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Bilateral Meetings / In-House Seminars
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| In-house Seminar on the e-Gov Development in Singapore, Presented by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) - 27 April 2012 |
On 27 April, 2012, the Government Chief Information Office (GCIO) of Singapore and his delegation of the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) visited the DPADM and gave a presentation on Singapore’s e-government and e-governance strategy for the development. The presentation highlighted Singapore’s new coordination structure among government agencies in order to promote the whole of government approach and the citizen centric service delivery. In addition, it was highlighted how government engages other stakeholders including private sector, civil society and citizens at large for better coordination for the seamless services to meet citizen’s needs most effectively. Singapore ranked 10th in e-government development index of the United Nations E-Government Survey 2012, and 2nd in e-participation index.
Click here to view presentation.
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Chief Information Office (GCIO) of Singapore and his delegation present on Singapore’s e-government and e-governance strategy for
the development
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| In-house Seminar on the Economic Democracy Index - 24 April 2012 |
| On April 24, DPADM hosted an In-house Seminar on the Economist Democracy Index methodology with Mr. Robert Wood, Senior Editor of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Mr. Wood presented the main features of the methodologies used by the EIU team for assessing and rating country risks and economic forecasts. He also explained how the political factors are taken into consideration on country analysis. The participants from the Division and other UN agencies asked questions and exchanged ideas with the speaker. Ms. Haiyan Qian welcomed and thanked Mr. Wood for providing detailed information on their research methodology. Mr. Wood expressed his intentions to further collaborate with the Division’s work on public governance and also invited the EIU’s team to consider e-government aspects in EIU’s future analysis in regards to participatory governance and transparency. |
Mr. Robert Wood, Senior Editor of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) presents to Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director DPADM |
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| Collaboration Between DPADM and the New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service - 23 April 2012 |
DPADM collaborated with the New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service research project on citizen engagement of the oversight work of parliaments of Ghana, India and South Africa. The research aims to explore how committees of parliament utilize formal mechanisms of civil engagement to monitor public service delivery and strengthen accountability on public spending. Three teams of graduate students conducted field research in these countries in January 2012, and they shared their findings with the Division.
Research findings common to the three countries are: (i) public engagement often occurs through informal or ad-hoc channels and (ii) although principles of inclusion are enshrined in the countries’ constitutions and laws, citizen engagement is difficult to track in public service oversight mechanisms. The research also highlighted the role of civil society organization in bridging the gap between citizens and government, and how the Public Account Committees of Parliaments have very little interaction with the citizens.
The next steps in the DPADM /Wagner School collaboration include: (i) the publication of a report of the findings and the launch of a new phase of research, (ii) expanded research to include the countries with systems of government other than the Prim Minister-parliament, (iii) expanded the research to include the representative function of parliaments, and focus on specific regions, including the Arab region.
Click here to view presentation.
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NYU graduate students present the findings of their Public Service research project to Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director, DPADM and staff.
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| DPADM Director Lectures at Tsinghua University, China - 27 March 2012 |
| At the request of the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University, one of the top ranked university in China, Ms Haiyan Qian, Director, DPADM/UNDESA, delivered two special lecture sessions organized by the School to graduate students at its School of Public Policy and Management, about the work of the UN in the area of public governance and public administration. The first session was attended by over 30 international graduate students from different regions of the world, and the second session was attended by more than 50 mid-career central and local government officials of China.
For more information about Tsinghua University and the special lecture sessions delivered by Ms. Qian, please click here.
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Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director of DPADM lectures to students of Tsinghua University, China |
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| Bilateral meetings with the Chinese Academy of Governance, China - 26 March 2012 |
| During bilateral meetings with the Chinese Academy of Governance (CAG), China, Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director. DPADM/UNDESA, met with Mr. Hong Yi, Vice President of CAG and his staff from the Research Center of Leadership Assessment and the e-Government Research Center of CAG. They discussed possible collaboration through establishing an aide-mémoire in the following areas: (i) CAG will contribute statistical data, case studies, and fact sheets to the United Nations Public Administration Country Studies (UNPACS) in the areas of public administration and e-government development in China; (ii) CAG will assist DPADM/DESA in the translation of DPADM’s major publications, including the Un E-Government Surveys, from English into Chinese; and (iii) CAG will provide information about public administration and e-government in China through UNPAN and its partners.
