasses the local government sector, especially with regard to interaction between the local and central government. This action plan will at the same time be an important part of the basis for the annual IT spending of the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration and its underlying agencies. The plan will as such play a key role in the budgetary processes, agency management dialogue, allocations and activity planning.
This action plan is based on the government administrative policy and specifies how the cross-sectoral IT development will support the realisation of the primary goals for this development. The layout of this action plan is as follows:
Chapter 2 describes the relationship between the information technology and administrative policy, and it outlines how the vision of electronic government can support key administrative policy goals. Chapter 3 defines eight priority areas for the realisation of electronic government and clarifies what priority should be given to the various areas. Chapter 4 describes the roles and instruments for realisation of the action plan. Chapter 5 describes the eight priority areas. In the introduction to each of the eight subchapters the priority area is linked to administrative policy, and the primary goal of the priority area is defined. Subsequently some important characteristics of the developments in the area are described, before a selection of specific measures for the particular priority area during the plan period are finally listed. Chapter 6 provides a brief overview of the relevant background work and reports that this action plan is based on.
2. IT and administrative policy
2.1 IT in government administration
During the last decade Norwegian society has emerged in an ever increasing degree as an information society - a society where the various applications of information technology are a key feature of work processes, information processing and communication between people. This is highly applicable to the central government administration as well. Developments in the IT area have created new challenges and opportunities for our administrative and information policies, and we can mention the following examples:
· Electronic interaction between the various sectors has increased greatly in recent years. This places new demands on the co-ordination of the development of information technology in the sectors.
· Many of the administration's users currently place more demands on the accessibility and openness of the administration due to the opportunities provided by information technology. The varied IT competence and IT availability among the administration's users make it necessary to offer many public services using both IT based solutions and traditional manual routines.
This development has made IT a key instrument in providing solutions and services by the government administration. This is clearly evident in key documents from the Government such as the Voksenåsen declaration and the inaugural declaration. The same applies to the Government parties' common remarks in the Recommendation by parliamentary committee Innst.S nr. 211 (1996-97) concerning the Long-term Programme for 1998-2001 (Communication to the parliament St.meld.nr. 4 (1996-97)). The Minister of Trade and Industry's IT policy statement to the Storting on 2 April 1998 also focuses on the central role of IT in administrative policy.
In the Voksenåsen declaration it is stated that the Government "will use information and communication technology to renew, improve and modernise all aspects of the public sector".
2.2 Administrative policy goals
The Government's primary administrative policy goals and strategy, as they are presented in the Proposition to parliament St prp nr 1 (1998-99) by the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration, can be summed up by the following four items:
· User oriented administration: The central government administration shall acquaint itself with the needs and desires of the users, and adapt its way of working whenever possible in accordance with the desires of the users.
· Politically manageable administration: The central government administration shall be an adaptable and flexible tool for implementing the Government's policy.
· Efficient and result oriented administration: The central government administration shall, to the greatest extent possible, achieve results in accordance with stipulated goals, and these goals shall be attained without any unnecessary use of resources.
· Open and democratic administration under the rule of law: The central government administration under the rule of law shall contribute to ensuring predictability and equal treatment and emphasising openness and the right of access to information on decision making and government activities.
The user orientation is an especially important perspective in the Government's administrative policy. It is stated in the Government's inaugural declaration that "The focus shall be on the users in the public sector and measurable requirements shall be stipulated for services". User orientation is also a mainstay of the information policy, in which one of the primary goals is "to secure real access to information on the public sector's activities for individuals and organisations"1 >.
2.3 Electronic Government: IT supporting administrative policy goals
This action plan seeks to set a course for electronic government, an administration where IT supports the realisation of the aforementioned administrative policy goals. The plan does not cover all the aspects of such an administration. The cross-sectoral measures that are discussed in this plan must function together with the IT measures in each individual sector for the realisation of an electronic government. In addition, it must be pointed out that the concept of "electronic government" primarily encompasses the IT side of the administrative development. Instruments other than IT must also be implemented in order to achieve the aforementioned administrative policy goals. And the goals for administrative development will be the subject of an ongoing debate and political adjustment.
IT can contribute to strengthening the administration's user orientation in a number of manners.
Firstly the propagation of the Internet has given the administration a new information channel to an ever greater share of the population. The channel provides new opportunities for alternative methods for presenting and sorting information. This information channel will, however, initially supplement and not replace other forms of information distribution, so that the level of service offered to those user groups that do not use this medium is not reduced.
Secondly electronic communication has made possible more flexible and simpler forms of interaction between the administration and its users (with respect to both individuals and enterprises).
Thirdly, IT provides new opportunities for a more user oriented organisation and localisation of the administration's service entities, by reducing the significance of geography and organisational location. The establishment of public service offices, where the administration's users are given access to public services across the various agency borders and/or administrative levels, is a good example of this.
The principle of user orientation should also establish guidelines for the development and application of IT in the central government administration. One of the mainstays of the user orientation model described in the Proposition to parliament St prp 1 (1998-99) is "to learn through contact with the users". The methods for the development and maintenance of the administration's IT systems should be reviewed to ensure that user orientation is looked after.
The administration's political manageability can be supported by utilising IT to strengthen the administration's flexibility and transparency. Information over the Internet and electronic communication with the administration's users can be reorganised relatively quickly in order to incorporate new political signals and resolutions, compared to more traditional forms of information and interaction. IT provides at the same time new opportunities for securing the necessary management information at various levels of the administration and co-ordination across the various sectors.
Through supporting the administration's work processes and interaction internally and externally, IT can contribute to an efficient and result oriented administration. Well-thought-out IT solutions can contribute to new and efficient methods for the storage and sharing of information. The central role of the information resources in the administration's work means that efficiency improvements in this area will entail extensive benefits to the administration as a whole.
The electronic mail journal project is an important example of how IT can contribute to an open and democratic administration under the rule of law. This project has made the press's access to the administration's work easier and thus improved contact between the administration and the general public. In general, the opportunities for searching and sorting provided by IT ensure better correspondence between the amount of information that is "in theory" open and available from the administration and the information that the administration's users can actually grasp. It is at the same time important that the new opportunities for the storage and transfer of sensitive information are utilised within the limits that are set out considering protection of privacy.
IT will also be an important instrument for realisation of the Government's goals in areas that encompass both administrative policy and other policy areas. The Government's regional policy goals are an important example of this. In order to make use of the entire country and counteract the trend towards the centralisation of tasks - a trend that is also taking place in the central government administration and for which modern technology may also be a contributing factor - the opportunities to decentralise government tasks enabled by new technology must be focused on. IT provides opportunities for interaction and solution of tasks across organisational levels and geographical borders. This means that the actual execution of tasks can be decentralised to a greater extent and located outside the overpopulated areas, while the efficiency and user orientation can be equally well taken care of. An efficient and appropriate application of IT by the government administration is in general an important contribution to the competitiveness of the Norwegian economy. The significance of IT in Norway and internationally and the role of the public sector as a major IT user and service provider contributes to this.
The concept of "electronic government" is a vision of how IT should be used to support the administrative policy goals in the manners that are outlined above. The next chapter elaborates on what priority areas have been selected for the realisation of this vision.
3. Selection of priority areas
3.1 Important elements of electronic government
The realisation of electronic government requires that IT is not used only as a tool for solving tasks alone, but that it is used to the same degree as a driving force for reorganisation and renewal. An electronic government is an administration where IT is used to a great extent to improve the efficiency of its inner life, at the same time as IT is used in an innovative manner to support interaction with the administration's users. A number of the priority areas in this plan focus on both of these aspects to varying degrees.
This action plan defines eight priority areas for the cross-sectoral IT development in the central government administration from 1999 to 2001. These eight areas are:
1. Year 2000 security
2. Infrastructure
3. IT security
4. Information services on the Internet
5. Electronic administrative procedures
6. Electronic data interchange
7. Electronic commerce for public procurement
8. IT management and organisation
There are no sharp distinctions between the various priority areas. The purpose of the division into various priority areas is the fact that individually they represent perspectives and a focus that should be looked after and anchored. However, many of the specific measures and development projects will involve two or more of the defined priority areas.
The selection of eight specific priority areas reflects a step by step approach to the establishment of electronic government. The priority areas can be grouped into three different building blocks:
Foundation for establishing electronic government
The priority areas infrastructure, IT security and year 2000 security are to establish a foundation for electronic government. This will be secured through an efficient and well-functioning infrastructure, prudent management of IT security in the administration and good management of the year 2000 problem in the central government administration prior to the new millennium.
Cross-sectoral application areas for IT for the realisation of electronic Government
In an electronic government IT supports the realisation of the primary goals of the administrative policy. We will focus on four cross-sectoral application areas for IT during the plan period in order to achieve this. The areas of information services on the Internet and electronic administrative procedures can support all the aforementioned goals concerning user orientation, political manageability, efficiency and openness. User orientation is an important aspect of information services, while electronic administrative procedures focus in particular on the goal of efficiency. Electronic data interchange contributes both to user orientation and efficiency improvement, while electronic commerce for public procurement primarily supports the goal of an efficient administration.
Common to these four priority areas is the focus on what we can call electronic interaction. The areas of electronic information services and electronic administrative procedures will support interaction with the general public (two-way communication with the administration and the electronic provision of services respectively). Electronic data interchange (reporting and other interaction with the business sector) and electronic commerce for public procurement (interaction between government buyers and suppliers in the business sector) support in particular interaction with the business sector.
