Is the project 'E-health in Latvia' a step towards the right direction?
Objective of the audit was to verify efficiency and productivity of the actions by the institutions in charge for implementation of the e-health, as well as to audit economy and productivity of use ... of funds invested in the project for achievement of set objectives and gaining the planned benefits. Audit covered such main questions: 1) Will the e-health policy be able to solve problems and achieve ... the objective? 2) Are the actual activities performed by the National Health Service justified for achievement of the set objectives? 3) Will necessary information security and personal data protection be ensured ... E-health is a step forward in right direction, but not all objectives will be reached! ... Project “E-health in Latvia” supports healthy lifestyle, it will provide valuable and accessible information and will promote more efficient provision of services to patients. It is undoubtedly ... a step towards the right direction then. However, as found the Latvian SAI, the e-health policy will not be implemented within the initially planned scope and deadline and within set data security levels ... , thus the objective of this policy – to promote more effective provision of healthcare services will be attained only partially.
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Conflicts of interest
First, recognise the conflicts of interest are a real risk the British NAO gathered a significant amount of intelligence on conflicts, particularly in the health and education sectors. These are areas of government where services are increasingly commissioned and delivered by parties at arm’s-length to departments. Conflicts of interest can occur naturally as a product of the way a system is designed and most often arise from operational situations.
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Extract from the report to the Public Accounts Committee on the access to IT systems that support the provision of essential services to the Danish society
The report is focused on the significant risk that is associated with inadequate management and control of domain administrator privileges, which makes it possible for unauthorized persons to obtain ... access to the IT systems and data of the institutions. Rigsrevisionen has not examined for what specific purposes unauthorized access to the institutions’ systems and data can be used. ... ... Inadequate management and control of domain administrator privileges ... The Danish report concerns the measures - taken by six government institutions of various branches of State activities - to protect IT systems and data that support the provision of essential ... services to the Danish society from unauthorized access, obtained on the basis of domain administrator privileges.
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Central government staff costs
Results of staff reductions The British NAO found that departments had significantly reduced numbers of their civil servants and of course salary costs at the same time. But they reduced staff numbers mainly by minimising recruitment, and the age profile of the civil service has changed. NAO pays a lot attention to what effect this has had on the future pipeline of talent and skills. It reminds also that the departments need long-term operating models to work efficiently with the staff reduced.
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Open Data Trend Report 2015
How to activate the open data policy The Dutch SAI looks for ways to improve open data practice in the Netherlands. They point at experience of two leading countries: UK and US, and advise to: prepare a concrete action plan, to increase number of mandatory published data, to develop government-wide data inventory and to put open data to work.
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ACQUISITION REFORM: DOD Should Streamline Its Decision-Making Process for Weapon Systems to Reduce Inefficiencies
Refinement of decision-making processes The US Department of Defense (DOD) has long sought to improve the efficiency of its weapon system acquisition process, including the time and effort needed to complete the milestone decision process. Good practices of some DOD programs and five commercial firms were used by GAO to look for new momentum in refining the process.
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ACQUISITION REFORM: DOD Should Streamline Its Decision-Making Process for Weapon Systems to Reduce Inefficiencies
Refinement of decision-making processes The US Department of Defense (DOD) has long sought to improve the efficiency of its weapon system acquisition process, including the time and effort needed to complete the milestone decision process. Good practices of some DOD programs and five commercial firms were used by GAO to look for new momentum in refining the process.
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ACQUISITION REFORM: DOD Should Streamline Its Decision-Making Process for Weapon Systems to Reduce Inefficiencies
Refinement of decision-making processes The US Department of Defense (DOD) has long sought to improve the efficiency of its weapon system acquisition process, including the time and effort needed to complete the milestone decision process. Good practices of some DOD programs and five commercial firms were used by GAO to look for new momentum in refining the process.
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ACQUISITION REFORM: DOD Should Streamline Its Decision-Making Process for Weapon Systems to Reduce Inefficiencies
Refinement of decision-making processes The US Department of Defense (DOD) has long sought to improve the efficiency of its weapon system acquisition process, including the time and effort needed to complete the milestone decision process. Good practices of some DOD programs and five commercial firms were used by GAO to look for new momentum in refining the process.
Full description

ACQUISITION REFORM: DOD Should Streamline Its Decision-Making Process for Weapon Systems to Reduce Inefficiencies
Refinement of decision-making processes The US Department of Defense (DOD) has long sought to improve the efficiency of its weapon system acquisition process, including the time and effort needed to complete the milestone decision process. Good practices of some DOD programs and five commercial firms were used by GAO to look for new momentum in refining the process.
Full description