Challenges to Comprehension Implied by the Logo of Laetus in Praesens
Laetus in Praesens
8th October 1992

International Organization Information / Research: 1992

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Prepared for Union of International Associations (General Assembly, 8th October 1992)
See also searchable PDF version (original titles, sub-headings, order and typography); also reports 1959-2006
Document also in segmented format in the Kairos indexed database

Organization profiles / networks

Yearbook of International Organizations: Series composed of the following 3 volumes.

Organization descriptions and index (Volume 1): As indicated in the report to the previous General Assembly, the principal issue in connection with this volume continues to be the manner in which the constantly increasing number of organizations, and the amount of information provided on them, is to be contained within a volume which cannot exceed 1700-1800 pages (and which cannot be divided into two volumes for marketing reasons). This issue is subject to continuing discussion with the publishers.

Each edition has brought new compromises on both sides.

A second, but related, issue has been the complexity of the volume and the need to render access simpler for marketing reasons. In response to this issue, a radical change has finally been made in the presentation of the 1992 edition of this volume (see Annex 2). It now appears in alphabetic order (with an inbuilt index) rather than in numeric order (with a separate index).

This provided further opportunities for compromises in response to the space issue. Items originally in the separate index have been reallocated to an extended index in Volume 3 (Global Action Networks).

Some implications:

(a) Language: The original structure could be said to be linguistically neutral, since all access was via the multi-lingual index. The new structure permits direct access to organization entries via the English title. Access via other languages is indirect through the inbuilt index, as is access via title abbreviations (including English abbrevations).

(b) Permanent number: Users relying on the "permanent number" allocated to each organization, which formerly did not vary between editions, are no longer fully catered for. Entries now carry a "temporary number" which is reallocated for every edition according to the alphabetic sequence. The permanent number is indicated as a footnote to each entry since it remains the basis for all computer work. In effect occasional users have been privileged at the expense of the limited number of dedicated users in an effort to widen access to the information.

(c) Section organization: The classification of organizations into sections continues, but from 1992 the entries are no longer organized by section. The section code has now become a "type" code which is indicated for those to whom it may be useful. Again the distinctions made through this coding are less relevant to occasional users despite the conceptual significance for statistical and other purposes.

(d) Production: Organizing entries alphabetically involved additional (onetime) computer programming and more complex computer sorts. The costs of both are charged to Saur.

Standard editorial changes and improvements were also made:

(a) Number of organizations (and treaties), including inactive, is now 32,068 (see Annex 4). This increase on the number in recent editions is partly due to inclusion of some previously omitted past but confirmed organizations. The number of bodies of types A through F has decreased slightly (from 10,459 to 10,300). This is through a continued policy of reallocation to "inactive" types of bodies from which there has been no news and, more significantly, through reallocation to the new type K (subsidiary and internal bodies). Of the 10,300 A though F bodies, 48.4% are of types A through D.

(b) Entry quality: The quality of the entries on the existing organizations continues to be improved to the point where a significant number of organizations now take the trouble to congratulate the editors.

(c) Section modifications: as referred to above, Volume 1 descriptions are no longer printed by section but in alphabetical order of title. The section - or "type" as it is now called -is printed as part of the footnote to each entry. Modifications to the layout allowed space for all type R - religious orders - to be printed; but it remains impossible to print the previous Section G (internationally-oriented national organizations. Names and addresses of bodies in this section, now divided into types G and N (the latter a new type for more national bodies), continue to be included in Volume 2 and Volume 3. Type K, introduced in 1990, allows commissions and other subsidiary or internal bodies to be quoted in the parent-body description, to appear in Volumes 2 and 3 and to appear in indexes; but organizations of this type are not given separate descriptions in Volume 1.

In the 1992 edition there are 1,100 organizations of this type, many having appeared previously in sections E and F.

(d) Introduction and appendices: These continue to be produced entirely inhouse using the UIA laser printer. This has proved much more convenient for all concerned, permitting much greater control over the final output. It avoids costs and is much more convenient in the event of errors.

(e) Proof procedures: about 20,000 proofs are mailed annually with an average direct response rate of about 55%. Indirect information from periodicals and other sources results in an average of 65% of entries being corrected for each edition. This figure of course varies according to organization type.

(f) "Mini-directory" proofs continue to be produced for organizations whose structure or activities involve many other bodies, or who have many international bodies as members. About 240 proofs are being mailed in October-November 1992 for the forthcoming edition. The proofs consist of a title page, index, description of the organization, and descriptions of all bodies cited in the "Structure", "Activities", or "Members" paragraphs.

Bodies cited in the "IGO Relations" and "NGO Relations" paragraphs are listed in Appendices.

(g) Cross-reference numbers: The total number of citations between organizations is now over 82,500 for 32,068 bodies.

International Organization Participation (Volume 2): This volume is now produced very rapidly once Volume 1 is completed. The 1992 edition appeared in July 1992. It does not pose any special problems except in the production of the many tables of statistics.

As part of the restructuring of the Yearbook series, the 1992 edition of this volume now appears in alphabetic order of country with an embedded index for French and other variants of country names (see Annex 3). The use of the number code, which also served to group countries by "continent", has been abandoned (except for computer purposes).

The new ordering now permits inclusion of a variety of patterns of crossreferences including cross-references to all countries under: Europe, Pacific, Arab, French-speaking, etc. This increases the richness of the volume.

Entries in Volume 2 cross-reference entries in Volume 1 via the "temporary reference number". Volume 2 now covers 220,044 country-to-organization links (31,816 IGO; 188,228 NGO).

Classified subjects and index (Volume 3): This volume is now produced very rapidly once Volume 2 is completed. Much more of the editorial (coding) work is done in parallel with the editorial work on Volume 1. In 1992 Volume 3 appeared in August 1992.

As part of the restructuring of the Yearbook series, Volume 3 now appears in alphabetic order, abandoning the subject code system which the UIA designed in order to highlight the interdisciplinary linkages between international organization concerns (see Annex 4). The subject code system is however still essential for computer purposes. In order not to lose the grouping of subjects, entries may for example be allocated to "Medicine / Digestive System" rather than to "Digestive System" (where only a cross-reference now appears).

Whereas Volume 3 previously had four main sections (W, X, Y and Z), these have been reduced to a single alphabetic sequence of subjects (in English).

The regional groupings of Section Y (eg Africa / Health) and the specialized groupings of Section Z (eg Foundations) have been absorbed into what was Section W. Also included are the checklists of intergovernmental organizations and of international federations previously appeaing as appendices to Volume 1. Section X (Subject combinations) has been abandoned to allow space for an expanded index which, as well as keywords of entries in Volume 1, includes items previously published in the index to Volume 1 such as former and alternative organization titles and names of their chief executive officers.

Entries in Volume 3 cross-reference entries in Volume 1 via the "temporary reference number".

Restructuring the Yearbook: Plans for further restructuring will await assessment of the current changes and developments in relation to compact disk.

