The emergence of Web 2.0 tools has transformed the operation of Knowledge Management (KM) practices in the academic libraries. This study has investigated the application of Web 2.0 tools to enhance KM practices in academic libraries in Tanzania. Eight out of twelve academic libraries located in public universities in Tanzania were purposively selected in this study. The study included two categories of respondents: ordinary library staff and senior library staff (directors, heads of libraries, library managers, and Information and Technology (IT) specialists in the library etc). The findings of the study were determined after applying methodological triangulation within quantitative and qualitative research contexts. This included the use of questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observations. In the first instance, questionnaires were used to collect data from 278 library staff selected using systematic sampling technique. Interviewing targeted 69 senior library staff was done using purposive sampling technique. In total, 254 (91.4%) ordinary library staff completed the questionnaire; while 57 (82.6%) senior librarians were interviewed. The study findings have indicated the low level of KM application in academic libraries. Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS) Library showed the strongest application of KM practices, followed by State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) Library. Lack of KM enablers in academic libraries was indicated as one of the significant challenges that hinder the application of KM practices in academic libraries. It was noted that most of the academic libraries visited had websites. On the other hand, the majority of respondents acknowledged that they had personal accounts of the various Web 2.0 tools. The study findings imply that most library staff had some level of experience with a variety of Web 2.0 tools. It was further established that despite the high level of familiarity and use of Web 2.0 tools, respondents were not frequent users of their library websites. The study findings have also indicated a low level of access and use of Web 2.0 tools within academic libraries. Mzumbe University (MU) and SUZA Libraries were the main users of Web 2.0 tools; followed by University of Dar-es-Salaam (UDSM) Library. Knowledge Management System (KMS) Success Model was employed to investigate factors that affect the application of Web 2.0 tools to enhance KM practices. The study findings have demonstrated that the KMS Success Model is suitable for guiding the understanding of the contributing factors with respect to library staff‟s intention to reuse Web 2.0 tools. The study findings supported the KMS Success Model well, whereby seven of the twelve hypothesised relationships were found to be significant. The study recommends that academic libraries in Tanzania should promote and integrate KM practices in their daily operations as well as the use of KM enablers such as; reliable budget, Web 2.0 tools, reliable power supply, internet connectivity availability and adequate ICTs infrastructure. / Information Science / D. Litt. et. Phil. (Information Science)

Information, communication and broadcasting convergence is changing the business landscape in South Africa, as organisations adopt new converged information, communication technology (ICT) products and services to satisfy the needs of customers. Simultaneously, major changes are taking place in the South African telecommunications business environment creating new marketing opportunities and threats for Telkom SA, the only fixed line telecommunication operator in South Africa. Some of the findings of the study are • the commodization of the fixed line telecommunication network • political and regulatory changes are reshaping the telecommunications landscape by allowing the entry of new competitors • new technological innovations in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and mobile communication is driving change • social and economic change is fueling the speed of environmental change poor economic climate is quickening the competitive pace amongst South African businesses forcing them to attain efficiencies and effectiveness for survival • organisations worldwide are competing for limited resources and markets and turning to ICT to achieve their objectives • customer needs are changing - demanding better and innovative communication products and services - providing opportunities to competitors • the Internet is reshaping traditional business models as businesses are seeking to establish competitive advantages through the Internet • the migration of the Internet to the mobile telephony sector These changes are creating new marketing opportunities and threats for South African fixed line telecommunication operators and are threatening the survival of fixed line telecommunication operators worldwide and in South Africa. Information Technology, broadcasting and telecommunication technology convergence, has created many new ICT products and services opportunities that telecommunication competitors are offering existing customers of the fixed line operators network indicating lethargy from their side. In order for the fixed line operators to survive they must apply innovation and revise their strategic planning models. / Business Management / DCOM (Business Management)

