Municipal Knowledge Networks
Chances for Self Government
Nicolaus Drimmel
Austrian Association of Municipalities
Lucas Sobotka
Kommunalnet Austria
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Austrian Association of Municipalities
• Roof-organisation of Associations of
municipalities on regional level
• it covers 99% of Austrian municipalities (2341
out of 2354)
• based on voluntary membership (mediated by
organizations on Land level)
• meeting the needs of its members since 1947
• fulfilling the appointment of the Federal
Constitution since 1988 (Art 115 Abs 3 B-VG)
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Tasks of AAM
Meeting needs of the members, special focus on rural
municipalities
• Communication and Information
• Support for members
Assessment of Legal Acts on national and European level
Representation of municipal interests in legal advisory bodies
• Financial Adjustment Negotiations
• Consultation mechanism (screening legal acts for their financial
implications)
• Spatial Planning Conference
• Governmental Reform
• Committe of the Regions (EU), Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
(Council of Europe)
• etc.
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International Networking
AAM is dedicated to fostering communities in their independence and
economical capability. This lead to the adoption European Charter of Self
Government in the 1960 ies. (AAM as initiative and redactional partner)
From 2004-07 AAM launched international Project
International Communal Network (ICNW)
• Network of European associations of municipalities and regions
• EU programme INTERREG IIIC EAST
Network providing a framework of municipal knowledge and cooperation
to strengthen rural communities particularly in the CEEC. This by means of
• improving municipal development strategies
• improving municipal infrastructure
• cooperation with SME
• Made feasable by a knowledge management system
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Tradition of C4
Cooperation and Consultation
The practice of a cooperative federal state involves Austrian municipalities in most
diverse policy strategies. Besides the Financial Adjustment
negotiations of the Federal State, Länder and
Municipalities, the 3 tiers of government agreed as well on a Governmental Reform II,
mainly basing on following topics.
• To ease governmental cooperation leading to reduction of public expenditure
• No excessive and cost-intensive standards, this lead to aan Austrian stability pact
and a consultation mechanism
• To gain cost reduction by means of E-Government
Connectivity and Communication
• enhanced work for intercommunal cooperation (IKZ),
• developing a municipal connective E-Government strategy, which led to a crucial
assessment of municipal competencies, work-flow and the necessary adjustment
of administrative processes.
• This also created a high need of communication and formation.
• Aim: capable and efficient municipalities facing the needs of their citizens.
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Why Best Practice Collection
BP for Formation and Development
BP proved as the most effective tool to foster self government and development.
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Legal framework and directives render a low scope of action
Guidelines mostly lacking identification moment
BP are freely chosen by Communities and adapted to the local environment and
conditions, due to the strength and weaknesses of municipalities; tailor-made
solutions; highest identification moment
AAM actions
• Collection of BP in order of priority (eg communal cooperation)
• enhanced and eased communication, not like the Law Gazette (Közlöny) or the
Standards Journal, but on a level they are used to work on a day to day basis
• This also created a high need of a canal of communication and formation.
• Aim: capable and efficient municipalities facing the needs of their citizens.
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Launching e-Gov tool
AAM initiated www.kommunalnet.at as a PPP-model with the
following strategy:
• utmost convenience: kommunalnet.at offers access to all
relevant applications and databases with a single login (116
public applications, 18 private sources)
• relevant content: editorial staff selects and prepares daily
news for municipal employees and decision makers (best
practice, legal news ...)
• commercial benefits for members (i.e. reduced rates at
certain services)
• a push channel (electronic newsletter service) accompanying
the pull channel (the intranet itself)
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Municipal E-Gov-Landscape
The fast adoption rate of www.kommunalnet.at led to a number of
changes within the e-government landscape as well as commercial
services:
• accelerated deployment of single sign on applications
• establishment as the direct communications channel from/to
central administration, Länder and municipalities
• consolidation of formerly dispersed information
• new products/services geared towards small and medium sized
municipalities (i.e. for credit ratings, revenue prognosis, ...)
• collection and assessment of best practice in Austria and abroad
• deployment of services that foster networking
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E-Gov Examples
• Public Registers (Registration office, building
and lodging, address register)
• Tax-and Revenue applications
• E-Standard-forms
• Public Procurement Portal
• Payroll accounting
• Etc.
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Kommunalnet Facts & Figures
KN – the biggest portal for Austrian municipalities:
• 12.000 officials are registered at KN
• in 2.200 municipalities (94 %) KN is used on a daily
basis
• 6.000 users online per day
• 22.000 people get informed through Newsletter
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Why a social Network
• Before June 2014 - Information was provided
exclusively top-down
• transfer Know-how
• enable communication
• strengthen collaboration
• deepen cooperation
 We want them to learn from each other
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Key – Functions of the Network
• Knowledge Management: Make the communicated
knowledge available to everybody else in the
network.
• Project Platform: create project groups, save
information and invoice colleges from other
municipalities
• Expert Finder: find expert for certain topics quick
and easily allover Austria
• Community: Create a custom community with the
features of a social network
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Future prospects
municipal Knowledge-Management, Institution building and Formation Tool
for Municipalities and municipal Associations in the Danube Region
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promoting cooperation, communication and networking of prosperous
municipalities
supporting the local communities in their efforts of rendering living perspective
The creation of favourable conditions for economy and life-quality is a
common task of municipalities. By means of cooperation and networking
communities and municipal associations can become messengers and incubators
of a sustainable socio-cultural and economic development of our immediate
living environment.
Communities create living space!
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