13:01 Tue 05 Sep 2006					REF:61C1AAN1
								Y/R: Contract No. CT060718
TO:	Neil HOCKING					cc	EasyBiz Mayors
	Chair - EasyBiz Consortium				EasyBiz Interests
	VICTORIAN 32 COUNCIL CONSORTIUM		

Dear Chairman

		EASYBIZ ARCHITECTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

This email is to provide reasons why the EazyBiz Extension Committee 
should reconsider the IT Architecture defined in the Easybiz Tender 
Contract No. CT060718

I submit this email as the Chair of the Open Interchange Consortium [OIC]
Local Government & XML Special Interest Group [LZIG].

I have advised a number of Small and Medium size Business Associations
on Electronic Information Interchange issues both in Europe and Australia.

In 2001 the Federal Department of Employment, Workplace Relations
and Small Business [DEWRSB] stipulated that I was to be the Project 
Manager for a contract to survey 173 NSW Councils on XML and On-line 
Service Delivery"

In Jun 2004 I was the only witness called to give Expert Evidence to 
the Senate Inquiry into the Australia-USA Free Trade Agreement on
Chapter 15: Government Procurement and Chapter 16:Electronic Commerce

In Sep 2004 I was invited by the Vice Chairman of the United Nations
Ecommerce Committee to comment on the United Nations eBusiness 
Strategy for the Asia Pacific region

The issues in this email are:

A	Background Credentials to Open Interchange Consortium
B	Economic Development and Centralised Hubs
C	Changing Local Government Requirements
D	Feedback from Whittlesea Council SMES
E	Economic Development - local Sport Web-Sponsorship

A	BACKGROUND CREDENTIALS TO OIC

The OIC was formed in 1994 by a number of IT Consultants to assist
the Management of Small and Medium size Enterprises [SMEs] utilise
Electronic Information Technologies [EIT] more effectively

In 1997 OIC members developed a Y2K Due Diligence process to
assist SMEs provide evidence to trading partners of their Y2K 
Compliance processes

In 1999 this process won 1st prize in "IT for SME" Category of the 
prestigious Global Bangemann Challenge

This event was organised by the Mayor of the City of Stockholm

The Trophy was awarded by the King of Sweden to three OIC members
who attended the week long Exhibition in Stockholm

In 2000 OIC members developed an Electronic Tender process based on
XML Standards for Federal, State and Local Government tenders

In 2001 the Federal Government commissioned OIC members
to conduct an electronic survey of 172 NSW Local Government 
Agencies to determine the understanding of XML for On-line Service
Delivery

In 2004 the OIC was invited to give Expert Evidence on Chapter 15: 
Government Procurement and Chapter 16: Electronic Commerce to the 
Senate Inquiry into the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement [Aus-USA
FTA]

Part of that evidence included the fact that the US Computer Industry
had agitated that the US Government pass legislation that US
Government Agencies mandate to use the US ANSI Standard for
eCommerce while the rest of the World uses the UN/EDIFACT
Standard for eCommerce

This provides the US IT Industry with an Electronic Conversion
requirement from one standard to the other standard in perpetuity

At times the CIT Industry is grossly irresponsible and ignores its
Social Obligations in the pursuit of economic advantage

This is the same issue that will affect each of the Councils in the 
Easybiz Consortium 

B	ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & CENTRALISED HUBS
 
The Centralised IT Architecture that has been proposed in the Tender 
for Regulation Reduction is so that "EasyBiz only facilitates the 
lodgement of forms"
ref 2.3 "Outside EasyBiz Scope".

It will not enable the Home and Small Businesses Users to assist the 
Councils with their Economic Development Strategies, Tourism Strategies 
and Recreation Strategies

When considering other Council requirements such as Tenders and 
Volunteer Management, the design of the Centralised IT Architecture 
of the EasyBiz Extension Hub is clearly not suitable and will result in
poor Good Governance processes, on-going costly IT upgrades and long 
term consultant fees for the Councils 

These statements are made after lengthy reviews and discussions/communications
with other IT Consultants about the EasyBiz Tender for a centralised 
Electronic Hub hosting the registration forms for 25 Applications for 
32 Councils.

Reviews of the tender were conducted by a number of CIT Consultants 
including members of the Open Interchange Consortium [OIC] XML & 
Ecommerce Special Interest Group [XZIG] and Local Government & XML 
Special Interest group [LZIG]

Unfortunately the Computer Industry is prone to design Architectures
and Systems that provide long term wealth for the Computer Industry
rather than Value for the Client.