The Diploma work deals with the explanation conceptions of the age and the parallel failures of the changes. Work defines closer specification of senior attitude, need and interests toward (ICT). To improve of senior lifelihood and lifestyle I am introducing the use of ICT. It can be helpful for senior citizens to inter-connect again in the social community. The contemporary trends of ICT are presented here which they are suitable for retired citizens and can be accessibled in the trade. I reclined my opinion during my own work experience as an assistant in project: ``Click by the right button, grandad!``

Strategic planning is essential for the management of Information and Communication Technologies in organizations, providing more assertive decisions to establish the basic purposes of improvement and implementation of new resources. The goal of this study was the adaptation of the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) in the creation of a new model to support decision making on the prioritization of investments in strategic planning of Information and Communication Technologies as a support to the methodology PETIC, called PETIC Decision Make (PDM), evaluating its applicability in real case studies. The investigated institutions were a municipal public administration body and a labor union entity, where the PDM was used in the prioritization of investments for the period of five years, using the tool PDMSys created in this study. By means of the proposed method was possible to select alternatives of actions considered preferable and to analyze their dependencies, besides creating a continuous cycle for classification. The results indicated the practicability of the method, avoiding an indication that the dependencies would jeopardize the investment in technologies. In this way, it was verified that the application of the PDM increases the predictability of expenditures, allows the reduction of initial costs and contributes to the assertiveness in the decisions on the management of the technological resources, implying in the global management of the institutions. / O planejamento estratégico é essencial para a gestão das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação nas organizações, proporcionando decisões mais assertivas para o estabelecimento dos propósitos básicos de melhoria e implementação de novos recursos. Abordando o tema, o objetivo deste estudo foi a adaptação do Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) na criação de um novo modelo de apoio à tomada de decisão sobre a priorização de investimentos em planejamento estratégico de Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação como suporte à metodologia PETIC, denominado PETIC Decision Make (PDM), avaliando sua aplicabilidade em estudos de caso real. As instituições investigadas foram um órgão da administração pública municipal e uma entidade sindical, onde se empregou o PDM na priorização de investimentos para o período de cinco anos, utilizando-se a ferramenta PDMSys criada neste estudo. Por meio do método proposto foi possível selecionar alternativas de ações consideradas preferíveis e analisar as suas dependências, além de criar um ciclo contínuo para ordená-las. Os resultados indicaram a praticabilidade do método, evitando indicação em que as dependências prejudicassem o investimento em tecnologias. Dessa forma, constatou-se que a aplicação do PDM amplia a previsibilidade sobre os gastos, possibilita a redução de custos iniciais e contribui para a assertividade nas decisões sobre a gestão dos recursos tecnológicos, implicando na gestão global das instituições.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is playing an important role in modern society, contributing to economic growth and affecting society and people’s lifestyles. There are high expectations on ICT to contribute to sustainable development, e.g. through greenhouse gas emissions reductions. ICT solutions (ICT products and services) are often perceived as having low or no environmental impacts compared with conventional alternatives. In order to determine the potential of ICT to reduce environmental impacts, environmental assessments of ICT solutions compared with other alternatives are needed. A number of studies have already assessed the environmental impacts of individual ICT solutions and the ICT sector. However, more research is needed, covering different types of impacts (primary, secondary, rebound, etc.) in a variety of impact categories (e.g. climate change, ozone depletion, eutrophication, human