Abstracts

 

Abstracts Contents:

 

Please note that this list of Abstracts is subject to change. Please check regularly for any updates.

 


COMMUNITY INFORMATICS

 

EXPLORING 'TRIBAL' IDENTITY TO STUDY ONLINE COMMUNITIES
John Campbell
Griffith University
Australia
Gordon Fletcher
spaceless.com
United Kingdom
Anita Greenhill
UMIST
United Kingdom

Information Systems (IS) and Community Informatics (CI) research encompasses a variety of interpretative approaches that inform the endeavours of researchers. The research presented here is an ongoing project being conducted by IS academics from different academic backgrounds in sociology, finance and anthropology. The research is a cross-disciplinary study of online communities and offers an interpretive analysis that focuses on a conflict-based taxonomy of roles and social behaviours. We feel that this interpretive approach, drawn from anthropology, enables the potential for more erudite discussions of the contemporary IS and CI contexts. Exploring the full scope and implications of role taking in online communities will enable the achievement of the research goal of challenging the relatively conservative explorations of communities that rely upon concepts and assumptions of trust and social cohesion. The goal of this research is also a reminder to the IS academic community that strong well-articulated and alternative theories do exist in the various forms of conflict studies. In this particular research project we identify three core roles in online communities as the initial genera in a possibly widely expansive taxonomy of identities. These roles, the Big Man, the Sorcerer and the Trickster can all be clearly identified within the online finance forum that has been examined in this research. This forum is a specific example of how taxonomic understandings of an online community and of how its participant’s roles can be developed.


CONNECTIVITY DOES NOT ENSURE COMMUNITY: ON SOCIAL CAPITAL, NETWORKS AND COMMUNITIES OF PLACE
Marcus Foth
Creative Industries Research and Applications Centre,
Queensland University of Technology

Putnam reports a decline of social capital in society, Castells speaks of a privatisation of sociability. In this paper, I argue that, in local contexts, the internet holds the potential to grow strong communities of place which are rich in social capital. However, this potential can only be realised by online communication networks which are designed to create a sense of social ownership within the community. This paper provides the rationale for a research project currently undertaken by the author which seeks to inform the design and development of online communication networks to grow sustainable communities of place.


COMMUNITY SECTOR ORGANISATIONS: A DIGITAL DIVIDE IN COMMUNICATION AND KNOWLEDGE CREATION?
Tom Denison
Centre for Community Networking
Monash University

In 2002, the Centre for Community Networking commenced a research programme aimed at improving the understanding of the use of communications and information technology (ICT) by community and third sector organisations within Australia. The immediate goal of this research was the creation of the Monash Community ICT Index. This paper represents the first attempt to provide a more in-depth analysis of the data obtained in that survey, setting the results in the context of research that shows that not only is the Internet a natural fit with “winner-take-all” markets but reinforces existing patterns of geographic centralisation in the information society and economy. It will pay particular attention to factors such as the location and size of organisations, and whether there is any support for the notion of a digital divide in the social communications networks and creators of knowledge within the Australian community sector.


SOUTH AFRICAN , RURAL, ICT IMPLEMENTATION: A CRITICAL RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION OF LATOUR’S DUE PROCESS MODEL
Jo Rhodes, University of Cape Town, South Africa

The potential developmental role of ICTs can pressurise governments to engage in ‘catch up’ and ‘leapfrog’. Consequently, analysis of the accompanying socio- political dimensions and risks can be, disastrously, neglected. This paper examines a specific technology implementation – a South African government sponsored telecentre- using Latour’s Due Process model, an analytical tool grounded in Actor Network Theory, where technology implementation is viewed as a symmetrical treatment of technology and society within a single collective. It is used here, retrospectively, to make sense of why the telecentre both failed to institutionalise within a successful actor-network, and, contributed to the destabilization and partial destruction of a successfully established women’s development organisation.


THE SHAPING OF AN ELECTRONIC LIST BY ITS ACTIVE MEMBERS
Melih Kirlidog
Marmara University
Turkey
Haluk Bingol
Bogazici University
Turkey

The links in a network of a discussion list, which manifest itself as the number of messages sent to the list by individual members, display some common characteristics. Contrary to the common perception that the distribution of the messages sent should be randomly distributed among the members, some members tend to dominate the list by their high number of messages. The resulting structure is a scale-free, rather than a random network. This paper investigates the archived records of a discussion list and seeks to understand the shaping of the list through interviews with its active members who act as ‘hubs’ in the scale-free sense.


NET DRAG: NETWORK EXTERNALITIES AFFECTING NARROWBAND INTERNET CONNECTIONS IN A BROADBAND ENVIRONMENT
Alicia (Lucy) Cameron
University of Queensland

Preliminary evidence from the qualitative phase of research being undertaken at two study sites in Australia indicates that significant network externalities are beginning to emerge as a result of increased broadband use. These externalities are reported to be having adverse effects for businesses and individuals utilising narrowband connections, and are suggested to be resulting in a migration to broadband services. This paper terms the effects of these network externalities net drag. In contrast to previous work in New Zealand this paper suggests that net drag resulting from network externalities generated on a hetergenous web-speed environment will become a primary driver of broadband take-up over the next two to five years.


DEVELOPING A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR EVALUATING THE ROLE OF ICTS IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA: A TASMANIAN PERSPECTIVE
Dean Steer & Paul Turner
University of Tasmania

Regional Australia continues to be the recipient of public programmes premised on assumptions about the benefits of ICT-related development at the same time as it is experiencing a reduction in basic services and problems associated with the digital divide. From a research perspective, these circumstances pose challenges on how to meaningfully evaluate the impacts of ICTs on regional development. These challenges are compounded by the considerable confusion that exists over what is meant by regional development, how it can be achieved and what role ICTs can play in reviving and sustaining regional communities.

This exploratory research paper examines the issues around what is meant by ICT-related development in a regional context. Also explored is the usefulness of multiple measures as opposed to single measures to describe what, in reality, is a very complex process. In this context the paper outlines the preliminary development of, and the rationale behind, a holistic approach for evaluating the role of ICTs in regional development based on insights generated from on-going research in Tasmania.


THE S3 MODEL TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSING THE CURRENT STATE OF REGIONAL COMMUNITY PORTALS IN AUSTRALIA.
Lejla Vrazalic, Peter Hyland, Robert MacGregor, Andrew Connery
University of Wollongong

Regional community portals (RCPs) have the potential to bridge the ‘digital divide’ between urban and non-urban Australia. The government has recognised this potential and developed various programs and initiatives to cultivate it. However, the success appears to be limited. This paper proposes the S3 model to analyse the current state of play in RCPs. The S3 model will form the basis for a review of the operational, policy and implementation level issues of RCPs with the view to develop an RCP framework which best meets the governments’ desired outcomes in terms of functionality, financial sustainability and appropriateness in the Australian environment.


WHY DON’T THESE PEOPLE CONNECT TO THE INTERNET AT HOME? ANALYSING THE INTERNAL BARRIERS CAUSING DIGITAL DIVIDE IN CENTRAL QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA.
G X Zhu, W J Taylor, S Marshall, J Dekkers
Central Queensland University

In order to take practical approaches to bridge the digital divide between regional Central Queensland and the Australian average, this study examined internal barriers to the Internet adoption at home by analysing the perceptions and social influences on the decision for non-adoption across 2000-2003. The following five reasons were found to be interrelated and contribute to non-adoption: reduces community values, not useful, would use a public access point, not comfortable with the technology, and lack of keyboard skill Practical training, adult education, and public promotion are suggested to address these issues.


