[Air-L] conference call - new technology and public administration

[Paul Henman]

GREATER CHINA AUSTRALIA DIALOGUE ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
2019 WORKSHOP
CALL FOR PAPERS
The Greater China Australia Dialogue on Public Administration will be holding its ninth annual Workshop at Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou on 5-8 November 2019. Previous workshops have explored such issues of shared interest as citizen-centred services, inter-governmental relations, public sector human resources management, budgeting and financial management, institutional structures for accountability and performance and urban governance. Most have led to the publication of papers in symposiums in prominent journals (such as the Australian Journal of Public Administration in 2012, 2013 and 2015) or in books (ANU Press published Value for Money in 2018 based on a selection of papers from the 2015 workshop).
The theme for the 2019 workshop is:
'Taking Advantage of New Technology'.
The workshop is being conducted this year in partnership with the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, with a view to publishing a selection of papers in a special symposium in the journal.
Across both Greater China (including Taiwan) and Australia, there is increasing appreciation by governments that citizens expect them to deliver services as conveniently and responsively as the best private sector services, including through the latest new technology. Governments also recognise the potential efficiency gains that modern technology offers for public service delivery. In addition, governments can play an important role in their societies in facilitating innovation and the application of new technologies to enhance productivity and economic prosperity.
Utilising new technologies, however, presents many challenges - particularly for governments responsible for delivering programs fairly and ethically as well as efficiently and effectively.
The focus of the workshop is not on the technologies themselves, but on the role of government and the ways governments are utilising new technologies and addressing the many challenges involved.
With the workshop itself restricted to two days (the program is likely to include a separate practitioners forum), papers will need to address the theme and sub-themes at a reasonably high level rather than explore detailed technology initiatives, though case studies are welcomed to illustrate underlying governance and performance issues. Papers also need to do more than describe current practice, for example by including analysis of success or failure and identifying outstanding challenges.
Papers should address one or more of the following sub-themes.
1.      Improving public services for citizens. This includes new ways of delivering services and ensuring access; better use of data to anticipate needs and preferences (e.g. using life-cycle models); supporting an 'investment approach' to link data and to coordinate services in order to improve longer-term outcomes and effectiveness; and advancing co-production of services using open data. What management and policy challenges have emerged?
2.      Implications for performance management and evaluation. This includes the role of Big Data in research and evaluation; the increasing capacity to draw on administrative data; and the capacity for citizens-initiated input and feedback. What are the implications for the way government works across and beyond its own boundaries?
3.      Public service capability. This includes assessments of the new skills and expertise required; how in-house expertise and external expertise are being balanced and partnered; investment in physical infrastructure; and how governments keep abreast of the latest developments and opportunities.
4.      Managing new technology and its risks. This includes traditional project management risks as they apply to complex, across agency projects to apply new technologies, and particular public sector concerns such as protecting privacy, constraining fraud, maintaining public confidence and trust and protecting human rights.
5.     Role of government in enabling technological change. How are governments fostering innovation and the productivity gains new technology offers? This may include infrastructure, 'incubation' and other R&D investments, tax incentives, regulation of IP etc. It may also include creating new online platforms for greater government-citizen interaction and co-production in solving social and economic challenges. What policy frameworks are being pursued and how are the measures involved being evaluated (eg impacts on productivity and economic and social development)?
Abstract proposals should identify the relevant sub-theme being addressed. They should be no longer than 500 words, in English, and should be submitted by 23 August 2019 to one of the following:

*       Professor Andrew Podger (andrew at podger.com.au<mailto:andrew at podger.com.au>)

*       Professor Meili Niu (new_meili at 126.com)

*        Professor Hon Chan (hon.chan at cityu.edu.hk<mailto:hon.chan at cityu.edu.hk>)

*       Professor Tsai-tsu Su (tsaitsu at ntu.edu.tw<mailto:tsaitsu at ntu.edu.tw>).
Selections of papers for the workshop, based on the abstract proposals, will be decided by 6 September 2019 and final draft papers (around 4,000-5,000 words) must be submitted by 18 October 2019.
Presentation of selected papers at the Workshop will be in English and limited to 15 minutes to ensure there is good opportunity for informed discussion. It is important that papers can be circulated to participants in advance.
Andrew Podger
June 2019


Paul

Paul Henman
Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Futures &
Associate Professor of Digital Sociology and Social Policy, School of Social Science
University of Queensland  QLD  4072
T: +61 7 3443 3142| E: P.Henman at uq.edu.au<mailto:P.Henman at uq.edu.au> | W: http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/708 | www.digitalsocialpolicy.com<http://www.digitalsocialpolicy.com/>

Selected recent publications:
Webportal vs google for finding government information on the web<https://content.iospress.com/articles/information-polity/ip180071?resultNumber=2&totalResults=18&start=0&q=henman&resultsPageSize=10&rows=10>, Information Polity (with Tim Graham)
Of algorithms, apps and advice: digital social policy and service delivery<https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/fJCkMsRAtUsFJHky4i2m/full>, Journal of Asian Public Policy
Affording choice: how website designs create and constrain 'choice'<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1476570>, Information Communication & Society (with Tim Graham)
The computer says 'DEBT'<https://zenodo.org/record/884117#.WcTlEsh97IU>: Towards a critical sociology of algorithms and algorithmic governance, Data for policy conference, London.
Performing the state<https://www.routledge.com/Performing-the-State-Critical-encounters-with-performance-measurement/Henman-Gable/p/book/9781138104587>: Critical encounters with performance measurement in social and public policy, Routledge.

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