| 2003 Workshop Monterey, CA, USA |
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Enabling Technologies for Building Capacity in Public Management
Monterey, California Thematic Overview The topic theme of the workshop is "Enabling Technologies for Building Capacity in Public Management." In this century technology will transform virtually every aspect of organizational life. Given this reality, how do we build the executive, institutional, and professional capacities to exploit emerging technologies and enhance management and service delivery? Building capacity is difficult and costly. Therefore, a key issue that must be addressed is how best to mobilize financial and human resources to understand and exploit emerging technologies. Failure to recognize and harness the power of technology to enhance public management will leave public managers and their organizations less able to respond to management and client needs. Current thought about technology and capacity building in the public sector tends to be somewhat narrow. For example, e-government dialogue tends to focus on reporting and enhancing the transparency of government transactions and policy. This view is far too narrow in that it ignores the full implications of the use of computers and the web to improve public management. Similarly, in thinking about technology, often the focus is on computerization, ignoring other important technologies. Thus, the first problem is thinking too narrowly about computer applications. The second problem is thinking too narrowly about technology and its application. We have much to learn about how to adapt new technologies to public organizations. For example, often organizations fail to fund technology adapting employee education and training, or they provide training that does not match the demands of new technology or the educational deficiencies of employees. Other information technologies not exploited to full advantage include the power of the web, decision support software, group problem solving applications (e.g., GroupWare to make collective choices and problem solving), and other expert systems for collective decision making and action (to allow participation from wherever people work throughout the world). Organizational design is a significant aspect of new technology that has been overlooked by all but futurists. Likewise, the implications of smart practices are not fully utilized. In general, knowledge in electronic form is a resource not yet employed to its fullest value in virtually all public sector organizations. Workshop Organizing Committee Lawrence R. Jones, Chair
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