Strategic support for the realisation of electronic government
The priority area of IT management and organisation encompasses a general focus on increased knowledge and competence concerning the appropriate methods and tools for the management and execution of IT commitments in the administration. This priority area shall contribute to an efficient and appropriate use of IT in the individual sector in accordance with the overall administrative policy goals.
Based on the above classification of the priority areas, their role in an electronic government can be illustrated as follows:
Figure 1: An electronic government. Commitments in infrastructure, IT security and year 2000 security are to secure the foundation. Cross-sectoral efforts together with sectoral applications are to realise IT's potential for supporting the administrative policy goals. Committing efforts in IT management and organisation will support both the foundation and applications in the area.
The classification of the priority areas reflects, as already mentioned in section 3.1, a step by step approach to the establishment of electronic government. The foundation for appropriate cross-sectoral measures and sector applications in the IT area will be given priority in the first part of the plan period. This entails that importance will be attached to infrastructure, IT security and year 2000 security.
In 1999 work on the central government administration's year 2000 security has top priority. The level of awareness and activities have in general increased at the ministries and agencies since the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) started to follow up this work in the central government administration in the autumn of 1996. Given the status at the time of the most recent survey in the summer of 1988, it is nevertheless the opinion of the AAD that the efforts must be escalated at all levels of the central government administration. This applies primarily at the agency level, where the primary responsibility lies. However, this applies also to the central follow-up of the work and for the follow-up of underlying agencies by each of the specialist ministries. In the autumn of 1998 the AAD reinforced its central co-ordination and follow-up of the year 2000 work in the central government administration. Reinforced efforts in the area of common measures will continue in 1999. Two key prerequisites for success are as follows:
· Maintenance of the central government administration's solution of tasks must actively be given priority at all levels of its work, especially with regard to the maintenance of critical functions in our society. Firstly, this work must be linked to higher level work involving risk assessment and emergency preparedness plans, which is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Justice. Secondly, the individual specialist ministries must prioritise the tasks in their own sectors and adapt the year 2000 follow-up of the underlying agencies accordingly. Thirdly, the leadership of the individual agencies must give priority to maintenance of the agency's primary solution of tasks in their year 2000 work.
· The contribution of resources and tempo must be escalated at the individual agencies, at the specialist ministries with respect to the follow-up of underlying agencies, and in connection with the central follow-up of the work. An increase in the contribution of resources must if necessary be realised through a reassessment of priorities. It is the individual specialist ministries and the leadership of the individual agencies who are responsible for ensuring that the necessary reassessment of priorities is implemented at the ministerial and agency level.
The need to prioritise mission critical functions in the central government administration upon the transition to the new millennium makes it necessary to adjust the level of ambition in other priority areas. It is especially important not to demand development measures that are too ambitious from the specialist ministries and agencies in other priority areas for the cross-sectoral development of IT in 1999.
The Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) will continue to give priority to infrastructure development in 1999, which includes reinforcement of the efforts to develop the central government network and establish common services. In addition, the security challenges associated with the development of the infrastructure will be given priority. The efforts to establish and improve electronic information services on the Internet will also be given high priority.
Cross-sectoral applications such as electronic data interchange, electronic administrative procedures and electronic commerce will be given increased priority in the last half of the period. Multiyear programmes will be established for these priority areas.
IT management and organisation in the administration encompasses a general focus on increased knowledge and competence concerning the appropriate methods and tools for the management and execution of IT commitments in the administration. This area will be developed further throughout the period and will support both the cross-sectoral and sectoral efforts.
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Figure 2: Summary of priority areas and
their relative priority throughout the period2>
Figure 2 provides a rough summary of the relative priority of the priority areas for the period from 1998 to 2001. 1998 has been included as the start year even though it is not formally in the plan period. The width of the priority areas indicates the priority assigned to that area at a given point in time. The level of effort and ambition must be adapted to the results of the annual budget deliberations.
The cross-sectoral measures that are encompassed by the plan will form part of the foundation for the sectoral IT commitments. According to the concepts that are developed here an effort by each individual entity and sector will be required in order to implement the results of the cross-sectoral work and realise the benefits.
4. Roles, instruments and foundation
4.1 Cross-sectoral measures shall support the primary line responsibility
Norwegian public administration has traditionally been decentralised in the sense that both the specialist responsibility and responsibility for the use of policy instruments for the solution of tasks has to a great extent been assigned to the individual sectors and entities. Thus it is primarily the individual sectors and entities that are responsible for utilising information technology as an instrument for the solution of tasks within their respective areas of responsibility (line responsibility principle).
Common strategies and cross-sectoral measures shall support the primary line responsibility. This shall for example be accomplished by fulfilling the common development needs and contributing to an adequate co-ordination in strategically important areas to promote a comprehensive and interactive administration. The purpose of this is to avoid any unnecessary use of resources overall, and to ensure that the central government administration can carry out its tasks in a uniform manner in relation to the outside world. The tasks must be carried out in accordance with the common values, standards and regulations that make up the framework conditions for public administration.
The realisation of the action plan "Electronic Government" is an expression of a further escalation of the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD's) cross-sectoral co-ordination of the development of IT in the central government administration. Extensive and increased use of IT in the administration and our society in general creates challenges that the central government administration must meet with comprehensive strategies and measures across the boundaries of the various sectors.
4.2 Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) sector
The AAD is responsible for the central government administrative policy, information policy and common services. The AAD is in this connection responsible for co-ordination of the development of IT in the central government administration in accordance with the aforementioned principles and considerations.
The AAD's underlying agencies in the IT co-ordination area include the Directorate of Public Management, the Government Administration Services and the Norwegian Central Information Service. The Directorate of Public Management is the administration's special expertise environment for IT, IT reorganisation, IT management, organisation and co-ordination, and IT standardisation. The Government Administration Services is the central government administration's most important operating environment for common IT and network solutions. The agency manages framework agreements in the IT area and publishes the central government administration's publications, both in the traditional form and on electronic media. The Norwegian Central Information Service is a strategic information advisor with special competence in the application of IT in accordance with the principles of the information policy.
The AAD sector is responsible for initiating activities and measures to achieve the result goals of the cross-sectoral IT work. The ministry implements activities under its own direction, under the direction of underlying agencies and as specific co-operation measures with various sectors and entities, and the AAD can also propose or initiate measures that entities can take over responsibility for and implement in their entirety.
The AAD and the relevant underlying agencies shall work in a co-ordinated manner, supplementing each other, in order to implement the cross-sectoral IT commitments in accordance with the framework of this action plan. The respective underlying agencies will, however, according to their nature and various specialist areas of responsibility, also be responsible for implementing analyses and measures in the IT and information service area that do not directly fall under the framework of this action plan. The prioritisation of the priority areas, measures and adjustments in relation to changing needs and new conditions will emerge in the AAD's annual budget proposition and any revised versions of this action plan.
The central government administration is the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration's primary area of responsibility. However, an overall perspective of the administration entails that the target group for the measures also includes the public sector as a whole and is associated with co-operation between the central government and the local government sector. Specific measures are carried out with the understanding of the various sector ministries and in co-operation with the entities that are involved.
All the ministries will be partners in one or more areas. As the highest level of responsibility and management in the respective sectors, the individual specialist ministries play a key role in the implementation of the administrative policy and the development of IT in the respective sector areas. The ministries are also main users of the central government common services under the AAD's area of responsibility.
In addition to the specialist ministries as the bodies responsible for their own sectors, key partners will be ministries with a special co-ordination responsibility, such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which is responsible for co-ordinating the Government's IT policy, the Ministry of Finance with regard to management of finances and the Prime Minister's Office with regard to co-ordination of the Government's work. Co-operation between the local government sector and the central government has been established to develop a common infrastructure and other measures in the IT area. On behalf of the central government the AAD has assumed a co-ordinating and promoting role in co-operation with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) is a key partner in the local government sector.
It is of especially decisive importance for the results of the cross-sectoral IT efforts that the work has a good foundation in relation to the primary users, i.e. the individual agencies and entities. In the capacity of having the primary responsibility for the application of IT for the solution of tasks, these will be key providers of premises and a target group for the various common measures.
At the political level, important IT issues regarding the administrative development will primarily be anchored to the State Secretary Committee on Reorganisation and Renewal in Public Administration, as well as the State Secretary Committee on Information Technology which will also be taken into account as the co-ordinating and preparatory political body for the Government's IT policy. Fundamental questions related to IT in the administrative policy will, as is the case with other matters, be handled by the Government.
4.4 Transfer of experience and research in the area
International participation shall provide the Norwegian administrative and IT policy with impulses, through for example co-operation on the challenges of the information society in relation to administrative policy. The Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) participates for example internationally in activities related to IT in public administration through the ICCP Committee and PUMA Committee in the OECD, the EFTA Working Group on Information Services and the International Council for IT in Government Administration (ICA). In addition, the AAD co-ordinates the Norwegian participation in the IDA Programme (Interchange of Data between Administrations - EU/EEA). These international activities provide the central government's IT work with new impulses.
The knowledge basis for IT in the administration shall be continuously developed through support to and participation in research. Research on the administration's application of IT, IT projects, reorganisation processes, etc, shall be stimulated. Funds are allocated for research purposes to initiate new or support ongoing research projects based on the needs of the administration within a long-term time horizon, such as 5-10 years. The AAD is currently involved in two IT related programmes: The ELCOM programme at the Norwegian Computing Centre, which is studying, among other things, the opportunities and requirements for electronic commerce in the public sector, and the SKIKT programme of the Research Council of Norway (NFR), which is a major programme related to the social and cultural prerequisites for information and communication technology. In SKIKT it is the research on problems related to administrative informatics that is in particular important to the AAD. Both of these projects have a time frame of several years.