EVENTSPOOL
Helen Robinson & Rosalie Day
Community Information Strategies Australia Inc. (CISA)

Eventspool is a free, fully searchable, online database of events of community interest in South Australia. It can be used to promote events and to find out what’s on. Users can register online to become contributors, then complete a simple template that prompts them to provide the required details about the event they want to include. All information submitted is moderated before going live to ensure that standards are met and content is appropriate.

Eventspool has become a central authoritative source of information about 'what's on' in South Australia, capturing a rich and diverse information set.


REDFERN KIDS CONNECT – A COMMUNITY PROJECT BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND BUILDING TRUST
Andrew Solomon, Deborah Rodrigo & Ryan Sengara
Redfern Kids Connect

The Redfern Kids Connect project is a volunteer based project to bridge the digital and cultural divide between kids in the troubled Redfern-Waterloo neighbourhood and the wider community. We describe the project and explore how it fits into the conceptual frameworks of Cox and Freire. The sociological issues raised are illustrated by some ofthe challenges our activities encounter and how these suggest future directions.


E-PHILANTHROPY AS A NEW WAY TO GAIN ONLINE DONATION:
A REVIEW ON CHARITY WEBSITES
Julius Jillberta
Department of Management, Faculty of Economics,
Hasanuddin University (UNHAS)
Indonesia

E-Philanthropy quickly becomes a new trend in this age of interconnected society as they seen as a new way to gain online donation. Following the September 11 tragedy in US, charity sites come up in just a day to seek generous individual who would like to make a contribution to help family that have lost their loved one during the tragedy.

For this purpose we try to review six charity sites to try to look on what are their differences and similarities. Next, we look on what make a successful charity page and give suggestions for generating on-line interest and/or donations.


TOWARDS CYBER CIVILISATION INITIATIVE
S.Lakshminarayanan, A.B. Patki & S. Sivasubramanian
Department of Information Technology, Government of India
India

The Government of India has set up Community Information Centres (CICs) in North Eastern States of India. CIC is expected to act as a catalyst for spreading cyber civilisation. This paper discusses Cyber Civilisation, how to spread it, its advantages and disadvantages strategies for controlling disadvantages.


SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PARADIGMS FOR COMMUNITY INFORMATICS – TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS
A.B.Patki, DIT, New Delhi, India
M.D. Kulkarni, CDAC, Pune, India
Dhanvanti D. Patki, CET, Amravati, India

The trends in Information Technology for Masses are indicative of the fact that with the adequate level of Government support in various countries, the Community Information Centers are growing in numbers. The public expectations from Community Information Systems are on a different track in respect of the utility. The paper discusses the basic requirements of future community informatics in the context of information overload and reducing ‘cognitive load’ of the potential user. Authors examine the software engineering methodology and bring out the development challenges needed in the existing practices of Object Oriented philosophy. A futuristic software model for community informatics is also suggested.


COMMUNITY BUILDING: VIA ONLINE COMMUNITIES AND REGIONAL WEB-PORTALS
Helen Thompson
Centre for Electronic Commerce and Communication
University of Ballarat, School of Business

Despite a rise of interest in information communications technology (ICT) and in community informatics (CI) initiatives, these are not ‘magic bullets’ or ‘quick-fix solutions’ for SMEs or even larger organisations, communities, or industries (McGrath and More 2002). There is growing recognition of the need to go beyond anecdotal evidence and to assess more effectively the change brought about by providing access to and utilisation of ICT in communities. Denison et al. (2002) have presented a taxonomy which differentiates between various types of ICT and community networking initiatives. The application of this schema to a cluster of community informatics originating from the Central Highlands region of Victoria proves to be useful. A case study is then presented which reviews the evolution of one of the online communities within that cluster. The diverse factors which are involved in establishing sustainable online services are examined. Access to a comprehensive toolset specifically designed to meet the skills and infrastructure gaps which often exist in regional areas has been important. The active involvement of community members in designing, implementing and sustaining web-based services has also been important. By generating debate and discussion and by sharing the critical learning from specific cases it is hoped that others can be better informed about the major characteristics and the diverse factors which impact on the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of CI initiatives in a regional and rural context.


RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
Kenneth Pigg
Laura Duffy Crank
University of Missouri-Columbia

Current literature focuses upon the importance of deploying advanced telecommunications in rural communities to achieve various objectives, including economic development. Once advanced ICTs are present, this literature argues that communities will be better prepared to participate fully in the “information economy” and attract or engender new business development. This literature neglects two points that are essential to successful economic development; oneadequate social infrastructure (among local organizations, institutions, and businesses) must exist in order for the community to capture the capacity of new ICTs, and two—the specific manner in which ICTs are deployed may have some effect on the outcomes related to improvements in the local economic sector. After reviewing how these points are operationalized in actual practice, we turn to Flora’s E.S.I. framework to discuss how it may be used as a framework for understanding how ICT infrastructure and social organization are related regarding the achievement of economic development outcomes in two rural communities that have deployed ICTs expressly for achieving these objectives.

 

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IT FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

 

FACTORS INFLUENCING INFORMATION SYSTEMS SUCCESS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA ORGANISATIONS: A CASE ANALYSIS.
Limbie Kelegai & Michael Middleton

Information Systems (IS) applications have proliferated in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as organisations in these countries begin to realise the benefits of utilising these technologies to improve business process and enhance productivity. However much IS implementation in LDCs has been unsuccessful. As a component of a wider study to identify factors that influence IS success in developing countries, this paper examines factors that have affected IS implementation in two Papua New Guinea (PNG) organisations.


CEO ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN NON-AGRICULTURAL BUSINESSES IN REGIONAL THAILAND
Heather Gray
Chiangmaimall.com
Thailand
John Campbell
Griffith University

This paper reports the preliminary results of research conducted in South-East Asia on the topic of electronic enablement of businesses within Thailand. The research reported here extends the work initially undertaken in Singapore by Thong and Yap (1995) and a more recent study by Chieochan et al. (2000) into the factors affecting the use of information technology in Thai agricultural cooperatives. In contrast, we investigated the attitude of the CEO toward information systems with a view to discovering opportunities for the electronic enablement of non-agricultural businesses within the Chiang Mai province in regional Thailand. Our results highlight the acceptance of information systems by a high percentage of CEO’s, indicating opportunities for the acceptance of information systems and the Internet as business tools within businesses in regional Thailand, opening opportunities to quickly electronically enable their businesses and to access information in the global economic sphere of the Internet.


TOWARDS ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS PERTAINING TO MALAYSIAN TAX COMPLIANCE ENVIRONMENT
Sheikh Obid, Siti-Normala, Meera, Ahamed Kameel
International Islamic University
Malaysia
Lai, Ming-Ling
Faculty of Accountancy, MARA University of Technology
Malaysia

This paper examines the usage intentions, attitudes, perceptions and compliance considerations of Malaysian tax practitioners towards a proposed electronic income tax filing system. Mail survey was administered on 192 tax practitioners throughout Malaysia. The results report that the respondents have strong usage intentions; nonetheless, they are ambivalent towards the security of the e-filing system. The quest for ‘speedy tax refunds’ ranked as the most important incentive for the respondents to embrace the e-filing system. At the same time, lack of confidence in the electronic administrative capabilities of the tax agency appears to discourage take-up of the e-filing system.


