APPENDIX 2
Memorandum by IBM
HOW MPs CAN KEEP IN TOUCH
There are two enabling technologies that allow users
of communication systems, such as e-mail, and applications, to
move out of the office and be mobile, or more flexible in their
work. The first technology is pervasive computing. This moves
personal computing to easy to carry devices as well as non traditional
devices, such as kiosks, cars etc. The second technology is high
speed data mobile networks. These include the cellular wide area
networks as well as the wireless local area networks. Stephen
Timms announced on 10 June the availability of the spectrum for
public WLAN from the end of July. This, together with the government's
Broadband initiatives, will provide for the communications needs
of MPs.
MPs using applications based on these technologies
will be able to do the things in 1, 2 and 4. With m-learning applications
deployed on the two technologies their skill referred to in Q3
can be kept up to date. IBM Learning Services are already implementing
m-learning.
1. Which ICTs will be most appropriate for the
work of an elected representative in five years time?
In answering this question it is worth starting by
considering the process by which new and emerging technologies
become mainstream. Moore has indicated that the conventionally
held wisdom as to how new products and services become established
and grow starts to breakdown in the fields of high technology
and ICT. A more accurate model is suggested by the following diagram
which identifies a 'chasm' which new technologies have to bridge
to start on the process of gaining widespread adoption and use.
If we are to consider the present situation then
we can identify a wide range of new technologies that are in use
with innovators and early adopters and are approaching the 'chasm'.
Given the 5 year timeframe that the question has posed we need
to understand which are the most likely candidates to cross the
'chasm' and then understand which of these are likely to be the
most popular and useful to elected representatives.
The candidate technologies which IBM is currently
working with will include:
Mobile connection to data. This will include the
use of mobile phone connection to data enabled services (GPRS
and then 3G) and Wireless LAN. Within 5 years elected representatives
could have permanent connection to the Internet both at their
normal place of work (Via Wireless LAN) or when out and about
via GPRS. This would enable them to instantly gather relevant
information needed for their work and be informed of news and
breaking events. Potential devices for elected representatives
would include Web Pads (lightweight devices that are connected
to the Internet and e-mail via a Wireless LAN that could be installed
at their place of work) and GPRS connected Personal Digital Assistant
(PDA). The culmination of these devices could be advanced versions
of the wearable PC that is currently being deployed in a range
of application today (flight check-in, ticket sales, maintenance
workers). These devices would also enable them to be in touch
with their communities, the press and other bodies needed to perform
their tasks.
Pervasive computing devices and systems. This will
include the concepts of Home Gateways and Telematics (ICT equipped
cars). The UK currently has a lower percentage of homes that have
access to Personal Computers (PC's) than other countries (e.g.
USA). This capability is however being supplemented by the rapid
penetration of Interactive Television (iTV) in the home environment
(through satellite and cable systems) as well as games consoles
(e.g. X-Box and PS2). These devices could provide elected representatives
with the means to inform the electorate and gather feedback from
them on a range of issues. For example, current iTV technology
allows entertainment programmes (e.g. Big Brother) to gather millions
of 'votes' every week. The capability of games consoles are likely
to extend rapidly to provide an Internet connected device capable
of rivalling the home Personal Computer and provide another variant
of the Home Gateway.
Knowledge Management. This will include the tools
needed to discover data; the tools to create knowledge from this
data and the tools to capture this knowledge and make it available
to interested bodies. To help elected representatives to make
sense of the flood of information that is likely to be available
to them within 5 years will require that they are adequately supported
by ICT. Current innovators in this field (which include some local
and central government bodies) are relying on the implementation
of portals to aid their communities. The main emphasis of the
portal is to provide an interface that is personalised and customised
to the individual but takes account of their role, their interest,
the communities they interact with and the relevant data sources
available to them. A specific portal for elected representatives
would enable them to increase the efficiency with which they perform
their jobs and keep pace with the information explosion. The portal
could provide information and analysis of government and industry
published data and give access to a wide range of information
relevant to parliamentary legislation. This portal could also
provide information published by international organisations and
bodies (and potentially provide automatic translation of it).