A broad range of instruments must be implemented in order to ensure the best possible effect of the cross-sectoral efforts in the IT area. The instruments will range from more authoritative (mandatory) instruments to various types of consensus based common measures and various stimulation schemes and information measures related to best practice.
Examples of such instruments are:
· Initiation and implementation of important cross-sectoral development projects that are of a particularly broad interest and are not naturally attended to by other actors. The Public Administration Network Project, which is a co-operation project between the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) (cf. chapter 5.2), is an example of a development project that has both the central and local government sectors as its target group.
· Initiation of pilot projects in areas where there are common needs, to test for example new technology that would have represented too great a risk or burden to the individual sector or project alone in relation to the primary solution of tasks.
· Information and concrete advice related for example to the transfer of experience.
· Dissemination and analysis of key trends and relevant research and development (R&D) at both the national and international level.
· Development and revision of administration standards in relevant areas.
· Initiation of various types of common measures to support fulfilment of the line responsibility. The joint follow-up of the year 2000 work in accordance with a special action plan is an example of this. Common information services and operational solutions are other examples.
· Competence and personnel policy instruments, for example, central course offerings in relevant areas and various support schemes for further education.
· Development of regulations, from the development of laws to the development of internal instructions for the central government administration.
· Various types of central stimulation schemes, including the OFU scheme and other central financing schemes.
· Analysis and development of administrative policy in the area.
In relation to the various instruments, the Ministry and the underlying agencies may have different perspectives and supplemental roles based on their respective areas of responsibility and nature. Moreover, the roles of the AAD sector and the respective sector authorities and entities may also vary in the different areas.
5. Details of the priority areas
Year 2000 problem and government administrative policy
The transition to the year 2000 creates problems for a number of computer programs and a lot of computer equipment. Since IT plays a major role in today's society, these problems are not only of a technical nature. If the IT systems cease to function, mission critical functions in the central government, local government and business sector will also fail. If the year 2000 problem is not handled in a proper manner, the solution of some of the central government administration's tasks will be at risk. The realisation of central administrative policy goals such as user orientation, political manageability, efficiency, openness and security under the law may be affected by such a failure. However, the immediate consequences of a possible failure on the activities of the central government agencies in areas critical to our society are more specific and serious.
Goal of the priority area
The solution of the central government administration's critical tasks shall not be affected in connection with the transition to the new millennium. In general all the central government agencies shall ensure that their own IT systems, systems with built-in electronics, IT equipment, etc., can handle the transition to a new millennium in a satisfactory manner. In addition to the fact that the internal handling of this problem in the central government administration must be secured, the interaction with local government and private sector must also be handled satisfactorily. The Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) will promote this in relation to the specialist ministries and agencies in this area through information, common measures and status reporting.
Background and prerequisites
The Government's Year 2000 Follow-up Plan of 21 April 1998 states that the central government does not have direct responsibility in relation to the problems that may arise in the local government and private sector. The Ministry of Trade and Industry is working on information on this problem for the business sector and society in general, in co-operation with the Action 2000 Unit, which has been operative since 2 June 1998.
The year 2000 problem is a line responsibility in the central government administration. The problem shall be solved by the individual ministries and agencies that own the systems and equipment. It is the system and equipment owners that have the knowledge and prerequisites to solve these problems, including the maintenance of interaction with the systems of other agencies and entities. The role of the AAD is to contribute to greater awareness and progress with respect to the year 2000 problem in the central government administration through information and other co-ordinating measures.
The Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) has followed up work on the year 2000 problem in the central government administration since the autumn of 1996. The Ministry issued an action plan for work on the year 2000 problem in the central government administration on 18 May 1998. This action plan focuses on handling the year 2000 problem in the central government's own IT systems and other central government systems that are affected, and it presents co-ordinating measures in this area. This plan represents a continuation, formalisation and escalation of the co-ordination work in this area. The measures can be classified under three categories:
1. Information and promotion of greater awareness (information letters, information meetings, a "Year 2000 in the Central Government" page in ODIN (the ministries' information service on the Internet), for example).
2. Common measures (course activities, exchange of experience, securing framework agreements, checklists, for example).
3. Reporting (semi-annual status reports by ministries and agencies, for example)
It is important to view the central measures in the context of the work that the individual ministries and agencies must complete to solve the problem. The top management of the individual ministries and agencies will play a decisive role in connection with the solution of the year 2000 problem in the central government administration. The Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) has pointed out to the ministries that the necessary surveying of the scope of the problem and the prioritisation of tasks and solution strategies must be firmly rooted within their management. The ministries should organise the handling of this problem as a total project, where the focus is on securing the mission critical functions and following up the underlying agencies.
The ministries and agencies are in principle required to solve this problem within the framework of the existing budget. The prioritisation of tasks will therefore be of decisive importance. It may be necessary to postpone development projects in order to secure mission critical systems. It is of the utmost importance that the central measures do not function as a "pillow" for the ministries' and agencies' own work. Valuable time would be lost then.
The Ministry of Justice has prepared and implemented reporting routines for the emergency preparedness work that is associated with the year 2000 problem. Co-operation between the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) will ensure that the reporting schemes for the central government administration in general and the special follow-up of the areas that are the most critical to our society will complement each other.
Status of the work
During the last two years the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) (formerly the Ministry of Government Administration (AD), Ministry of National Planning and Co-ordination (PSD)) has conducted three surveys on the year 2000 work in the central government administration. The first survey was conducted at the end of 1996/start of 1997, the second survey was conducted in the first quarter of 1998, and the third survey was conducted in the summer of 1988. Two additional status surveys will be conducted in February and September 1999.
In the most recent survey, the specialist ministries reported the status of their underlying agencies to the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) on 15 August 1998. A distinction is made between the major agencies (over 500 employees) and minor agencies (20 to 500 employees) in the reports. The general picture is that the major agencies were working in the summer of 1998 on surveying, analysing and establishing systems, while the minor agencies were primarily in the surveying phase. The development from the second to the third survey showed a number of positive trends. More agencies were working actively on the year 2000 problem. More agencies were identifying systems with built-in electronics in their work and firmly rooting the year 2000 work with their top management. There are, however, still many minor agencies that have not yet initiated any year 2000 work, and firm schedules and cost estimates are lacking in very many agencies. Risk assessments and emergency preparedness plans that focus on the year 2000 have not been prepared by most of the agencies either. Half of the agencies needed additional personnel resources.
In December 1998 the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) took the initiative to review the quality of the year 2000 work in three central government agencies. The purpose of this was to supplement the status reports with more thorough status surveys in a small selection of agencies in order to get an indication of whether the surveys were determining the real status of this work in a satisfactory manner. The results of the quality review showed that one out of three agencies appeared to have serious flaws in connection with their handing of the year 2000 work. These flaws had not been detected in the ordinary status reports. Items where improvements could be made were identified for all three agencies, and these items had not been detected in the earlier status reports. Based on these findings, the AAD pointed out at the start of 1999 that there was a need for the specialist ministries to closely follow up the year 2000 work in their underlying agencies. The method for reviewing quality was also passed on to the specialist ministries.
Measures
The Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) will continue its reinforced joint effort in this area, which will include the following measures:
· Follow up agencies that have not yet initiated any year 2000 work in co-operation with the specialist ministries and ensure that central measures are known and available to the agencies.
· Provide information on common systems, systems with built-in electronics and external infrastructure deliveries in co-operation for example with the Government Administration Services and the Directorate of Public Construction and Property.
· Establish and manage a project web site for the exchange of experience and information with regard to the year 2000 work in the central government administration.
· Improve information on the year 2000 compliance of products and suppliers that are used extensively in the central government administration.
· Establish and document exemplary projects ("examples to be copied" with regard to the various aspects of establishing and implementing a project in a minor agency), and distribute documentation from this project to the rest of the central government administration.
In addition to these measures, the Ministry will continue its co-operation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and Action 2000, which all perform other important co-ordination tasks in connection with the year 2000 work.
Infrastructure and administrative policy
Work in the infrastructure area is a prerequisite for achieving results in the other priority areas of this action plan. The administrative policy foundation for this work will thus be very broad and to some extent indirect, implying that the benefits will be gained through activities in the other priority areas. The primary idea will be to support an efficient utilisation of resources and intensify the user orientation in the administration. In order to achieve efficiency, the development of the infrastructure must be adapted to the technology available and its propagation in the market. This will reinforce co-operation within the public sector, at the same time as is it facilitates user orientation and better opportunities for external interaction between the public sector and users in the business sector and general public.
Goal of the area
Arrangements shall be established that will provide a coherent infrastructure with national coverage for the public sector (central and local governments). These arrangements shall contribute to secure and cost-effective information access and exchange, at the same time as they provide a basis for the development of electronic services for the administration's users.
Background and prerequisites
Network and infrastructure work at the co-ordination level has so far focused on the establishment and further development of cross-sectoral networks and the establishment of voluntary procurement programmes for central and local government entities. Procurement programmes and their framework agreements for the procurement of services and products for electronic interaction has been and will be an important instrument in the establishment of a common electronic infrastructure for the public sector. In addition, other elements will be focused on in the establishment of a common infrastructure, such as common services and support measures.