CURIOSITY CURES THE KNOWLEDGE GAP - CWILI TOWNSHIP DIGITAL DOORWAY PROJECT: A CASE STUDY
Ronel Smith, Grant Cambridge & Kim Gush

Harnessing ICT for development is hampered by the lack of end-user capacity, technology illiteracy and lack of confidence to use the technology. The Digital Doorway suggests a unique approach to promoting functional computer literacy, overcoming the hurdles of technology use and unfamiliarity. We report on the initial results and learning of a Digital Doorway installation in a rural community in South Africa, and discus the way forward. It appears that children and young adults can teach themselves to use computers fluently. Language, formal education and lack of formal supervision and instruction do not seem to have a significant influence.


A ROLE OF ICTs IN URBAN (AND RURAL) DESIGN
Mahmud Rezaei
Faculty of Science and Research
Iran-Tehran

In this article, we first put forth a proposal to improve public participation and suitable design for rural or urban areas. We will use Information and Communication Technologies to relate some main sectors of society. These sectors are universities, services and organizations related to urban/rural development, and one center to coordinating actions.
Then we will present our three experiments in our developing country according to the proposal.


THE INTRODUCTION OF SECURE IT NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS TO SOUTH PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS LAW ENFORCEMENT BODIES
Leo Vasiliadis
Australian Federal Police Data Communications

During conferences held by Interpol, The Pacific Island Forum (PIF) and the South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference (SPCPC) in 2001 and 2002, it was identified that the various South Pacific Police organisations were not taking advantage of electronic methods of information sharing and secure communications did not exist on a majority of the Islands. Some Law enforcement agencies were connected by insecure ISP or web mail but the majority were connected by fax. The Interpol member countries of the South Pacific used International dialling to download Interpol mail only.

To improve this and expand the cooperation and communication between the various Island country Police forces, a proposal by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) was put to the various interested groups representing some 22 island nations and partner agencies. The new method would involve the use of South Pacific local Internet Service Providers (ISP) and Virtual Private Network technology. This system was sponsored by the AFP Law Enforcement Cooperation Program (LECP) to enable installation and supply of equipment. The system is the South Pacific Law Enforcement Extra Net (SplexNet)

This proposal was accepted and the implementation completed in September 2002.


THE CREATION OF A COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (SDC) IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY FOR OUTSOURCING PURPOSES
Sam Lubbe, University of Durban-Westville, South Africa
Professor Geoff Erwin, Faculty of Business Informatics, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa

This case study reports on the creation of a software development company (SDC) in South Africa using a detailed description of interrelationships between perceptions of what is happening in developing countries and what is happening in developed countries. The case describes the scenario and contributions stemming from the methodological point of view. The case study also illustrates points such as the value of following a structured method of establishing a methodology for starting such an SDC. The need is discussed for context specific measures of the characteristics for an SDC and the reporting of process measures while establishing an evaluation of the SDC that is being created. Also the need to explore the necessary relationships between the clients and the systems that are created and the perceptions of the clients are discussed. This is because the unidirectional assessment of the SDC can impact on the users and user characteristics and on computer software implementation. Despite the normative nature of the SDC the most important conclusion is the desirability for a variety of approaches to studying SDCs. No one approach to SDC research can provide the richness that information systems research needs for further advancement of the skills in a developing country.


INFORMATION DYNAMICS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Dr. Hakikur Rahman, SDNP, Bangladesh

Revolutionary advances in information and communication technology (ICT) with reinforcement in economic and social climates are transforming the global communities. A new kind of dynamism - the information dynamics - is emerging where communities are global and becoming competent with knowledge, networking and versatility on a global basis. A new society is emerging with pervasive information capabilities, substantially different from an industrial society; more competitive, better able to address individual needs, and steady to the environment.

The information revolution creates both the challenge and the means for the developing world to adjust to the newly developed action plans and to put in place the needful infrastructure of telecommunications and information systems. The information revolution also opens up opportunities to tackle the problems of poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

Concept of sustainable development has arises in the emerging societies, which is the process of achieving a standard of living and a quality of life with a degree of dignity and a measure of control over their lives, including respect for the environment and the natural resources. This process demands investment, in infrastructure, in human capital, and in productive capacity.

Information infrastructure comprised of the cross-country telecommunications network, the user-friendly computing tools and easy-access information warehouses. Information backbone has the characteristics of easier transportation, manipulation, storage and dissemination by creating the "knowledge tank" an essential element for the management of the new economy. And because the new economic development is about knowledge networking, the information revolution holds inestimable promise for downtrodden population in the developing countries.


“A VIEW THROUGH THE RED WINDOW” ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE 21ST CENTURY: A CRITICAL TIME OF THE WORLD CIVILIZATION
Sarawut Chutiwongpeti, Installation Art Project, Bangladesh

My aim is to investigate the possibilities of conceptual visual language and to develop Collaborative New Art as part of Contemporary Art/Contemporary Global Social Structure and part of the Technological Civilization we live in today. Especially, how can Contemporary Art enhance distribution of information, profound universality in the nature of man and cross-cultural artistic and critical collaborations. The meaning of the possibilities to enrich Contemporary Art may also come into question. Main questions are: are sensations-reactions concerning
Contemporary Art still meaningful today?; How can conceptual contemporary artistic ideas and processes solve global problems?; and can conceptual contemporary art reveal corrupted social values in capital cities and create a
bridge between present and future generations?


A CASE STUDY ON SOMALILAND, IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE WDR PROJECT
Professor Knud Erik Skouby & Assistant Professor Reza Tadayoni
Center for Tele-Information Technocal
University of Denmark
Denmark

This report contains a case study of Somaliland, prepared in the framework of WDR program. Among the case countries in WDR project, Somaliland is by far the poorest with an ICT development in its very infancy. The report maps the development of ICT in Somaliland and gives an analysis of potentials and barriers related to ICT development and investment, which is the overall theme of WDR this year.


FROM COCONUT WIRELESS TO THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY
A CASE STUDY OF INTERNET DEVELOPMENT IN FIJI
Usha Sundar Harris, Macquarie University

Using the global knowledge society discourse, this paper explores the potential value of world wide web for community development and cultural participation in Pacific Island communities within a framework of participatory communication. The discussion begins with some ideas about knowledge itself, the differences between global knowledge and local knowledge, and the localisation of knowledge. It then presents a case study of internet development in Fiji to date: current technological condition, impediments and milestones and finally a discussion of its value to communities.


LOCAL ENTREPRENURSHIP FOR BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE -
A CASE STUDY OF AKSHAYA PROJECT IN KERALA, INDIA
Aruna Sundararajan, Sivasankar, M., Jose, U. V.
Kerala State Information Technology Mission
Department of Information Technology
Government of Kerala, India

Akshaya, an innovative project implemented in the State of Kerala, India aimed at bridging the digital divide, addresses the issues of ICT access, basic skill sets and availability of relevant content. Quality ICT dissemination and service delivery facilities (‘Akshaya Centres’) are set up within a maximum of 2 kilometers for any household and networked leveraging entrepreneurship. E-literacy training is given to at least one member in each family enabling the entrepreneurs to build a bridge with the local population. Development of relevant digital content in local languages has also been taken up in the project through private participation.


AUTOMATED FORMS PROCESSING AND PAPER USER INTERFACES FOR DATA COLLECTION FROM VILLAGE MICROFINANCE GROUPS
Tapan Parikh
University of WashingtonSeattle
USA
Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya
ekgaon Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
India
Muthu Velayutham
Covenant Centre for Development
India

Microfinance is defined as the provision of financial services to poor, disadvantaged and under-privileged members of society, particularly in developing countries. Since the success of the Grameen Bank in the late 1970s, microfinance has emerged as a sustainable and effective method of poverty alleviation and local financial development. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented growth in the scale and reach of microfinance services around the world.

