Challenges to Comprehension Implied by the Logo of Laetus in Praesens
Laetus in Praesens
12th May 1997

International Organization Information / Research: 1997

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Prepared for Union of International Associations (Executive Council, 29-30 May 1997)
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

Summary

For purposes of comparison and summary, the publication A4 page production of the UIA (excluding research notes and papers) is indicated in the following table

Publication page production

Yearbook of International Organizations: Editorial work on this multi-volume annual series has followed the regular pattern:

Organization descriptions and index (Volume 1, 33rd and 34th editions)

International Organization Participation (Volume 2): At the time of writing (April 30th), editing of Volumes 1 and 2 of the 33rd (1996-7) edition has been completed and the formatted data had been sent for print. See Annex 1 for statistics on international organizations by type.

The trend, indicated in previous reports, towards exclusion of more categories of entry (and/or paragraphs from entries) has been temporarily halted by a change of font -- effectively increasing the number of chartacters per page (already approaching illegibility!).

This may be seen by comparing the 1995 and 1996 page figures for the Yearbook in the table above. The 1996 figures include the new 487 page Volume 4. The response of the publisher, discussed in previous years, is that "overflow" of any kind will have to be carried in future in the CD-ROM, as produced since December 1995 (see below).

Classified subjects and index (Volume 3)

Bibliographies (Volume 4): This new volume was successfully produced for the first time in 1996. It is divided into three sections:

Work on Volume 3 and Volume 4 is on schedule for completion in May and June. Mailings for the 35th edition are already commencing. The forthcoming edition of Volume 4 will incorporate even more bibliographical material from the UIA Transnational Associations (1970 and 1980). Some additional material relevant to international organization issues has been included as a result of a modest amount of bibliographical work done on the Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential.

The principal change to the pattern of production is the process of photocomposition of the introductory pages. These are now subcontracted by the UIA to a former UIA editor to ensure production of Postscript files.

Annuaire des Organisations Internationales: Building on the French translation experience, the last French edition of the Yearbook was produced in 1980 with the aid of the French Government. Discussions on the possibility of a CD-ROM based French version of the Yearbook, initiated by the French Government in 1991, have continued through to the present. Contacts have been developed with other possible partners, notably the ACCT, the Communauté française de Belgique, the Délégation de Québec and the Swiss government.

The global budget is approximately 1 million FF. From 1991 to 1995 a total of 350,000 FF was transferred to UIA by the French Government. This represented approximately one third of the estimated amount required for the task -- if the translation is to be complete in every detail.

The problem has been to work within the framework of funds actually transferred, given that promised amounts might or might not be finally made available -- or be transferred only long after editorial/translation contracts had been made. Because of the French insistence on a "complete" translation, considered unrealistic by the UIA, the funds were not used up until 1995.

At the end of December 1995 a loosely worded contract was finally received from the ACCT, but covering expenses incurred in 1995 (sic). This was for new funds and included no mention of those already received directly from the French government (without any contract). This document was only finally signed by the UIA by accompanying it with an interpretative letter from the UIA to clarify possibly erroneous assumptions. This contract (225.000 FF) allowed the UIA to conclude contracts with translators.

A further 94.525 FF was given through ACCT by the Communauté française de Belgique (August 1996) and 14.179 $C (55.800 FF) from the Province of Québec (in February 1997), also through ACCT for the 1996 exercise.

Nothing has been received from the French government directly for the years 1996 and 1997, in contrast to previous years. The subventions for the CD-ROM total 725.800 FF. The expenses from May 1995 to end 1996 amounted to 912.000 FF.

Exchanges with the French government indicated that a number of points continue to remain unclear, specifically with regard to:

All these factors affected the planning of translation work, particularly in relation to contracts with personnel and to ongoing production of the French version (as opposed to one-time production).

In order to reduce translation costs the UIA has divided the work both by priority (Frenchspeaking organizations, etc) and translation effort using a number of automatic and semiautomatic techniques (see Annex 4). This proved to be quite challenging from a logistical point of view, involving "horizontal" (one data item, all entries) and "vertical" (one entry, all data items) editing styles.

