E-government, the use of information and communication technology in public administration, is often presented as a multifaceted reform with powerful transforming potential. E-government currently embodies both hopes of more efficient public administration and fears that an overemphasis on efficiency will neglect the democratic values of public administration. This study sets out to increase the understanding of the relationship between local values in public administration and e-government. It does so by analyzing and comparing the significance of the introduction of public e-services for core values in two Swedish municipal organizations: Botkyrka and Nacka. To be more exact, what happens to local core values when public e-services are implemented? In doing so, the study contributes to research on reforms and their consequences for the function of public administration today and more specifically, to the discussion on “government” in e-government research. A neo-institutional outlook with a special emphasis on core values in processes of continuity and change is used as an explanatory framework. The results of the study show the significance of the local institutional setting in defining the process and outcomes of public e-service implementation. Through a local framing of the policy, key actors within both municipalities perceive e-services as mutually supportive of existing core values, despite fundamental differences in values. Nevertheless, practices in the provision of e-services and the inherent characteristics of the technology reveal a higher level of conflict. These could have implications for local core values and, in the long run, for the view of the role of public organizations and citizens. / SAFe: Säkra offentliga e-tjänster - en fråga om tillit och organisation

The aim of the dissertation research is analysis of process management of public social services provision in the system of social services, as well as the project development for process improvement of regulatory provision of guaranteed social services to the citizens of Sverdlovsk region (in terms of the development and adoption of national standards). The subject of research is the processes and procedures for public social services in the system of social services. The scientific novelty of the dissertation research in general is to develop a theoretical justification of the need to change the traditional management approach, the transition to the use of marketing and process approaches in the management processes of the public social services provision. Another scientific novelty of dissertation research is the development project for process improvement of regulatory provision of guaranteed social services to the citizens of Sverdlovsk region (in terms of the development and adoption of national standards). The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the authorities in other regions can apply the developed project in practice. / Целью диссертационного исследования является анализ управления процессами оказания государственных социальных услуг в системе социального обслуживания населения, а также разработка проекта по совершенствованию процесса нормативного правового обеспечения оказания гарантированных социальных услуг гражданам Свердловской области (в части разработки и принятия государственных стандартов). Предмет исследования являются процессы и процедуры оказания государственных социальных услуг в системе социального обслуживания населения. Научная новизна диссертационного исследования в целом заключается в разработке теоретического обоснования необходимости изменения традиционного подхода в управлении, переход на применение маркетингового и процессного подходов при управлении процессами оказания государственных социальных услуг. Также научной новизной диссертационного исследования является разработка проекта по совершенствованию процесса нормативного правового обеспечения оказания гарантированных социальных услуг гражданам Свердловской области (в части разработки и принятия государственных стандартов). Практическая значимость исследования состоит в том, что государственные органы других регионов могут применить разработанный проект на практике. Материалы диссертации могут быть использованы для разработки учебных курсов для студентов, обучающихся по направлению «Государственное и муниципальное управление».

In 2011 the public libraries of Gothenburg city implemented so-called floating collections. In floating collections the items are not housed permanently at a specific library instead they move between libraries depending on where the item is picked up and left off. Therefore, floating collections are controlled by the library users. Making it a part of a user-centered trend found within Swedish libraries. Literature both praise the benefits with floating as well as highlighting the risks of unpredicted challenges. In the case of Gothenburg city, the public library’s collection management and development has caused debate in the media. Especially the library staff has expressed dissatisfaction. In this thesis seven public librarians have been interviewed about how they perceive working with floating collections, the benefits and drawbacks, as well as the larger effects it has on society. They express certain positives that mainly benefit active and knowledgeable users. One of the greatest drawbacks of flowing collections is the uneven flow between libraries. It leads to stagnated pools of items in some areas and draught in others. The librarians also feel they have been excluded in the process of implementing floating collections as well as during further centralization of the collection management in 2022. The centralization and user centered perspective have decreased the librarian’s control and knowledge of the collection. The data from the interviews has been analyzed in relation to existing literature on floating collections and with the perspective of following theoretical concepts: democratic equality, segregation, periphery and peripheralization. I conclude that the drawbacks of floating collections outweigh the benefits from an equality point of view. The structures of floating collections do not take the full spectrum of library users into consideration, which connects to an uneven flow of items in the city. Items tend to flow from socioeconomic peripheries to socioeconomic centers which increases the peripheralization and segregation of Gothenburg city. The public libraries of Gothenburg need to reconsider their collection management and readjust the structures to create more equal conditions for all users regardless of digital knowledge, age, and other social factors. This includes giving the librarians increased influence over the collections to increase and practice their knowledge. The librarians should also be encouraged to maintain the local perspective at each library while simultaneously seeing to the needs of the city as a whole. The users’ needs could still be the center of the system without being at the expense of the librarian’s ability to influence the collection. Many users are dependent on the librarians to use, affect and be inspired by the collection. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and information science.