For that trend to continue, there is a need for increased data collection and management capacity within microfinance institutions (MFIs). Accurate documentation of local transactions is required for MFIs to track the performance of their clients and to be in a position to make sound financial decisions. We have conceptualized a scalable, flexible and accessible way for MFIs to collect data from village locations using automated forms processing and paper user interfaces. In this paper we describe the technologies required in the proposed system and an operational protocol for deploying it in the field.


 

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK IN GHANA - PROMOTING ICT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THROUGH RESEARCH COOPERATION
Assistant Professor Reza Tadayoni & Professor Knud Erik Skouby
Center for Tele-Information, Technocal University of Denmark

The aim of this paper is to analyze the ICT development at the universities and research institutions in developing countries, based on a case implemented in Ghana. One of the major barriers for teaching and research at an international level at the universities and research institutions in developing countries is the lack of access to ICT networks which prevents participation in the global information sharing of these communities. The implications are that the conditions for research and education in these countries are far behind the similar institutions in developed countries. In the research project described in the current paper the problem is addressed and analysed, and the results of a trial project implementing some of the ideas are reported. The analyses in the paper include, the problems and barriers, including regulatory challenges and the lessons learned from the project. The case illustrates how overall political objectives for development and penetration of ICT networks and services in developing countries can be targeted as a part of international research assistance and cooperation programs.


ICT COULD REDUCE THE MMR IN BANGLADESH: ANOTHER AREA OF OPPORTUNITY
Iqbal Hossain, Dustha Manobatar Seba Sangstha (DMSS), Bangladesh

Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is 4.5 per 1000 live birth in Bangladesh, which is one of the highest in the world (Afroza Shila, 2003). Though the health care infrastructure is relatively well developed but it is evident that structure of Health and Family Welfare do not respond to the needs of maternal health the way it is expected. With the objective to gain better understanding of rural maternal life I have collected different information through visiting some villages of Bangladesh and also going through few documents. The information collected for this paper would be able to demonstrate the rural maternal health scenario, condition of the Maternal Health Service (MHS) and the causes of maternal deaths. The collected information are crucial indicators in identifying strategic directions and in designing programme strategies for the future, which is to incorporate ICT to facilitate MHS and improve the level of maternal mortality in Bangladesh.


INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Rakhi Gupta, India

Advances in Information technology have been so rapid that it has changed the shape of all economic activities in the world and as a result world is moving towards globalization. Countries which do not deploy communication and information processing capabilities and which do not have the qualified human resources to run and sustain such capabilities will be pushed outside the world market because of “Information Poverty”. Thus many Developing countries are making strategies to deploy Information technology in all possible areas be it point of agriculture, women empowerment, manufacturing, education.

It seems that Information technology for developing countries is a “MUST HAVE” tool for development, economic growth and poverty alleviation and as we have arrived at an age where ‘Time’ and ‘Information’ are treated as Capital. So if developing countries have to join the fast track of the development then present culture of development has to be reviewed.

This paper aims at discussing impact and economic enrichment of the society using Information technology in India-A Developing Country as India’s Information technology sector is an interesting example of how competitive a development country can be globally in a High-Technology area and India’s Information Technology tracks are extraordinary compared to all to all its other business sectors. This sector has seen an average 42% annual growth in the past ten years, standing head and shoulder above other sectors of the economic landscape.


DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICTS) – FROM DIGITAL DIVIDE TO DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY TO CLOSING THE REALITY GAP
Colleen Vanderstaay, Central Queensland University

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and in particular the Internet could have great implications for developing countries. The implications of ICTs for developing countries could be seen as evolving through three phases – encompassing the digital divide viewed as a threat, the digital opportunity providing developing nations with a means of hastening development and a third phase identifying a reality gap between what was planned and what has resulted based on the empirical evidence emerging from initiatives by international agencies to address the digital divide and digital opportunity. Developments in India and Africa will highlight progress made in developing countries.

 

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INDIGENOUS VOICES ON IT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

 

TRANSFORMING MY WHAKAPAPA (GENEALOGY): ISSUES AROUND THE TRANSLATION OF WHAKAPAPA USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
Julia Ngatuere, UNITEC , New Zealand

Historically, for Maori, ways of knowing have evolved through an oral tradition where such information is memorised by successive generations. Knowledge is given to only those who merit it. Whilst digital information pertaining to Maori identity is widely available through the Internet, I am predominately concerned in this paper with the taonga (treasures) of my own whanau (extended family), Ngatuere (my surname). If I share my Maori identity, my whakapapa through the Internet is this appropriate or is such information tapu (sacred)? What are my responsibilities as a kaitiaki (guardian) of this knowledge and how does this work in an online world?


CORPORATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS: SHARING FACILITIES AND SKILLS FOR PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Marie de Beer, Delene Heukelman, Purity Njobe
Durban Institute of Technology, South Africa

The use of information and communication technology as a tool with which to enhance socio-economic growth in developing countries to overcome poverty and empower the people has been gaining momentum globally. One of the most popular approaches has been the use of inter-organisational systems. Collaboration between firms through inter-organisational systems has been used effectively over the last two decades for economic purposes. This paper explores a research project, which illustrates the mechanics of an innovative approach to the technology of inter-organisational systems in collaborate networks. The main stages of the project are a shared corporate computer system by small enterprises, the middleware used to distribute the data, the delivery mechanism for the network, and interactive kiosks with localised interfaces. The other stages of the project form the basis of a conceptual discussion and are targeted for future research.


A MICROWAVE OF DECISIONS: A CASE STUDY OF THE RTC PROJECT IN A MICROCOMMUNITY IN THE TORRES STRAIT
Fiona Brady
FR Brady Services
Margaret Mau

Micro communities and regional initiatives - We would like to be here talking to you about what we do in our Rural Transaction Centre (RTC) and how it has changed our lives. However, this case study charts the progress so far of our endeavour to get an RTC. The story is told from the perspective of the council of one island in the Torres Strait, Far North Queensland, Australia.


ICT FOR SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT - A PROJECT FOR THE ETHNIC INDIGENOUS TRIBAL MINORITY COMMUNITY IN THE KHAGRACHARI HILLY DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH
Goutam K. Sanyal & Uttamalankar Bhikkhu,
Parbatya Bouddha Mission (PBM
Bangladesh

The developments that shape the information society should pursue goals of sustainable human development and support for cultural and linguistic diversity. The technological knowledge of the rural ethnic indigenous minority hilly people needs to be made more accessible They also have specific concerns and perspectives, which need to be integrated into ICT project as well as into information systems for their development. This paper will try to address this issue and will also speak the decentralized, interactive and non-hierarchical nature of an IT project which will present an easy space for the Ethnic Indigenous Tribal Minority Community to develop their views, opinions and benefit from it.

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IT FOR REGIONAL MEDIA, CULTURE & THE ARTS

 

REALIZING SELF-PUBLISHING ON THE WEB: A COMMUNITY APPROACH.
Kevin Tharp & John Dekkers
Central Queensland University

The role of Information and Communications Technologies in a community setting has to this point focused primarily on the areas of access, training, and local content. Recent trends point toward the need to go beyond these basic aspects to enhance and facilitate community engagement and development. This paper examines the use of online self-publishing in a community environment, and how online community networks can be a catalyst for increasing the levels of social interaction both online and in the associated geographic communities.