(One example is the difference in performance between CISC (Complex 
Instruction Set Computers) Systems and RISC (Reduced Instruction 
Set Computers) Systems.

Another is the claim by the Chief Information Officer of Booze Allen 
Hamilton that the Microsoft Operating System is "Bloatware". 

Examples of this are the Westpac C90 System, the Y2K fiasco and
currently the Customs eCommerce Applications which have proved a
disaster for the Members of the Tradegate Consortium

The perceived limitations for a Centralised EasyBiz Hub include ineffective 
Good Governance, poor hardware response performance as well as complex
integration issues

As an example you may want to time how long it takes to load
1 form from the ACT Planning & Land Authority which is one of the
examples in the EasyBiz Tender Council.

Imagine the performance how long it will take for users from 32 Councils 
to access 25 different forms from one Hub !

We believe that the Architecture should be that the Standards Forms
that have been developed for each Application are integrated into the 
existing Councils' Computer systems.

The removes the need for a Home user/Small Business to identify which
Council forms to select to apply for permits

EasyBiz could provide an Electronic Notary Service for each Council and 
co-ordinate metrics on SMEs contributions to each Council's
Economic Development Strategy.

Here is an example of how the OIC Local Government & XML Special Interest 
Group [LZIG] developed a Distributed but electronically co-ordinated 
Local Government Information Service Architecture in 2001 as part of a
project with the Federal Department of Employment, Workplace
Relations and Small Business [DEWRSB]

C	CHANGES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS

Since the EasyBiz System was first developed 3 years age there 
have been considerable changes to Local Government Services
particularly in the new Financial Year 2006/2007.

Recent examples include:

1	Sport & Recreation Strategies

2	Tourism & Economic Development Strategies

3	Outsourced Contract Management eg Grass Cutting, 
	Waste Management

These changes have been reflected by Councils starting to recognise 
the need for new Information Technology Architectures.

As an example, one of your members published on Sat 02 Sep 2006
a tender for Integrated Electronic Data Management Systems

Examples of other changes in Victorian Councils requirements are the 
13 Business Consultancy tenders published  on Sat 02 Sep 2006.

D	FEEDBACK FROM WHITTLESEA SMES

Local Small & Medium size businesses represent over 95% of
the Business employers in many Councils

Whittlesea Council has established some excellent initiatives with its 
electronic Forums

However as is often the case these Electronic Forums are rarely
frequented by local Home and Small Business Computer Users

Whittlesea Council hosts 19 Small and Medium Business Forums. 

Only 5 have received any replies

The most frequented is "Join New Whittlesea/Diamond Valley
Networking Group" with 751 Views and 26 replies

This SME Forum was formed in 01 Feb 2005

If you review the replies 4 out of the 26 postigs state "Advertising is the 
Killer". 

None of the postings mention the costs of Regulation Reduction as being 
of relevance to running a business or as being a hindrance to
Economic Development

The second most frequented Forum is "New Business Opportunities"
with 473 Views and 3 replies

This SME Forum was formed on 26 Sep 2004 - nearly 2 years ago

E	SME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - SPORT SPONSORSHOP

As the Internet is now the cornerstone of Council Systems and SMEs 
are so important to the Economic Development of Local Councils 
particularly Shire Councils, we have to develop initiatives that will not 
only reduce the Advertising costs for Local SMEs but also 
encourage the Local Population to review the SME websites

One way of doing this is to invite Local SMEs to sponsor Local
Sports teams on the sports web-site for a nominal fee and a small 
percentage of the increased business

An example of this is a proposal "Sport - Assisting our Youth to Develop"
to the Australian Sports Commission  [ASC] which was a joint venture
with a New South Wales Northern Beaches Sports Club

This will be relevant to all your councils and will assist with the
Economic Development for each Council

F	NEXT STEPS

OIC members would be pleased to assist the EasyBiz Council Consortium
Members to integrate Standard Forms into Council application and 
more important contribute to the Economic Development of the Council.

OIC members are prepared consider long term (3 - 5 year) Cost Reduction
and increased Economic Development contracts.

Please email or call me if you require further information

Yours faithfully


Stephen GOULD
Chair
Local Government & XML Special Interest Group
OPEN INTERCHANGE CONSORTIUM

E:	sggould@oic.org
M:	0416-009-468
W:	Local Government & XML Special Interest Group