1. Opening Gateways: A Practical Toolkit for Designing Information Access Programs Sharon S. Dawes

3. Research motivation
Government responsibility to provide public access to information
Accelerating growth in the quantity and complexity of electronic information & records
Growing user preference for information in electronic form
Need to conceptualize access as a program rather than a mechanism
DOJ funded most of that activity, but synergistic with both EOT and our DG work.

4. Project goals
Create practical research-based tools to support the design of electronic access programs that consider:
needs and capabilities of users
character of usage
data characteristics
organizational commitment and capacity
technology capabilities and limitations
interaction of all of the above

5. Layers of Complexity Program, Policy & Economic Context Organizational
Setting
Technology
Solution
Business Processes

6. Methods and data sources
Three action research cases
Homeless Management Information System
Kids’ Well-being Indicator Clearinghouse
New York State GIS Clearinghouse
Interviews
Administrators of 22 data repositories in the US and Europe
national and state governments
for profit and non profit
fee and paid services

7. Results: Four integrated tools
Assessment
Users-uses-suppliers-content
Organizational structure and context
Diagnosis
Interaction and interdependence among dimensions
Program Design
Modest, moderate, elaborate features
Cheaper, faster, better benefits
Cost Estimation
For implementation and ongoing operation

8. Practical Guidelines for Building Electronic Access Programs
Assessment
Cost Estimation
Practical Guidelines for Building
Electronic Access Programs
Diagnosis
Program Design

9. Practical Guidelines for Building Electronic Access Programs
Purpose & independent consideration of dimensions
Assessment
Cost Estimation
Practical Guidelines for Building
Electronic Access Programs
Diagnosis
Program Design

10. Practical Guidelines for Building Electronic Access Programs
Purpose & independent consideration of dimensions
Assessment
Cost Estimation
Practical Guidelines for Building
Electronic Access Programs
Consider interaction of dimensions and compensating strategies
Diagnosis
Program Design

11. Practical Guidelines for Building Electronic Access Programs
Purpose & independent consideration of dimensions
Assessment
Cost Estimation
Practical Guidelines for Building
Electronic Access Programs
Consider interaction of dimensions and compensating strategies
Diagnosis
Program Design
Features and expected benefits at 3 levels of aspiration

12. Practical Guidelines for Building Electronic Access Programs
Purpose & independent consideration of dimensions
Assessment
Cost Estimation
Practical Guidelines for Building
Electronic Access Programs
Consider interaction of dimensions and compensating strategies
Three levels of implementation and operating cost
Diagnosis
Program Design
Features and expected benefits at 3 levels of aspiration

13. Assessment Preliminary program description
Two categories of dimensions
Users-uses-suppliers-content
Organizational structure and context
Treats each dimension independently

14. Preliminary Program Description
The foundation of the program design effort
Describes the initial conditions, e.g.:
What is the purpose of the access program?
Who are the expected users & uses?
How and by whom is information collected?
What legal requirements pertain?
How will technology be used?
What staff skills are needed?

15. Two categories of dimensions
Users-uses-suppliers-content
Organizational structure and context

16. Users-uses-suppliers-content
Characteristics of users
Predictability of users
Sensitivity of content
Frame of reference needed to interpret & use content
Status of meta data
Uniformity of data/record sources
Degree of integration among sources
Usefulness of content over time

17. Organizational structure & context
Relationship with data/record users
Relationship with data/record suppliers
Role of access provider in data/record acquisition
Extent of value-added service by access provider
Nature of data flows among suppliers, access provider, users
Suitability of existing technology
Relationship of access program to organizational mission

18. The dimensions - example 1
highly variable and
homogeneous and
Characteristics of users
unpredictable
predictable
some similarity in organization or profession
Same purpose for which data were collected
Predictability of uses
unrelated to original use
some relationship to original purpose
Non-existent
Complete, current, explicit, readily available
Status of meta data
Flawed in known or unknown ways

19. The dimensions - example 1
highly variable and
homogeneous and
Characteristics of users
unpredictable
predictable
some similarity in organization or profession
Same purpose for which data were collected
Predictability of uses
unrelated to original use
some relationship to original purpose
Non-existent
Complete, current, explicit, readily available
Status of meta data
Flawed in known or unknown ways

20. The dimensions - example 1
highly variable and
homogeneous and
Characteristics of users
unpredictable
predictable
some similarity in organization or profession
Same purpose for which data were collected
Predictability of uses
unrelated to original use
some relationship to original purpose
Non-existent
Complete, current, explicit, readily available
Status of meta data
Flawed in known or unknown ways

21. The dimensions - example 2
Relationship with data suppliers
community
market
Some level of formal rules
Layperson’s knowledge
Frame of reference needed to interpret & use content
Subject matter expert’s knowledge
Some knowledge or professional experience in the field
none
Extent of value-added services to be offered
extensive
Some value-added processing

22. The dimensions - example 2
Relationship with data suppliers
community
market
Some level of formal rules
Layperson’s knowledge
Frame of reference needed to interpret & use content
Subject matter expert’s knowledge
Some knowledge or professional experience in the field
none
Extent of value-added services to be offered
extensive
Some value-added processing

23. The dimensions - example 2
Relationship with data suppliers
community
market
Some level of formal rules
Layperson’s knowledge
Frame of reference needed to interpret & use content
Subject matter expert’s knowledge
Some knowledge or professional experience in the field
none
Extent of value-added services to be offered
extensive
Some value-added processing

24. The dimensions - example 2
Relationship with data suppliers
community
market
Some level of formal rules
Layperson’s knowledge
Frame of reference needed to interpret & use content
Subject matter expert’s knowledge
Some knowledge or professional experience in the field
none
Extent of value-added services to be offered
extensive
Some value-added processing

25. Practical Guidelines for Building Electronic Access Programs
Purpose & independent consideration of dimensions
Assessment
Cost Estimation
Practical Guidelines for Building
Electronic Access Programs
Consider interaction of dimensions and compensating strategies
Three levels of implementation and operating cost
Diagnosis
Program Design
Features and expected benefits at 3 levels of aspiration

26. Now . . .
Program Design (selection of features, tools, and policies compatible with the diagnosis)
3 levels of aspiration (modest,, moderate, elaborate)
Cost Estimation
modest, moderate, elaborate
initiation and ongoing operation

27. Results A research-based framework for planning and evaluation
Dawes, Sharon S., Pardo, Theresa A. and Cresswell Anthony M. (2004). “Designing Electronic Government Information Access Programs: A Holistic Approach,” Government Information Quarterly, 21(1): 3-23.
A practical integrated tool set
A companion on-line expert system to aid in planning and generation of alternative designs

28. Extensions of this work . . .
Sharing Justice Information: A Capability Assessment Toolkit
Building State Government Digital Preservation Partnerships: A Capability Assessment and Planning Toolkit

29. http://www.ctg.albany.edu info@ctg.albany.edu