Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing in the Public Sector Sharon Dawes Center for Technology in Gover

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Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing in the Public
SectorSharon DawesCenter for Technology in
GovernmentUniversity at Albany/SUNY
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Why does this happen?
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Risks of IT Innovation
Program, Policy Economic Context
Organizational Setting
Technology Solution
Business Processes
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Domains of digital government
Policy
Management
Technology
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Policy domain
law, economics, demographics, culture,
politics, societal program goals, stakeholders,
constituencies
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Management domain
organizational structure, human resources,
funding, change processes, business processes,
decision processes, information flows
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Technology domain
computing, collaboration networking tools for
information collection, processing, storage,
sharing, analysis, integration, and knowledge
management
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Domains of digital government
Policy
Management
Technology
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CTG research themes

• Making a case for IT investment
• Using and sharing information
• Creating and using electronic records
• Managing intergovernmental projects
• Delivering services on the Web
• Designing a digital government

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Dual Focus
Applied Problem Solving
Academic Research
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Why study collaborative networks?

• Public demand for better govt performance
• Intractable public problems demand cooperation
  and information sharing
• So do the newest ideas about public services
• Technology is no longer a barrier
• But social, political, economic, organizational
  factors still loom large

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Research on inter-organizational networks
Single network
Multiple homogeneous networks
Multiple heterogeneous networks
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Research on inter-organizational networks
Single network
Multiple homogeneous networks
Multiple heterogeneous networks
Snapshot or
Longitudinal
Retrospective
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Research on inter-organizational networks
Single network
Most existing research
Multiple homogeneous networks
Multiple heterogeneous networks
Snapshot or
Longitudinal
Retrospective
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Research on inter-organizational networks
Single network
Most existing research
Multiple homogeneous networks
New models of collaboration to deliver
government services
Multiple heterogeneous networks
Snapshot or
Longitudinal
Retrospective
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Research on inter-organizational networks
Single network
Most existing research
Multiple homogeneous networks
New models of collaboration to deliver
government services
Knowledge networking in the public sector
Multiple heterogeneous networks
Snapshot or
Longitudinal
Retrospective
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New Models of Collaboration for the Delivery of
Government Services to Citizens and Businesses

• A Multinational Investigation

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Definition of the research

• Scope a multi-national investigation of new
  models of collaboration focusing primarily on the
  US Canada but also accounting for trends in
  other parts of the world
• Objective to enhance our understanding of
  multi-organizational partnerships engaged in the
  delivery of government services to citizens
  businesses
• Methodology retrospective comparative case
  studies

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Types of collaboration to be studied

• Public-public collaborations
• Public-nonprofit collaborations
• Public-private collaborations

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Research Partners

• International Research Centers
• Centre Francophone dInformatisation des
  Organisation (CEFRIO)lead partner
• University of Bremen, Germany
• Institut d'Informatique - CITA,Belgium
• (and possibly Australia, Brazil, Italy)
• US Universities (NSF Digital Govt grant)
• University at Albany, CTG lead partner
• Indiana University, School of Public
  Environmental Affairs
• University of Maryland/BC, Department of
  Information Systems
• (and up to two others)

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Dimensions to be studied
Political, social, cultural environment
Institutional, business technical environment
Characteristics of the partners
Collaboration processes
Modes of operation
Performance
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Research Design

• Selection of about 25 collaboration projects
• Individual interviews with main stakeholders
  (10-12 per case)
• Coding and analysis of data using text analysis
  software
• Comparison across case studies
• all cases
• by collaboration type
• by policy domain
• by country
• identification of critical success factors and
  barriers to success

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US case studies

• New York State Geographic Information System
  Cooperative
• San Joaquin Valley Sustainable Economic
  Development Cooperative
• Access Indiana Information Network
• Potential case studies
• Internal Revenue Services E-File
• US Postal Service address change service

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Planned research results

• Series of individual case studies
• Practical decision and management support guide
  and executive briefing
• Journal articles
• International symposium

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Knowledge networking in the public sector
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Research on inter-organizational networks
Single network
Most existing research
Multiple homogeneous networks
New models of collaboration to deliver
government services
Knowledge networking in the public sector
Multiple heterogeneous networks
Snapshot or
Longitudinal
Retrospective
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Knowledge networking study at CTG

• Three-year longitudinal study of the formation
  and operation of knowledge sharing networks in
  the public sector
• Create seven comparative case studies of
  knowledge sharing networks
• Study organizational, technological, political
  factors and their interaction
• National Science Foundation KDI grant

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Knowledge network defined

• a combination of
• inter-organizational relationships
• policies
• information content
• work processes
• technology tools and architectures
• brought together to achieve a collective purpose

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Case study projects

• Bureau of Shelter Services
• Council on Children Families
• New York City Dept. of IT Telecomm
• Office of Real Property Services
• Division of Municipal Affairs
• Statewide Central Accounting System
• GIS Clearinghouse

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Theory domains
The Problem Domain Public Sector Knowledge and
Information Sharing
Technology Capacity Innovation
Interorganizational Relations
Law, Policy Politics
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Theory domains
The Problem Domain Public Sector Knowledge and
Information Sharing
Research Focus
Technology Capacity Innovation
Interorganizational Relationships, Management,
Authority
Law, Policy Politics
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Action domains
Technology 10,000 mph
Organization management 1000 mph
Public policies 10 mph
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Preliminary Model v.2
Participants their
prior expectations
Technical capacity infrastructure
Nature of the problem or objective
KN Formation Operation
Legal policy framework
Outcomes
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Methods

• Applied projects with all agency
  groups
  
• Surveys project goals and individual
  expectations
• Document analysis legal political environment
• Observation and liaison processes
• Interviews all elements
• Reflection meetings all elements

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Overall Data Collection Plan
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
2002
BHS
CCF/KWIC
OSC-MA
OSC-CAS
DOITT
ORPS
GIS
Ongoing observation
Survey
CTG Project Span
Team and Sponsor Interviews
Synthesis of findings
Reflection Meeting
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Powerful variables (so far)
conflicting perspectives equality of
power initial trust
self-interest urgency clarity
Participants their
prior expectations
sufficient tech resources alignment of solution
KN Formation Operation
Technical capacity infrastructure
Nature of the problem or objective
enough time leadership dedicated
resources incentives
Legal policy framework
conflict among statutory goals
Outcomes
satisfying process product
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Some Early Observations(interpret with care)

• Perceived benefits seem universal, perceived
  barriers are domain-specific
• Importance of leadership self-interest
• Trust matters
• Knowledge ? information ? knowledge
• Knowledge creation and knowledge sharing
• Embed knowledge in the way people work
• Authority structures are not good predictors of
  IOR dynamics

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Planned research products

• Articles on main theoretical or methodological
  issues
• Individual case studies of network formation and
  function
• Synthesis of cases and refined model
• Practical recommendations for improved knowledge
  networking in the public sector

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Domains of digital government
Policy
Management
Technology
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Policy domain
law, economics, demographics, culture,
politics, societal program goals, stakeholders,
constituencies
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Management domain
organizational structure, human resources,
funding, change processes, business processes,
decision processes, information flows
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Technology domain
computing, collaboration networking tools for
information collection, processing, storage,
sharing, analysis, integration, and knowledge
management
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Domains of digital government
Policy
Management
Technology
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Center for Technology in Government

• http//www.ctg.albany.edu