Economic efficiency of free and open source software in the public sector: the example of Chile

This paper reviews the advantages and disadvantages of free and open source software (FOSS) in the public sector. It is based on a survey conducted in late 2004 with the informatics community of the government of Chile, which represents the key IT decision-makers in the Chilean public sector. The survey identified criteria that affect successful deployment and usage of FOSS. The balanced scorecard was used as a basic approach for identifying the strategic IT priorities and objectives of Chilean public institutions. In addition to the survey, respondents were interviewed to make out possible po…

Exploiting the potential of the Caribbean information society as an enabler of human development in the region

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC);, conducted a survey of Caribbean countries aimed at documenting and subsequently monitoring public ICT policies in the following areas: policy development; State modernization and e-government; access; supply of goods and services; and public budget expenditure. Seven countries were studied…

The Regional Coordination Mechanism for the Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy

Water governance for development and sustainability

Abstract This document aims to identify characteristics of water institutions which promote the sustainable integration of water, both as a resource and as service, into socioeconomic development. As this does not depend only on formal institutional factors, such as legislation and organizational structure, there are also references to dynamic conditions, such as socioeconomic circumstances and the quality of the administration, summarized in the concept of governance, understood as the capability of a social system to mobilize energies, in a coherent manner, for the sustainable development of…