The network infrastructure of the central government is closely associated with the network infrastructure in the rest of society and especially with the infrastructure in other parts of the public sector. Thus our work will be based on this interaction in connection with the implementation of new measures. There is reason to point out that the establishment of separate physical networks for the administration is not a prerequisite. Offers on the market can be utilised instead. Geographical coverage, interoperability and the desired level of service may be achieved through appropriate agreements.
Our efforts in the future will focus on the following subareas that will be discussed in greater detail below with actual measures listed under each subarea:
· Continuation of the Public Administration Network Project with a focus on common services
· Study of an overall network strategy for the central government administration and its connection with work on the Public Administration Network Project.
· Development of a strategy for, and restructuring of, the central government's cross-sectoral network (Depnett, SSI, SRI).
· Establishment and operation of common services for the central government - directory and name authority, trusted third party services.
· Study of electronic infrastructure for central government services based on the use of smart cards.
Public administration network co-operation in the telecommunications and data area
The central government represented by the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) and the local government sector represented by the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) have established long-term co-operation in the telecommunications and data area, founded on the IT strategies of the local government sector and the central government. The Public Administration Network Project is one of many measures established between the Local Government Sector and the Central Government in the IT area (KOSTIT). The goal is to promote the simple, secure and cost-effective exchange of electronic information within the public sector and with other external users.
The Public Administration Network Project's procurement programme supports and simplifies the procurement processes for the individual entities. The programme consists of a set of framework agreements entered into at the central level with instructions and suggested forms that are to be completed in connection with procurement (purchase agreement).
The KS and AAD will also establish support functions and possibly common services to aid electronic interaction. The public administration network co-operation is an important provider of premises for the future infrastructure in the telecommunications and data area in the public sector, through for example co-operation with other major projects and development measures in the public sector.
After a cautious start in 1997, when framework agreements with 3 suppliers were entered into, framework agreements with 26 suppliers were entered into in the autumn of 1998. In addition to greater competition and a significant expansion of the products and services offered, we have also achieved greater flexibility for local buyers in the public sector.
The following principles are stressed in our work:
· User driven development
· Offers through the framework agreements are based on voluntary acceptance
· Entities must themselves cover all the costs associated with procurement through the framework agreements
· Offers are given to all entities in the public sector in accordance with the Act relating to Public Procurement.
· The programme must incorporate changes in technology and the market during the agreement period
· Market shall be exploited to the greatest possible extent. It will not be relevant to establish a new, separate physical network for public administration
· Focus will be on a low level of risk and economically sound solutions.
The offers must for example take into account the entities' technological level, administrative tasks and local procurement competence and capacity.
Measures
· Calls for tenders that are adapted to the needs of the users and market development shall be executed for the relevant services/solutions through framework agreements under a common set of higher level agreements.
· In 1988 six calls for tenders were issued in the telecommunications and data area. When the current framework agreements expire, calls for tenders will be prepared and issued in the same areas in order to secure continuity.
· Starting in 1999 the public sector will be offered services such as digital signatures, trusted third party services (TTP services) and electronic data interchange solutions, EDI and electronic form tools.
· Establishment of relevant common services is being evaluated based on a detailed reconsideration of priorities in co-operation with the user environments. There is for example a great demand for the establishment of a central directory service.
· A permanent operating organisation for the public administration network co-operation will be established in 1999.
· A new evaluation report from the Western Norway Research Institute will be available early in 1999.
Due to the fact that work in the public administration network co-operation is determined to a great extent by the needs of the users, no specific targets for where we should be at the end of the plan period can be given3>.
Central government network strategy
Due to the rapid development in the network area in recent years, especially in connection with the explosive growth in Internet use, it is now natural to re-evaluate the prerequisites for the central government's network policy. In addition, the growing use of electronic interaction in the administration, with increasingly more advanced applications, has resulted in a greater need for common infrastructure elements such as directories, common tools, etc. The development of new guidelines applies both to standards for data communication and principles for and the organisation of necessary common services for electronic interaction internally within the central government and for interaction with the central government's users. A central government network strategy should also include interaction between the central government's cross-sectoral network and the various sector networks, in addition to interaction with networks in other parts of the administration (municipalities).
Measures
· Implementation of a broad process in the central government administration for the purpose of determining a revised network strategy for the central government.
· Re-evaluation of the NOSIP requirements and standardisation policy in the data communication area.
Central government's cross-sectoral network
The establishment of a trunk network in the Government Complex in the 1980s, and the subsequent development of the ministries' common network (Depnett) and the Central Government Regional Information Network (SRI), which encompasses the County Governor Offices and other regional central government entities, has formed the foundation for the central government's cross-sectoral network infrastructure. This infrastructure consists today, in addition to Depnett and SRI, of the Central Government's Central Information Network (SSI), which connects some central agencies together. The operational responsibility for this infrastructure is currently assigned to the Government Administration Services.
The steady increase in the use of this infrastructure and the increase in the number of new services that are desired have put pressure on the cross-sectoral networks technologically, organisationally and financially. Therefore a consistent strategy must be developed for the future organisation, operation, development of services, functionality, security and financing of these networks.
Measures
· Development of a common strategy for the central government's cross-sectoral networks in broad co-operation with the users of the networks.
· Implementation of the strategy and restructuring of the cross-sectoral network infrastructure with a view to optimal solutions for users within given framework conditions.
· Further development of solutions for an appropriate security level in the cross-sectoral networks.
Common services for the central government
Electronic directory and address registers will improve the efficiency of the utilisation of resources with regard to the current production of directories and address register in the administration, and it could improve the availability of electronic access to the public administration. Central, user-friendly and high quality electronic address systems are key elements in a network infrastructure and a prerequisite for a transition to electronic government.
Some preliminary analyses, studies and need assessments have been conducted with regard to e-mail address directories, including a common name structure, in connection with the Central Government Regional Information Network (SRI), for example. In addition, it would be appropriate to carry out an analysis of the opportunities for co-ordination of the various central government directory and register services, including the Norwegian Government Yearbook, Who Answers What in the Central Government, internal telephone and address directories for the central government administration, etc. In this connection a further evaluation will be made of the need for the establishment of a central address register for the central government. This work must been seen in the context of the cross-sectoral networks, the central government information policy in a broad sense and the work on IT security. It may also be relevant to evaluate possible interaction with the central government's central civil servant register.
In connection with electronic commerce, electronic administrative procedures and electronic data interchange an increasing need arises for the establishment of an infrastructure for public key cryptography (so-called Public Key Infrastructure - PKI). Such an infrastructure consists for example of one or more trusted third parties who can serve as certifying authorities for the cryptokey users. In this connection a need for directory services arises for the administration of certificates issued by trusted third party services and for making them available.
Measures
· Establishment of new electronic directory services based on existing directory services and electronic address registers for the central government administration.
· Establishment of elements in a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for authentication, digital signatures and encryption (confidentiality) in the central government administration.
Infrastructure for the use of smart cards
Several European countries and the US have also evaluated the feasibility of an electronic multifunctional card (so-called smart card) as a basis for identifying users of public services and to support the delivery of the actual services. An example of this is the Finnish commitment to electronic identity cards for all users of the administration and the administration's employees, while the Swedish "national ID card" is another example. Such an electronic card can be used to store cryptokeys used in connection with authentication, digital signatures and the encryption of electronic messages/documents. In addition, such a card can be used for several other applications, such as a health card, ticket card, electronic wallet, etc. The establishment of a national standard for such a card and the associated infrastructure (cf. PKI and certifying authorities) will create a good foundation for the development of electronic services in the central government administration, and it would especially facilitate the delivery of such services over the networks.
Measures
· Study the need for a common smart card solution for the central government administration, based on the work of various sectors, including the health sector.
· Establishment of a national certifying authority for smart card users.
· Establishment of systems for the distribution of smart cards to users of central government services.
IT security and administrative policy
The conditions surrounding IT security in the administration will be of significance to what information can be collected and how it can be protected and handled in a proper manner in networks and user systems that the administration uses in its solution of tasks. The use of new IT solutions and communication networks is spreading, and requires a systematic review of the situation with regard to risk and vulnerability assessments to ensure that the administration has access to critical resources, and that the services and infrastructure maintain the level of quality and have the protective mechanisms that are necessary.
In light of this, work on IT security and vulnerability problems in the administration is necessary in order to inspire confidence in the central government use of IT. Focusing on IT security will be a prerequisite for developing an efficient but justifiable use of IT and networks in the administration, with a high quality solution of tasks and schemes that safeguard the protection of personal privacy and other protective needs in a satisfactory manner. Focusing on IT security must be balanced in relation to the administrative policy goals of manageability and efficiency and the practical needs for modernisation of the administration's activities.
Goal of the priority area
A satisfactory level of IT security shall be established in the central government administration and the administration's use of communication networks so that the use of electronic administrative procedures, information and communication does not reduce the level of confidence and trust in the administration or its robustness, so that important considerations such as the protection of personal privacy and security under the law are safeguarded, and the level of risk and vulnerability does not increase even though IT is implemented in all areas of the administration.
Background and prerequisites
As the body responsible for co-ordination of IT in the central government administration, the ministry is seeking to develop and establish common solutions and programmes that can fulfil the needs for IT security. This is necessary in order to inspire confidence and trust in IT solutions in general and electronic information and communication in particular. This shall for example prevent unauthorised access to sensitive or confidential information, and prevent that the resources in the central government's IT infrastructure can be misused by unauthorised individuals. However, an exaggerated and too broad a focus on security may result in the selection of solutions that are too strict, which may in turn thwart the desired development and modernisation. However, risk and vulnerability assessments that are adapted to the needs of the entities, may result in more balanced solutions.