The most sensitive issue remains the manner in which the French information would be handled in relation to the English information on the CD-ROM, especially with the likelihood that the English information would be more frequently updated than the French.

Inclusion of languages other than English or French made it possible to redefine the product as a "multilingual" edition rather than a "bilingual" edition, or a separate "purely French" edition. The emphasis has therefore been placed on providing information in whatever languages seemed appropriate (or where funds were available), rather than seeking completion in any one language.

At the time of writing, a presentation to relevant French authorities (under ACCT auspices) has been scheduled for 13th May 1997 to demonstrate and discuss the future of the product, especially with regard to maintenance of the parallelism with the English texts. The considerable decision-making delays on this issue have already meant that no consistent effort has been made to update the French for the forthcoming CD-ROM edition.

Considerable effort has however been made to correct errors on the 1996 CD outside the budget provided by the French authorities. In addition, information provided in French by any organizations has been processed, especially if complete translations were provided. This will be reflected in the 1997 CD.

World problems / Strategic potential

Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential: Work on the 4th edition of this 3-volume publication commenced at the beginning of 1993.

The first two volumes were successfully completed in April 1994. Work on the new third volume, agreed in March 1994, continued from June 1994, and was completed in June 1995 (partially assisted by funds from a UIA Member).

No further work on this publication was scheduled in the past year. However the UIA was fortunate to have a contract proposal to the European Commission accepted in January 1997 for a six month feasibility study (see below). Of the 477 projects submitted, the UIA's was one of the 80 accepted; 20 of these will be accepted for further development late in 1997. The UIA work to date has resulted in intensive development of some sections of the Encyclopedia databases since January. This will not immediately take the form of a hardcopy publication but will have a number of implications for CD-ROM and Web publication (see below).

Biographical profiles of leadership

Who's Who in International Organizations: SAUR remains very interested in this series. Work started from mid-April 1994 on a 2nd edition of this publication. This was completed in June 1995.

No further work has been undertaken, although it is expected that work on a new edition will be agreed in 1997/1998.

Meetings scheduled / Conference organization / Associate Membership

International Congress Calendar: This is the subject of a separate report.

By-products / CD-ROM / Online

Yearbook Plus: International Organizations and Biographies (CD-ROM): Work on this product, scheduled to appear annually in December, was initiated in March 1995 and completed in December 1995 with production of the first commercial disks by SAUR. The exercise was repeated in 1996, resulting in a 2nd edition in December 1996. It will be in future published annually in September.

This 2nd edition was expanded to include:

A single version of this CD-ROM was produced but this was provided with separate English, French and German packagings for marketing purposes by SAUR. This appeared to be the best approach to meeting the needs of a French product. It should be noted that users can install the CD in either English or French software (or both).

World Guide to Religious and Spiritual Organizations: This publication, requested by SAUR, is an extract from the Yearbook, supplemented by additional information and indexes. Work was initiated in August 1995, completed in December 1995, and was published in May 1996. It totals 476 pages.

The work was done by the former UIA staff member responsible for the Who's Who in International Organizations. The value of such publications for the UIA is that they fund extra editorial effort on particular classes of organizations in the Yearbook.

World Guide to Logos, Emblems and Trademarks of International Organizations: An agreement was reached with SAUR to scan in logos of international organizations from material in UIA files. Some 6,000 logos were treated in this way, starting in August 1996, and appropriately indexed. The result is to be published in 3 volumes (each of 400 pages) in June 1997 (see Annex 2).

As with the World Guide to Religious and Spiritual Organizations, the work was subcontracted to a former UIA staff member.

Associations review / journal

Transnational Associations: This is the subject of a separate report

[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]

Research / Statistics

Research-related issues are also developed in other reports. A checklist of papers is presented in Annex 7.

In addition to papers prepared in response to particular occasions and conferences, research-related work is also done in connection with the Encyclopedia. Where possible adaptations of research papers have been used in explanatory sections of the Encyclopedia.