As in many European countries, the Public Health Service (PHS) in Germany has had considerable difficulties in attracting well-qualified personnel for decades. Despite ongoing political and societal debate, limited empirical research on possible causes and explanations is available. To identify areas of action, we explored reasons for the (lack of) interest in working in the PHS by conducting two cross-sectional surveys among 3019 medical students (MS), public health students, and students from other PHS-relevant fields (PH&ONM) in Germany right before (wave 1, 2019/2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (wave 2, 2021). While interest in working in the PHS among MS was low, it was considerably higher among PH&ONM. The prevalent underestimation of the importance of public health and low levels of knowledge about the PHS were identified as potential barriers. Although core activities of the PHS were often considered attractive, they were repeatedly not attributed to the PHS. A negative perception of the PHS (e.g., it being too bureaucratic) was prevalent among students with and without PHS interest, indicating that both a negative image and potentially structural deficits need to be overcome to increase attractiveness. Based on the findings, we propose approaches on how to sustainably attract and retain qualified personnel.

The Public Health Service (PHS) in Germany has had difficulties in recruiting enough qualified staff for years, but there is limited research on what factors drive decisions to (not) join the PHS workforce. We explored reasons for this perceived (lack of) attractiveness. We conducted two cross-sectional surveys among medical students (MS), public health students and students from other PHS-relevant fields (PH&ONM) in Germany before (2019/2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). Both waves surveyed self-reported reasons for why students did (not) consider working in the PHS as attractive and how this could be improved, using open-question items. Qual- itative and quantitative content analyses were conducted according to Mayring. In total, 948 MS and 445 PH&ONM provided valid written responses. Reasons for considering the PHS as attractive were, among others, the perception of a good work-life balance, high impact, population health focus, and generally interesting occupations. Suggestions to increase attractiveness included reducing bureaucracy, modernization/digitalization, and more acknowledgement of non-medical profession- als. Among MS, reasons against were too little clinical/patient-related activities, low salary, and occupations regarded as boring. Our findings indicate areas for improvement for image, working conditions in, and institutional structures of the PHS in Germany to increase its attractiveness as an employer among young professionals.

PURPOSE: The main aim of this study was to systematically assess women’s maternal health care seeking behaviour and its determinants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. DESIGN: A quantitative and cross-sectional community based study was the selected methodology for this study. METHOD: Data was collected using structured questionnaire administered to 903 women aged 15-49 years through a stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique. Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were employed to identify predictors of adequacy of antenatal care and delivery care. RESULTS: Most of the women (97.9%) visited health care facilities at least once for antenatal care follow up. About 86.5% of them had at least four visits during their last pregnancy; and only 51.1% started their first antenatal visit early. Further, only about one out of five of the antenatal care attendees received sufficient content of antenatal care services. Consequently, only about one out of ten women received overall adequate antenatal care mainly due to inadequate use of the basic components of antenatal services. Most of the women delivered in public health care institutions (76.3%) despite the general doubts about the quality of services in these facilities. Women of better socioeconomic status preferred to give birth at private health care facilities. Caesarean section delivery rate in Addis Ababa (19.1%) is higher than the maximum WHO recommended rate (15.0%); particularly among the non-slum residents (27.2%); clients of private health care facilities (41.1%); currently married women (20.6%); women with secondary (22.2%) and tertiary (33.6%) level of education; and women who belong to the highest wealth quintile (28.2%). The majority (65.8%) of the caesarean section clients were not informed about the consequences of caesarean section delivery and about 9.0% of the caesarean section births had no medical indication. CONCLUSION: Disparities in maternal health care utilisation between the socio-economic groups was evident, requiring urgent attention from policy makers and other stakeholders to enable Ethiopia to meet its millennium development goal 5. Improving the quality of antenatal care in public health facilities which are the main provider of health care services to the majority of the Ethiopian population is urgent. The increase in the rate of caesarean section beyond the World Health Organization recommended upper limit has to be taken seriously. / Health Studies / D. Litt.. et Phil. (Health Studies)