Annuaire des Organisations Internationales: Within the context of a CD/ROM environment, the "publication" of a French edition of the Yearbook becomes a credible and economically viable possibility. This proposal has been presented to Saur, but is dependent on the evolution of the CD/ROM situation. With the active commitment by Saur to distribute the Yearbook in compact disk format, this opens up a very real possibility for this "publication". In other words a French edition could be produced on compact disk only, provided means are found to fund the editorial/translation work without interfering with other tasks.

The possibility of re-issuing such a French-language version of the Yearbook was mentioned to Monsieur Surbiguet (Chargé des ONGs, Quai d'Orsay) late in 1990 and early in 1991. This led to an invitation to the UIA to make a presentation to representatives of various French government departments in September 1991. This resulted in complex discussions with M. Surbiguet and Mme Gauthier -- rendered further complex by the financial relationship to the French Government's subsidy to the UIA.

The outcome on SAUR's side is that it is indeed possible to put the French version onto CD-ROM with the English. On the French side, the argument it is the UIA's responsibility to find financing to complement the third promised by the French government. Sources indicated are the French-speaking Western countries and the relevant intergovernmental bodies.

The complication for the UIA is that completing the translation of the French (based on the 1980 French version) will take time and will not necessarily mesh with the phasing of the production of the English-material CD-ROM. It is recognized that it would involve a major upheaval in personnel and procedures (especially at the computer level).

World problems / Strategic potential

Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential: Following publication of the 2nd edition in June 1986, work on the 3rd edition was initiated in June 1988, initially with a view to publication in May 1990. With the change in scheduling and production methods of Yearbooks Volumes 1 and 3 (noted above), it was agreed with Saur to postpone publication until Winter 1990. Editorial work by those hired for the task was phased out on schedule through to November 1989. Editorial work continued through 1990, using Yearbook editorial staff, to complete the task as a second priority against Yearbook-related tasks.

The original agreement with Saur envisaged a a single volume that would not exceed some 1,400 pages. Because of the way in which the volume is assembled "from fragments", it is only close to publication date that the effective size can be determined and that final decisions can be considered on options for the overall structure of the volume. Especially relevant was the considerable increase in material on "world problems" and on "human development" (see below). This effectively determined the space remaining for the other sections to which less attention was given for this edition.

Because of the amount of material, a proposal was made by the UIA to Saur in October 1990 to split the Encyclopedia into two volumes for production, size and marketing reasons. This was accepted by Saur, despite the problematic economic situation then prevailing.

Both volumes were completed in January 1992 and came off the press in April 1992.

The final structure of the two volumes is detailed elsewhere (see Annex 5 and 6), with statistics (see Annex 7). Of special interest are:

World problems (Volume 1): 12,008 "world problem" entries are linked by 82,142 relationships of different types. Most effort has been put into updating and extending this section and justifying its publication in a separate volume.

As part of the general reorganization of the volume, the problems have been grouped into categories on a basis analogous to the organizations in the Yearbook.

Human potential (Volume 2): Extensive work has also been done on the human development section which now numbers over 4,000 entries (up 60% on the 1986 edition). The richness of this section has been a major reason for using it as a basis for a separate volume. A number of lower priority sections have been dropped, especially since it has not been possible and/or necessary to update them.

Bibliographies: Special effort has been devoted to including an extensive bibliography of problem-specific literature (4536 entries) as well as a separate bibliography on human development literature (2293 entries). The preparation of these has been facilitated by generous gifts from Saur of complete sets of Books in Print and the corresponding compact disk (CD-ROM) version (with reader).

As with previous editions, this publication has proved very demanding in terms of time and resources. It is worth recalling some of the justifications for this project:

(a) Broaden UIA focus: With respect to its central area of expertise, namely international organization information, the UIA is no longer at the "cutting edge", however superior the UIA information may currently be in terms of quantity and quality. There is a need to break new ground of relevance to international organizations and to the crisis of the times. This project provides the opportunity for the UIA to be associated with a unique product.

(b) Commercial initiatives: Concern has been expressed at the manner in which the UIA was too closely tied to forms of information which are increasingly handled by commercial bodies. To that extent the UIA needs to develop new information products.

(c) Establish new contacts: By developing new forms of information, the UIA can broaden its range of contacts beyond those directly concerned with international organizations in a narrow sense. It also provides an opportunity to renew relationships with existing international organizations in relation to more substantial matters.

(d) Establish a relationship to the current international themes: The current theme, reflecting the crisis of the times, is that of "sustainable development". The information collected casts new light on this complex of issues and the search for new approaches to it. The second volume on human potential is a deliberate attempt to step outside the narrow western approach, thus responding to the themes of the United Nations Decade for Cultural Development.

(e) Develop the technical aspects of the information system: On each previous occasion when the Encyclopedia has been produced it has been used to test the development of new software approaches which are of immediate value to the basic work on organizations. On this occasion this is most perceptible in the developments to indexing and retrieval, in editorial aids such spellchecking, and in the in-house desk-top methods through which introductory pages are produced.

Sample book reviews of the Encyclopedia are given in Annex 9.

Biographical profiles of leadership

After lengthy negotiations with Saur throughout 1989, agreement was finally reached on the production of two major new publications:

Who's Who Series: As previously indicated, several initiatives are under discussion:

Meetings scheduled / Conference organization / Associate Membership

International Congress Calendar (quarterly): The report on the editorial and publishing aspects of this publication will be made separately.

Production of the Calendar, prior to final typesetting, is now done completely on the UIA's in-house computer system. This work is now much more thoroughly integrated at the computer level with that on the organizations organizing meetings.

A final phase, as yet uncompleted, is the transfer of the computer files (previously maintained by the service bureau) for the period 1981 to 1984 onto the UIA's own system.

By-products / CD-ROM / Online

Guides to International Organization: Saur has indicated that, because of difficulties in selling the four volumes so far produced in this series (in 1984/85), no further plans can be made at this time. The problem is largely a result of Saur's own policies requiring publications of a certain size (400-600 pages) to be sold at an unreasonably high price, with minimum marketing effort.

Mini-directories: The first of these was produced for UNESCO in January 1987 as a "Provisional Directory of International Nongovernmental Organizations in Official Relationship with UNESCO". A further edition has been discussed with UNESCO in relation to their intention to produce such a directory from their own database. Where possible such directories would be sub-sets of the Yearbook Volume 1. Modifications may however be made, as well as inclusions of information characteristic of the presentation in Volumes 2 and 3, as well as the Encyclopedia.

Mini-directories in the period 1991-1992 for UNESCO have included : Further Information on International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for which Subventions are Proposed for 1992-1993.

This directory was produced in French as well as English editions and drew on the last French language edition of the Yearbook (1980) as well as translations of current descriptions.

Other related work included information on Africa/Latin America activity of UNESCO-related NGOs, including tables by country and by subject areas of activity similar to those produced for Volumes 2 and 3 of the Yearbook. This is currently being extended to include addresses of national members in Africa of organizations having consultative status with UNESCO. Discussions are underway for information on Asia/Pacific/Arab countries activity.

The mini-directory approach remains one to which the UIA is committed but increasingly as an in-house exercise independent of Saur. As noted above, some 240 distinct mini-directories are effectively produced each year as a means of communicating with major groupings of international organizations.