The UIA website has enabled many papers to be made available directly, whether or not they have been published in other ways.

Current research themes include:

Consultancy: The UIA was invited to present a paper at a World Bank symposium on Civil Society (Washington, October 1996). Under a consultancy arrangement with UNICEF Bangladesh in 1997, the conducted several seminars on transformative meetings.

Invitations/Attendance at meetings: This forms the subject of a separate note (see Annex 7)

Collaborative projects / External relations

European Commission contract: Biological Information in Context In response to a call for proposals in September 1996 within the framework of a DG XIII programme entitled Info2000, a project coordinated by the UIA was approved in January 1997. The UIA's principal partner is the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) which is a subsidiary of the IUCN based in Cambridge (UK). The two secondary partners are the Norwegian School of Management (Oslo) and the Stichting Instituut voor Europees Milieubelied (Arnhem).

The focus of the project (see Annex 6) is a feasibility study of the partial integration of data from UIA and WCMC relating to biological conservation. WCMC specializes in data on threatened species and environments. The UIA brings to the project contextual information from the problems and strategies database. The feasibility study, scheduled for completion at the end of June 1997, will be the basis for a subsequent implementation project over a 18-24 month period (if approved). The product will be either on CD or on the Web, or some combination of both. It is specifically required that there should be "multi-media content" beyond the usual text information. To this end some successful experiments using 3D (virtual reality) displays of Encyclopedia and Yearbook data have been conducted (and made accessible on the Web) as noted below.

The requirement for a CD or Web prototype of the final product has meant that the UIA has been able to devote significant resources, funded by the European Commission, to the development of the problems and strategies databases have been undertaken. In effect these have been updated to the point of justifying a new edition of the Encyclopedia, irrespective of any further funding from SAUR. The "integration" of data with WCMC has been reframed on the basis of the provision of Web hyperlinks from the UIA data to the WCMC, and vice versa, rather than any combination of data within the same data structure.

This approach seems to be consistent with the evolution of databases on the Web.

A particular constraint of this project work with the Commission is the requirement that the contractors provide 50 percent "matching funds". In other words, for the project to be of immediate interest to the UIA, in the absence of third party funding, it must allocate matching funds from its own resources. This can of course be interpreted to mean resources allocated to personnnel which would anyway be engaged in work relevant to the project.

A second constraint is that the UIA and WCMC have to determine exactly under what contractual terms any "product" is produced, given the UIA relations with SAUR, WCMC's rtelation with its sources, and the need of both parties to "recover costs".

The prototype CD to be produced in June 1997 will contain both problem and strategies databases from the Encyclopedia.

Future development strategy

Long-term strategic issues: The long-term strategic issues were discussed in a report to an earlier Council meeting (Reflections on a Possible UIA Information Strategy).

Web-possibilities: Since late in 1993, electronic publishing has been confronted by the possibilities of the World Wide Web. This has been discussed during previous UIA Executive Council meetings.

Such is the simplicity and elegance of the concept, that it constitutes an immediate challenge to any existing publisher, but especially to any organizations (or individuals) with publishing ambitions or information to disseminate -- notably of the kind produced by the UIA. Many of these points, and their implications for the UIA, were been covered in a report for the previous Council meeting (see report on Information Strategy, 1996).

In October 1994 the UIA subscribed on an experimental basis to a service providing access to Internet and the Web. The purpose was to test and offer e-mail access to the UIA, notably for organizations wishing to reply in this mode.

In December 1995 the UIA set up its own website (https://www.uia.org) under a subsidized arrangement with Interpac Belgium as part of the marketing programme for the Encyclopedia.

Current web status: Although only experimental, the facility of this medium has quickly led to the placement of some 2,500 "pages" of information onto the Web covering every aspect of UIA activity. This amounts to a full size publication in its own right. The scope can be seen by the introductory "home page" (see Annex 3) through which users are transferred to particular categories of information.

This approach offers considerable advantages in the presentation of up to date information on the UIA and its publications to a potentially very wide audience at relatively little cost -- compared to that of conventional brochure publication (quickly outdated) and mailing. The quality of presentation is also very satisfactory when printed from the Web by any user (including the UIA).