and ecotoxicity, etc.). The findings then need to be systematised in order to identify hot-spots and draw generic conclusions. As the area is rather new and fast-developing, assessment methods need to be critically appraised in order to identify challenges and developments necessary for high quality assessments. This thesis aims to contribute to the knowledge on the direct life cycle environmental impacts of ICT solutions and to investigate and analyse the challenges of applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for environmental assessment of ICT solutions. Two research questions: “What life cycle environmental impacts and their causes can be identified for ICT solutions?” and “What are the methodological challenges of assessing the ICT solutions using LCA?” were analysed by reviewing published LCAs on ICT solutions and conducting a case study of online and printed newspapers. The literature review helped identify hotspots in the life cycle of ICT solutions, draw generic conclusions concerning environmental impacts and their causes, and identify major challenges to LCA application. The case study assessed the environmental impacts of traditional and new media solutions and provided information on methodological challenges. The results show that impacts other than climate change potential and energy use are not well-studied in the ICT sector, creating a risk of possible sub-optimisation and problem shifting. Manufacturing and the use phase are concluded to be the most environmentally intense life cycle stages of ICT products in many studies. However, transportation and end-of-life treatment should not be omitted in the assessments, although their impacts appear lower, as uncertainty and lack of data might be a reason for underestimations. As ICT is under constant and rapid development, environmental assessment of ICT solutions faces challenges regarding e.g. data quality and availability; choice of data type; methodological choices (e.g. choice of functional unit, scope definition and allocation); and assumptions on user behaviour. These affect the final results and thus need to be carefully considered by LCA practitioners. The outcomes of this thesis can benefit practitioners and decision-makers, improving knowledge on the environmental impacts of ICT solutions and challenges in applying LCA for assessment of ICT solutions, and providing improved grounds for more informed decision-making. Areas for further research regarding methodology development and filling knowledge gaps are also identified. / Informations-och kommunikationsteknik (IKT) spelar en viktig roll i dagens samhälle genom att bidra till ekonomisk tillväxt, påverka samhällstrukturer och människors livsstil. Det finns höga förväntningar på att IKT skulle kunna bidra till hållbar utveckling, bland annat genom minskade utsläpp av växthusgaser. Miljöpåverkan från IKT-lösningar (produkter och tjänster) anses ofta vara obefintlig eller mycket lägre än konventionella alternativ. Men för att uppskatta vilken potential IKT har för att minska miljöpåverkan, behöver miljöbedömningar göras. Ett flertal studier har också genomförts för att bedöma miljöpåverkan av specifika IKT-lösningar och av branschen i sin helhet. Fortfarande behövs mer forskning som ger ökad kunskap om olika typer av påverkan (direkt, indirekt, rebound, etc.) och om olika slags miljöeffekter (t.ex. övergödning, toxiska effekter, markanvändning och biodiversitet. De resultat som redan finns kan också sammanställas för att identifiera de betydande aspekterna och för att dra generella slutsatser. Eftersom miljöbedömning av IKT-lösningar är relativt nytt och eftersom sektorn och dess produkter och tjänster utvecklas snabbt behöver metodiken analyseras, diskuteras och vidareutvecklas. Avhandlingens syfte är att bidra med ökad kunskap om IKT-lösningars direkta miljöpåverkan sett ur ett livscykelperspektiv, samt att identifiera och diskutera olika utmaningar med att använda livscykelanalys (LCA) som verktyg för miljöbedömning av IKT-lösningar. Två forskningsfrågor besvaras: ”Vilken miljöpåverkan har IKT-lösningar, sett ur ett livscykelperspektiv, och vad orsakar denna påverkan?” samt ”Vilka är de metodmässiga utmaningarna vid bedömningar av IKT -lösningar med hjälp av LCA?”