Compact Disk (CD-ROM): The UIA continues to be faced with requests for direct access to its database. The online opportunities for the UIA (see below) seem to necessitate a phase of simple electronic mail before integrating in any database facility -- if that proves to be desirable.

Our publisher, K G Saur Verlag, is however now distributing some major reference works on compact disk and sees this as a necessary new development of the publishing business. This possibility and Saur's interest in it has been noted in this report over several years. It is important to recognize that there has been an initial period of enthusiasm in which a number of those who committed themselves prematurely (including Gale) have had unfortunate experiences. The situation is now much clearer to Saur, although not especially promising. Essentially it is a question of positioning potential products in the CD/ROM market in anticipation of future developments.

Saur is now actively negotiating the means of distributing UIA information in this form. Although the hardware is evolving, as outlined below, libraries and distributors are now committed to the simplest form of optical disk hardware (point (a) below).

The hardware for optical disk storage is now evolving:

(a) The current widely available form (CD/ROM), especially attractive to libraries, does not allow the user to write onto the disk, and requires expensive means of production. UIA would certainly lose control of any data produced and distributed in this way -- especially through Saur.

(b) Less widely known is the form in which the producer writes once to the disk and the user accesses it as often as is required (CD/WORM). This form is relatively inexpensive for the producer, permitting tailor-made one-off products, and would allow the UIA to develop its own independent relationship with users. The problem of losing control of the data remains but at least distribution control becomes easier. This could be implemented immediately.

(The IBM product costs 103.500 BF for the disk drive and 2.867 BF per disk) The snag is that the technology is evolving so rapidly that it is unclear how long any particular hardware standard will last, especially with the emergence of the third variety below. The UIA has now abandoned consideration of this possibility.

(c) Eraseable optical disks are now being released onto the market (at a slightly higher price). These will almost certainly prove to be a more attractive proposition than either of the above. It will be some considerable time before they reach the degree of standardization and acceptability of the CD/ROM variety.

At this point in time, however, if the UIA did wish to offer access to its data, the one-off cost for the WORM drive to the UIA would be around 100,000 FB, and the same to the user, plus whatever charge was made for the database (or some portion thereof). The costs would be somewhat higher for the eraseable version (possibly 160,000 FB).

Any UIA decision on the matter is complicated by the following factors:

(a) Saur will go ahead with the CD/ROM development and has already loaned/given a CD/ROM unit to the UIA to ensure some familiarity with the possibilities.

(b) It appears very desirable for the UIA to acquire an eraseable disk, if only to resolve backup and disk space problems. This could then be used by the UIA to produce disks for use on other installations similarly equipped.

(c) The fundamental issue of "giving away" the complete UIA database, in one form or another, remains to be addressed.

Regional and specialized directories Given the current transformation of Europe, there is a place for a directory of European organizations produced by the UIA, especially in the light of the emergence of interest by other publishers in producing such a volume. The same may be said for various specialized directories (sport, medicine, development, etc). In the past such proposals have been made for paper versions and SAUR has rejected them for marketing reasons.

Within a CD-ROM environment these become credible as separately marketed segments of a single disk.

Current situation In the period 1991-1992 there have been continuing discussions between SAUR and UIA on the CD-ROM possibility. The principal issues have been (a) whether the CD-ROM would be limited to the Yearbook or include the Calendar information, etc (b) whether the French version of the Yearbook (see below) could be included on the same disk (c) whether portions of the disk could be separately marketed by use of special software "keys" A first round of discussions, ending mid-1991, was based on proposals from SAUR's Berlin sub-contractor. It became apparent that UIA would derive little benefit from the arrangement. UIA rejected the proposal.

A second round of discussions was then initiated by SAUR through Computaprint (London). This company has been responsible for processing the Yearbook since 1984. In 1986 it became a cousin of SAUR, since both are now part of the REED group. Within REED there is also Online Computer Systems (USA) and a group called REED Opti-Ware (London). It is the USA group which has the CD-ROM expertise that is being used by REED Opti-Ware with Computaprint as the interface with UIA. In mid-1992 these discussions also reached a point at which SAUR decided to terminate the project because of the costs.

A third round of discussions has been initiated following the exchange of memos (see Addendum to Part II). It is clear that SAUR and UIA are confronted with a problem for which the CD-ROM provides a solution. The problem relates to the space demands of the data and the marketing demands for specialized and cheaper publications. There is now a commitment by SAUR to produce the CD-ROM in 1993, but the contractual conditions have not yet been discussed.

Interweaving through these discussions is the question of the French version of the Yearbook (see below).

Associations review / journal

Transnational Associations / Associations transnationales (bimonthly)

The report on the editorial and publishing aspects of this journal is provided separately. Consideration continues to be given to the possibility of making greater use of the computer system in the preparation of this publication. Current developments for the Encyclopedia are demonstrating the practicality of this.

[NB: Versions of the UIA periodical: La Vie Internationale, 1912-21; Bulletin des associations internationals, 1943-44; Bulletin mensuel, 1951-53; International Associations, 1954-76; Transnational Associations, 1977-2001]

Statutes / Legal status

International Association Statutes: Editorial work was completed on the first volume of this new series in January 1988, and the publication was available in March 1988. No further publication is planned for the immediate future. Any such publication is dependent on the use that the UIA is able to make of two new technologies, namely optical scanners (to reduce the cost of input) and compact disk (to avoid the cost of publication by associating the production with some other UIA products on CD-ROM). Both these opportunities continue to evolve very rapidly.

Research / Statistics

The principal research in the period 1989-90 was that connected with the preparation of the Encyclopedia, especially that on world problems and human development, although the data collection and processing constituted a form of empirical research in its own right. The commentary on the information collected, the methodology employed and the insights which emerge, also merit consideration as research (as reviews have indicated).

In the period 1991-92, the following themes have been explored:

External database research requests: The UIA continues to receive requests to make use of its databases. These take the following forms:

(a) Meeting-related market research: This well-established pattern of inquiry is processed by the Congress Department, especially in the case of Associate members. The work is done by the UIA and supplied to them, usually on paper. Occasionally information is supplied on disk.

(b) Academic research: Researchers endeavouring to explore the range of international organizations tend to contact UIA requesting copies of the Yearbook database to permit its investigation on university computers. This raises very embarrassing issues. Universities are notorious for being extremely free with copies of databases ("in the interests of the advancement of knowledge"), whatever written guarantees are supplied. At the same time the UIA clearly has a mandate to facilitate such research. Universities do not perceive any great need to recompense the UIA for the cost of the information. The tendency has been to suggest that UIA will run any research programmes. Copies have so far not been made available. The situation will change with CD-ROM.

(c) CD-ROM: Some inquiries have been received by intergovernmental organizations, notably translation departments, for Yearbook data on CD-ROM.

Collaborative projects / External relations

Annuaire des Organisations Internationales: See above report under Organization profiles / networks

Future development strategy / Proposals / Fund-raising

Directory of national organizations: The possibility of producing a directory of national organizations world-wide is a topic which the UIA and SAUR have discussed over the years. There is a clear market interest for such data and the project becomes much more attractive if the data is published on CD-ROM only.

