Internet in Government - for IT Practitioners


Tom Worthington

Presentation to the AUUG Sixth Annual Canberra Conference - 15 February 
1995

Abstract

How can IT people make the Internet be useful in Government? Much has 
been said about the role of the "Information Superhighway" and how it 
could transform our culture, business and Government. But how and how 
much of this hype can be turned into reality? Can a traditional 
bureaucratic culture accept the anarchic ways of the Internet?
Tom Worthington relates his experience in using public data networking 
in Government agencies over the last three years. He provides tips on 
avoiding a clash of cultures. The presentation avoids any technical 
details and concentrates on the social and administrative issues.

About the author

Mr Worthington is Director of the Community Affairs Board of the 
Australian Computer Society, a voting member of the Association for 
Computing Machinery, and member of other IT bodies. In October 1994 Mr. 
Worthington received a merit award from the ACS Canberra Branch, in 
recognition of his work on Internet services and is co-author of the ACS 
InfoBahn policy.

Mr. Worthington is senior policy adviser on information management 
strategic planning, with the Australian Department of Defence. He is 
Defence representative on the Standards Australia committee on Software 
Engineering, member of the Commonwealth Internet Reference Group and 
chair of the IESC Electronic Data Management Subcommittee. Mr. 
Worthington is currently preparing Defence's public Internet information 
service, as part of Government initiatives for public Internet services.
E-mail: tomw@acslink.net.au Home page: http://www.acslink.net.au/~tomw/

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not 
necessarily represent those of the Department of Defence or the 
Australian Computer Society.

Introduction

Like many IT professionals I believe that data networks can improve the 
way organisations work. For about three years I have been experimenting 
with the Internet. It has the potential to provide many of the benefits 
claimed for the Information Superhighway (or InfoBahn), easily and 
cheaply, now. If it is so good, why aren't more organisations using it 
more? That is the question I have been trying to answer for the few 
years. This is a progress report.

Discussion


How can IT people make the Internet be useful in Government?

For about the last 18 months there have been two parallel streams of 
work on networking in Government. At the senior policy level, there has 
been work on the Information Superhighway or InfoBahn (first referred to 
as "fibre optic cabling", then "Broad Band"). At the individual and IT 
practitioner level there has been implementation of the Internet.
By the end of February I expect that these two streams will merge. The 
high level work on InfoBahn will supply the visionary rhetoric and 
general policy direction, the Internet will supply actual technology to 
implement the policy. This has come about largely by accident, and 
partly by the work of individuals in Government agencies, academia, 
industry and the general community.

The main theme of this talk is that changes in the way organisations 
work come about through the actions of individuals. These individuals 
act outside the procedures and structures of the organisation, largely 
without approval or recognition. After their work is proven, it is 
assimilated into the corporate culture and operating procedures of the 
organisation. We are at the start of the process with the Australian 
Government and the Internet. That process has now received recognition, 
by being the subject of the governor-general's 1995 Australia Day 
message (Hayden 1995). The process should be complete by the end of 
1995.

This process is not linear, inevitable or easy. Those involved are 
making difficult choices which will shape the way our nation is 
governed. We are aided in this process by the experience of our academic 
community, who have been providing a living social laboratory, in the 
form of the Australian Academic Research Network (AARnet). Those 
implementing Internet in Government have close ties to the academic 
community and are directly translating AARnet experience to Government 
practice.

Promise of the "Information Superhighway" and how it could transform our 
culture, business and Government.

The promises made for the InfoBahn have been detailed, discussed and 
debated at length in the popular press and need not be repeated here. An 
analysis of the issues is contained in the ACS's submission to the 
assorted public enquires into the InfoBahn, which took place in 1994 
(Clarke & Worthington 1994).

Many of the benefits anticipated for the InfoBahn, particularly those 
relating to the processes of Government, can be realised using the 
available Internet technology. The Internet provides something else, 
which is both an impediment and a benefit: the Internet method. The 
Internet has associated with it, an anarchic process of development and 
working. This can be difficult to reconcile with the official way the 
administrative process is supposed to operate, but can e a powerful 
practical tool.