THE YOUTH INTERNET RADIO NETWORK: A RESEARCH PROJECT TO CONNECT YOUTH ACROSS QUEENSLAND THROUGH MUSIC, CREATIVITY AND ICT
John Hartley, Greg Hearn, Jo Tacchi & Marcus Foth
Creative Industries Research and Applications Centre,
Queensland University of Technology, Australia

This paper proposes that interactive technologies can combine with training and enterprise development, and young people’s desires for content creation, to establish a network of users across differing geographical and social ecologies, creating new cultural forms and economic outcomes. The research project described merges innovative internet design, policy analysis and ethnographic methods. Young people from urban, regional, remote and Indigenous environments will learn, network, and create their own content on a Youth Internet Radio Network, contributing to community capacity building. Analysis will describe and influence the creative, social and technical processes, and identify opportunities for innovation, enterprise development and regional sustainability.


CREATIVE COMMUNITIES AND ONLINE BUSINESS MODELS
Victor Chen & Shirley Gregor
School of Business and Information Management, Australian National University
Karin Geiselhart
National Office for the Information Economy

Developing appropriate local content and reflecting local culture are key elements for the adoption of higher bandwidth Internet. These approaches can also contribute to fostering a learning community and growing local information economy industries. This paper reports on a preliminary survey of online business models for Australian community cultural and artistic initiatives. This research sought to identify those models that have the potential to be scalable, replicable and sustainable for other Australian regional and rural groups, even if the initial case site is urban. The study was part of a Creative Community action research experiment at the National Office for the Information Economy.

 

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IT FOR REGIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING

 

SIMULATION OF PROCESS CONTROL IN A PAPER MILL BOILER – A STUDENT PROJECT CASE STUDY.
Ron Balsys & Barrie Heaton

We discuss collaboration between industry and tertiary education providers. The role of student project work as an agent of change in industry is considered. A case study of the graphical simulation of process control in an industrial ‘boiler’ at Australian Paper, Wesley Vale Mill, Tasmania, is presented. User interface issues in the use of process control of simulation are given. Project management, development, testing, and evaluation are discussed. The impacts of the project on the organisation are reported. Conclusions and outcomes of the project are also discussed.


REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES AND THE REVOLUTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
Tim S Roberts, Central Queensland University

The revolution in higher education is already well underway, and regional universities are leading the charge. This paper describes the nature of the revolution by examining the changes in higher education that have already taken place, and predicting other far more radical changes yet to come. It suggest that the increasingly universal acceptance of information and communication technologies will have profound implications for the methods by which courses are taught, the underlying pedagogies employed by educators, and the types of intractions that take place between educators and students, and outlines the reasons why regional universities are playing such a significant role in the front-line of the revolution.


ON THE ROAD AGAIN: DELIVERING INFORMATION LITERACY TO REGIONAL QUEENSLAND
Barbara Brown, Rachael Browning, Anna Raunik
State Library of Queensland

The State Library of Queensland has a strong commitment to providing access to its collections, services and to the wider world of knowledge available via the Internet. It is driven by its Vision Smart libraries build smart communities. The State Library has recognised the value of information technology in enabling this vision to become reality and is working to make an extensive range of its various collections available electronically. Recognising that the ability to access electronic information is not a universal skill, the State Library has entered into partnership with a number of businesses. The BHP Billiton Skills.net Roadshow Queensland now successfully delivers training to communities throughout the state.


NETWORKING THE NORTHERN RIVERS THROUGH CTC@NSW
Lynne De Weaver, Southern Cross University

The CTC@NSW program was jointly funded by the NSW State and Commonwealth Governments in 2000. To date, over 60 new Community Technology Centres (CTCs) have been funded in small, rural and regional communities throughout NSW. During this same period, seven CTCs, with sixteen outreach locations, were established in the Northern Rivers, an 8th centre at Clunes, was funded under an earlier program but later joined the CTC@NSW network. To be eligible for funding under the CTC@NSW program, applicant communities had to meet specific criteria and prepare a comprehensive business plan that clearly demonstrated how they could establish and maintain a viable business within their community during the three years of funding as well as after grant funding had been expended. A great deal of community consultation and business planning was required in the application process and the volunteers on the various committees who undertook this work did so on their own time with varying levels of skill. They spent countless hours in achieving, what for them was a successful outcome, e.g. getting the seed funding for which they had applied. The key issues that emerged in the process were; the capacity of the organizing committee to meet all the requirements of the application, their ability to articulate community needs, their business acumen and their level of commitment to the concept of establishing a CTC as a means of promoting economic development in their communities.


DESIGNING AN INTEGRATED CULTURALLY SENSITIVE TEACHING MODEL
Ying Chen & Dr Graeme Faulkner, University of Tasmania

This paper discusses the design phase of a four-phased project that aims to develop a new pedagogically valid and culturally sensitive teaching model that could be considered for use in a joint degree program between the University of Tasmania (Utas) and partner institutions in China. The model features a more integrated approach making effective use of onsite block teaching and an elaborate utilization of existing WebCT tools, especially those of use in communication and assessment, thus facilitating constructive and collaborative learning. Guidelines are suggested for online learning, block teaching and tutorials that constitute the delivery of each academic unit.


 

INTEGRATED SYSTEMS: MANAGEMENT APPROACHES TO ACQUIRING THEM IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
Julius Jillbert
Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia
Dewi Rosmalab and Maritess Carreonc
University of Newcastle

This paper uses the case of Australian university to explain outsourcing decision within the university perspective. Analysis shown how the university value chain will be restructured and re-intermediated by the outsourcing process. And how this will bring dramatic new paradigms not just for the university but for the entire value chain supply partners. The result of this study provide more integrative view on how to apply outsourcing strategies and have important implications for in-campus managers and software houses in the regional area.


COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE IN ADULT LEARNING, THE BYRON KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PROJECT
Mitra Ardron
Mitra Technology Consulting
Jim Nicholls
Principal ACE North Coast

Communities of Practice offer one opportunity for ongoing lifelong learning in a changing world, bringing people together across organisational and sectoral boundaries to share information and experiences. The Byron Knowledge Management Project is exploring these ideas through a NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training (BVET) funded pilot project to create five inter-organisational, Communities of Practice in 2003, across different economic sectors, from Sustainable Agriculture, through Event Organisers to Professional Artists. Each CoP has a slightly different approach to maximise the opportunities for generalisations and innovation. An interactive web site is online at www.byronkm.com


DEVELOPING COUNTRIES NEED TO ENHANCE PRECISION IN HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN THE ICT SECTOR – HIGHLIGHTING THE MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION BUSINESS IN BANGLADESH.
Parveen Huda, Bangladesh

It's globalization's next wave--and one of the biggest trends reshaping the global economy. The first wave started two decades ago with the exodus of jobs making shoes, cheap electronics, and toys to developing countries. After that, simple service work, like processing credit-card receipts, and mind-numbing digital toil, like writing software code, began fleeing high-cost countries. Now, all kinds of knowledge work can be done almost anywhere.

Young entrepreneurs in the ICT sector are thinking of setting up a MT business, but the problems they are predicting lies more in the human resources development than in financing or marketing of the new venture. The following Case Study focuses on this employment relocation opportunity and how some human resources development interventions can make the story narrate a success.


IMPACT OF ICT ON EDUCATION - AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON WHAT EDUCATION REFORMS ARE REQUIRED BY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ICT REVOLUTION
Parveen Huda, Bangladesh

Computers are about 40 years old. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is much younger --- as it is generally understood today. ICT is the out growth of the microelectronics revolution and comprises; besides all shapes and sizes of computers, automation technologies and communications. The notion that ICT is a strategic management tool is newer still – at least in academic and professional literature.