The project is a major logistical challenge for the UIA. It could be handled by focusing on members of international organizations but this is too restrictive for SAUR. Perhaps the most important part of the challenge is the update procedure.

Repackaging of existing information

Reprint of 1910 Yearbooks: It had been agreed with Saur that a microfiche edition of the UIA publications from 1910 to 1934 (10,000) could be produced. Final details were not been settled but this could have been a contribution to the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the UIA.

Since the November 1988 report, Saur has indicated that this project no longer corresponds to their programme priorities, although they agree that it entails no special commercial risk. The UIA could insist, but it is questionable whether it is a priority issue for the UIA, rather than merely a good idea which would disrupt other more important programmes.

Current explorations in presenting information:

This offers the possibility of presenting organizations with a "proof" of their organization chart for correction. Interactive Easyflow was used to redraw 6 of the charts reproduced in 1987/88. This possibility has not been actively explored for lack of resources. It should be noted that the use of compact disk data dissemination offers easier means of making this information available.

Despite early commitment to the project, Saur has recently indicated that it is now of lower priority for them. Presumably this is in part a consequence of delays on the UIA side and despite a token UNESCO subvention in 1988. For the UIA, the difficulties in making appropriate contacts to move this project forward continue to be extremely frustrating. There are continuing signs of hope, but these continue to prove chimaeric. The CD-ROM environment may offer new possibilities.

It is also clear from the reaction to the section on metaphors, that this could be developed into an independent publication representing an alternative approach to the problem of comprehension of global society in an information rich environment. There remains the question of funding such initiatives or ensuring that they are self-financing.

Online access As has been indicated in this report in recent years, the challenge to the UIA to make information available in some form compatible with the emerging growth of data networks has increased, although in recent months the call for such access has been reduced. This may well be due to increasing sensitivity to the cost of this form of data access and an increasing recognition that it does not constitute a panacea. Indeed one school of though suggests that CD/ROM might be a more practical, cost-effective alternative, at least in the case of UIA data. The threat of virus attacks has also reduced enthusiasm for excessively intimate linkages between distant computer systems.

Basically the UIA is faced with two possibilities:

(a) subscribing to an electronic mail service, allowing other subscribers to submit queries which can be submitted by UIA staff to its internal database and then sending the replies back to the inquirer.

(b) placing the UIA database in some sort of direct access mode, which at this stage would involve giving a copy to some external host.

These two possibilities could be activated in one or more of the following ways:

(a) subscribe to one or more of the standard electronic mail services in order to have "an address" through which their subscribers could contact UIA. Note that users of such services can often have their messages transferred through from one service to another, so it is not usually necessary to subscribe to more than one or two.

(b) subscribe to one of the electronic mail services which shares the UIA non-profit, associative philosophy, such as GREENET/ECONENT/PEACENET or GEONET, with a view to exploring the future transfer of a copy of the UIA database to them to enable them to market it to their subscribers.

(c) subscribe to a commercial service such as ONTYME/TYMNET under conditions which offer the UIA greater control and the opportunity to develop a network identity for an NGONET, with the possibility of offering database access at some future stage under UIA control.

(d) negotiate participation in the university network EARN-BITNET-NETNORTH on the basis of the UIA's role as a research institute Periodically Saur expresses interest in placing the UIA files on an online system as part of some larger package of Saur files. This is of debateable value to the UIA but the proposal has not yet taken concrete form.

Computer conferencing facility In this context, the possibility of the UIA actually hosting an electronic mail system for international organizations should not be ignored. The costs of doing so are relatively low and the long term benefits to participants, including the UIA, make it easily justifiable. Such systems are in effect the contemporary concretization of the international networking activity which the UIA seeks to facilitate and for which it is now well-equipped.

While this possibility continues to remain attractive in principle, it is unclear from the limited successes of many such networks (and the general satisfaction with the convenience of faxes) whether there is great merit in moving in this direction. Initiatives will continue to be taken by others, but it remains questionable whether this technology will lead to the kinds of breakthrough to new levels of cooperation that its proponents have been claiming (for quite some time).

Collaboration with ICCA/MMIS: Possibilities of collaboration with the International Congress and Convention Association with regard to computer treatment of meeting data are discussed in the report on the Calendar.

Statistical development Possibilities of more sophisticated approaches to UIA statistics, notably on meetings, are discussed in the report on the Calendar.

Appropriateness of information provided:

1. Quantity issues The UIA's commitment is to provide a qualitatively superior comprehensive coverage of the whole spectrum of international organizations. The core of the dilemma is that despite the increasing complexity of the international community, an important number of users are perceived as only needing minimal information on any one organization. In essence, people want to be able to assume that the international community is simpler than it is in reality. For this reason they are increasingly reluctant to invest in the UIA coverage of "complexity." Over the past years the need for radical restructuring has been discussed with Saur. With the 1989 edition the crisis took highly visible form with the omission of keywords from Volume 1. This was repeated with a certain degree of stress on Saur's side for the 1990 edition. This issue has been repeatedly raised in past reports and has not been resolved with the current restructuring and the fancy footwork undertaken for the previous editions.

2. Structure Restructuring tends undermine the UIA's efforts to maintain some degree of structure in its presentation of the spectrum of organizations and the topics with which they are concerned. As in many other arenas, the pressure is towards what amounts to a simplistic, if unambiguous, presentation of that information which will not assist users to obtain any sense of overview or perspective. In that sense, the UIA will be moving away from a long-standing commitment. And yet it is necessary to respond to the frustration of users with the increasing complexity of the data.

3. Progressive blurring of distinctions Underlying the technical problems of presentation is increasing pressure on the part of many in the international community towards an absence, or ambiguity, of distinction between "international" NGOs and "other" NGOs. Contributing forces are:

(a) ECOSOC inclusion of national bodies in the consultative status arrangements as "NGOs".
(b) Specialized Agency failure to acknowledge the existence of NGOs other than those recognized through consultative status arrangements.
(c) Pragmatic attitude of substantive units within intergovernmental secretariats (irrespective of (b)) to deal with any body that serves their interests. These are often then called "NGOs".
(d) Efforts by certain international agencies with field programmes to bypass international, regional, and even national, intermediaries in order to deal directly with field-level bodies.
(e) Efforts by certain development/environment/relief oriented bodies to limit "NGO" to all bodies sharing such concerns, whether they are international or not. Other nongovernmental bodies then remain unrecognized as being irrelevant to the concerns of such true "NGOs" (The irrelevant bodies may include trade unions, professional bodies, trade associations, scientific bodies, sporting associations, etc)
(f) Efforts by groupings of experts (scientific, professional and other such bodies) to distinguish themselves from "mass" organizations of unqualified membership
(g) Efforts to highlight the role of "citizens movements", involving grassroots membership, as being the only significant NGO bodies
(h) Efforts by academics concerned with "voluntary associations" to focus on community and national associations, generally excluding collective or professional membership.

There is little recognition of the ecology of organizations of all forms, and that part of it which may be usefully distinguished as acting internationally. The UIA remains one of the few contexts in which that perspective is stressed.