In addition to detailed information on the UIA itself, the website currently includes:

Future CD-ROM production: It has been decided to cease production of DOS and Macintosh versions and to concentrate on the Windows version.

It has always been the intention to produce several different CD-ROMs, with more or less of the UIA database information. Exactly what is produced will continue to be partially determined in consultation with SAUR, although the UIA may produce versions for independent distribution (not through SAUR).

Possibilities include CD-ROMs with:

It should be noted that commercial constraints prevent inclusion of many complementary databases on the same CD, even though this would provide an overview consistent with the UIA mandate.

Note that using a scanner also implies the possibility of placing texts from back copies of Transnational Associations, early UIA reference books, and other reports onto CD-ROM.

Future work will be affected by significant upgrades to Folio software and the relation to Web initiatives (see below).

(d) Future publication on the World Wide Web: It has quickly become evident that:

Placing data onto Internet adds to the existing challenge for the UIA and SAUR of the balance to be found between book (Yearbook, Encyclopedia) and CD-ROM. A balance must be found between all three for marketing purposes and in the relationship with SAUR.

A particular and relatively immediate challenge for the UIA is to determine the ways in which meeting and other data should be placed on the Web, and at what costs (if any) to users. This is especially urgent given the initiatives taken by other bodies in this respect.

The key element in any future Web-oriented strategy is direct access by the UIA to a Web server. Currently the UIA is using space in the Interpac server under a loose "sponsorship" arrangement. While this currently involves zero cost to the UIA, this is associated with a lack of ability to add addtional features essential to distribution of data over the Web with partial or full cost recovery (or any income generation).

By a fortunate coincidence, a nonprofit information service provider group based in Ghent (which is the Belgian member of the international Association for Progressive Communications -- ECOSOC Category I), has been transformed in 1997 into a cooperative "Agora". This cooperative has been looking for a means to operate from Brussels to improve the speed and quality of its services to NGOs, notably thosed based in the MAI.

The UIA has been involved in this process in two ways. Firstly, it has become a founding member of the cooperative by investing in it using funds provided by a UIA Full Member. Secondly, it has provided office space on the UIA premises for the server equipment for the cooperative (which will continue to be operated electronically from Ghent). The UIA will benefit considerably from direct access to these facilities which will enable it to transfer both e-mail and Web applications to this cooperative and to develop UIA web-server capacities as indicated above. This will be implemented in the period May-July 1997.

Of special interest in this context are the implications for dissemination of:

The main issue to be clarified is how payments and security can be organized to make the dissemination of information as user-friendly and economically viable as possible in a rapidly chaning information environment.

The vast amounts of information being placed on the Web by millions of bodies is exacerbating the many problems of information overlaod. The fundamental challenge is now expected to shift from "information" to "meaning" -- however this is to be understood. From this perspective, UIA data may in many ways be considered to be "meaningless". The UIA needs to be attentive to the need for "meaning tools" to increase the value of its information -- and ensure its own survival in an information rich world.

Other possibilities The possibilities relating to UIA operations in an electronic environment are discussed in a separate report (see separate report).

Investigations in relation to the European Commission contract have included experiments with three dimensional (virtual reality) displays of UIA data. These have been placed on the Web for illustrative purposes and show how access can be provided via them to websites of other organizations, for example. Such displays, generated from UIA databases, may prove to be the basis for new products. They offer users a new kind of overview of complex networks of relationships.

Publishing / Marketing

Contractual relationships with SAUR: Work continues under long-standing contracts revised in February 1996 to provide UIA with additional revenue by increasing payments for Yearbook editorial costs by 3% in 1996 and by 3% in 1998. Both parties continue to express satisfaction with the arrangements, despite the many threats to the publishing industry and booksales (see earlier report on Information Strategy) in a time of recession and general uncertainty.