A MULTI-METHOD ENQUIRY ON THE REPRESENTATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE
Chang, M., Liu, X., Detenber, B. H., & Weber, I.
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

This study examines how government institutions represent IT in education using a method that combines content analysis and syntactical analysis. Specifically, this project compares the discourses published by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and two leading universities in Singapore. The content analysis findings suggest that the IT discourses of the three institutions are predominantly pro-innovation, but the discourses of the two universities tend to be significantly more deterministic than that of MOE. The results of the syntactical analysis are somewhat concordant. The implications for multi-method approaches are discussed, as are technologically deterministic representations of IT in education discourse.


DEVELOPMENT OF IMCI MULTIMEDIA CD ROM TRAINING PACKAGE IN INDONESIA
Upiek Sumanti Riptoningrum
Graduate Program Health Policy and Service Management, Gadjah Mada University Indonesia

Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) was a strategy developed by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund to decrease under-five children mortality rate. The IMCI multimedia program is a multimedia version of generic IMCI training in Indonesia. This paper will report the design and development of IMCI multimedia training package in Indonesia which was designed to give practitioners and students experiences to deal with future implementation of IMCI in their daily practice.


INTRODUCTORY COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE: IS THERE A LINK?
Christine Prasad, UNITEC, New Zealand

Students from indigenous populations are often a part of the bigger group of students for whom English is an additional language (EAL students). This paper reports on a pilot study on the affect of native language on learning Computer programming at an introductory level. This study addresses both the surface and deep level impacts of language on the learning of Computer Programming. Data was gathered by means of a questionnaire and a card sort exercise; Data analysis was done by separating the data for EAL and non-EAL students and comparing them. The results suggested that surface level differences amongst the two student groups were low, but some evidence of deep level differences was found. The study concludes with suggestions for future research.

 

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IT FOR E-DEMOCRACY

 

eKW: eGOV – THE SYSTEM TO SUPPORT PROCESS OF GRANTING VISAS
Witold Abramowicz, Andrzej Bassara, Agata Filipowska, Marek Wisniewski
The Poznan University of Economics
Poland

The purpose of the paper is to present the system that can support national authorities in the process of granting people with visas by enhancing the information about the people who apply for them. The process of gathering such information can be enhanced with external information filtered out from external sources (dedicated sources in the Internet) and derived from databases that are not accessible to the public. Moreover, the article touches the subject of e-government as a compilation of e-administration and e-democracy and the Polish state-of-the-art in the e-Government solutions.


SHIFTING THE CENTRE: THE INTERNET AS A TOOL FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVISM
Andy Williamson
Faculty of Informatics and Communication
Central Queensland University

Community websites can potentially humanise the process and experience of government and democracy by shifting debate from the political centre to the community. By discussing sites with a community representation/democracy focus located in Waitakere City, Aotearoa/New Zealand, this paper examines the potential of the Internet to promote discourse and democratic practices. A narrative case study of one community website, Laingholm, is provided and its evolution through to current hiatus and the rise of a cross-community eDemocracy project is mapped. Key issues and lessons learnt are highlighted.


EPARLIAMENT.ORG:
THE PIONEERING OPERATIONAL MODEL OF WEBOCRACY
Dr. Sichendra Bista
eParliament.org / Global Initiatives International Secretariat, Nepal

The war in Iraq is widely perceived as the result of democratic and diplomatic deficits at a global level. Aftermath the polarization of opinions about the war, electorates have strong resentment that their elected representatives failed to represent themselves, and the “power elite” just ignored their say. Citizens now find themselves controlled by their politicians rather than being the one in control of their statesmen. They have also realized that the current system only empowers politicians, not people. Therefore, electorates want to redefine the meaning and modus operandi of democracy. Globally, citizens are aspiring for an “ALTERNATIVE” where they could represent themselves in order to overcome the prevalence of democratic and diplomatic deficits at all levels.

International terrorism is the result of lack of enforceable international law. International laws are not enforceable because the treaties and agreements, signed at bilateral and/or multilateral levels, lack uniformity. This led to the unjust design of policies on global issues. Even national legislators lack fora to express their views on global legal and policy-related issues. Therefore, the legal- and policy-making sectors desire for an “ALTERNATIVE” which could serve as an easily accessible clearinghouse and forum of international laws and policies so that the clearinghouse help them to ensure uniformity and enforceability.

Likewise, there are 38 armed conflicts, including the recent one in Iraq, in various regions of the world, particularly in the authoritarian regimes and transitional democracies in Asia, CIS and Africa. The conflicts have claimed millions of lives, mainly innocent women and children, and brought an end to human development! People in these regions are also desperate for an “ALTERNATIVE” which can bring the parties-in-conflict together as per their convenience and in a cost-effective manner so that they could live their normal life in peace, security and prosperity.

Corruption, lawlessness, information starvation, poverty, illiteracy are marked signs of the developing world in Asia, Africa, CIS and Latin America. Majority of population in this segment of the world lives with less than US$2 a day! Locals are voiceless because they are either suppressed by the corrupt and authoritarian regimes or they could not afford, in terms of time and money, the existing legal mechanism for justice. They desperately want a cost-effective, easily accessible and secure “ALTERNATIVE” where they could approach at their convenience to settle their legal and social problems and speak up against atrocities by the “ruling elite”.

The search for an “ALTERNATIVE”, that our world is aspiring for, ends at eParliament.org, the pioneering operational model of webocracy. This paper elaborates how all of the above and more could be achieved through eParliament.org at this crucial juncture of human history when the democratically-elected, but much-debated, physical form of World Parliament seems a distant dream.


ONLINE VOTING FOR E-DEMOCRACY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:
IS IT POSSIBLE?
Julius Jillberta
Department of Management, Faculty of Economics, Hasanuddin University (UNHAS)
Indonesia
Mustarum Musaruddinb
Department of Electrical Engineering, Haluoleo University (UNHALU)
Indonesia

Issues such as reliability, security and affordability of voting procedures might be seen as factors that can stimulate enthusiasm upon democracy system among potential voters and increase participation. This paper argue that online voting may play important role on enhancing security and cutbacks of burden human and financial resources allocation to election processes. However, in the emerging democracies, like some of Asian countries, in this case Indonesia, exhibit other factors, such as political, cultural, educational, economic sensibilities, that might be weighted before any online voting system is deployed.


E-DEMOCRACY – GULF STYLE: A WORKING PAPER
Kate Sutcliffe and Margot Richardson

At the recent SEGRA Conference, GSD presented a paper on the value of investment in development of the social capital of the Gulf region – it pays off in the long term. In that paper we touched on the processes that we were employing to broaden the horizons of the Gulf residents and expand their networks and experiences.

This paper deals in more detail with the specific programs we are delivering to expand the usage of IT in the region. IT is a tool we are deploying to build the social capital of the Gulf region, to enable residents to take maximum advantage of opportunities presented in the increasingly global economic and social environment. What we intend to do is discuss how we have used the IT infrastructure and provide an initial evaluation of projects to look at effectiveness, impact, identify barriers and some concerns.


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IT FOR REGIONAL HEALTH

 

TOWARDS TEAM-BASED DELIVERY OF PATIENT-CENTRED HEALTH CARE
Stefanie Kethers, Alistair McLean, Anne-Marie Vercoustre & Ross Wilkinson
CSIRO ICT Centre
Mohan Krishnamoorthy & David Sier
CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences

This paper discusses the major components of a patient-centred, team-based health care delivery system to overcome the duplication of effort and poor communication between members of the different disciplines delivering patient care. We consider the factors needed to allocate resources and collect and organise patient data to provide actionable information to different professional groups in a manner that recognises the trust and team dynamics operating between the groups. We suggest that implementing only parts of such a system will not fully address the complex problem of patient-centred healthcare delivery by teams, but that an integrated, holistic solution is required.