4. Current challenges to society The international community, and notably the United Nations, continues to focus on the critical challenges of the times. At the same time, many authorities continue to deplore the ineffectiveness of international institutions, international programmes, and the conceptual structures and methodologies which reinforce their present form. In many arenas there is a recognition of the need for "new thinking" and new forms of organized action.

Through its Encyclopedia the UIA has endeavoured to position itself creatively in relation to these new approaches and the questions that are being asked -- in the light of the information that it receives from international bodies. This stance has been appreciated by some relevant critics (see Annex 8).

But as with many organizations, the UIA is faced with the dilemma of:

(a) servicing the needs of users who do not consider it appropriate to acknowledge the dramatic nature of many of the issues confronting society, or who believe that these can be dealt with using old methods that do not require any new thinking
(b) using its information resources to provide a framework through which more appropriate responses can be explored.

Clearly the first generates the principal income of the UIA, but increasingly emphasizes the "telephone directory" function. The second reflects more closely the challenges of the UIA mandate, but can only be tangentially associated with sources of income.

The challenge for the UIA is to position itself on an appropriate "cutting edge" whilst judiciously avoiding involvement in initiatives which divert personnel resources into activities which reinforce outdated approaches. This issue is evident in discussion about publications such as the Who's Who series and the French-language version of the Yearbook. It is also evident in responding to certain requests for statistical data which correspond to issues dating back to the 1960s -- and which do not constitute a creative response to the current situation. It is evident in some efforts to associate UIA with old patterns of response to development issues when it is newer approaches that are attracting the attention of those at the "cutting edges".

It is in this light that the nature of appropriate research on organizations should be explored. In responding to this dilemma the challenge is to service the old patterns (since it is the momentum of their adherents that is a major source of funding) in such a way as to open up opportunities for newer approaches.

Challenge of openness

1. Multi-factor dilemma As noted in previous reports, the UIA continues to be faced with a basic multi-factor dilemma:

(a) By statute it is committed to disseminating information on international organizations and their preoccupations as widely as possible.
(b) The conventional means for doing this has been through books, and these will continue to have their place. However it is also clear that the amount of information and the production/marketing options continue to force up the price of such books which are completely inaccessible to the bodies that the UIA most seeks to serve.
(c) It is also clear that the traditional purchasers of books, libraries, etc. are under considerable pressure to reduce the scope of their purchases. (Saur is eloquent on this point.)
(d) At the same time non-profit bodies are not prepared to pay more than token amounts for the kinds of information which the UIA might provide.
(e) In order to survive and maintain its clearinghouse function the UIA is obliged to make available its information through a high-priced channel.
(f) Simultaneously there is considerable evolution of data networks and services of various kinds, many of which enable the formation of electronic organizations or groups (as on computer conferences). These modes bypass, and often reject, the book form as inadequate to the real needs for selecting, reordering and using information.
(g) Finally there is the challenge of the quantity and complexity of the information itself, as currently handled by the UIA. Users are effectively disempowered by the mass of impenetrable information, however well it is indexed. Users do not have tools to assist in comprehending the complex patterns of information, and there is a developing opportunity for those who claim, or attempt, to provide such tools.

The problem for the UIA presumably lies in some formula under which it could increase its degree of "openness" -- offering to users the kinds of tools currently used by UIA editors in maintaining and developing the database, and developing new tools to supplement them (cf the Atlas of International Relationships and the discussion of metaphors). The challenge is how to do this with out completely placing at risk the basic UIA income.

The key question is what is the risk of making available information, whether online or on optical disk? Can the distribution be usefully controlled -- or is this an inappropriate question? Are there any clever tricks for encrypting data and using software to permit "reasonable" access but prevent "unreasonable" access -- and do these terms have any real meaning?

2. Elements of a positive philosophy It would also be preferable if the UIA could formulate a positive philosophy of openness rather than be forced into openness by the evolution of the information society. Such a positive philosophy might include:

There will clearly come a time when associative activity will shift its centre of gravity from physical meetings/hardcopy documents/post to electronic metings/electronic documents/data networks. This is an important opportunity for the UIA to which others are adapting already.

Dependence and diversification:

1. Publisher-dependence In the light of the semi-stable nature of the contractual relationship with the publisher, K G Saur Verlag, there is clear merit in envisaging ways of diversifying UIA operations to reduce dependence on a single external body over which the UIA has little real control. As part of a larger multinational, it seems clear that already certain financial policies are affecting Saur's attitude to the the evolution of UIA publications. There remains the ever-present risk of Saur's vulnerability to financial crises, takeovers, etc.

Such UIA diversification might well take the form of producing some publications through other publishers or in collaboration with other bodies. The possible need to switch the main publications, or some of them, to a new publisher should be explored. The current evolution of the Calendar publishing is perhaps a healthy precursor. It is clear that the new CD/ROM and Who's Who programmes, depending on how they develop, constitute a further increase in dependence, whatever their other advantages.

2. Production-mode dependence Given the current advances in information handling, attention should continue to be given (as suggested above) to such opportunities as online access, laser disk distribution, etc., especially in terms of the UIA commitment to making information more readily available at a more accessible cost.

The developing field of "desk-top publishing", for which the UIA is fully equipped, should be explored. There is no reason why the UIA should not produce newsletters, reports, or directories for other organizations on demand. This does however call for appropriate personnel and an increased degree of personalized contact with bodies potentially interested in this form of collaboration. The UIA could produce its own periodical in this way, since the procedures have now been fully tested. Or the UIA could envisage the production of new specialized newsletters.

The whole question of UIA production of mini-directories, extracted from its own database, should continue to be actively explored. Production in the form of CD/ROMs is a significant step away from the traditional directory. There may be creative opportunities for the production by the UIA of similar products using eraseable disks.

3. Product dependence There is a continuing need for vigilance to avoid falling into the trap of producing certain kinds of information only. Although a prime function of the UIA is the production of information, the question must be continually asked as to whether the kind or range of information is appropriate. There is a definite danger of a backlash against the kinds of information on which the UIA has concentrated its efforts, especially since other bodies are developing capacities in this area. Information overload and information underuse are becoming significant problems everywhere. The UIA needs to explore new ways of packaging information.

The emerging information society is resulting in a flood of information.

Scanners can now be used to read any kind of document into a computer system for wider distribution in new forms. Although there continue to be avid users and purchasers for some of this information, there is a falling off in budgets capable of paying for such information. More dangerous, but perhaps a very healthy sign, there is increasing recognition that such factual information is itself inadequate. New ways of ordering information are required in order to detect patterns of significance. The current floods of information are obscuring such patterns.

It can be argued that the real need, and the real market for the future, lies in the production of forms of information which are pattern rich and which help users to identify what more conventional factual information they need to acquire.

The information challenge of the 1990s, as recently highlighted in a report on the plans of Dun and Bradstreet for the development of their own information policies (International Herald Tribune, 18 Feb 1989) is that, despite computerization and telecommunications, organizations are suffering more from information overload than from information capacity. "Thus the successful information companies of the 1990s may not be those that gather new data, but those that get existing facts to customers in the most useful form."