In IT security work the administration's prerequisites with regard to confidence and personal privacy considerations will be expanded to encompass national vulnerability considerations. Work on the year 2000 problem has identified mission critical systems and the risk factors associated with these systems. This major survey work should be utilised for a review of the administration's vulnerability in connection with the propagation of information and communication technology. Experience with the organisation of the year 2000 work can be used for detailing the efforts to be utilised for surveys and the review of the measures that are necessary pursuant to the line responsibility. Competence must be built up and expert environments must be organised so that the administration can use these to protect itself against planned attacks or more random faults that can arise. The vulnerability studies must be so specific that they can be followed up by means of implementation measures. In addition, this work is important in order to maintain confidence in the administration's quality and robustness in the event of a crisis.
The central government administration's IT security measures must be founded on the schemes that are established in general for the Norwegian society, in order to make IT security part of the IT infrastructure in society, among other things. These are schemes that the IT Security Council is working on. IT security in the central government administration must be developed at the same time as the networks and the rest of the infrastructure are built. The IT security area in the administration is regulated mainly by the Data Security Directive and the Act relating to Preventative Security Services (the Security Act). The Data Security Directive requires for example that all classified communication shall be encrypted. The following measures shall support the sectors' work in the IT security area according to their varying needs.
Measures
· Preparation of an overall IT security strategy for the central government administration that can be used as a basis for implementation of the necessary security measures in all central government entities.
· Establishment of certification programmes for IT security in central government entities.
· Execution of risk and vulnerability assessments for the central government's use of IT, including supplier dependence.
· Development and implementation of a security programme for the central government's cross-sectoral network based on the internal control principle.
5.4 Information services on the Internet
Information services in light of the administrative and information policy
Information services on the Internet shall be one of the instruments for realisation of the goal of an open, accessible and efficient administration, by giving the users access to public information, access to the administration's work and a dialogue with the public sector in a comprehensive, simple and user oriented manner. The information services shall be based on the principles of the central government information policy. The services shall be used to reduce the perception of geographic distance and thus make access to public information less dependent on the geographic location.
The purpose of an active application of information services on the Internet in the administration's information strategy is to lower the barrier for participation in the decision-making processes and thus stimulate an active and living democracy.
Goal of the priority area
All central government entities shall use the Internet actively as a channel in their information strategy. The general public, business sector and administration shall be offered organised information and opportunities for communication with the administration by means of the net. The goal is to offer the general public self-service options by allowing simple administrative procedures to be performed as part of the services. This vision means that resources must be channelled from paper publication to electronic publication, so that central documents from the public sector can be available on the Internet in one or more common text format (html, Word, pdf, etc.) ready for downloading. This enables a more cost-effective distribution, and there should be a great deal of user initiated printouts of the documents. Electronic storage and distribution will provide economic benefits through more efficient routines, reduced storage costs and saved postage expenses. With all possible reservations, it is estimated that this may involve a significant amount. The administration shall emerge as a coherent organisation through the net. The information shall be indexed so that it will be easy to find relevant information. One of our goals is the publication of mail journals by all the ministries and agencies as part of the electronic mail journal project.
Background and prerequisites
The Internet is under-utilised as an information and communication channel by the administration. The Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) is a cost-effective channel for the distribution of information from the public sector and for sharing information within the public sector, and it is also a well-suited tool for realisation of the principles in the central government's information policy. It is important to stress here that the line responsibility remains unchanged, because it is the agencies themselves who are responsible for the information services and for having good routines for the establishment and maintenance of such services.
The World Wide Web as we know it today has been available on the commercial market for just under 5 years. Thus this information channel is still in a trial phase, and there must be room for trial and error. Over time we will probably see new applications of the channel, depending on the technological developments and what proves to be appropriate. Still only part of the general public can be reached directly by the net. The administration must therefore also make use of other information channels in its information work. There is nevertheless reason to make special arrangements for information services on the net since they will also be useful for the administration's own work. The administrative procedures will be more efficient and the executive officers will have simpler and better insight into what the other agencies are doing, which will in turn contribute to a more coherent administration. It will of course result in better quality services to the users. More public information and services on the net will mean that an increasing share of the users will serve themselves, wherever and whenever they want. This can liberate resources and provide more help to the user groups requiring help.
In order to contribute to the realisation of the vision for this priority area, ODIN, which is the Government's and the ministries' electronic information service, will be developed further.
Increased use of electronic information services will contribute to the development of IT competence in the central government administration and lay a foundation for more efficient and advanced use of the IT tool. This is important in our work to renew and modernise the public sector. Electronic information services are a significant prerequisite for the realisation of electronic administrative procedures on a grand scale. Moreover, intranets may, in addition to publishing internal information, be well suited for providing access to document management systems and other necessary applications for use in the internal administrative procedures. A common overall strategy must be developed and specific measures must be implemented to stimulate and develop electronic information services in the central government.
In the start phase of this action plan 60% of all central government agencies have initiated information measures on the net. As this share increases it will be increasingly more challenging to find the desired information. In order to meet this challenge various measures must be implemented. The web-site `Norway.no' shall provide a common gateway to and summary of the public sector on the net. This will also contribute to the perception of the administration as a coherent unit and make it easier for the general public to find relevant information on the net. However, such a common gateway will not show to its full advantage until all the public entities are on the net offering high quality information and services. Thus the stimulation of more and better services will be one of the primary goals for `Norway.no'. This gateway should be an arena for spreading information on the information services of the administration. Information and service offers that will stimulate an increased number of services and contribute to higher quality can be added to the gateway. The retrieval of information will also be improved by indexing and structuring the information.
One area where great access and efficiency benefits can be gained is the electronic distribution of drafts for comments. The electronic distribution of drafts for comments will provide a more democratic process for the submission of comments, a greater number of individuals and organisations will be given access to the documents and they can be invited to voice their opinion at an early stage of the decision-making process.
A living and decentralised democracy requires that information on the rights and duties of individuals is available. How the general public, business sector and administration can best be given access to information on rights and duties on the net should therefore be studied. Easy access to information on sources of law will place the users and their needs in focus and provide at the same time a better and more efficient public administration.
Measures
· The "new" ODIN will be introduced by the end of 1999. A new technical solution, more flexible routines and decentralised organisation that is more in line with the responsibility for the content/information shall contribute to more active utilisation of the Internet by the ministries as a channel in their information work.
· Contribute to all central government agencies using the Internet as a channel in their information strategy, by for example the implementation or continuation of various stimulation measures such as seminars, instructions, electronic templates or advisory services.
· Electronic distribution of drafts for comments shall be tested further and a report on the consequences shall be prepared.
· A common gateway to all public information on the Internet shall be established.
· A pilot project where individual documents on the Internet are assigned description keywords (so-called metatags) shall be implemented. The purpose of this is to make it easier to find relevant information on the net.
· The central government data basis shall be indexed so that searches can be performed across the various sources of information.
· Study in greater detail how information on rights and duties can best be presented on the Internet for the general public, business sector and public administration.
5.5 Electronic administrative procedures
Electronic administrative procedures in the administrative policy
Our focus in the area electronic administrative procedures is on an efficient utilisation of resources and qualitatively good solution of tasks in accordance with the values that our administration is based on. This area shall also contribute to reinforcement of the administration's user orientation through facilitation of the provision of services to individual user groups and the goal-oriented application of liberated resources.
Goal of the priority area
Electronic administrative procedures and the use of electronic information and communication shall become a normal form of work in the public administration. Electronic administrative procedures shall facilitate reforms and an alternative organisation for our solution of tasks, so that the users will receive public services that are adapted to their needs.
Background and prerequisites
Electronic administrative procedures (including electronic case handling) entail general IT support to the entire administrative procedure process4> from the time a case is initiated until a decision is made and reported. Such administrative procedures entail for example that the case documents are available electronically and that they are exchanged electronically.
In Norway such a form of administrative procedures has gradually been implemented to a greater or lesser extent in recent years, especially in the local government sector. The central government has refrained somewhat from the use of fully electronic solutions in this area.
In 1997 the formal basis for fully electronic administrative procedures was studied and recommended requirement specifications were established. Instruction materials are also available for agencies that wish to implement electronic administrative procedures. There is, however, a need for practical trials and an adjustment of the regulations before this can take place on a larger scale. Electronic administrative procedures and services entail a need for a major restructuring of the way the public sector solves its tasks. Such restructuring will for example have consequences for the archive function, internal routines and the rules for administrative procedures, the work situation of executive officers and leaders, and of course the users' method of communication with the administration.
Direct electronic communication with the users shall be facilitated whenever possible. In this manner any users who desire such communication will be given direct access to the administration's services without having to appear in person or have cumbersome contact over the telephone. Resources liberated by electronic self-service for certain groups of users can then be used for a qualitative improvement of services to other user groups who wish to use the traditional services.
Interaction in connection with work in the area of electronic information services and the use of electronic forms is very relevant.
The primary instrument for realisation of the goal for this area will be a four-year programme for electronic administrative procedures in the central government administration. This programme was initiated in the second half of 1998, and it is owned and financed by the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD). The Directorate of Public Management is the operative party for implementation of the programme and is responsible for the secretariat tasks. This programme is being carried out in close co-operation with the agencies that have implemented or are on the verge of implementing their own projects for electronic administrative procedures and services. These agencies are brought together in a user forum that is administered by the Directorate of Public Management. In addition, the AAD will establish a forum for regulation authorities in this area.