For more information about CAG, please visit here.
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Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director, DPADM meets with Mr. Hong Yi, Vice President of CAG |
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| Meeting with Azerbaijan Delegation - 3 April 2012 |
| The Delegation of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan met with Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economics and Social Affairs and Ms. Haiyan Qian and Mr. Vyacheslav Cherkasov from DPADM to discuss the the joint preparation of the 2012 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) that will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 6 to 9 November 2012, as well as related activities in the area of ICT for development.
Mr. Sha expressed his appreciation to the delegation for the decision to host 2012 IGF and reassured them DESA through DPADM will provide all the necessary administrative and substantive support to the Government to ensure the success of the event and encouraged the Government of Azerbaijan to start working on the Host Country Agreement as soon as possible.
Mr. Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, updated Mr. Sha on the Trans-Eurasian Information Superhighway project (TASIM) that is set to further develop the knowledge-base economy and support the Information Society, and to increase connectivity and e-service for the promotion of industrial development and diversification of economy in the countries of Eurasian continent. He welcomed Mr. Sha’s proposal and recommendation that the TASIM project could be presented during the Rio+20 global conference on sustainable development and that the delegation discuss it with the respective governmental and UN offices. The Government of Azerbaijan will then continue its work on the preparation of the 2012 IGF and come back to DESA after the proposal on the TASIM project has been discussed with the relevant national agencies.
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Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General, UNDESA and Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director, DPADM meet with Azerbaijan Delegation led by Mr. Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs |
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| In-House Seminar on “Rescuing Policy – the Case for Public Engagement” - 13 March 2012 |
DPADM organized an In-House seminar on “Rescuing Policy - The Case for Public Engagement” on 13 March. During the seminar Mr. Don Lenihan, Vice President of Engagement at the Public Policy Forum in Ottawa, Canada, discussed with the staff the findings of his new book Rescuing Policy: the Case for Public Engagement (2012). The findings of Mr. Lenihan’s latest book offer important insights into citizen engagement in managing development, one of the key areas of the Division's work. The issues discussed included the new complex policy environment in which governments can no longer govern alone and growing public expectations on transparency and accountability, and the new societal goals, including the sustainable development and life-long learning. According to Mr. Lenihan these factors make the collaborative model of public engagement the new governance approach that enables governments to function and deliver well in today’s complex world. In the public engagement model all stakeholders, including citizens, should be included in all stages of the policy process (views, deliberation and action). It was agreed during the seminar that Mr. Lenihan’s new book will be made available online at the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN).
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Mr. Don Lenihan, Vice President of Engagement at the Public Policy Forum
in Ottawa, Canada, discussed with the staff the findings of his new
book.
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| DPADM In-House Seminar in Collaboration with Standard and Poor's (S&P): Importance of Public Governance to Sovereign Ratings - 21 February 2012 |
DPADM hosted an in-house seminar with Ms. Marie Cavanaugh, Managing
Director for Sovereign Ratings at S&P, on 21 February 2012. Ms.
Cavanaugh shared S&P’s methodology for sovereign ratings, which
assesses five key factors of a country’s creditworthiness: (i) Political
Score; (ii) Economic Score; (iii) External Score; (iv) Fiscal Score;
and (v) Monetary Score. Her presentation focused on the importance of
public governance for sovereign ratings which not only impacts a
country’s political score but directly affects indicators related to
financial and economic areas. As explained by Ms. Cavanaugh, S&P’s
work also takes in consideration external sources for analytical
assessments, which in most cases are studies published by the World Bank
and International Monetary Fund. DPADM’s Director, Ms. Haiyan Qian
stressed the role of e-Government development for strengthening
governance in countries, and presented the Division’s flagship
publication “The United Nations e-Government Survey”, which covers all
193 United Nations Member-States. Ms. Cavanaugh agreed in to review the Report for
future S&P’s Sovereign Ratings analysis, in acknowledging the
political, economic and financial findings that measuring e-Government
development can bring.