Voice enabled interfaces to ICT. Voice recognition
has developed rapidly over the past few years and is currently
able to handle a wide range of tasks. These include answering
telephone directory enquiries, providing information on services
and converting voice to text. The pace of development over the
next few years will mean that elected representatives could look
forward to a more natural interface to their ICT devices that
can be used with more freedom and in a wider range of locations.
It is also possible to provide automated translation to a range
of languages that could provide a means for elected representatives
to converse and get information from international bodies rapidly.
2. How can representatives ensure that they are
communicating with those they represent (their constituents) and
not others, such as citizens from other constituencies or countries—or
professional lobbyists?
To be completely sure that you are dealing with the
party with whom you think you are, a form of online user authentication
is required.
Today there are the following options:
Have a userID and password (and the user must tediously
register with every organisation—government and commercial—separately
and then manage a host of passwords and IDs), buy a digital certificate
(costly), and use a proprietary solution.
There is no single solution in the marketplace
today that is able to deliver the open, easy to use, robust and
trustable solution with a commercial model that is affordable
for users and attractive for providers.
The Office of the e-Envoy has been looking at options,
but this is an industry wide issue, so it is unlikely that the
government will be able to or should develop its own solution.
It should continue to act as a facilitator to the UK to resolve
this problem. Two consultation papers on digital signatures and
their role in trust and confidence for on-line users: citizens
and businesses, are due to be issued soon to enable government
thinking to move forward in this area.
The Office of the e-Envoy has had documented the
requirements such a on-line authentication system needs to meet.
A possible solution that meets these requirements has been developed
as part of the EU Trust Infrastructure Europe (TIE) project and
is called empowerment. The Office of the e-Envoy is studying this
system in consultation with industry and other government departments.
3. What sort of skills do elected representatives
need to succeed in the information age?
The Information Age we enjoy is to a large extent
based on major implementation programmes, so smoothly effected
that we all take for granted the technology employed and the ensuing
benefits. We recommend that elected Members should have a better
understanding of at least the theory of large programme management
and the delivery skills required to support such programmes. We
refer you to the work of the Office of Government Commerce 'Skills
Framework', as it includes a sensible list of skills which could
become core requirements for all public servants in the future.
We differentiate between 'skills' and 'behaviours'.
Elected Members will need skills, for sure. However they will
also need new behaviours, and they are going to be just as important
as skills.
Elected Members will need to be familiar and comfortable
with a variety of technologies, and different ways of working,
so as to be able to balance their benefits against associated
concerns. New technologies are only enablers to take advantage
of the underlying changes in the way we work, live and play. The
increase of e-business means that more people are collaborating,
sharing information, finding new ways of penetrating vast amounts
of data to get to the important bits, working in virtual teams,
flexible hours, remote from their team mates. Elected Members
need to understand these behavioural and cultural shifts—and
they need to embrace and adopt new ways of working themselves
so that they don't suffer from the "cobblers' children"
effect. As leaders of the country, they need to be leading thinking
about work and lifestyles, not be on the back foot reacting to
change, or—worse—unthinkingly working to impose superseded
models of behaviour.
Most of all, elected Members will need enquiring
minds—a thirst to understand new technologies as they emerge
and what those technologies can do for the elected Members and
their constituents. Tenacity is important—the ability to
stick with learning something new even if it doesn't work perfectly
the first time. They will need to make the time to attend sessions
to learn about new ideas, and ask people what they are doing with
bits of kit or software. Wanting and liking and being comfortable
with change, displaying logical thought processes and problem
solving ability in increasingly complex situations, seeing the
contribution that business makes to the UK and new possibilities
in business challenges, verbal and numeric reasoning, making lateral
and creative connections; are all competencies that IT companies
are looking for in their graduate employees today. Elected Members
will need the same competencies!