DEVELOPING A PUBLIC HOSPITAL – GENERAL PRACTICE
INTERNET INTERFACE: AN EVALUATION OF GPlinkED TASMANIA, A HIRaD PROJECT
Dean Steer
University of Tasmania
Liz Cummings
Tasmanian General Practice Divisions
Paul Turner
University of Tasmania

GPlinkED is a Tasmanian project funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) through its Health Internet Research and Development fund (HIRaD). The GPlinkED system aims to provide timely and secure messaging in a cost effective manner between Hospital Emergency Departments and General Practices. The system was trialled in Northern Tasmania with the Launceston General Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) and a number of General Practices within the Launceston region.

This paper reports on an evaluation of the GPlinkED trial focused on the administrative messaging components of the implementation of a simplified Emergency Department Messaging Interface (EDMI) module. This module covered the construction, storage and transmission of encrypted administrative messages (attendance advices) from DEMs to General Practitioners. The evaluation concentrated on qualitative interviewing of GPs and DEM staff to reveal perceptions of the pre-existing arrangements, the value of the GPlinkED system and insights into the likely uptake by GPs of the GPlinkED system in preparation for its state-wide rollout.

The objectives of establishing a secure communications infrastructure and obtaining general acceptance amongst project participants were achieved. More specifically the evaluation revealed: (i) Significant improvements in the timeliness of the communications between the DEM and the General Practices; (ii) Significant costs reduction particularly in terms of administrative staff time; (iii) The use of location keys made Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) almost ‘invisible’ to the GPs; (iv) Regardless of size, almost all the General Practices participating in the trial have subsequently maintained GPlinkED and incorporated it as an integrated part of their patient healthcare management systems. This has had a major impact on improving the continuity of care between the DEM and participating General Practices.


WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS:
BUILDING CONNECTEDNESS IN REGIONAL, RURAL AND REMOTE QUEENSLAND COMMUNITIES THROUGH A HEALTH-BASED MULTIPOINT VIDEOCONFERENCING PROJECT
Linda McClelland, Kathryn Faulkner, Jennifer Gale and Kylie Johnstone
Women's Health Queensland Wide Inc

A world-first multipoint videoconferencing project developed by Women's Health Queensland Wide Inc (WHQW) and involving fifty locations across Queensland was originally designed to deliver health education to rural and remote communities.
However an impact study found that the project has also made a contribution to collaboration, communication and service provision within and across participating communities. Furthermore, there is evidence that the project has contributed to improved skills and a greater use of available technology resources.
Findings are discussed within a social capital relationship framework and related to the features of the project model that the authors believe have been most important in achieving the positive outcomes.


LOCATING YOUR PATIENTS –USING EXISTING DATA AND GIS SOFTWARE”
Stephen Weeding & Dr Lee Seldon
Monash University

Ideally, health care services should be available when and where they are required. Presented here is a preliminary study of geographic distribution of demand for health care services, highlighted by utilising GIS software to visually map the sources of these patients. Data showing demand was collected from patients presenting to Emergency Departments and included items such as Age, Triage Category, Arrival Time, and other parameters. The primary care services mapped with this demand data included the locations of Medical Clinics, Pharmacies, Residential Aged Care Services, and Retirement Villages. Any significant results should interest Commonwealth and State Government Health Department strategic planning units and health care providers.


ICT FOR IMPROVING REGIONAL HEALTH IN BANGLADESH
Prof. Lutfor Rahman
Association for Advancement of Information Technology (AAIT)
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are unavoidable tools at the present age. ICT has seen tremendous unprecedented growth in the last decade. Its impact has been felt in almost all sectors. But the impact of ICT on Health care is lagging behind in many developing countries including Bangladesh. Rural populations in many regions of Bangladesh are distant from urban centres that offer employment and income, education, cultural events and public services. ICT have the potential to improve the situation of rural people in several ways such as early diagnosis can prevent many casualties. Once the patient comes to the health care centre, the medical professionals collect and send the relevant information to an expert at a centrally located hospital. The primary health care centre be located in rural area or in a mobile centre installed in a van. Poor health care can result from a lack of good information. Establishing reliable communications may be one of the most important priorities for improving health care. Many rural areas have no or out dated telephone lines that can transmit Internet based data. Wireless technology such as radio modems, could solve the infrastructure problem. Mobile telecentre is a possible solution for remote populations.

Bangladesh is seen as problematic hosts for information and communication technology. Most developing regions of Bangladesh lack economic resources and indigenous techno-scientific capabilities to develop and deploy modern ICT infrastructure. The potential benefit of ICT for rural people have been outlined, and the ways that ICT for rural populations to modern health care are described in the paper.

A training program in Bangladesh trained woman medical professionals drawn from different institutions, hospitals and clinics to use ICT in health care sectors. A survey identified their training needs. Training modules and materials were designed in the context of Bangladesh based on the needs identification survey. The courses were held at the capital city, Dhaka and in two regional towns; Bogra and Rajshahi with 20 participants in each stage. Their scientific knowledge and skills were previously unrecognized, under valued and over looked by the male dominated colleagues and supervisors. A committee of seven members selected the prospective woman participants for the training organized by AAIT in cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology and with the funding support of the Commonwealth Science Council (CSC). After the training, the trained participants were found to utilize their gained ICT knowledge for the rural and marginalized people of the society.

The main purpose of empowering the medical professionals with ICT is to benefit the people whom they serve. Specifically the trained medical doctors serve people who live in the islands and in the highlands of remote areas. A resource centre known as ISTI (Indigenous Science and Technology at Ikrail) established in a river island of Bangladesh by AAIT gives tremendous results in curing diseases caused by water and cold. The ISTI resource centre is run by one of the trained medical professionals. In this project a plan was adopted to initiate ICT clinics as an effort to provide better access to public health initiatives to the rural people. It is found from the study program that the root problem with most of the countries in the developing world especially in Asia is the lack of accessibility. This paper explains how lives of the remote people are saved by medical professionals after having ICT training organized by the Association for Advancement of Information Technology (AAIT).

 

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IT FOR REGIONAL INDUSTRY & e-COMMERCE

 

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF INTERNET USAGE AMONG INSURANCE COMPANIES IN MALAYSIA
Ainin, S & Tee CK
University of Malaya
Malaysia

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study on Internet usage among Malaysian insurance companies. A questionnaire survey was administered to 53 insurance companies and a total of thirty four responded. The study illustrates a relatively high (76%) usage of Internet among them. In addition, thirty eight percent of them indicate that they are using the Internet as a sales channel. The respondents, generally IT managers of insurance companies, feel that the Internet compliments the existing sales channel. It also provides new business opportunities as well a more effective way to improve business activities. Despite the numerous benefits, not all insurance companies use the Internet. The study identifies security and cost of initial investment as factors that are most considered when deciding to adopt Internet technologies.


CRITICAL FACTORS IN ACQUISITION OF SOFTWARE SYSTEMS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SME)
Asif Ijaz Sheikh
Millennium Software Pvt. Limited
Pakistan
Zubair A. Shaikh
National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences
Pakistan

Recently, external factors like requirement of automation for industrial units in order to achieve certain quality standards and certifications for competing in the ever-competitive market after the WTO implementation, have been stimulating companies of any size, to radically rethink their Information Systems. Acquisition of software products have always been a very critical activity for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which eventually revolutionize the way these small enterprises work, particularly for developing nations keeping in view the country’s economic strength. Software acquisition and implementation for SMEs have been a neglected area where not much research has been done.
This paper studies certain critical factors from SMEs perspective for managing an acquisition project concerning an outsourced development of a software product, customized for the specific needs of the SMEs. In order to highlight major characteristics for SMEs during the acquisition phase of Software Systems, case studies from 12 key diversified organizations of Pakistan have been picked. The qualitative research methodology approach has been used to evaluate the acquisition process, so as to benefit the SMEs for streamlining themselves for more efficient and appropriate software acquisitions and highlight major issues of software acquisitions concerned with SMEs.