During a three-year period the programme will contribute to the following:
·A clarification of the legal challenges associated with electronic administrative procedures and proposals for regulation reform.
· A secure and reliable infrastructure for electronic communication in the administration and communication with the administration's users.
· Development of competence in the administration with regard to electronic archiving, electronic document management and administrative procedures.
· Active testing of new technology by public entities, where the experience gained shall benefit the entire community.
In 1999 our goal is to start pilot projects in some public entities in order to verify and develop requirements and improve our knowledge of the use of the solutions in practice. The development of technology in this area is extensive, and our requirements will probably be fulfilled to an increasing extent by products on the market. It is desirable to make use of the general development of systems and solutions for computer aided collaboration and case workflow systems. Satisfactory electronic administrative procedures will require infrastructure services and information services that are currently under development. The pilot projects will require a fairly radical change on the part of the executive officers who will be participating. This entails for example a need for knowledge on the use of new, modern systems and knowledge on document management. Major pilot projects will require the involvement of the management and represent major challenges to functions such as archiving and document services, implying a reorganisation and restructuring of these services.
The development of the Internet has made the testing of electronic administrative procedures in relation to the general public and the development of new IT based methods for the provision of services more relevant. The Internet and WWW have become important tools for the administration's information work. As an extension of this work and in close association with the solutions for internal electronic administrative procedures, new solutions for the electronic provision of services will be established. The goal is to establish pilot projects where electronic administrative procedures are linked to new methods of providing services to citizens. Limited trials can be conducted in the central government, or alternatively in the municipalities in co-operation with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS).
Examples of projects are tax assessment on the net, receipt and processing of student loan applications, concession applications, etc. Electronic forms ("intelligent forms") will be an important element here. Two-way electronic contact with the general public requires internal follow-up by the public entities. A "seamless" link to Internet based services shall therefore be sought.
The General Central Government Requirement Specifications (Statens Generelle Kravspesifikasjon - SGK) for electronic administrative procedures and the associated instructions, issued by the Directorate of Public Management, and the new NOARK-4 standard prepared by the National Archives of Norway, will form the foundation for the introduction of electronic administrative procedures. These documents will in time be supplemented by documents containing experience from the introduction processes that will be evaluated by the programme, and reports on fundamental questions that will be uncovered and discussed by the programme.
An important problem with regard to electronic administrative procedures in the ministries is the application of the principles in the Design Programme5> for electronic documents with regard to both the storage and exchange of such documents. The challenges that are associated with this shall be solved during the plan period.
Measures
· During this period a major competence development initiative will be carried out in the administration in the field of information management, including document administration and archiving, process modelling, change and reorganisation with IT, an introduction to relevant technologies for document management and work flow, an introduction to information security with digital signatures etc. and an introduction to how electronic services via the Internet can cause and be used for internal reorganisation.
· The prerequisites for and practical aspects of testing and trials involving electronic administrative procedures and electronic documents shall be clarified, including the formal requirements that must be fulfilled for a secure implementation.
· Projects shall be implemented in co-operation with pilot entities for the practical testing and introduction of new technologies for electronic administrative procedures, based, for example, on the requirements in the General Central Government Requirement Specifications (SGK) and NOARK-4, to gain experience with alternative models and solutions.
· Pilot projects shall be implemented that involve new forms of providing services where electronic forms, use of the Internet and electronic signatures will be in focus.
· During the programme period the practical pilot projects shall be followed up by an experience summary and further studies on electronic documents and the organisational, structural and legal aspects of electronic administrative procedures. This work can result in the proposal of changes to the regulations that govern administrative procedures in the administration.
· Both qualitative and quantitative electronic administrative procedure benefits shall be realised in the public entities that have implemented electronic administrative procedures. Benefits and any possible pitfalls shall be documented and spread to the rest of the administration.
Quantitative benefits entail an increased administrative procedure capacity (throughput) and cost reductions as a result of the transition to electronic archiving and document distribution. Qualitative benefits include an increased service quality in the form of fast and accurate administrative procedures, correct and easily accessible information to any parties in a case, increased manageability through a better overview of the cases, better resource management and a more even distribution of the work load, increased traceability with complete case files and a better basis for evaluation of the parties with regard to what happened in the case, in addition to increased publicity with broader and easier access to the administration's case documents. Moreover, the documentation of the administration's work that is required by the archiving regulations will be improved by the introduction of electronic administrative procedures on a broad basis.
5.6 Electronic data interchange
Electronic data interchange in the administrative policy
The priority area electronic data interchange shall contribute to greater user orientation and a more efficient utilisation of resources in the administration and thus our society as such.
The priority area electronic data interchange will primarily focus on the organisational, administrative, technological and legal challenges associated with EDI (Electronic Data Interchange). EDI concerns the automatic or semiautomatic system to system transfer of structured data.6 > There will also be focus on electronic forms and so-called web forms for the electronic transfer of structured data. Moreover, problems related to topics such as metadata, register problems, data definition, data quality, data reuse, etc., will also be covered.
A number of transactions with and within the public sector are still carried out on paper, and the procedures and flow of information can be improved and made more efficient. Technological developments in general, and the development of the Internet in particular, provide opportunities for improving and increasing the efficiency of procedures and the flow of information through for example electronic data interchange, electronic administrative procedures and the sharing of digitised information resources.
Electronic data interchange to and between public entities takes place primarily between IT systems and applications that are associated with the core activities of the public entities. Thus the public entities will face difficult processes and a number of major challenges in connection with electronic data interchange. The data basis must for example be co-ordinated and standardised in relation to its purpose, and the IT systems must be developed further and adapted, and the transactions must be secured. In addition there may be a need for organisational and administrative changes and a review of different task areas, as well as amendments to laws and the adaptation of the regulations. The development from interaction over closed networks to interaction over open networks such as the Internet will also give rise to new requirements for security solutions in order to secure the integrity and the necessary confidentiality of the information that is exchanged.
Goal of the priority area
Provisions shall be made for a simpler and more efficient public reporting, coherent and interactive solutions for electronic data interchange and better management and utilisation of the public information resources. This work will be carried out within the framework stipulated out of consideration for the protection of personal privacy, etc. The collection of information from the general public and the business sector shall be simplified through electronic data interchange and common utilisation of the information. The use of electronic data interchange between the private and public sector, and internally within the public sector, shall contribute to a reduction of the burdens placed on the general public and business sector, improve the quality of the data basis and co-ordinate the collection of information to a greater extent. In addition, the exchange of data and reporting horizontally and vertically between the administrative levels shall be simplified and made more efficient.
Background and prerequisites
Already today there are a number of ongoing important projects in several sector areas in the administration related to this priority area, such as Local and Central Government Reporting (KOSTRA), the new central government finance regulations, the System for Assessment of the Self-Employed (SLN), telemedicine applications, the Form Register, etc. Agencies such as the Directorate of Taxes, Directorate of Customs and Excise, Statistics Norway, Brønnøysund Register Centre and National Insurance Administration are leading agencies and driving forces in their respective areas. Better co-ordination of the efforts in this area is desired, efforts where several sectors and public entities are involved in the form of common measures that stimulate the development of electronic data interchange and reporting throughout the entire administration.
The growth of the Internet and exchange of data over open networks has changed a number of prerequisites and created at the same time new opportunities. Internet technology has only been developed to a limited extent in relation to the handling of large volumes of structured data. However, it is expected that new products and solutions supporting the progress in this field will continuously be developed. There will at the same time be a great need for the testing of new technology and solutions in the form of pilot projects before the solutions can be implemented in full-scale operations. Electronic data interchange requires that the necessary networks, infrastructures and IT security services have already been established. There is a need to prepare new tasks and functions that must be fulfilled in connection with data co-ordination and data exchange, and in addition to help promote the maturity and application of new technological solutions in the area, such as data interchange based on Internet technology, XML/EDI.
In 1999 the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) will initiate in co-operation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (NHD) a multiyear cross-sectoral programme in the areas of reporting to the public sector, data interchange between entities and administrative levels in the public sector, and common strategies and measures to improve the utilisation of public information and data. It is desirable to follow up the development work in these areas within the various sectors and entities, identify common development needs and initiate measures and common projects to fulfil these needs. 1998 has been a start-up year in which the Directorate of Public Management has prepared a preliminary project report that includes proposals for activities, foundations and the organisation of the programme work. The aim is to establish an organisational superstructure for this program founded on the most central ministries, and a corresponding foundation in the central operating environments. Participation from the business sector will also be desirable.
Measures
The Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) will prepare requirement specifications and establish a framework for solutions for EDI and electronic forms in 1999 through the Public Administration Network Project.
With regard to the cross-sectoral programme for data interchange, reporting, and utilisation of public information that the AAD will initiate in co-operation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (NHD) in 1999, the following measures are relevant:7>
·Exchange of form based information (structured data) in a simple and coherent manner to and between public administration entities.
· Preparation for better reuse of register based public information resources.
· Identification of common development needs and contribute to the co-ordination of development work in the area of electronic data interchange and reporting in a manner that serves both the administration's own interests and the interests of the general public and business sector.
· Improvement of framework conditions, initiation of motivational measures and making arrangements for good collaborative relationships in connection with projects related to electronic data interchange and reporting.
· Initiation, implementation and evaluation of pilot projects involving electronic data interchange and reporting based on different technologies.