PURPOSE: The main aim of this study was to systematically assess women’s maternal health care seeking behaviour and its determinants in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. DESIGN: A quantitative and cross-sectional community based study was the selected methodology for this study. METHOD: Data was collected using structured questionnaire administered to 903 women aged 15-49 years through a stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique. Binary and multinomial logistic regression models were employed to identify predictors of adequacy of antenatal care and delivery care. RESULTS: Most of the women (97.9%) visited health care facilities at least once for antenatal care follow up. About 86.5% of them had at least four visits during their last pregnancy; and only 51.1% started their first antenatal visit early. Further, only about one out of five of the antenatal care attendees received sufficient content of antenatal care services. Consequently, only about one out of ten women received overall adequate antenatal care mainly due to inadequate use of the basic components of antenatal services. Most of the women delivered in public health care institutions (76.3%) despite the general doubts about the quality of services in these facilities. Women of better socioeconomic status preferred to give birth at private health care facilities. Caesarean section delivery rate in Addis Ababa (19.1%) is higher than the maximum WHO recommended rate (15.0%); particularly among the non-slum residents (27.2%); clients of private health care facilities (41.1%); currently married women (20.6%); women with secondary (22.2%) and tertiary (33.6%) level of education; and women who belong to the highest wealth quintile (28.2%). The majority (65.8%) of the caesarean section clients were not informed about the consequences of caesarean section delivery and about 9.0% of the caesarean section births had no medical indication. CONCLUSION: Disparities in maternal health care utilisation between the socio-economic groups was evident, requiring urgent attention from policy makers and other stakeholders to enable Ethiopia to meet its millennium development goal 5. Improving the quality of antenatal care in public health facilities which are the main provider of health care services to the majority of the Ethiopian population is urgent. The increase in the rate of caesarean section beyond the World Health Organization recommended upper limit has to be taken seriously. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Modern day society is characterised by the availability of technology and the abundance of information in all formats that require all individuals using it to poses information literacy skills (ILS).ILS enable people the ability to locate, analyse, evaluate access and retrieve the desired information to satisfy a need. Research on IL in academic and school libraries has gained momentum in the field of Information Science where as little has been documented concerning public libraries and IL. This therefore calls for more research on IL in public libraries. Public libraries serve a wide and diverse community of which students are a part. In instances where school libraries are either non-existent or not developed, students seek assistance from the public library within their community. This study sought to investigate the role of public libraries in enhancing the ILS of senior secondary school students in the Central District in Botswana. The fact that school libraries in Botswana are underdeveloped to produce competent and confident students equipped with ILS that could be used in the work environment and continuous lifelong learning, motivated the study. A concern that there exists a gap in research concerning public libraries and IL within the Botswana context necessitated this study. The study used a survey research design where both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were adopted. This involved the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The purpose of a mixed methods approach was based on the idea that qualitative results could assist in explaining and interpreting the findings of a quantitative study. Data collection involved three sets of closed ended questionnaires and observations in all schools and public libraries. The population of the study consisted of public librarians, teacher librarians and students. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) to generate statistics. The findings of the study revealed that the public libraries in the Central District in Botswana are above average in terms of materials and use. It brought to light that senior secondary schoolstudents use the public libraries for school purposes and get assistance when they seek for it. Public librarians do not have special classes aimed at enhancing the ILS of students. The public libraries offer IL in the form of computer training, they do this as, and when students register, just like the other members of the community. The library’s contribution to enhancement of the students’ ILS, (study skills, reading skills and use of reference works) is somewhat limited. Limited resources, lack of reading culture, low budgets, and lack of support from government negatively challenge the full potential impact of IL enhancement. / Information Science / M.A. Information Science