The Union of International Associations has itself contributed to research on these issues through its participation in the programme of the Tokyo-based United Nations University on Information Overload and Information Underuse.

Enablement of international initiatives: The information activities of the UIA need to be continually assessed against its statutory objectives, especially in terms of the ways in which they enable the activities of international organizations and responses to the issues they face. A useful way of doing so is through a scale established by the Information Technology Association of Canada which distinguishes 5 levels of enablement:

(a) Level 1: Cost reduction. At this level the UIA has been successful in developing tools which reduce the cost of handling very large amounts of information. The information is, somewhat improbably, provided in updated form every year in 3 large volumes. To this extent organizations are enabled through access to recent information on the complete spectrum of bodies. Analogous initiatives have been undertaken with other kinds of information (meetings, world problems).

(b) Level 2: Quality-enhancement of existing information tools. At this level the UIA has been at considerable pains to improve the quality of the information provided using the facilities of the technology. In so doing it is hoped that organizations are able to benefit significantly from these improvements.

(c) Level 3: New products made possible by the information technology. At this level the UIA has endeavoured to introduce new features (notably crosslinking between collaborating organizations) which would not otherwise have been possible because of the complexity of the task. The CD/ROM initiative lies at this level. Organizations themselves are using computer conferencing to create a new level of contact and action. It is therefore significant that the UIA has been reluctant to take participate in this activity.

(d) Level 4: Strategic management enabled by information technology. The UIA Encyclopedia initiative might be considered, in part, as lying at this level. Here a prime concern is with presenting information on the issues faced by organizations, and how they are related, in order to enable them to adopt a more strategic approach to such problems. It is important to recognize that the only information tools available at this level tend to be very specialized and to avoid the degree of coverage of the Encyclopedia.

(e) Level 5: Enabling the emergence of new concepts and paradigms relevant to the international community. This is clearly the most ambitious level, as well as being that with the greatest potential for change. Many of the present difficulties may be attributed to the fact that organizations are locked into old paradigms governing their attitudes to organizational structures, perceptions of problems and solution design. Although the UIA contribution at this level can only be modest, the kinds of information collected for the Encyclopedia (especially what is now Volume 2: Human Potential) deliberately provide many pointers to possibilities at this level.

The above levels may be usefully compared with a table on information technology options and the corresponding UIA opportunities.

The key issue for the UIA is how it chooses to position its various information initiatives in relation to these various opportunities. It must of course be borne in mind that the "lower" or "more practical" levels are those which are increasingly explored and occupied by commercially inspired interests, responding to shorter-term concerns. It could however be argued that the "higher" levels are those at which the key bottlenecks impeding appropriate change are currently being experienced.

A major strength of the UIA is the spread of its activities across these levels and the opportunity it has to further develop activities at the "higher" levels.

Comprehension of information:

1. Problems The previous section draws attention to the challenge in terms of new kinds of information products of which users could make more productive use. This is the preoccupation of a recent project of the UN University on "information overload and information underuse", to which the UIA has contributed. The UIA contribution stressed the difficulty for an individual or an institution to comprehend patterns of significance -- a dimension neglected in the rush to exploit the market for information.

The UIA is as much a part of the problem as it is part of the solution. The coverage of the Yearbooks facilitates access to specific items of information. They do not facilitate comprehension of patterns of relationship, except to a modest degree in Volume 3. In a number of respects the Yearbook is unuseable in terms of the needs and budgetary restrictions of the bodies which the UIA aims to to serve.

2. Possibilities This question has been explored in a number of UIA studies. Opportunities are:

(a) Advantage could be taken of the explicit encouragement received from the UN University (Division of Gobal Learning) and from UNESCO (Studies and Programming Office) to continue to explore the possibilities of producing network maps to present the pattern of relationships between organizations, between problems, and between organizations and problems. The UIA is currently collaborating informally with the Department of Mathematical Social Sciences of Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) on the map question in order to be able to produce "atlases" of network maps.
(b) Work on metaphors in relation to comprehension of policy options, as an extension of work done for the Encyclopedia, merits further consideration and has met with a very positive reception in the academic community.

It is hoped that such initiatives will attract the attention of bodies otherwise uninterested in UIA information on the international community and its preoccupations.

UIA Development constraints: Despite the many opportunities indicated above, the UIA faces a major problem in moving beyond its current pattern of activity. It is important to recognize that most projects are very tightly budgeted and are based on personnel salary levels which tend to be below commercial rates, especially for skilled, multilingual tasks (and especially in comparison with multinational or intergovernmental salary scales). This of course makes it possible for the UIA to undertake projects which would not be economically viable in other contexts. This situation does however result in severely reduced capacity to take on extra projects even though they may be technically feasible.

The "mini-directory" programme is a good example. Whilst it has been possible to produce mini-directories as "proofs", distributed to the relevant bodies, it has not been possible to follow up on requests to convert them into lowpriced publications. The problem is that this involves extra steps in marketing and negotiating with the bodies in question, and computer skills to make any minor modifications to the final product required. These skills are only available at present at the expense of other activities, often those essential to the basic production cycle.

The maintenance and development of the computer system is a third example. After its installation, the system has been extensively redesigned and extended without calling upon external professionals. The level of in-house computer skill continues to increase and is reasonably satisfactory for dayto- day and production operations -- provided key people do not have to leave for medical or other reasons. But it is clear that current options of developing special publications (such as "mini-directories"), use of higher quality printers, CD/ROM, online access, data exchanges with other bodies, and even the consequences of upgrading to Advanced Revelation, all make demands for which the current internal skills are inappropriate and for which it is difficult to accept sporadic use of relatively ill-informed, external assistance at the exhorbitant rates charged for such services.

The above constraints may be considered as normal and "healthy" characteristics of a non-profit body -- especially given what the UIA has been able to achieve within those constraints and in comparison with other bodies, whether commercial or intergovernmental. Nevertheless it remains unclear to what degree it is "healthy" for the UIA to undertake projects which are a natural extension of its current achievements, but which place additional stresses on personnel who are either already overworked by some standards, or inappropriate for the tasks, or inadequately compensated for them.

The UIA has not been able to resolve the strange dilemma of producing extremely expensive publications at "market" rates using personnel who continue to work on a "non-profit" basis -- in part because it is the UIA publisher who benefits most significantly from the market rates. This results in real dilemmas when there is a need to indicate costs of a service to some external body. Are the costs at "market" rates or at rates based on "real" costs?

Publishing / Marketing

Contractual relationships with SAUR: The firm of K G Saur Verlag was taken over in June 1987 by a multinational corporation, Reed International (based in the UK), which also owns other major publishing companies, including Butterworths (UK) and Bowker (USA).

Reed is the third largest publisher of English language books worldwide. Saur himself is now on the board of these companies but currently retains responsibility for publishing decisions within K G Saur Verlag. New marketing arrangements for the complete range of publications are being elaborated. In particular marketing in North America is the responsibility of Bowker (with a Saur office responsible for those publications, not including the Yearbook, which Bowker is reluctant to handle). Butterworth is responsible for worldwide sales outside the North American market.