No new contracts with SAUR are currently under discussion, although contracts are envisaged "when appropriate" for: -- Who's Who in International Organizations -- a "supplementary" volume to the Encyclopedia B. Sales and marketing Sales continue at a satisfactory level despite the general recession. SAUR remains very satisfied with UIA products.

The sales of the Yearbook volumes (or CD-ROM) under SAUR contracts are increasing: 1994: 11.9 million BF 1995: 12.5 1996: 14.1 The total sales of information deriving from UIA databases (whether through SAUR, or not) remains constant and can be judged as satisfactory: 1993: 19.4 million BF 1994: 21.5 1995: 20.5 1996: 20.4 The issue of UIA marketing from Brussels remains unresolved (if it is a real issue). Efforts by the UIA to market the Encyclopedia separately have not been succesful.

Marketing via the Web: As noted above, the marketing challenge has been considerably modified by Internet access. The UIA has placed a large amount of marketing information onto the Web (including hyperlinks to SAUR and Reed websites).

Related initiatives call for a careful balancing act, in consultation with SAUR, concerning: -- addition of a more or less extensive sample of data onto the Web (implemented March 1996) -- placing a complete functional database on the Web, excluding text or other significant portions, at no charge to users (implemented February 1996) -- providing some information free and charging for access to other information (under investigation) It is important to recognize that much information on organizations and meetings is already available on Internet free of charge. Increasing amounts will be made available in this way, notably by the United Nations (and especially as a result of the current "reform" process).

The UIA may be forced to recognize that its main asset lies not in the information itself but in the capacity to manage and update it.

Unsold copies: A regrettable issue raised each year by SAUR is the lack of appropriate financial arrangements through which to dispose of unsold copies of UIA publications. The problem is that the cost of shipping them from Germany is quite significant and the lack of guarantee that they can be sold at any price makes it awkward for the UIA to take any position on the matter. Such publications are therefore regularly pulped. Occasionally arrangements have been made with UNESCO, the difficulty being that such arrangements are easily abused resulting in loss of income. A more creative approach to this might have resulted from the contacts with the head of UNESCO's General Programme of Information (no follow up from their side) and the ACCT.

Secretariat / Administration / Human resources

Work on publications is increasingly undertaken with much greater reliance on:

These developments are partly in response to budgetary constraints, to the needs of individuals or to the desire to benefit, or continue to benefit, from known expertise. It is expected that the UIA involvement with the Web will further change the balance and nature of secretariat operations.

As with many employers, the UIA has difficulty locating suitable (and affordable) personnel who can be expected to stay long enough (several publication cycles) to acquire the levels of expertise necessary to undertake the more challenging editorial and research tasks -- which are increasingly computer-related.

Computer-related infrastructure

The UIA continues to be confronted by the need to upgrade both hardware and software.

On the software side, improvements have been made to the backup systems and the ability to send faxes. This has been rendered possible and associated with a partial transfer to a Windows 95 environment, also seen as a test for the possibility of continued work with the non-Windows Revelation software widely used within UIA. The Windows development has also facilitated testing of a number of Web-oriented packages.

Much focus is now on the challenges of UIA publishing on the Web or of accessing information from the Web of value to UIA publications -- notably as a source of information on international organizations. To this end the software challenges of a UIA web-server are being investigated, notably by a partial upgrade of the obsolete DOS-based Revelation software to OpenInsight (its Windows equivalent). This has an integrated web-server facility.

On the hardware side, several Pentium based machines have been purchased over the past year. At the end of 1996, the UIA abandoned the "maintenance contract" philosophy in favour of a replacement or "time and services" philosophy. It has become clear that "maintaining" old machines is usually a matter of "replacing" or "upgrading" them and that "maintenance" is an inappropriate use of resources.

Annexes

Annex 1 Yearbook statistics (international organizations by type)

Annex 2 World Guide to Logos, Emblems and Trademarks of International Organizations

Annex 3 UIA "Home page" on the World Wide Web

Annex 4 Procedures de traduction "automatique"

Annex 5 Benefits and challenges of Web use for UIA work

Annex 6European Commission contract (Info2000)

Annex 7Checklist of recent papers / Participation in meetings

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