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Ms. Cavanaugh makes presentation to Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director of DPADM and staff
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| Presentation on Electronic Governance for Sustainable Development - 10 January 2012 |
After a presentation made to DPADM staff by Mr. Tomasz Janowski, Senior Research Fellow, United Nations University-International Institute for Software Technology (UNU-IIST) on 10 January 2012, DPADM and UNU-IIST agreed to collaborate in: (i) strengthening the UN E-Government Survey platform by providing DPADM data as a benchmarking resource specifically for policy makers to carry out selection which will enable the creation of an instrument to reflect local conditions and priorities, and (ii) developing a Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) curriculum for the UN Member States based on the joint research of UNDESA/DPADM and UNU-IIST. This presentation introduced the electronic governance for sustainable development (EGOV4SD) concept by systematically mapping the sustainable development (SD) and EGOV domains and presenting examples from around the world on how EGOV is being applied to advance the social, environmental, economic and transitional SD goals. It explained the fundamental challenges in realizing the transition from EGOV to EGOV4SD and proposed an international research, development, and monitoring and education agenda to address such challenges. Haiyan Qian thanked Mr. Janowski for the presentation, noting that the research findings of UNU-IIST were in line with DPADM’s work in the context of the UN E-Government Survey 2012: E-Government for Sustainable Development.
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Mr. Tomasz Janowski of UNU-IIST makes presentation to DPADM Director Ms. Haiyan Qian and Staff
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| 2011 Jiangsu Senior Government Executives Public Administration Training Program - 23 November 2011 |
On 23 November 2011, Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director of DPADM, was invited to speak on the work of the United Nations Programme on Public Administration, with special focus on e-government development, to a group of senior government official executives from the Jiangsu Province, in China.
At the meeting, Ms.Qian not only introduced the history and current work of the Programme, but also discussed on future government as well as how ICT can improve government operation and service delivery.
The delegation of senior officials from Jiangsu, one of the most developed province in China, found the meeting very useful for their continuous efforts in the improvement of their work in public administration.
The 2011 Jiangsu Senior Government Executives Public Administration Training Program was organized by the following schools: School of Public Affairs, Baruch College, City University of New York; Maxwell School, Syracuse University; School of Business, Fordham University; School of Management, George Mason University; School of Sustainability, Arizona State University; and Institute of Large Scale Innovation. |
Ms. Haiyan Qian speaks to the senior government official executives from Jiangsu, China
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| Republic of Korea Shares with DPADM its Government Initiative - 14 November 2011 |
DPADM's Director, Haiyan Qian, met this Monday, 14 November, with a delegation from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea. During the meeting, the delegation shared with Ms. Qian and representatives of all branches of the Division its initiative on establishing in the country the Integrated National Fiscal Information System, called DBAS - Digital Budget and Accounting System.
The system was launched internally by the President of Republic of Korea in 2004, and it was tested during three years. In 2007, it was opened to the public. The initiative integrated the financial management workflow of all ministries, from local to central government. Through DBAS, the country's Ministry of Strategy and Finance is able to provide daily, monthly and yearly information to the public regarding financial performance, which includes local and national status on revenue, expenditure, national asset, national credit and debt. Information on Integrated Fiscal Balance Report and Government Settlement can also be provided.
This initiative allows the government to evaluate the performance of all ministries, as well as the complaints filed by the citizens. Citizens and members of the government who speak out and help the government to avoid unnecessary expenditures are being rewarded with a percentage of the investment that was saved.
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The delegation from the Republic of Korea presents the DBAS to DPADM
To read more about the DBAS, please click here.