The complexities of the contractual arrangements for the various publications published through Saur have been clarified under a contract (a 'General Agreement'), signed in June 1987, which covers all publications, with separate annexes covering each publication, as follows:

Of these: the Calendar (2) contract has now been abandoned since UIA is the publisher and Saur a distributor only; the Guides (4) is no longer active; the Subject Guides (6) has never been activated. The Yearbook contract (1) is automatically renewed every 3 years.

As has been noted before, the contractual situation is not particularly satisfactory, but it is unclear that any more satisfactory formula could be found, whether with Saur, with another publisher, or if the UIA were to return to publishing its own books. Such possibilities should of course be explored to anticipate any future change in the fortunes of K G Saur Verlag within the new context, especially in the light of the current economic context of recession and cutbacks to library budgets.

New contracts will be negotiated for any CD/ROM products (as separately discussed).

Sales:

Marketing:

UIA Information / Publishing / Marketing Issues This note is an effort to clarify the issues faced by UIA and SAUR, whether separately or together, in dealing with the opportunities and constraints of making available information produced by UIA. It follows many exchanges of memos on specific points which have often been difficult to resolve satisfactorily.

It is important to recognize that these issues have been confronted and dealt with in a spirit of partnership, whether or not fault could be usefully apportioned.

The challenge at this time is to articulate a new vision of the way in which the opportunities of the UIA information can be fruitfully exploited to the benefit of UIA, SAUR and especially users (as the ultimate arbiters of the success of the initiatives taken).

Our concern is that we (UIA and SAUR) have collectively resigned ourselves to become victims of the evolution of the market without responding more actively to the emerging possibilities in a period where it is dangerous to be complacent. We have good products, but if they are unknown to many and too costly for many others, then we are building up a threat to which we do not have an adequate strategic response.

Perhaps the question to be asked is exactly what business the UIA is in, whether independently or in collaboration with SAUR. And what kind of market niche is it intending to occupy over the years to come in a rapidly evolving information economy.

Computer-related infrastructure

Current hardware situation: The system currently consists of the following elements:

(a) Micro-computers: Server:1 Compaq 386/20E (4 MB) Administ.:2 AT clone (CD/NL) Editorial:8 AT clones (min. 640k, some with 80287) 1 386 clone (JN) 2 AT clones (GD/PG) Backups/batch:1 AT Novell (4 MB) 1 386 clone (with 216 MB hard disks) (AD) 2 AT clones (TR/JJ) 1 PC clone (1 for tape streamer) Printer stations:2 AT clones (640 K) UIA/FAIB/IAPCO:1 PC (640K) FAIB:1 AT (640K) IAPCO:1 AT (640 K, 40 MB) Off-line: 1 PC Ericcson (640 K) 1 PC clone for CD/ROM 1 XT clone with hard disk) Obsolete ?:5 PC (640 K), replaced by ATs Major recent hardware investments have been replacement (and expansion) of disk subsystem (1991).

Filters are used on all personal workstations. Workstations have no hard disks and usually only a single floppy drive. The progressive switch of workstations from PC to AT has been more than justfied by the improved performance, whether during normal work or in batch mode. Some batch applications are now being done in a third of the time.

There is still concern to phase out the remaining PCs for those who must work regularly with them.

(b) Main memory: 7 LAN hard disk drives, totalling 763 mB (763 million characters).

(c) Backup units: 1 Thorn EMI streamer tape unit for backups and transfer of tapes to Computaprint (London) for photocomposition; 1 Emerald 120 MB cartridge tape unit for routine backups. The latter machine was acquired in March 1990 as a low-cost interim replacement in anticipation of a more appropriate device at a subsequent date.

(d) Printers: 3 Hewlett Packard LaserJets (HP1,HP3,HP4); 1 HP Thinkjet, 1 OKI, 1 Brother M1409, 4 Brother M1209,1 Facit 4512, and 1 Olympia ESW 3000 daisywheel.

(e) Modem: 1 Daisy 21, 300 baud modem, permitting access to electronic mail systems(especially in the USA) (f) Compact disk reader: This machine (donated by K G Saur Verlag) was installed in 1989 to facilitate development of the CD/ROM programme. This is currently being used to search Books In Print for the Encyclopedia.

Improvements to the network and network security: Although there have been a reasonably acceptable number of "failures" of the system, these have been "managed" fairly successfully. Each such failure makes clear the dependence of staff on the effective functioning of the network for their daily work. Such failures raise questions as to the appropriate level of network security -- given that it would be financially unreasonable to aim for total security, even if that were possible.

In a rapidly evolving technological environment, it is unfortunately not possible to base a computer system on hardware and software that becomes rated as obsolescent. Certain features must be upgraded in order for spare parts to be available and for software to operate in an error-free mode.

Failure to do so exposes the system to criticism by maintenance services who readily use older equipment as an explanation for subtle system failures. A key disk controller card was no longer replaceable in July 1991 in the event of failure.

For the above reasons, a major upgrade of the Novell networking software was undertaken in October 1991. The Novell company donated a 100-user version of their new 3.11 software which would have otherwise been too expensive for the UIA. At the same time, in anticipation of the new alphabetic Yearbook processing and the space requirements for the Whos Who series, the disk capacity was replaced by new disks operating under a SCSI controller -- taking advantage of rapidly descending disk prices. An extra disk was added for internal backups.

Although the system appeared to operate satisfactorily during the editorial cycle through to February 1992, major problems were encountered when the final sorts were undertaken for the production phase of Volume 1 of the Yearbook. Given the nature of the problem, many features of the software and hardware were potentially suspect. Under such circumstances, the company responsible focused on items outside their contractual obligations. Major difficulties were experienced over a period of 6-8 weeks in endeavouring to continue production runs in parallel with efforts to isolate and analyze exactly what was at fault. These difficulties were added to those occasioned by the new alphabetic ordering and the testing required. They were further compounded by chronic weaknesses in the tape hardware through which production data is communicated to London.

The problem finally turned out to be defects on two of the three disk units acquired. The defects were such as only to be detectable under conditions which were rarely tested (even by the suppliers) but nevertheless affected the viability of major sorts. These disk units also took time to replace because the manufacturer had gone bankrupt. The disks were however under guarantee, so there were no direct financial costs to the UIA. A further disk unit was acquired to safeguard against such problems in the future.

Other difficulties encountered have been due to slight incompatibilities of the backup software with the upgraded environment, despite assurances to the contrary. The external backup system remains somewhat unstatisfactory and the possibility of purchasing an eraseable optical disk system is under consideration.

Current software situation: The following software is currently in use:

1. Network operating system: Novell Netware 3.11 (100-user), with system fault tolerance (but without disk mirroring or transaction tracing).

2. Text data base: Revelation, 22 user network version, upgraded to Advanced Revelation 1.16 in October 1989, with a significant improvement in performance. Version 2.0 has been acquired but not yet implemented, pending further assessment. It is important to recognize that Revelation has now moved onto Version 2.2. and that at some stage it will be necessary to upgrade in order to keep in phase with available software -- whether or not there is any immediate need to do so. The problem of such upgrades is that certain complementary packages (eg RWORD and VIEW) will need to be obtained in the upgraded versions as well or else be by-passed.