. Genom en litteraturstudie över livscykelanalyser av IKT-lösningar identifieras betydande aspekter och generella slutsatser gällande miljöpåverkan och dess orsaker dras. Dessutom identifieras och diskuteras metodik-utmaningar. En fallstudie av online- och tryckta tidningar exemplifierar miljöpåverkan från traditionella och nya medielösningar med IKT, och ger dessutom underlag för diskussion om metodmässiga utmaningar. Avhandlingen visar att annan miljöpåverkan än klimatpåverkan och energianvändning inte är särskilt väl studerade inom IKT-sektorn. Detta kan leda till suboptimering och att problem överförs från en typ av miljöpåverkan till en annan. Generellt gäller att det är i tillverknings- och användningsfaserna som den största miljöpåverkan uppkommer. Transporter och avfallshantering visar inte särskilt hög miljöpåverkan i de studier som utförts och sammanställts. Transporter och avfallshantering bör ändå fortsatt inkluderas vid miljöbedömning av IKT-lösningar, eftersom osäkerhet och brist på data kan vara en orsak till resultaten. Eftersom IKT är under ständig och snabb utveckling kommer det fortsatt att vara en utmaning att göra miljöbedömningar av IKT-lösningar. Datakvalitet och -tillgänglighet, typ av data, olika metodval såsom val av funktionell enhet, systemgränser och allokering samt antaganden om användarnas beteende påverkar de slutliga resultaten och måste övervägas noga under en livscykelanalys. Resultaten från avhandlingen kan vara till nytta både för praktiker och för beslutsfattare. De kan bidra till ökad kunskap om miljöpåverkan från IKT-lösningar och utmaningar när det gäller att använda LCA på detta område och ger därmed en bättre grund för mer välunderbyggda beslut kopplade till IKT lösningar. Avhandlingen identifierar även områden för vidare forskning om metodutveckling. / Информационно-коммуникационные технологии (ИКТ) играют важную роль в современном обществе, внося свой вклад в экономический рост и оказывая влияние на общество и стиль жизни людей. Большие надежды возлагаются на вклад ИКТ в устойчивое развитие, например,  посредством уменьшения выбросов парниковых газов. Часто предполагается, что ИКТ решения имеют меньшее негативное воздействие на окружающую среду (ВОС) по сравнению с традиционными решениями, или не имеют его вообще. Для того, чтобы определить потенциал ИКТ в уменьшении ВОС, необходима оценка воздействия на окружающую среду ИКТ по сравнению с другими альтернативами. Уже опубликовано довольно большое количество работ, оценивающих ВОС отдельных ИКТ и ИКТ сектора в целом.  Не смотря на это, необходимо больше исследований, охватывающих различные виды воздействий (первичные, вторичные, т.д.) в различных категориях (например, изменение климата, разрушение озонового слоя, токсичность и т.д.). Затем результаты необходимо систематизировать для того, чтобы определить так называемые «проблемные  точки» и сделать общие выводы. Поскольку эта сфера довольно нова и развивается быстро, методы анализа также необходимо подвергнуть критической оценке для того, чтобы определить возможные трудности, а также усовершенствования, необходимые для проведения последующих анализов высокого качества. Цель этой работы - пополнить базу знаний о воздействии на окружающую среду жизненного цикла ИКТ, а также изучить и проанализировать трудности, возникающие при применении Оценки Жизненного Цикла (ОЖЦ) как метода анализа ИКТ решений относительно их экологического воздействия.  Два вопроса были изучены в этой работе: «Каково воздействие на окружающую среду жизненного цикла ИКТ решений и каковы его причины?» и «Каковы методологические трудности в оценке ИКТ решений с использованием ОЖЦ?».  Для того, чтобы ответить на эти вопросы был сделан обзор опубликованых работ по ОЖЦ ИКТ решений, а также проведена ОЖЦ  интернет газет и их печатных аналогов.  Обзор опубликованных работ помог определить  «проблемные  точки» в жизненном цикле ИКТ решений, сделать общие выводы касательно ВОС и его причин, а также определить главные трудности в применении ОЖЦ. При проведении ОЖЦ  интернет газет и их печатных аналогов было оценено ВОС традиционных и новых видов медиа решений и собрана информация о методологических трудностях. Результаты показали что различные виды экологического воздействия ИКТ сектора (кроме влияния на изменение климата или энергопотребления) мало изучены, что создает риск возможной суб-оптимизации и переноса проблем из одной сферы в другую. Производство и фаза использования во многих исследованиях были выявлены как стадии жизненного цикла, имеющие наибольшее экологическое воздействие. Однако, нельзя пренебрегать такими стадиями жизненного цикла, как транспортировка и утилизация отходов, даже если их ВОС кажется небольшим, т.к. это может быть обусловлено недостатком данных для оценки. Поскольку ИКТ быстро развивается, при оценке экологического воздействия ИКТ решений легко столкнуться с трудностями касающимися, например, качества данных и их доступности; выбора типа данных; методологических решений (выбор функциональной единицы, определение границ исследования, т.д.); предположений по поводу поведения пользователя. Все это влияет на окончательные результаты и поэтому должно быть учтено ОЖЦ специалистами. Результаты этой работы вносят вклад в усовершенствование знаний об экологическом воздействии ИКТ решений и трудностях применения ОЖЦ для анализа ИКТ решений, а также предоставляют улучшенную базу для более информированного принятия решений, а следовально могут быть полезны практикующим исследователям и лицам, ответственным за принятие решений. В работе так же обозначены направления дальнейших исследований: изучение методологии, пополнение недостающих знаний.

