Suchergebnisse

"In this well-informed yet anxious age, public administrators have constructed vast cisterns that collect and interpret a meteoric shower of facts. In Surveillance, Transparency, and Democracy, Akhlaque Haque demonstrates that this pervasive use and increasing dependence on information technology (IT) enables sophisticated and well-intentioned public services that nevertheless risk deforming public policy decision-making. Haque sees the contradiction at the core of a public that seeks services that require a level of data collection that triggers fears of a tyrannical police state. Haque begins by explaining that information has become a vital resource, offering a theoretical framework for its analysis. He then shows that an organization's information-gathering skill is reflected in its IT sophistication, but warns that successful IT strategies can by stunted by symbolic but shallow gestures such as the appointment of a "Chief Information Officer." He further outlines how the dependence on IT can create a reflex for IT solutions that fail to reflect the values of the citizenry they're intended to serve. Haque posits that IT's potential as a tool for human development depends on how civil servants and citizens actively engage in identifying desired outcomes, map IT solutions to those outcomes, and routinize the applications of those solutions. This leads to his call for the development of entrepreneurs who generate innovative solutions to critical human needs and problems. In his powerful summary, Haque recaps possible answers to the question: "What is the best way a public institution can apply technology to improving the human condition?" Haque masterfully flexes between crisp logical arguments and a deep empathy for human values. He finds apt metaphors that bring multifaceted scenarios into clear focus for experts and laymen alike. Engrossing, challenging, and important, Surveillance, Transparency, and Democracy is essential reading for both policy makers as well as the great majority of readers and citizens engaged in contemporary arguments about the role of government, public health and security, individual privacy, data collection, and surveillance."--

Information Sharing (IS) among public and nonprofit organizations is quintessential for making meaningful decisions that serve the greater needs of 21st Century citizens. Unlike more traditional areas of public activity, IS does not constitute a public policy enacted by elected leaders. Rather, IS represents an inter-agency agreement over information technology (IT) procedure and processes. Consequently this makes the implementation of IS somewhat unique yet increasingly common in the new century. Based on examination of 35 agencies in north central Alabama, this study examines factors which tend to facilitate and hinder the implementation of IS procedures.

Lack of public trust and confidence in government can have a significant impact on the future of the public service profession. This study brings to the forefront a normative discussion of administrative behavior and the building of trust as perceived fromthe works of the 18th-century political philosopher Edmund Burke. By exploring Burke's concept of unified administration, it can be argued that institutionalization of administrative traditions can provide practical guidance for judicial use of administrative discretion. The measurement of success, in large part, will depend on national principles, peer coordination, customs, and institutional commitment.

Geographic information systems (GIS) provide unparalleled power to examine social, economic, and political circumstances. As this technology becomes more prominent in the public sector, it brings new challenges to democratic decision making. How we choose to apply this technology will determine the relationship between those who control technology and those who engage in governance. This article provides examples of how GIS is being used for policy implementation and then explores the democratic implications of GIS.

This edited volume bridges the gap between theoretical underpinnings of South Asian public administration and practices on the ground to understand the future path of public administration in the region. The ten chapters highlight the post-covid contemporary trajectories of public administration and the civil society in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In addition, each case study is tied to a relevant UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), using the SDG framework to provide useful insights for transfer of knowledge and learning within the South Asian region and highlight the "South- South" and "South-North" exchange. Illustrating the unique challenges and opportunities faced by South Asian countries post-pandemic, this volume will be of interest to scholars and students of public administration, governance, South Asian politics, and the SDGs.