JeDEM - eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government
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Machine learning in Governments: Benefits, Challenges and Future Directions
No full textThe unprecedented increase in computing power and data availability has signifi-cantly altered the way and the scope that organizations make decisions relying on technologies. There is a conspicuous trend that organizations are seeking the use of frontier technologies with the purpose of helping the delivery of services and making day-to-day operational deci-sions. Machine learning (ML) is the fastest growing and at the same time, the most debated and controversial of these technologies. Although there is a great deal of research in the literature related to machine learning applications, most of them focus on the technical aspects or pri-vate sector use. The governmental machine learning applications suffer the lack of theoretical and empirical studies and unclear governance framework. This paper reviews the literature on the use of machine learning by government, aiming to identify the benefits and challenges of wider adoption of machine learning applications in the public sector and to propose the direc-tions for future research
Assessing the Role of Leadership Mechanisms for Inter-agency Collaboration and Information Sharing Success in Indonesia
No full textPrevious studies have identified leadership as an essential factor influencing inter-agency collaboration and information sharing in government settings. This study argues that some unique characteristics of inter-agency information sharing (IIS) initiatives across different jurisdictions and levels of government call for particular types of leadership. Specifically, this study uses data from in-depth interviews with fifteen public officials in Indonesia to better understand the role of leadership in inter-agency collaboration and information sharing initiatives. Findings from the interviews support two leadership mechanisms influencing IIS in Indonesia: executive involvement and exercise of formal authority, whereas the role of informal leaders seems to be less important in this case. It seems that in some developing countries such as Indonesia, informal leaders are not as influential to the success of IIS initiatives as formal ones, due to the influence of organizational culture
Social News Use & Citizen Participation among Young Activists in Singapore
No full textThis article presents a study of how civically engaged young adults engage with news on social media, within the context of a developing democracy – Singapore. Based on in-depth interviews with 20 young activists, it discusses how they approach social media as a source of news, what motivates them to engage in more than one social news platform, and how social news use fits into their political lexicon. The results reveal that despite their affinity towards news-related content on social media, they are neither partial towards mainstream, nor alternative news providers on this medium. Their primary social news platform is perceived to offer the best means to disseminate news-related information. However, they are also concerned about their privacy and practice certain strategies to mitigate this. Despite its drawbacks, the activists accept social news use as a viable means of political socialisation and mobilisation
Using open data for digital innovation: Barriers for use and recommendations for publishers
No full textOpen data from the public sector can fuel the innovation of digital products. This paper investigates barriers and success factors regarding use of open data in such innovations, and how public sector can increase the value of published data. A multimethod approach was used. An initial study identified aspects of relevance through interviews, a system development experiment, and a focus group. An in-depth study used the insight to perform interviews and a survey targeting innovators. Details on data needs, discovery, assessment, and use were found as well as barriers regarding use of open data in digital product innovations. Associated recommendations to data owners are provided regarding how they can increase the innovation capacity through appropriate licenses and service levels; convenient access mechanisms; publishing channels and infrastructures; transparency and dialogue; data, metadata, documentation, and APIs of high quality; harmonization and standardization
How to Enable Collaboration in Open Government Data Ecosystems: A Public Platform Provider’s Perspective
No full textOpen Government Data (OGD) is an important driver for open innovation among public entities. However, extant research highlights a need for improved feedback loops, collaboration, and a more demand-driven publication of OGD. In this study, we explore how public platform providers can address this issue by enabling collaboration within OGD ecosystems, both in terms of the OGD, and any related Open Source Software (OSS) and standards. We conducted an exploratory multiple-case study of four OGD ecosystems with diverse characteristics, using a qualitative research approach. Based on the cases, we present a conceptual model that highlights different attributes of OGD ecosystems that may help public entities in designing and orchestrating new or existing OGD ecosystems. We conclude that enabling collaboration in an OGD ecosystem is a complex exercise yet believe that it offers ways for public entities in how they can leverage open innovation to address their goals and directives
Towards open government through open source software for web analytics: The case of Matomo
No full textWeb analytics technologies provide opportunities for organisations to obtain information about users visiting their websites in order to understand and optimise web usage. Use of such technologies often leads to issues related to data privacy and potential lock-in to specific suppliers and proprietary technologies. Use of open source software (OSS) for web analytics can create conditions for avoiding issues related to data privacy and lock-in, and thereby provides opportunities for a long-term sustainable solution for organisations both in the public and private sectors. The paper characterises use of and engagement with OSS projects for web analytics. Specifically, we contribute a characterisation of use of OSS licensed web analytics technologies in Swedish government authorities, and a characterisation of organisational engagement with the Matomo OSS project for web analytics
Digital Citizenship in a Swedish Marginalised Neighbourhood: Different attitudes to and experiences of digital inclusion and eHealth
No full textWe investigate digital citizenship by exploring attitudes and experiences of digital inclusion and eHealth with data from a survey study based on face-to-face interviews in different languages, in a marginalised hard to survey neighbourhood. Through public eHealth services, people can exercise digital citizenship. We explore differences between the marginalised neighborhood and the national level, and among residents in the neighbourhood, with disaggregated data. The results show that the respondents in Skäggetorp report lower usage of the internet, lower access to smartphones, a somewhat lower usage of BankID, higher concern for surveillance, and a higher number of respondents feel excluded from digital society in comparison to the nationwide survey. The results in the disaggregated data show some differences in attitudes to and experience of digital inclusion among residents in Skäggetorp. We conclude that the studies of digital citizenship need to be broadened to address feeling included, social rights, and difference
Value generation from open government data in the public sector: Development and validation of a multidimensional scale
No full textThe use of open government data by governments can create opportunities and drive the digital transformation of the public sector. However, there is no integrative measure that assesses the factors that enable public organizations to effectively utilize open government data. The objective of this research was to develop and validate an instrument to assess the factors related to value generation from the use of open government data in the public sector. The construction of the scale was a three-step process. First, the items were structured. Next, a pilot study was performed. Lastly, the instrument was validated. The results indicate that the measure of value generation from the use of open government data is a multidimensional construct, which presents promising implications for future research. This study contributes by developing an instrument that can serve as an analysis tool that will aid public managers who are interested in utilizing open government data
Bringing the Cross Pressures Thesis into the Digital Realm: Subjective Social Network Heterogeneity and Online Political Expression
No full textApproaches to social network heterogeneity in political communication research tend to focus on the effect of accumulated interactions among individuals with different political views. This line of research has provided a number of rich insights into the nature of the relationship between sociality and political participation. At the same time, this research tradition has been hampered by inconsistent terminology, and it has not been updated to reflect the fact that the experience of engaging with politics through digital media produces a unique subjective experience wherein the user is made to address an imagined audience with a perceived set of characteristics. In this study I aim to accomplish three main objectives. First, I propose an adjustment to the conceptual framework used in the literature. Second, I introduce the concept of subjective social network heterogeneity to describe perceived heterogeneity in the political views of the imagined audience. Third, I investigate the relationship between subjective social network heterogeneity and political expression empirically, through an analysis of original survey data from Japan and South Korea. The results show that differences between the political views of an individual and the perceived political views of the imagined audience depresses political expression on social media in both countries, but that variance in the perceived views of the imagined audience is positively associated with political expression.