Abstract deliverables
Abstract deliverable 2.1
User Requirements and Acceptance Criteria
The report covers work in the first four months of the project to define the design scope, user needs and working context of the eRepresentative desktop. This software application is intended to support the work of elected representatives at national, regional and local level by making legislative services more effective and more tailored to meet their individual interests and preferences. The eRepresentative drivers, design constraints and functional scope are described. The drivers identify the intended users and other stakeholders, and their needs for improved services in terms of timely information; secure access, and support for collaboration. These needs are linked to research questions to be addressed through Validation and Impact analysis, and the acceptance criteria assemblies consider appropriate. The design constraints express relevant assumptions about the technical and physical environment. The report then expresses the functional scope in terms of 6 top-level use cases. These are: to provide Inter-assembly search and retrieval; track committee legislative actions; provide committee events notification; a secure discussion space; remote e-polling for committees; and e-voting support for individual ballots.
The non-functional requirements are also identified, relating to the look and feel, usability and accessibility, performance, operational, security, cultural and legal needs of the assemblies.
Abstract deliverable 2.2A
Elected Assemblies' Current Practice in Supporting the Mobile Representative
The report provides an overview of the legislative environment, and describes current web-based tools and secure mobile working environments in the eRepresentative assemblies. Web-based interfaces to legislative databases have given unprecedented levels of access to the assemblies' deliberations and the documents that result. This and other strengths are described alongside gaps in current provision. The types and roles of committees are outlined to highlight aspects relevant to remote working. Each of the assemblies provides its elected representatives with mobile technology and network services, and conclusions on mobility and security technology provision are given in an Annex to this report.
Abstract deliverable 2.2B
European Assemblies' Current Support for Mobile Elected Representatives
The report is a first attempt to generalise eRepresentative project outcomes to other European elected assemblies. It does this firstly by relating the functional scope of the eRepresentative software to recent studies of elected representatives' use of ICT, and secondly to the results of an online survey of European assemblies. The latter considers how widely the eRepresentative software requirements and their rationale are shared among the Heads of IT in a sample of elected assemblies. The responses also give a qualitative indication of the drivers and constraints that are considered relevant to developing mobile services.
Abstract deliverable 2.3
Report on User Interface Requirements
The first section of this report documents the eRepresentative system user working procedures from a representative's point of view. In doing so, we describe the situations during which the system could be used and then broadly define how this would be achieved. Additionally six decision support requirements are presented in the second part of this report. These reflect the political decisions that representatives have to make and are related to the eRepresentative functions which support representatives in making these decisions. Finally, indicative user interface mock-up screens are presented in the last part of the report. These are primarily oriented to cover the six high level functions of the eRepresentative system.
Abstract deliverable 3
Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for Assemblies
Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for Assemblies, provides a set of guidelines for improving the security and privacy of the remote assembly services provided to elected representatives. It identifies the different remote services and analyses different technologies, most of them based on cryptographic means, for improving the security and privacy of these services. This study also uses the information about the current status of assembly security practices and services compiled by reports D2.2A (April 2006) and D2.2B (July 2006) released as part of the eRepresentative project.
Abstract deliverable 4.1
eRepresentative storyboard and architecture
Deliverable 4.1 Is structured in three parts. The first part entitled D.4.1a Solution Overview presents an architectural overview of the eRepresentative solution. The term architectural in this context means that the solution is described in an abstract manner though principles, models and standards. Hence the report focuses on the bare essence of the eRepresentative solution: anything you need and nothing you don’t. The report is primarily targeted to information and IT architects and serves as one of the guidelines in the design process.
The second part entitled D.4.1b Storyboard presents the storyboards of the eRepresentative solution. The term storyboard in this context means that the solution is described in series of scenarios that will be implemented by the solution. The scenarios indicate the main actors – both human and machine – that play a part in the scripted processes.The report is primarily targeted to information and IT architects and serves as one of the guidelines in the design process. The use cases can be read by the target user group also as they describe the scenarios of their way of working.
The third part entitled D.4.1c Architectural Design describes the architectural design of the eRepresentative solution. It describes the architectural design of functional and technical building blocks that together will make eRepresentative, based on the architectural principles (decisions) made in earlier stages.
Abstract deliverable 6.1
Pilot Plan and Application Scenario
eRepresentative work package (Wp) 6 consists of the pilot of the ‘eRepresentative virtual desktop’ and the report addresses the first of the work package objectives, i.e. the pilot planning and a detailed application scenario. The main sections cover:
- eRepresentative services that each assembly expects to pilot
- A usage scenario is given for each assembly, to be used in the alpha pilot to brief their user panels on how their chosen application(s) should enable elected members and support staff to work differently.
- Critical success factors for the pilot, and associated risks.
- Pilot task planning
Abstract deliverable 7.1
Methodology Report
Work package (Wp) 7 assesses the impact of the eRepresentative pilots, and the report covers the methodology for doing so. The key question it must address is whether eRepresentative supports elected representatives to work more effectively on the legislative process, by providing useful tools to work electronically in places where it is not currently practical to do so. The methodology includes tests of technical functionality, usability, accessibility; other aspects of ‘usefulness’ including security and convenience; and the overall socio-technical value to the assemblies involved and others in Europe.
The report outlines quantitative and qualitative theoretical frameworks and methods for research on technology impacts, together with their strengths and weaknesses considering the aims and circumstances of the evaluation. Then the evaluation criteria are mapped to each of the services and to their goals . The criteria are then each broken down to give various indicators, as tests of whether the criteria are met. Measures are provided for each indicator, with corresponding topics for qualitative enquiry which also relate to the evaluation questions set out previously in wp2. Following that, a data gathering schedule outlines how the appropriate data gathering methods should be used and with what results.