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| DPADM and SPPM: Collaboration in Key Areas - 11 November 2011 |
On 11 November, Haiyan Qian, Director of DPADM/UNDESA, met with Lan Xue, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM), Tsinghua University.
During the meeting, it was agreed that DPADM and SPPM will collaborate closely in the following: i) to provide scholarships of the Master Programme on Public Administration in International Development (MID) - English Programme) to the United Nations Public Service Awards winners; ii) to invite world-renowned experts on public administration to DPADM’s meetings; iii) to select top quality international students for internship programme in public administration. |
Ms. Haiyan Qian and the delegation of Tsinghua University
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| DPADM and Boston University: Building CIO Capacity - 8 November 2011 |
On 8 November, a delegation from the Boston University School of Management met with DPADM staff to explore further opportunities for collaboration to assist UN Member States in building Chief Information Officer (CIO) capacity. They also gave a presentation on the current trends of the Public Sector CIO.
DPADM has been working closely with Boston University in the area of capacity building for e-government, specifically with reference to CIOs. Through DPADM/DESA, Boston University has implemented four courses for CIOs: two of them in Saudi Arabia, one in Qatar and another one in Brunei Darussalam. These courses were designed to strengthen the knowledge of e-government decision makers on the roles of CIOs, as well as to help them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each country's e-government strategy. |
Mr. N. Venkatraman, Professor of Management of Boston University, during presentation to DPADM staff
To view the presentation, please click here. |
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| Director Discusses Governance, Transparency and Accountability- 1 November 2011 |
Ms. Haiyan Qian met with a delegation led by Mr. Anders Hjertstrand, Director of International Development Cooperation, Swedish National Audit Office (NAO) in an exploratory mission to explore possible ways of collaborating with DPADM to help combat corruption. Ms. Qian appraised the delegation on the Division’s work highlighting its work in promoting good governance and combating corruption through citizen engagement, e-government, and human resource development and institution building, for which they showed great interest owing to the fact that it related to their mission. She expressed that the Division is ready to collaborate with Swedish NAO to showcase their experiences in building capacities of supreme audit institutions, which she felt would be of great value especially to Member States with less developed supreme audit institutions. They agreed to consider sharing their experiences in building capacities of supreme audit institutions with DPADM for showcasing as part of UNPACS.
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In Photo: Mr. Peter Rostedt, Mr. Erik Ringborg, Mr. Anders Hjertstrand, and Ms. Haiyan Qian
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| Korean Delegation Agree to Collaborate - 1 November 2011 |
DPADM and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea will collaborate in translating United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) into the
Korean language and also create web content for promotion of United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) for the User Created Content (UCC), the Korean equivalent of YouTube. These were part of the outcomes of a meeting held between Haiyan Qian and a Korean delegation led by Mr. Bon Suk Kong, Information Technology and Statistics Officer Director, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on 1 November 2011. The delegation enquired about the possibility of having the public services provided through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism assessed in the UN e- Government Survey and about UNPSA.
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In Photo: Ms. Soo Jung Chung, Ms. Christina Rho, Mr. Yong Gi Baik, Mr. Jang Heon Choi, Ms. Haiyan Qian, Mr. Bong Suk Kong, Mr. David Lung'aho and Mr. Hong Gue Park
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| Haiyan Qian Meets with the Serbian Anti-Corruption Agency - 31 October 2011 |
DPADM’s Director, Haiyan Qian hosted the Director of the Republic of
Serbia’s, Anti-Corruption Agency Ms. Zorana Markovic on 21 October 2011.
Ms. Markovi briefed Haiyan Qian about the anti-corruption agency
indicating that it was an autonomous and independent state body
accountable to the national assembly of Serbia. Haiyan Qian, in giving
her overview of the divisional focus areas highlighted possible
collaboration in combating corruption in the areas of e-Procurement,
building codes of conduct for public servants, citizen engagement in
managing development programmes and other areas that DPADM has
experience gained from working together with global institutions and
various governments across the world.
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In Photo: Ms. Zorana Markovic and Ms. Haiyan Qian |
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