M. Tech. (Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The work-integrated learning (WIL) concept was introduced to enhance the employability of students completing their IT qualification at universities of Technology (UoTs) in South Africa. Employability is defined as a combination of characteristics that make a person a useful and thereby desirable employee. WIL is defined as a component of a curriculum to improve the value of student learning by integrating academic training and practical workplace exposure. However, a large cohort of students registered for the IT qualification at UoTs do not find company placement for WIL, resulting in these students having to complete this final qualifying module of their qualification by undertaking a group project on campus. The group project entails developing a software system for a client. The overall sentiment expressed by employers, lecturers and students in this study is that students who remain on campus for the group project are not as well-prepared as those who find placement at a company for their in-service training. This study aimed to develop and propose an approach to a creative pedagogy in the form of a simulated working environment on campus within a tertiary educational setting to contribute towards enhancing the learner-content relation of WIL students, in order to improve the employability of students by providing the on-campus project students with an equal opportunity to those going into industry for their in-service training. The philosophy adopted for this research is interpretivism, with the Vaal University of Technology as the case of the research. The investigation adopted a mixed-method approach where respondents were requested to complete questionnaires focusing on their perceptions of on-campus group work vs. in-service training at companies for the WIL component of the IT qualification. Five respondent groups were identified for participation in the study, namely: i) In-service training students, i.e. WIL students who found placement in a company; ii) Project students, i.e. WIL students who remained on campus to do a group project; iii) Graduates, i.e. students who already completed WIL and graduated; iv) Employers of WIL students who found placement at a company; and v) Lecturers involved in WIL training on campus. The responses of the various respondent groups were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Comparisons of the perceptions of the respective groups were made to explore the possibility of a viable solution to the on-campus group work challenges that were identified. Based on reviewing recent literature, analysing the data collected from the completed to questionnaires by different role players, and adapting and the institutional strategy framework for WIL developed by Jacobs in 2015, an approach to a creative pedagogy in the form of a virtual company on campus for WIL students is presented to provide students who cannot find placement in industry for their in-service training with an equal experience to the in-service training company students. The proposed pedagogical approach incorporates the five standards defined by Tharp in 2018 as requirements for an effective and successful curriculum in the development of the actual virtual company. These include: contextualisation, challenging activities, joint productive activity, intellectual conversation and language development. The proposed approach adopts a three-layered approach to a creative pedagogy, with the aim of improving the employability of on-campus WIL students. The first layer lays the basis for implementing a virtual company on campus and includes aspects such as the objective for a simulated working environment on campus, employer preferences, and the skills set students should possess for employers to offer them a placement in their company for in-service training. The second layer focuses on the details that should be in place for a virtual company to be successfully implemented. This practical layer in the implementation of the virtual company focuses on infrastructure, Finance, HR, legislative approval, and appropriate assessments. The third layer only follows when the second layer has been put into place. This layer deals with how academic content can be included in the proposed pedagogical approach. The study also revealed that in addition to adopting the concept of a virtual company on campus for WIL students, a substantial focus should be on soft skills training. The exit level outcomes (ELOs) related to a simulated working environment for the WIL module of the IT are specified in the HEQF (Higher Education Qualifications Framework) document as set out by the South African Qualifications Authority.

The introduction of e-learning in teaching and learning has necessitated the training of staff members in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This study focuses on the challenges that staff members, who are the facilitators of learning, experience when undergoing training in ICT. The research design employed a qualitative methodology which involved focus groups from a public university. Data was collected from the participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the challenges that staff members experienced during ICT training are related to a lack of computer competence, lack of time, an information overload, the non-involvement of staff in the planning of their training, facilitation limitations, lack of technical support and institutional challenges that involve infrastructure. The study further revealed that the principles of adult learning play a reciprocal role in the staff’s professional developmental challenges. In view of these findings, this study offers recommendations for improving the ICT training of staff members. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

During the last two decades, there have been a number of policy and legislative changes in respect of South Africa’s intellectual property (IP) and the national system of innovation (NSI). In 2012, a Ministerial Review of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) landscape in South Africa made recommendations to improve the STI landscape and effectively the national system of innovation. The study provides a critical review of drafts of the national IP policy published in 2013 as well as the IP Framework released in 2016 for public comment. The review of the IP and the NSI are within the context of the National Development Plan (NDP), which outlines South Africa’s desired developmental goals. South Africa is part of the BRICS group of countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The South African economy is characterised by a desire to move away from being dependent on resources and commodities, to becoming a more knowledge based and innovation driven economy. It is hoped that such a move would assist the country to address some