Turning the hype into reality

Convention wisdom would say that to put in place a data network in an 
organisation you need to:
膝ain high level management support for the project, 
俵ndertake a pilot project, 
髭nsure that all users have access to the network, to provide an 
adequate population of users, 
筆ake sure the networking is integrated with the organisations core 
office automation applications, 
菱ave the central IT unit co-ordinate introduction of the technology, 
謬ackle the difficult questions of security, reliability, cost and 
ownership. 

These have been attempted for electronic mail systems and corporate 
WAN/LANs for years, with mixed results. This experience doesn't 
translate for implementing Internet technology. Some things that do work 
are:
髭mpower individual users, regardless of their rank in the organisation, 
筆ove into immediate implementation, incrementally, starting with one 
user, 
髭quip isolated individuals and sections of the organisation, who have 
most to gain from the technology. 
桧ften people will be communicating with individuals in other 
organisations and so don't need to communicate with their own 
organisation. 
肘ntroduce the new applications and tools, specific to the Internet. 
稗ypass the central IT unit, as they will oppose use of a network not 
under their control and probably don't know how to get it to work 
anyway. 
俵se the existing self-trained experts already in your organisation and 
make use of external expertise (contracted in, outsourced or offered 
free). 
柊void the difficult questions, by doing the easy bits first: 
non-critical, non-sensitive distribution of public information. 


Reconciling traditional bureaucratic culture to accept the anarchic ways 
of the Internet

The Internet challenges many of the myths of the bureaucratic culture. 
Government organisations are only partly run by the official rules. 
Informal interchange of information and sharing of resources are 
essential and normal.

The Internet method can be summed up as "Just do it". The bureaucratic 
method as: "Don't do it, or at least don't be the first".
To create a viable internal data network application (such as e-mail) in 
an organisation is a major undertaking. This requires a sufficient 
population of users equipped, to make electronic distribution of 
information viable. Also these users must agree on technical standards. 
This doesn't apply to the Internet: there is a sufficient external 
population to make connection of one user justified and there are 
useable standards in place. The single user soon finds others from the 
organisation also on the Internet.

TAOSS

In October 1993 Gerard Joseph (IBM Australia Limited), asked me how to 
circulate information amongst interested people in the Australian IT 
community. After some informal discussion and one face to face meeting 
we formed TAOSS: "The Australian Open Systems Server" (he now says that 
Taos, with one "S" is the name of a New Mexico city). TAOSS is a list on 
a Navy supplied list server (TAOSS-request@navy.gov.au). This supplies 
one way to circulate interested material to people.

TAOSS is free and administered by a "Board" of Government and IT 
industry people, who set up the list. The "board" is intended to oversee 
the list and adjudicate in any disputes (such as due to anti-social 
behaviour on the list). The board has never met, but provides the needed 
tone of formality and comfort for the list's users.
Here is the help file from the group's mailing list:

THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN SYSTEMS SERVER (TAOSS), Version 1.1, 10 January 1994
PURPOSE
TAOSS provides a way to disseminate Open Systems information technology 
(IT) information in Australia.
Government, private and industry bodies, are working on the development, 
promotion and implementation of new OSI and Open Systems IT standards. 
TAOSS is intended facilitate the work of all open systems bodies, using 
open systems technology.
It is hoped to bring together academic, government and industry people 
on open system issues. This will be done by providing a forum to 
disseminate open systems information and a way to discuss open systems 
issues. It is also hoped to act as a catalyst for the development of 
more advanced information services.

Building the new culture

疋emonstrate the possibilities to those who are interested. 
姫rovide your organisation with a presence on the Internet. 
姫rovide a way to receive information from the Internet 
百tart to create an internal process to guide Internet use. 
姫rovide positive role models for users. 
疋on't challenge the rhetoric of the organisation, provide new 
mechanisms to support it. 
俵se the technology to implement and administer the technology. 