Joined up Government, policy making in complex environments,
breakdown of old barriers between functions, processes and industry
sectors will all challenge elected Members as we see that 19th
century organisations, hierarchies, and processes are no longer
the most economic, efficient or appropriate ways of working. Elected
Members will also need to be brave and courageous, and have the
strength of their own convictions to visualise, verbalise and
execute real change.
4. How can ICTs help MPs to be better at a) representing
their constituents; b) considering legislation; c) scrutinising
the Government; and d) relating to the media?
a) Represent constituents—Understand how constituents
need to shape their lives today. Get up to date constituent views
and represent them in parliament e.g. check point sms text message
votes on specific issues, questionnaires on web sites, phone in
on local radio shows. Engage constituents, build databases of
those with specific and vocal interest in certain subjects and
ask them to submit opinions. Use the same technology that retailers
use to collect, analyse and use data about their customers, to
determine preferences, behaviours, and detect early warning signals
about issues.
b) Considering legislation—collaborative computing
is key here. Considering legislation is very time consuming, partly
because it is important for everyone to have their say. Why not
open chat rooms for people to debate specific clauses real-time,
with moderators to collect group decisions and votes and then
move on? Enable elected Members to ALWAYS KNOW that the version
of the document they are looking at is current, who else has seen
it, what those people said about it, what they wanted changed
etc. The Whitehall Knowledge Network could be expanded to include
applications for considering legislation in a secure, easy to
use and immediately available way. The technology already exists
to support the process of creating legislation—but it would
appear that the processes currently in use by elected members
are not being considered for changes—perhaps because existing
processes are easy to use, understood and comfortable.
c) Scrutinising the Government—Much of what
we have said under b) above, applies here. If the Government is
to be scrutinised, it means that the processes, information, changes,
updates, and final documents have to be available for people to
see them. Collaborative computing, easy to navigate databases,
consistent interfaces, Government wide Intranet—again all
these technologies exist today but are not being adopted—perhaps
because of the threat to individual or Party self-interest, fear
of open information, lack of understanding of the power of collaboration,
or reluctance to include 3rd parties in government processes.
The private sector is more aware than ever of the value of audit
trails, precise records, archived files, and organisational history—the
Government needs to change to adopt these modern governance processes
as well.
d) Relating to the media—A truism of e-business
is that when you make processes more widely available, and faster
and easier to use, they are used more often. Elected members are
already drowning under the weight of information they have to
process every day—web sites, reports, mail, newspapers,
etc. This is also true of their constituents and the media. Everyone
is trying to sort their way through the endless information to
find the bits that matter, and make ever faster decision on imperfect
data.
Elected Members will be required to answer questions
immediately, by text message, e-mail or phone. We think they are
going to need a totally different support structure to be able
to do this. Having one or two people supporting each MP isn't
going to work for much longer. There is too much to read, assimilate,
brief their MPs on, and find answers to. The Government is going
to need to move towards having teams of specialists who concentrate
on specific areas, with bridge walkers operating between the teams
making lateral connections. Elected Members will need to know
immediately the response to a question from the media, or the
up to date brief to provide, and they will need to find it quickly
and easily through the appropriate technology. But having easy
to use and appropriate technology will only be of any benefit
if the data that is held is right, up to date, and trustworthy.
As with all specialised professions (teachers, doctors, police
etc), elected members need to be able to concentrate on their
core competencies and what they are trained to do—not waste
time on support functions better managed by other people. Having
new technology doesn't change this imperative, but will accelerate
addressing the solution as both elected Members and their support
staff become increasingly exhausted by the amounts of data they
must process, and work they must complete.
About IBM
IBM, the world's largest technology company, is the
world's number one server company and information technology provider,
with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM
helps customers, Business Partners and developers in a wide range
of industries that leverage the power of the Internet for e-business.
1 July 2002
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