of the social and economic development challenges facing South Africa, as captured in the NDP. South Africa has a functioning IP system, but its relationship with South Africa’s development trajectory is not established. More particularly, the extent to which the IP system relates to the innovation system and how these two systems must be aligned to enable South Africa to transition successfully from a country based on the production of primary resources and associated commodity-based industries to a viable knowledge-based economy is unclear. The Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) provides that IP must contribute to innovation and to transfer of technology and knowledge in a manner that is conducive to social and economic welfare. Certain provisions set out the foundations of intellectual property systems within the context of each member state. This study has thus explored the complex, complementary and sometimes contested relationships between IP and innovation, with particular emphasis on the potential of an intellectual property system to stimulate innovation and foster social and economic development. The study has also analysed the interconnectivity of IP and innovation with other WTO legal instruments, taking into account South Africa’s positioning within the globalised economy and in particular the BRICS group of countries. The research involved a critical review of South Africa’s IP and innovation policies, as well as relevant legislation, instruments, infrastructure, IP and innovation landscape, and relationship with international WTO legal instruments, in addition to its performance, given the developmental priorities and the globalised economy. The research documents patenting trends by South Africans using European Patent Office (EPO), Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), United States Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) databases over the period 1996-2015. A comparative analysis of patenting trends amongst BRICS group of countries has also been documented. The study also documents new findings, observations and insights regarding South Africa’s IP and innovation systems. Some of these, particularly in relation to higher education and research institutions, are directly attributable to the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act. More particularly, the public institutions are becoming relevant players in the NSI and are responsible for growth of certain technology clusters, in particular, biotechnology. At the same time, the study makes findings of a decline of private sector participation in patenting as well as R&D investment over the 20-year period. Recommendations are included regarding specific interventions to ensure coherence between the IP and innovation systems. Such coherence and alignment should strengthen the systems’ ability to stimulate innovation and foster inclusive development and competitiveness, which are relevant for addressing South Africa’s socio-economic development priorities. / Mercantile Law / LL. D.

The introduction of e-learning in teaching and learning has necessitated the training of staff members in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This study focuses on the challenges that staff members, who are the facilitators of learning, experience when undergoing training in ICT. The research design employed a qualitative methodology which involved focus groups from a public university. Data was collected from the participants through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that the challenges that staff members experienced during ICT training are related to a lack of computer competence, lack of time, an information overload, the non-involvement of staff in the planning of their training, facilitation limitations, lack of technical support and institutional challenges that involve infrastructure. The study further revealed that the principles of adult learning play a reciprocal role in the staff’s professional developmental challenges. In view of these findings, this study offers recommendations for improving the ICT training of staff members. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

Background: Policy initiatives to promote sustainable travel through the use of Internet based public information systems have increased during the last decade. Stockholm, in being one of the first cities in Europe to implement an Internet based service for facilitating sustainable travel is believed to be a good candidate for an analysis of key issues for developing sustainable travel planning services to the public. Aim: This thesis investigates the past development of two Stockholm based public information systems and their services in order to draw lessons on how to better provide for a public information service geared towards facilitating  environmentally sustainable travel planning through information and communications technology. The overall goal of the thesis is to contribute to an understanding on how to better design and manage current and future attempts at facilitating sustainable travel planning services based on historical case studies. Approach: The thesis draws ideas from the concept of organizational responsiveness – an organization’s ability to listen, understand and respond to demands put to it by its internal and external stakeholders – in order to depict how well or not the two public information systems and their owners have adapted to established norms and values of their surroundings. Results: Overall, the findings from the historical case studies suggest that organizations attempting to provide sustainable travel planning to the public need to design and manage their systems in such a way that it responds to shifting demands on how to provide for information. Implementing and embedding new technologies involves complex processes of change both at the micro level – for users and practitioners of the service – and at the meso level for the involved public service organizations themselves. This condition requires a contextualist framework to analyze and understand organizational, contextual and cultural issues involved in the adoption of new technologies and procedures. Conclusions: The thesis concludes with a discussion on how the findings from the historical case studies may provide lessons for both current and future attempts at providing public information systems geared towards facilitating environmentally sustainable travel planning to the public. Historical examples and issues concerning collective intelligence and peer to peer based forms of designing, producing and supervising public information services identified throughout the study are looked upon and discussed in terms of their possible role in increasing the potential for public information services to facilitate sustainable urban transport. / <p>QC 20140319</p> / TRACS, Travel Planner for Sustainable Cities