Contrairement à ses homologues européens, le Royaume-Uni n'a pas adopté en 1989, le texte de la charte communautaire des droits sociaux fondamentaux des travailleurs abrégée charte sociale. Il s'est tenu, jusqu'en 1997, à l'écart des décisions européennes en matière sociale. Au lendemain de son arrivée au pouvoir, le gouvernement de Tony blair a mis fin à cette exception britannique. Le parti travailliste, fervent opposant à l'adhésion du royaume-uni au marché commun dans les années 1970, a pu rallier ses partisans au chapitre social de la construction européenne deux décennies plus tard grâce à cette charte. Depuis, le Royaume-Uni a su démontrer son engagement européen par rapport aux politiques sociales. Il a approuvé le traité d'Amsterdam qui a vu la mise en place de la Stratégie Européenne pour l'Emploi. Pour autant, il reste toujours celui qui incarne en Europe, le « modèle libéral anglo-saxon », en vigueur aux États-Unis. Il est vrai que malgré cette adhésion, les politiques thatchériennes n'ont pas été modifiées en profondeur par le New labour mais juste infléchies et il existe toujours en Europe, une spécificité britannique au niveau de la législation du travail et des relations sociales. Paradoxalement, malgré cette spécificité britannique, le Conseil européen, en 2002, a estimé que les programmes mis en place au Royaume-Uni sont compatibles avec les objectifs européens pour l‘emploi.Ce travail de recherche s'intéresse aux enjeux que représente la Stratégie Européenne pour l'Emploi au Royaume-Uni. Notre analyse nous amènera à mettre en évidence la situation britannique par rapport aux recommandations européennes en matière de politiques pour l'emploi. L'intérêt de ce travail de recherche est de souligner un paradoxe : à la fois comprendre les spécificités du marché du travail britannique, occupant une position unique en Europe mais aussi se rendre compte que les politiques de l'emploi menées au Royaume-Uni sont tout à fait compatibles avec les recommandations européennes et compatibles avec la Stratégie Européenne pour l‘Emploi. / Unlike her European counterparts, Britain did not sign the Social Charter in 1989 and benefited from an opt out of the social rights included in this Charter until 1997. When the first New Labour government came into office, Tony Blair put an end to this British opt out. The Labour Party, which had been against the British entry into the EEC in the seventies, managed to convince its members to change their views on the European Union two decades later thanks to this Charter. By signing the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997, the UK adopted the Social Charter and accepted the changes brought by the “Social Chapter” included in the Treaty. The Treaty of Amsterdam also introduced the European Employment Strategy. Since then, the UK has endorsed the Social Charter and implemented a range of UE social measures. Despite social policies, the UK compared to its European partners is considered as “the Anglo-Saxon model” available in the US because Margaret Thacher's economic policies have not been deeply modified and at the European level, there are British particularities as far as labour law and industrial relations are concerned. Yet despite such disparities, the European Council considered in 2002 that the employment policies carried out in the UK were in accordance with the European Employment Strategy. This thesis examines how the European Employment Strategy is operating in the UK. The analysis focuses on how the European guidelines are implemented in the UK labour market regulation. The aim is to shed light on a paradox: on the one hand, the UK labour market has its own specificities which are not similar to other European countries; and on the other, the employment policies pursued in the UK comply with the European guidelines within the European Employment Strategy.

<p>Att utveckla en publik webbtjänst kan tyckas lätt, men att få denna till en framgångsrik och lönsam applikation är en annan sak. Konkurrensen är idag stenhård och en bra applikation är långt ifrån det enda man behöver för att lyckas.</p><p>Studiens syfte var att kartlägga och öka förståelsen kring publik webbtjänstutveckling, ett område som tidigare inte fått så stor uppmärksamhet i den akademiska världen. Studien bygger på ett empiriskt material insamlat genom intervjuer med några av Sveriges främsta IT-entreprenörer inom området. Studien inkluderade även ett praktiskt moment där utveckling av inbjudningssajten InviClub.se genomförts för att praktiskt testa teorierna.</p><p>Vår studie visade på att traditionella systemutvecklingsmetoder är svåra att tillämpa på detta område. En faktor som visade sig vara av yttersta vikt för lyckade projekt var snabbhet, något som de traditionella modellerna RUP och Vattenfallsmodellen inte prioriterar. Därför tog utvecklandet av MISSILE (Marknadsföring, Interaktion, Snabbhet, Snack, Integration, Lock-In samt Enkelhet) vid. Denna modell är en lättviktsmodell som är baserad på både teoretisk och praktisk grund, och är speciellt anpassad för webbutveckling inom publika webbtjänster. Modellen tar vara på och behandlar de nyckelfaktorer som kommit fram under studiens gång, genom att utkast till en tidigare egenutvecklad teoretisk modell, MALIN (Marknadsföring, Användbarhet, Lock-In) jämfördes med vad experter inom området publika webbtjänster tyckte var framgångsfaktorer för att utveckla publika webbtjänster.</p><p>Vi anser att uppsatsen har stort värde då det inte finns tidigare forskning inom området publika webbtjänster. Vi anser även att det finns ett stort praktiskt värde av MISSILE-modellen, då modellen kan vägleda IT-entreprenörer att utveckla nya publika webbtjänstprojekt mer framgångsrikt och snabbare än tidigare.</p>