THE ADOPTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE THE BEST SOLUTION: EXPERIENCES OF THE ROCK LOBSTER FISHERMEN IN TASMANIA'S SOUTH WEST.
Stephen Chau & Paul Turner
University of Tasmania

Much information systems research is premised on an implicit and unquestioned assumption that ‘new technology is better’. For small business researchers however, there is consistent evidence that innovative technologies often do not provide the ‘best’, most viable or even most appropriate solutions. Useability problems, initial relative high costs of new technology and ongoing support issues often make the latest technological advances poorly suited to the requirements of many users. This paper presents a case study on the issues faced by Tasmanian rock lobster fishermen seeking a working solution to gain quality daily weather-faxes. The preliminary analysis suggests that the proffered advanced communications solutions are more costly, unproven and require additional training without guaranteeing a ‘better’ overall solution.


E-COMMERCE FOR SMALL REGIONAL FIRMS: EXPERIENCE OF FOUR RECENT ADOPTERS
Shelly Grist & Aileen Cater-Steel
University of Southern Queensland

After reporting current research about the extent of e-commerce adoption by small Australian businesses, this study documents the progress and outcomes of four small regional organisations as they seek the opportunities promised by e-commerce. Each of the four cases presents a different focus and mix of web-based applications. The common factor which contributes to their success is that the adoption of e-commerce was driven by sound business objectives.


INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER MODELS: FRAMEWORK FOR A STRATEGY FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA.
Cate Reilly, Laurence Dooley & Srinivas Aswathanarayaniah
Monash University

In both Australia, and overseas, Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly performing a central role in technology transfer. One way to make it possible for SMEs to improve their competitive advantage and compete with world markets, is to have access and connection to institutions (such as universities) and networks that transfer knowledge and applications of technological innovation. Most SMEs are usually too small to do any significant research and therefore rely on these mechanisms if they are available.

This paper results from a comparative study on a number of international Technology Transfer (also referred to as Technology Diffusion) models involving Institutions and small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Institutions supply (or transfer) the technological “know-how” and capabilities to the SME, which either directly or indirectly, demand technology transfer.

The models of technology transfer differ in terms of strategies ,activities and objectives. Aspects that influence these models are availability of existing infrastructure, inherent expertise, linkages with appropriate research institutions and cultural and social issues. However, the underlying aim is the same; sustainable mechanisms that transfer technological knowledge and capabilities to SMEs in order for them to apply, further develop and manage technology.

Best practice technology transfer strategies applied by universities identified in this study will be applied to the design of a Technology Diffusion Gateway Network - a project which is currently in the pilot phase in Gippsland, Victoria. The second phase involves creating linkages with other regionally-based institutions to develop an integrated network of technology diffusion nodes in regional Australia, through which expertise, knowledge and innovation transfer can be facilitated.


A PRELIMINARY VIEW OF WHERE ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT CAN HELP LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tim Turner
Australian Defence Force Academy
University of New South Wales

The paper presents the results of a literature review and survey conducted in February and March 2003 seeking to identify the interactions between the Australian Government and local governments in Australia. The literature review set expectations of the nature of interactions, but the survey revealed a different picture. Rather than the dominant interactions (by volume) being elements of a pseudo-supply-chain for government service delivery, they were information sharing activities: reporting and advice seeking. The paper presents findings from the survey looking through a partitioned lens, considering the differences in responses from rural and urban councils and large and small councils. The survey reveals that considerable local government resources are expended in these information sharing activities across all local governments. It also reveals that rural councils appear to be more reliant on interactions with the Australian Government to deliver services to their clients. Finally, the paper points to areas where rural councils might benefit from integrated e-government and to further areas of research, particularly, the need to determine what new services rural councils are delivering that require substantial Australian Government involvement, and how can electronic government reduce the effort required to participate in the substantial volume of information sharing identified.


ADOPTION OF ONLINE PURCHASING IN COMMUNITIES, AND ITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS IN REGIONAL CENTRAL QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
W. J. Taylor, G. X. Zhu, J. Dekkers & S. Marshall
Central Queensland University

This paper analyses the general trends of online purchasing in Central Queensland (CQ) communities in 1999-2002 and identifies the socio-economic factors affecting online purchasing activities. The Online Purchasing Indicator, a concept which is defined as a combination of percentages of online purchasers and of regular purchasers (>one item/month) within a group, is applied to compare these activities between two groups. These factors can be interpreted as personal attributes, knowledge, trust and need that may play important roles for the online purchasing activities. The research indicated that the effect of economic bleeding might exist, but need not to be overstated.


WORKING AROUND SECURITY: ISSUES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND DISTANCE
Fiona Brady
FR Brady Services

Remote communities have access to increasingly sophisticated technology: intranets and the Internet are now standard. Technology has been promoted as a means to overcome “distance” yet, distance increases the difficulty of implementing and maintaining technology. So how are remote communities negotiating this situation?

This project uses an actor network approach to look at technology use in a remote workplace. Through the focus of a workaround of the computer security I trace the network of associations and alliances that led to this point. It is my aim to describe the different understandings of the situation to look at the ways distance, both geographical and conceptual, affects technology adoption, implementation and ongoing use.

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IT FOR TOURISM IN REGIONAL AREAS

 

DELIVERING BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE FOR REGIONAL TOURISM IN AUSTRALIA: ANALYSIS OF THE DECIPHER TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Dean Carson, Andrew Taylor
Centre for Regional Tourism Research, Southern Cross University
Fiona Richards
Australian Capital Tourism Corporation

Decipher is an online information system designed to deliver research and business intelligence to Australian tourism organisations. Critical to the success of Decipher will be its uptake by small regional tourism enterprises and local tourism associations. These organisations have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to accessing and applying business intelligence. This paper argues that, in order to be in a position to contribute to the capacity to foster and employ innovation in an industrial system, an online information system such as Decipher must first be accepted and adopted as an innovation itself. The literature suggests that certain structural elements including: economic and social capital; fostering of entrepreneurship; development of networks and clusters; and access to public and private sector partnerships can be introduced into the system to facilitate adoption of innovations such as Decipher. However, there are events outside the control of technology developers which may influence the capacity of the system to choose to adopt an innovation or to select between alternative innovations.


AN INVESTIGATION OF A TECHNOLOGY LED RELATIONSHIP MARKETING STRATEGY IN ALBERTA’S TOURISM INDUSTRY
Doreen Park
University of Guelph
Canada

This paper presents findings of a study (Park, 2002) to investigate the applicability and relevance of an information technology led relationship-marketing strategy to create new business and economic development opportunities within Alberta’s tourism industry. New theoretical frameworks illustrate how information technology can be used to manage relationships in regional tourism, and the competitive advantage of industry clusters/strategic alliances, and the marketing and management competencies required for virtual networks are discussed. A survey questionnaire was developed based on the research objectives. Data collection consisted of two parts: an electronic mail survey sent to thirty individuals in management and executive positions, and a review of government and industry reports. Qualitative analysis was performed for the open-ended survey questions and reports, and quantitative analysis was performed on the close-ended survey questions using SPSS for Windows. The paper will be of interest to strategy and policy makers, researchers, strategic managers, and corporate marketers working in the tourism industry.

 

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