ICT and labour: how does it work?

The electronic government, the new way of working. New times are also coming for municipalities. A key question is what the impact of ICT is on the quality of work and how to deal with it. These and other questions will be addressed in a series of workshops that the A+O Fund for Municipalities, in collaboration with the research and consultancy firm Dialogic Innovation & Interaction, is organising this year. The aim of the workshops is to provide insight into the relationship between ICT and labour quality, in view of the 'e-government'. What opportunities are there for HR professionals and other employees within the municipal organisation (managers, employee council members, city secretaries) to influence the impact of ICT on the quality of work? The workshop is structured around presentations, discussions, and assignments where participants learn from each other, experiencing how processes and ICT can be (re)designed. Topics covered include all government, ICTU, and EGEM programmes, as well as the theme of Web 2.0. While much criticism is possible about the 'playground' of programmes and projects, this does not exempt municipalities from the challenge of developing their own innovations based on ICT. Therefore, the workshop also includes a concrete case, through which participants create an improved process design. Additionally, the workshop addresses the relationship between humans and ICT. Should employees adapt to ICT, or vice versa? Various forms of user participation will be discussed, providing guidance on how to deal with this. There is also a focus on the staffing implications of ICT: what to do with tasks that are created, modified, or even rendered obsolete due to the arrival of ICT? A mid-term evaluation among participants revealed a very high level of customer satisfaction. This prompted our client to consider what follow-up activities could be developed and pursued. When more information becomes available, we will announce it on the Dialogic and A+O Fund websites.