The Commonwealth Internet Reference Group (CIRG), convened by Ian 
Barndt, Department of , provides an excellent model for introducing the 
Internet into a corporate culture. The group was formed in late 1994 and 
works with the Commonwealth/State Internet Reference Group. These groups 
have the aim of the consistent presentation of Whole-of-Government 
Information on the Internet.

The CIRG has no coercive powers and modest official status. It works by 
providing a forum for issues to be discussed. There is extensive 
informal interchange of information with the networking community. The 
results of discussions are freely and quickly available. The group 
directly threatens no existing entrenched interest.

On Tuesday 7 February 1995 Ian Barndt announced the Australian 
Government Home Page. This is hosted by the National Library of 
Australia (http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/gov/ozgov.html) and includes 
pointers to Australian Government servers in Federal and State 
Governments. A subject catalogue is under construction. This was 
announced in an e-mail message of a few sentences, but will be one of 
the most significant Government InfoBahn statements of the year.

The decision to prepare a Whole-of-Government home page was accelerated 
and influenced by the networking community. In particular Tony Barry 
(Centre for Networked Information and Publishing/Centre for Networked 
Access to Scholarly Information, Australian National University Library) 
gave impetus to the process by preparing a Web index to Government 
Internet services and challenging the Government to do something.
The Commonwealth Internet Reference Group (Barndt) held its third 
meeting on 3 February. I recorded the following notes, during the 
meeting:
標ho do we go to get a service? 
菱ow do we address security issues? 
標hat does this all mean? 
肘t's on-line and very dynamic. 
髭veryone will have e-mail. 
標eb style is better explained in hypertext, can't be expressed well in 
words. 
肘s this piece of paper "a document"? 
肘nternet allows detailed information to be got out directly, without 
the PR unit breaking it into small easily digestible bytes. 
逼ot sure who has the responsibility to do it. 
標e are getting together with the other agencies, to share resources. 
Its a little bit like the Internet: chaos. 
畢ist server: should "outsiders" be allowed into discussions? (yes) 
百hould it be moderated? (no) 
菱ow should discussions be summarised and resolved? (by volunteers) 
肘s the list "public". (no but guests welcome). 


Conclusion

This has really been about how anyone can make the Internet be useful in 
any organisation, not just IT people in Government. Much of the benefit 
from the InfoBahn transforming our culture, business and Government, is 
available now through the Internet. The hype can be turned into reality. 
Traditional bureaucratic culture can accept the anarchic ways of the 
Internet, and benefit from them, with a little effort. Experience in 
using public data networking in Government agencies, provides adequate 
experience on avoiding a clash of cultures. The essence is to avoids 
technical details and concentrates on the social and administrative 
issues.

Bibliography:

Hayden 1995: Australia Day Message by the governor-general of the 
Commonwealth of Australia the Honourable Bill Hayden AC, Government 
House, Canberra, 26 January 1995
URL: http://`acslink.net.au/~tomw/ausday95.html
Barndt 1995: Commonwealth Internet Reference Group, Ian Barndt, 
Commonwealth Department of Finance, e-mail: 
Ian.Barndt@Finance.Ausgovfinance.Telememo.au
Barry 1995: Tony Barry, Centre for Networked Information and Publishing 
& also Centre for Networked Access to Scholarly Information, Australian 
National University Library
http://snazzy.anu.edu.au/People/TonyB.html e-mail: tony@info.anu.edu.au
Clarke & Worthington 1995: Vision for a Networked Nation, ACS submission 
to: ASTEC Working Group on Research Data Networks, Broadband Services 
Expert Group, Bulletin Boards Task Force, Senate Standing Committee on 
Industry, Science, Technology, Transport, Communications and 
Infrastructure, Roger Clarke & Tom Worthington, Australian Computer 
Society 1994
URL: ftp://archie.au/ACS/ACS-policy-networking-paper-draft.txt