3. UIA Revelation programs: The total number of Revelation application programs developed by the UIA (whether by consultants or internally) continues to increase. It is appropriate to note that the UIA-developed dictionary, numbering 56,000 words, now permits access to the principal databases via English, French, German, Spanish and transliterated Russian subject categories. This dictionary is also used to spell-check the data (to avoid an impossible proof-reading task). There remains a challenge to complete the integration of the organization and calendar databases through an intermediary file that can provide a profile of meeting series based on one or both sources.

4. Word-processing: R/WRITER (compatible with Revelation) is in regular use.

Wordstar (convertible to and from Revelation format) is now only occasionally used. R/LASER has been acquired to permit more sophisticated printing on laser printer. Wordperfect is also being used experimentally for the introductory materials for the Encyclopedia.

5. Accounting: In June 1990 an accounting package, based on Revelation, was installed. This enables UIA to move to a new level of sophistication in handling invoicing from Brussels (in contrast with that handled through the various Saur offices for the majority of publication purchases) and accounting. With respect to accounting, the major benefits will be perceptible in the next complete financial year.

6. Graphics: Interactive Easyflow was used to redraw some of the organization charts reproduced in the Yearbook, Vol 1, 1987/88. A number of other graphics and network analysis packages have been acquired in the process of investigating means of mapping networks.

7. Statistics: A sophisticated statistical packgage (SYSTAT) with extensive graphics capability was obtained (as a resulting of a contract).

8. Occasional use is made of other packages and a wide range of utilities.

9. Backup software: New backup software (SYTOS) was obtained in October 1991 to remain compatible with the upgraded Novell system.

Usage of the system:

1. Hard disks: The current disk capacity of 763 million characters is used for the following major groups of files: (a) Organization entry file (30,745 Mb); index file (2,298 Mb); auxiliary files (8,143 Mb) (b) Calendar file (14,540 Mb); index file (4,101 Mb); auxiliary files (2,912 Mb) (c) World Problems file (13,908 Mb); index file (0,838 Mb); auxiliary files (6,675 Mb) (d) Human Development file (4,602 Mb); index file (0,240 Mb); auxiliary files (3,881 Mb) (e) Contacts file (0,319 Mb); index file (0,297 Mb); auxiliary files (0,086 Mb) (f) Correspondence files (4,338 Mb) (g) Thesauri (thematic 1,901 Mb; geographical 3,767 Mb) (h) Reference files (procedures 1,733 Mb; bibliographies 4,510 Mb) (i) Production files, including intermediary address files (3,825 Mb) and print files (4,189 Mb). Output files vary in size up to 20,000 Mb (j) Work areas for sorting (k) Copies of essential files (145,000 Mb) Whilst a core group of files is always accessible on the network, the pattern of non-priority files held on it changes a great deal throughout the year.

The increase in disk capacity reduced some of the need for such maneuvering and now permits internal copies of major (30mB) files as part of the backup procedure.

2. Work stations: These are fully used by editors during working hours. Machines are seldom "free", although one AT is reserved for batch jobs.

Outside office hours, there are often times when several machines are running over-night on production jobs. It is this approach which avoids the need to acquire faster machines for day-time processing of production jobs.

3. Printers: (a) Laser printers: These are well used. With the acquisition of a second machine, scheduling difficulties have been reduced.

(b) Other printers: These are extremely convenient, and all are increasingly used.

4. Tape units: These are in daily use for backups.

Adaptation of working methods: Staff use of the system continues to develop as familiarity with procedures improves. All staff working on publication production in one capacity or another have now adapted their working methods to take advantage of the computer system. All editorial work is now done directly on to the network without any intermediate "secretarial" phase. Administrative, mailing, editorial and accounting operations are now integrated.

Because of the complexities of the many operations involved, the flexibility of the system, and consequently of working methods (as well as the continuing evolution of procedures), it has been considered inefficient to attempt to rationalize the system beyond a certain degree.

Procedures are being progressively streamlined and improved. Most procedures have now been documented in considerable detail. This process progresses as time and production priorities permit.

Future developments:

(a) Scanner: This possibility continues to be considered as a means of incorporating old UIA texts (notably from Transnational Associations) to permit new publications to be produced.

(b) Eraseable optical disk: This is being considered as an alternative backup and production device, especially in relation to the CD-ROM developments.

(c) CD-ROM: This will develop as a consequence of any agreement with Saur Verlag.

(d) Graphics: Investigation into the graphics development required to produce network maps indicates that a Revelation compatible-product CAD/Base may provide a vital link between maps and the database.

(e) E-mail: There remains the possibility of linking into the network from distant locations, whether external bodies or home computers (in order to control jobs running over the weekend). This can be implemented using software already obtained, but requires modems at both ends. It could be used to allow some people to work from home.

Future difficulties: The difficulties currently foreseen are as follows:

(a) Responding to the various implications of the CD/ROM developments, whether in terms of work organization, production, or marketing.

(b) With recent investments, the main point of vulnerability is now the backup system. The latest version of this was installed as a temporary measure in anticipation of more appropriate devices which are not coming onto the market. It is hoped to acquire an eraseable optical disk unit to double as a large-capacity backup system and storage device. Exactly how this can best be exploited is related to the proposed CD/ROM development.

(c) Given the proven manner of working, the previous point is intimately related to the question of the constant pressure on disk space. This may be alleviated by the suitable use of eraseable optical disks.

(d) As a consequence of the increase in program sophistication, UIA editors are caught in the same problem as elsewhere, namely that the programs in the memory of each machine make it increasingly difficult to perform complex tasks on large organization entries, or on large numbers of entries, without giving the impression that unnecessary time is being wasted. There remain situations in which people's work rhythm is broken in an unproductive way.

This is not a matter of urgency but rather one of growing with peoples ability to use the computer network effectively. One solution is to fit all machines with 80287 math-coprocessors (as strongly recommended by Revelation in order to speed up program operation). At this point only a few machines have been so fitted. Related to this issue is that some of the older workstations now give evidence of ageing.

(e) The issue of how the UIA network is to be related, or not, to external systems remains under discussion. This is now complicated by the move towards CD/ROM.

(f) From reports in the press, it is clear that it would be naive not to remain extremely vigilant concerning the computer virus problem (which is one reason for being cautious about the previous point).

 

Annexes Prepared for the General Assembly, 8th October 1992 Contents

1. Yearbook statistics on international organizations: Volume 1 (1992/93)»

2. Restructuring of Yearbook: Volume 1 (descriptions)

3. Restructuring of Yearbook: Volume 2 (countries)

4. Restructuring of Yearbook: Volume 3 (subjects)

5. Encyclopedia contents: Volume 1 (World problems)

6. Encyclopedia contents: Volume 2 (Human potential)

7. Encyclopedia contents: statistics 8. Encyclopedia reviews

9. Who's Who in International Organizations

10. Who's Who in Religion

11. Other possible Who's Whos

12. Who's Who in Planet Care

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