| What are 'Medborgarterminal' and 'Medborgartorg'? |
The short answer is that Medborgarterminalen (Public Internet Monitor) is a public terminal being used in a trial programme in some parts of the country. Medborgartorget (Public Service Market) is the joint portal you use. The common objective is to develop self-service functions via the Internet.
| Why are special public terminals needed? | |
|
It is very important that governmental administration can offer services to every group in society. This is especially important for groups who do not have access to the Internet, for example (2 000 000 citizens), and is ultimately a question of democracy. By installing public terminals - in libraries, civic offices and similar places - new groups are given the opportunity to use the authorities' Web sites free of charge. This is of advantage to both the public and the authorities. The terminals used in the experiment are Client Workstation Units that are developed by the Swedish National Labour Market Administration. These have been used in employment offices throughout Sweden for some years. They are easy to use, even for people without computer experience. |
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What
is Project Medborgarterminal?
It is the project that is running the trial programme. Behind it there
are six government organisations - the Employment Office, the Tax Authority
/ Enforcement Service, the Social Insurance Office, the Swedish
Consumer Agency, the
National Board of Student Aid and the Premium Pension Authority.
Project 'Medborgarterminal' aims to make it easy for citizens to obtain access to the authorities' information and services. An important part of this 'service in collaboration' is to provide public terminals for access to the Internet.
Where
is the trial being carried out?
Around 140 public terminals make up the trial programme. Sparsely populated
areas, areas with a large immigrant population, densely built-up areas
and major cities are involved. A large number of the terminals are located
in the northern counties Norrbotten and Västerbotten. The other trial
areas are mainly Skåne, Västra Götaland and Stockholm. Click
here for a map/list of all trial sites (this information is only
in swedish).
Medborgartorget
provides a wide range of information - easily accessible
With a public terminal people can get combined access to the Web sites
of the five organisations and local authorities via the 'Medborgartorget'
portal. The portal can also be accessed directly by the Internet (www.medborgartorget.nu).
What the authorities have to offer on the Internet is already very comprehensive
and is growing rapidly. Preparations are in progress for case management
via the net. The content ranges over important areas such as job vacancies,
taxation, social security, student study allowances and the new premium
pension. From March 2002 two new authorities is represented on the portal
- the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Swedish Migration Board.
Besides a lot of useful information, many self-service facilities are offered - here is a selection:
-
you can look for a job or recruit staff
-
you can report sickness
-
you can apply for a study allowance
-
you can calculate your tax
-
you can change your premium pension funds
- you can calculate banking business, elecrician rates a.o.
- you can use "FAQ" collections
-
you can download or order forms, brochures, copies of birth certificates etc.
-
you can contact the authorities by email - or alternatively there are directories of addresses and telephone numbers.
Click here to see a larger selection of the contents (this information is only in swedish).
What's
happening?
The trial programme was evaluated and reported on during 2001. The test
was evaluated by researchers at the Mitthögskolan (MidSweden Univerity)
in Sundsvall, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (CID, Centre for User
Oriented IT Design at the Royal Insitute of Technology) and Blekinge
Tekniska Högskola (Blekinge Institute of Technology). An "light"
analysis on benefits and costs was proceeded as well.
The results showed clearly that the public Internet Monitor concept is an appropriate solution for better and more effective service. The fice government organisations behind the concept wrote to the government (the Minister for Democratic Issues, Public Administration and Consumer Policies) - in march and october 2001. In the letter they said that their conclusion were that the Public Internet Monitor concept not could be realized - especially financed - by single authorities. They asked to perform a special investigation on the matter. So far (March 2002) there is no answer.