Summary
The aim of the present study was to provide an information technology and communication analysis and to evaluate the situation of local government admini-stration offices in the Kujawy and Pomorze Province. About 55% communes pro-vides Internet access to all the employees, in 30% of communes only some job posts have such access, and only 19% communes provides all the employees with their own e-mail account. It appears that an adequate development of information tech-nology can affect the activity of communes in obtaining EU funds. The development of information society is one of many challenges of local government administration. Keywords: Information Society, Information Technology, Informatization of Communes on Rural
Areas 1. Introduction
The effectiveness of the management process depends, e.g. the information resources as they are the ones which facilitate observing changes in the surroundings and thus adequately adjust the organization potential and to evaluate future possibilities early enough. The success of the organization, according to Penc, depends on the quality of management understood as an art of controlling processes, resources and information to meet the targets under the conditions of existing possibilities and limitations [7]. Adamus has a similar opinion, indicating that ‘...information, besides material and human resources, constitutes a strategic resource of the organization..’, and ‘.. range and structure of the information available to the man about the reality, forming the cognitive network determining his behavior...’.[1]. According to Krajewski, the range and accuracy of the information available depends on the scale and character of the activity, where the information is becoming one of the most wanted goods [6].
Ewa Głuszek stresses that ‘..American management professor, P. Drucker, as well as a well-known futurologist, A. Toffler, a long time ago forecasted an increase in the value of knowledge and information in social and economic life [3]. Local government institutions are becoming especially important which should perform ‘the so-called marketing management, namely such a management method in which these institutions should aim at possible the best performance of tasks by optimal satisfaction of different needs and desires of the local community ‘ [9]. Such a kind of marketing used by local governments is ‘ a general function of the commune authorities and covers many detailed functions, that is collecting information, residents opinion polls, taking care after the image of the commune and the authorities, advertising and promotion of the commune, public relations, customer service quality...’ [9]. One shall stress that regional development potential should be determined by e.g. providing possibly the best access to up-to-date knowledge ‘..quality-wise knowledge and information for all the participants of the economic
transactions and labor market...’. An important role is played by all the actions for ‘the region communication accessibility, which is connected with the activities for infrastructure and modern communication tools and exchange of information. The greatest changes should concern outdated teleinformation networks, telephone exchanges and data transfer systems.’ [5]. The current direction of the country’s informatization is determined by the decisions made by the European Union. In March 2000 during the EU summit in Lisbon, the Lisbon Strategy was adopted to meet the strategic objectives of the EU by 2010. The Strategy assumes creating the most dynamic and competitive economy in the world by the EU, which would be based on knowledge. It will be possible if ‘…companies start to pay more attention to investing in the human capital...’[8].
SINCE MAY 1, 2004 POLAND STARTED USING THE EU STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND THE OPERATION OF POLAND IN THE EU STRUCTURES HAS BECOME A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR OUR COUNTRY. COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE HAVE CREATED A GREAT CHANCE FOR THE ECONOMIC ENHANCEMENT, ESPECIALLY THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.
2. Study objective and methodology
The objective of the study is an information technology analysis and evaluation of local gov-ernment offices and determining the direction for developing e-office. The research material ap-plied comes from a study carried out in 2005 in all the 92 communes and 35 municipalities-and-communes in the Kujawy and Pomorze Province. The diagnostic survey method was applied, and survey as the technique. The research tools were made up by the survey questionnaire and one of the question groups concerned the informatization condition in local government offices. Replies have been received from 72 communes, including 23 municipalities-and-communes (31.9%) and 49 communes (68.1%), which accounts for 56.7% of the population studied.
3. Results
One of the important factors determining the development of information society is an ade-quate level of adaptability and use of information techniques and methods. Information as an eco-nomic resource can enhance the effectiveness and output of activities resulting in significant changes in many fields of the economy as well as in social behaviors. Currently in order to de-velop information society, the local government administration is obliged to implement all the programs meeting the needs of the citizens. Administration must therefore take up all the activities aiming at facilitating communication with citizens, as well as inside the office and with other units of public administration. Here it is necessary to implement information techniques.
The research showed that mean number of computers in communes and municipalities-and- communes is 20, which is insufficient to serve the people (Table 1).