· Contributions to ensure that public entities engaged in "mass processing" and register entry make provisions for electronic data interchange and reporting.
5.7 Electronic commerce for public procurement
Electronic commerce for public procurement in the administrative policy
The overall objective for committing resources to electronic commerce for the public sector is to contribute to the Government's national focus on electronic commerce through the central government's role as an advanced user and promoter, in addition to reinforcement of the efforts to increase the efficiency of public procurement in general.
Goal of the priority area
The use of electronic commerce for public procurement shall contribute to a significant reduction in the costs associated with procurement and increase the quality of the public procurement processes. The resources that are liberated shall help public entities so that they can concentrate more on their primary tasks.
Background and prerequisites
The public sector purchases goods and services totalling approximately NOK 206 billion annually, divided among the municipalities, counties, state-run enterprises and administration. Electronic commerce is related more specifically to the implementation of networks and IT systems to improve the processes for planning and management, announcements, orders, deliveries, invoice handling and payment. The greatest impact is made when the introduction of IT solutions results at the same time in a more efficient organisation and distribution of tasks.
In the work to increase the efficiency of public procurement it will be important to study how IT solutions can change and improve procurement processes and improve the planning and management. Certain IT measures were initiated under the central government procurement programme (1993-96). Sweden and Denmark have focused extensively on electronic commerce. Their primary focus has been the actual trading process (orders, deliveries, invoicing and payment) and on standard solutions for the entire public sector (single face to industry). In Norway the primary focus has been on procurement planning and improving the efficiency of the announcement process in relation to the EU. A new Norwegian effort should make use of the experiences from our neighbouring countries.
A commitment to electronic commerce for public procurement must be seen in the context of other measures related to the following three general categories:
1. Other IT based modernisation measures in the public sector and the priority area electronic data interchange/electronic forms and reporting in particular.
2. Measures to stimulate electronic commerce in the business sector, through for example work on framework conditions and the fact that the public administration as a large, demanding and competent customer will influence developments in this area.
3. Other non-IT based measures to improve public procurement and logistics.
An effort must at the same time be made to counteract the centralising effects of procurement programmes. Electronic commerce can contribute to the fact that central government workplaces that are not dependent on any particular location can be located in the rural districts. The use of procurement agreements and co-operation shall not prevent the use of local suppliers and the protection of regional policy interests.
In order to put some weight behind the measures for the introduction of electronic commerce for public procurement a multiyear programme will be used as a primary instrument. A preliminary project was carried out in 1998 and laid the foundation for our investment in this programme. This foundation included for example a summary of experiences from earlier investments in Norway and abroad, in addition to an analysis of the possible benefits of introducing electronic commerce in various parts of the procurement process.
Measures
The programme will be established in 1999, and the activities will be specified in a dialogue between the administration and the business sector. The programme will according to plan encompass the following activities during its five-year period:
· Legal problems where the identification and removal of barriers for electronic commerce for public entities will be focused on, in relation to the procurement regulations as well as other relevant regulations.
· Implementation, which shall encompass the establishment of pilot projects or possible reinforcement of pilot projects that are already in progress under the direction of central government agencies, counties and municipalities. Moreover, the standards that are necessary for public electronic commerce shall be established and implemented widely (so-called SFTI - Single Face To Industry). Measures shall also be implemented with regard to security in connection with public electronic commerce, any needs for reorganisation shall be identified and guidelines for the realisation and measurement of benefits shall be established.
· Competence development, which entails the implementation of comprehensive competence development activities among the public sector buyers on a national basis. General requirement specifications shall also be prepared for IT supported public procurement, in addition to instructions for the introduction of electronic commerce.
5.8 IT management and organisation
IT management and organisation in the government administrative policy
With the increased importance of IT in central administration functions, a good implementation capacity for IT is a prerequisite for achievement of the goals of the sectors and public entities, and thus it is a prerequisite for the political manageability of the government administration. An efficient and appropriate development and application of IT in the individual sectors and entities is dependent on the ability to formulate IT strategies that reflect the political objectives and on the ability to implement IT projects in a professional manner. This places a great demand on the organisation of the administration's IT activities, and it entails a major challenge to leaders and IT personnel at all levels of the administration. In addition, the central government administration must have the ability and capacity to tackle problems that require solutions in the short term, without affecting the more long-term strategic measures that shall contribute to realisation of important goals.
This priority area also includes efforts that support a strategic use of IT at a higher level. Measures will be implemented to evaluate how IT can support the administrative policy goal of utilising the entire country. New forms of work organisation that are supported by IT (telecommuting for example) may be important administrative policy instruments for achieving the Government's regional policy goals.
Goal of the priority area
This priority area seeks to improve the organisation and management of central government IT activities. It is in particular a goal that the administration shall use appropriate processes, methods and tools for the formulation of IT strategies and for the management and implementation of major IT projects. So-called "computer scandals" must be avoided, and a general reinforcement of manageability and implementation capacity is sought through increased predictability and professionalism in IT work. The central government IT competence must be maintained, renewed and developed, at the same time as the administration's competence with regard to various forms of service procurement must be reinforced. In addition, the potential of IT to support the decentralisation of central government work tasks and a more flexible organisation for the solution of tasks shall be utilised.
Background
Both the public and private sector have problems with the efficient implementation of major IT projects. These problems are related to meeting time and cost estimates as well as the realisation of the expected benefits. This contributes to the fact that key personnel are assigned difficult development tasks over an unnecessarily long period time, and that it is difficult to realise the political goals that are behind these efforts. The Directorate of Public Management's FASIT project (Pitfalls and Criteria for Success in Major Central Government IT projects) 1996 - 98 has provided a foundation for further work in this field. Experience shows that there is a need to professionalise the central government administration with regard to the performance of various roles and tasks associated with IT.
The formulation of IT strategies that clarify the relationship between the political goals and various IT investments, and provide the guidelines necessary to assign priority to specific measures and projects, is a prerequisite for ensuring that the significant resources that are used on IT pay off. There is a need here to distinguish between the development of strategies for sectors and public entities. It is desirable to contribute to a good relationship between the strategies for individual sectors and for the individual public entities. Work on IT strategy is demanding, and it places demands on the involvement of management and a high level acknowledgement of the significance of information technology to the development of society, the development of the administration and the possible achievement of goals in their own sector and entity.
The procurement of IT typically takes place as part of development or procurement projects (or in a combination of the two). In both cases there are significant challenges associated with the evaluation of needs and opportunities, formulation of requirement specifications, cost/benefit assessments, project management and creating a foundation in the user organisation. Experience has shown that procurement in the IT area is demanding, and the central government's standard agreements from the Directorate of Public Management, as well as the framework agreements from the Central Government Procurement Unit and the Public Administration Network Project are important aids that must be maintained and developed further. There are a number of standard agreements, and it is important to select the right contract, know the significance of the various appendices, and especially to use the contract for management of the supplier and the project. When the public entities implement their own system development, special requirements are placed on their own IT competence and system development maturity. There are established methods for evaluating an organisation's maturity with regard to system development. Such methods can form the basis for the evaluation of the maturity of public entities and for a corresponding evaluation of possible external suppliers with regard to system development. For public entities the use of such methods can improve their understanding of their own development potential and contribute to a higher level of professionalism. When the development takes place in one's own entity it is essential to distinguish between roles such as the orderer and the supplier.
In order to succeed with IT it is not enough to have good strategies and professional procurement and development. The introduction of the solutions and the subsequent realisation of benefits are obvious prerequisites for achieving the goals on which the IT projects are based. The challenges here lie, however, to a large degree in the primary line organisation and not the IT units. The operative management level will in particular face significant challenges with regard to the realisation of benefits. The efforts in this area touch of course on general measures for management development and increased adaptability to changes.
In recent years the labour market has been marked by a great demand for IT competence8> . The problems are the greatest in the Oslo area, but they are also felt in other sections of the country. Work on the year 2000 problem has also created further pressure on this market. This development makes it necessary to evaluate measures to secure the IT competence in the central government administration. The competence problem can be tackled in a number of manners. Firstly there are challenges associated with the use and development of personnel policy instruments (including training) to keep, develop and recruit the competence that is necessary. Secondly the shortage of IT competence makes alternative methods of organising IT work more relevant. It is for example relevant to increase the procurement of services and possibly the outsourcing of IT work as well. Thirdly, it may be mentioned that the further development and distribution of the central government's standard agreements and the General Central Government Requirement Specifications for IT may contribute to improving the level of competence in the procurement and development of IT. Through participation in the relevant R&D activities the central government can contribute to obtaining the relevant competence, and influence at the next level the content of the relevant education programmes so that the supply of competence will improve in the long term.
There is a need for a better factual basis with regard to the organisation of IT in the central government administration, fulfilment of the various roles, status with regard to IT competence and experience from specific IT projects. There is a need for further surveys and the dissemination of relevant problems and experience.
During this plan period a cross-sectoral project shall be implemented that will study the opportunities and test out solutions for the decentralisation of the public sector's work tasks by means of new technology. The purpose of this project is to support the Government's goal for regional development, which is to utilise the entire country, through making arrangements for administrative procedures and the solution of other tasks over geographical distances. This work will also include measures for the testing of home and remote office solutions, the evaluation of regulations and contracts related to teleworking and telecommuting, in addition to new and more flexible methods for organising work processes and dividing up tasks. Thus this work also aims at contributing to a greater adaptability and flexibility in the central government administration. This requires at the same time the development of new forms of interaction and work routines across the geographical and organisational borders in the administration as well as a new organisation for the flow and handling of information.