Table 1. Number of computers in local administration offices Communes Municipalities-
and-communes Total communes Specification
Number Number Number
Stationary computers 968 403 1371
Laptops 28 13 41
Mean number of
computers in commune 20 18 19
Source: own elaboration
Local government administration needs modern communication channels and the Internet meets the criteria and takes a special importance.
Employees use the Internet mostly to search for information (85.7%). No significant differences are found in the comparative study between both types of communes; 81.94% of communes use e-mail regularly and their participation in discussion groups is low. In 70% communes the operation of only some employees is connected with the Internet (Table 2).
Table 2. Purpose of using the Internet in communes Communes
Municipalities-and-communes Communes in total Specification
[%] [%] [%]
Search for
informa-tion 87.76 86.96 87.50
e-mail 81.63 82.61 81.94
Discussion groups 0.00 8.70 2.78
Operation of some employees is con-nected with the Internet
69.39 69.57 69.44
others 4.08 8.70 5.56
Source: own elaboration
It appears that municipalities-and-communes have been still corresponding with residents with e-mail (69.57%), 22% of the total communes do not communicate in that way, and 16% of com-munes has been preparing to use it.
Table 3. Activity of commune offices as replies to the questions of residents with e-mail Specification Communes [%] Municipalities-and-communes [%] Communes in total [%] Yes 59.18 69.57 62.50 No 26.53 13.04 22.22
We have getting ready 14.29 17.39 15.28
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00
Source: own elaboration
A total of about 55% of communes provides access to the Internet to all the employees. In 30% of communes the Internet can be used only by some job posts, and only 19% of communes provide their own e-mail account to all the employees. A group of 58% communes has their own Internet domain for which they pay.
Table 4. Organization of connections between computers
Specification Communes [%] Municipalities- and-communes [%] Communes in total [%] Everyone enjoys access to
the Internet 55.10 52.17 54.17
The Internet can be used
only by some posts 28.57 34.78 30.56
Commune Authorities Of-fice has their own Internet domain for which it pays
51.02 73.91 58.33
All employees has their
own e-mail account 18.37 21.74 19.44
All employees have com-mon e-mail account they pay for
20.41 34.78 25.00
Some employees have their
own e-mail account 51.02 43.48 48.61
Employees have a common
e-mail account 12.24 4.35 9.72
Source: own research
In most communes computers are serviced by office employees (73.61%), while the other use service providers.
Upon the country’s operation in the European Union, information and information management are becoming more and more important as well as its quality and transfer speed. Local administration offices should then be a kind of information centers as they are the ones which can affect a further development of the region. The results of the analysis show that
communes have little information on the activity of farmers in e.g. Sapard. Those funds, providing assistance to rural areas facilitated the process of agricultural integration, adjusting this sector to the EU requirements and standards. The beneficiaries included, besides local government administration authorities, also farmers and companies (Table 5).
Table 5. Information available to the commune about the number of applications filed by farmers as part of Sapard
Specification Communes Municipalities-and-communes Communes in total Yes 26.53 34.78 29.17 No 73.47 65.22 70.83 Total 100.00 100.00 100.00
Source: own study
Applying for EU funds covers also structural pensions and other assistance programs addressed by the Agency of Agricultural Restructuring and Modernization (Tables 6,7).
Table 6. Information available to the commune about the number of structural pensions appli-cations
Specification Communes Municipalities-and-communes Communes in total Yes 20.41 34.78 25.00 No 79.59 65.22 75.00 Total 100.00 100.00 100.00
Source: own study
Table 7. Information available to the commune about the number of EU funds applications filed by farmers to the Agency of Agricultural Restructuring and Modernization
Specification Communes Municipalities-and-communes Communes in total yes 20.41 30.43 23.61 No 79.59 69.57 76.39 Total 100.00 100.00 100.00
4. Conclusions
The study demonstrated that local government administration offices are not fully prepared to a development of information technology. About 55% communes provide access to the Internet to all the employees. In 30% communes the Internet access is enjoyed only by some jobs and only 19% communes provides all the employees with their own e-mail account. Operating under the EU conditions requires the local government administration authorities obtaining detailed information e.g. about local communities. One can assume that these actions can enhance the structural funds benefiting by residents. Commune authorities are obliged to continue the e-office development.
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MAŁGORZATA ZAJDEL
Akademia Techniczno-Rolnicza w Bydgoszczy 85-796 Bydgoszcz, ul. Kaliskiego 7