Measures
· Consider and follow up the recommendations of the FASIT project with regard to IT projects in connection with budget procedures, the agency management dialogue, limitation of the size of the development projects, etc., through for example the development of instruction materials for the various phases of IT work.
· Implement a macrostudy of the potential for the realisation of benefits associated with the introduction of IT.
· Develop a more detailed factual basis for the central government administration's processes, methods and tools for the formulation of IT strategies for sectors and entities, and for the management and implementation of major IT projects.
· Implement in 1999 a new survey of IT in the central government based on the model used in the earlier surveys. This material will contribute to an overview of the changes in the administration's use of IT, needs and plans.
· Survey and analyse the need for IT competence in the central government administration and propose common measures (for example, personnel policy instruments, incentive schemes) in order to keep and recruit the necessary IT competence.
· Develop instruction materials for new forms of service procurement such as facility management and possibly also for the implementation of outsourcing.
· Develop and adapt the central government's standard agreements for IT, and evaluate agreements in general as an instrument for the efficient use and procurement of IT.
· Make provisions for home office solutions and telecommuting in the central government administration.
· Study and implement measures for the decentralisation of central government work tasks by means of IT, through for example electronic administrative procedures and telecommuting. A pilot project shall be implemented in co-operation with other actors to test out electronic interaction across geographical borders.
6. Appendices: Relevant background work, reports, memorandums, etc.
(The majority of the work cited will be available in Norwegian only.)
General
· The IT Based Information Structure in Norway - Status and Challenges. Report from the interministerial working group established to survey the current use of IT and the ongoing development measures in the IT area in the central government, 7 September 1994 (http://odin.dep.no/html/nofovalt/offpub/utrednin/steine/innhld.html)
· The Norwegian Information Highway - Bit by Bit, Report from the State Secretary Committee on Information Technology. Ministry of Transport and Communications, January 1996 (http://odin.dep.no/html/nofovalt/offpub/utrednin/it/it-veien/)
· Norway - On the Outskirts and Leading Edge, Commercially Oriented Information Technology Plan for 1998 -2001. Ministry of Trade and Industry, February 1998 (http://odin.dep.no/nhd/it-plan/plan/index.html)
Year 2000 safety
· Year 2000 Follow-up Plan - Government's follow-up plan for handling the year 2000 problem, 21 April 1998 (planning document prepared by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (NHD) - K-0611 B) (http://odin.dep.no/nhd/publ/y2k/)
· Action plan - Follow-up of the year 2000 work in the central government administration, 18 May 1998 (planning document prepared by Ministry of Labour and Government Administration (AAD) - P-0866) (http://odin.dep.no/aad/publ/aar2000/tiltaksp.html)
Infrastructure
· KOSTIT Strategy, September 1996 (http://www.kostit.dep.no/)
· Public Administration Network Project, Overall Project Description, Phase 2, Report 6/98, July 1998 (The Public Administration Network Project has its own web site, see: http://forvaltningsnett.dep.no/ )
· Public Administration Network's Central Infrastructure: Recommendations on architecture in the data area. Report 3/98, May 1998
· Decision memorandum - Continuation of the Public Administration Network Project, Phase II, 6 May 1998.
· Framework agreements and suppliers, autumn 1988, Report 8/98
· Customer experience with Phase 1 of the Public Administration Network, Report 9/98, October 1998
· Contract framework. Framework agreements, autumn 1988, Report 10/98, November 1998
· Central Government's Cross-sectoral Information Network, User survey conducted by the Western Norway Research Institute, P-0870, 24 June 1998
· Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on a common framework for electronic signatures, COM(1998) 297 final, European Commission, May 1998 (http://www.ispo.cec.be/eif/policy/com98297.html)
· Digital signatures Increase Confidence in Electronic Communication: Proposal for acceptance and propagation measures; IT Security Council, November 1988
Information services on the Internet
· Evaluation and user survey of Official Documentation and Information from Norway (ODIN), Evaluation Report, Norwegian Computing Centre, August 1997 (http://odin.dep.no/psd/publ/evalu/)
· Evaluation of Electronic Mail
Journal. - Pharos, 1997
(http://www.si.dep.no/epj-rapp/evalueri.html)
· Gateway to Norway: Gateway to public information on the Internet in Norway. Report from working group. - March 1988 (http://www.kostit.dep.no/inngang_norge/rapport / )
· Preparing Electronic Information for the Visually Impaired. Norwegian Central Information Service, May 1988 (http://www.si.dep.no/sisearch/it/synsh/synsh.html)
IT security
· Overall Security Strategy for the Central Government Regional Information Network (SRI), Government Administration Services, 22 June 1998
· IT Security Manual for Entities in the Central Government Regional Information Network (SRI), Government Administration Services, 22 June 1998
· Security Mechanisms in Central Parts of the Central Government Regional Information Network (SRI), Government Administration Services, 22 June 1998
Electronic administrative procedures and communication
· Electronic Administrative Procedures, A survey of legal problems that arise in connection with the introduction of electronic administrative procedures. Directorate of Public Management Memorandum, 1997:3.
· Tools for Electronic Administrative Procedures, Some product reviews and user experience, Directorate of Public Management Memorandum, 1997:4
· Program Memorandum of 7 January 1998, Directorate of Public Management
· Electronic Administrative Procedures: General Central Government Requirement Specifications (SGK), Directorate of Public Management, January 1998 (http://www.statskonsult.no/publik/publikasjoner/sgk-krav/)
· Introduction of Electronic Administrative Procedures. Guidelines. Directorate of Public Management, February 1998.
· Legal Problems Associated with Electronic Administrative Procedures and Document Management. Report 1998:13, Directorate of Public Management, September 1998. (http://www.statskonsult.no/publik/publikasjoner/1998-13/)
· NOARK4, Norwegian Archiving System, Version 4, Preliminary draft 19 June 1998, National Archives of Norway (http://www.riksarkivet.no/nedlast/htm)
Electronic data interchange
· Electronic Interaction with and in the Public Sector, Directorate of Public Management Memorandum 1997:5 (http://www.statskonsult.no/publik/publikasjoner/n1997-05/)
· Experience from Work on the Definition and Management of a Common Data Basis, Directorate of Public Management Memorandum1997:6 (http://www.statskonsult.no/publik/publikasjoner/n1997-06/)
· Electronic Data Exchange and Reporting. Experience, actors and technology, Directorate of Public Management Report 1998:15 (http://www.statskonsult.no/publik/publikasjoner/1998-15/)
Electronic commerce for public procurement
· Basic Document on Electronic Commerce, prepared by interministerial high level steering group for electronic commerce, 1998 (http://www.dep.no/nhd/publ/1998/ehandel/)
· Introduction of Electronic Commerce for Public Procurement. Part I: Experience Report. Government Administration Services, Government Procurement Department, January 1999.
· Introduction of Electronic Commerce for Public Procurement. Part II: Benefit Analysis. Government Administration Services, Government Procurement Department, January 1999.
· Introduction of Electronic Commerce for Public Procurement. Part III: Proposed programme 1999-2003. Government Administration Services, Government Procurement Department, January 1999.
· Evaluation of Programmes for Central Government Procurement (Pfsi), KPMG, April 1997.
· Ottawa Conference - Conference Conclusions rev. 5, OECD, October 1998
· Ottawa Conference - OECD Action Plan, OECD, October 1998
IT management and organisation in the administration
· Directorate of Public Management 1996:16. IT in the Central Government 1995.
· Directorate of Public Management Report 1996:18. IT in the Ministries 1996, A comparative survey (benchmark) of the cost and benefit of IT use at four ministries
· Reorganisation with IT: Challenges for administration executives, Directorate of Public Management, October 1996
· Major Central Government IT Projects: Management, organisation and division of responsibility, Directorate of Public Management, November 1997
· Experience from Major Central Government IT projects: Evaluations and possible measures, Directorate of Public Management, February 1998
1 Norwegian Central Information Service (1996): Central Government Information Policy - an introduction to the fundamental principles
2 Note that the figure does not give any indication of the amount of the allocations in a priority area. An increase in the resource requirements during the period is for example assumed, and this is not reflected in the model.
3 More information is available on the Internett at http://forvaltningsnett.dep.no. Procurement instructions, agreements, tender materials, various reports, information on project work, interactive discussions and links to other relevant documents and measures in the public sector are available there.
4 We refer to support for non-standardised administrative procedures here, which are typical in the central government administration, as opposed to the standardised mass processing that is typical in the external agencies.
5 Graphic programme for the ministries, initiated by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Government Administration in 1995.
6 Different carrier services can be used for EDI, X.400 or Internet for example, and different formats and syntaxes can be used such as EDIFACT and XML.
7 The final goals, content and organisation of the programme will not be available until after the Directorate of Public Management's report has been distributed for comments and the comments have been considered.
8 The concept of IT competence is not an unambiguous concept. One form of IT competence is the user competence, which is found for example among the executive officers at a social security office or in a ministry or among the users of public services. It is important that the IT based services that are offered to the general public and the business sector are adapted to the competence level of these groups. Another type of IT competence is operating competence from the operation of PCs, networks or agency systems. A third form of IT competence is development competence, which is necessary for example for the development of information systems in the form of an intranet or a large agency system. Finally there is strategic IT competence, where the use of IT is for example seen in the context of organisational development and results - and the achievement of goals in the entity.