Challenges to Comprehension Implied by the Logo of Laetus in Praesens
Laetus in Praesens
8th May 1999

International Organization Information / Research: 1999

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Prepared for Union of International Associations (Executive Council, 27-28 May 1999)
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: Editorial work on this multi-volume series continued according to the regular annual production cycle and despite the need for reorganization due to departure of key personnel. Significant changes include splitting Volume 1 into two physical parts (1a and 1b). Continuing efforts have been made to improve the bibliographical coverage of studies of international organization in Volume 4.

It is worth noting the understandable explosion in activity of international organizations on the Web. Statistics on e-mail and websites of international organizations are presented in Annex 2.

World problems / Strategic potential

Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential: Work on the electronic version of some databases in this publication continues under contract, as described below.

Biographical profiles of leadership

Who's Who in International Organizations: Editorial work on the new edition of Whos Who in International Organizations contines, with a view to publication before the end of the year.

Meetings scheduled / Conference organization / Associate Membership

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

By-products / CD-ROM / Online

Yearbook Plus: International Organizations and Biographies (CD-ROM version): The annual edition is planned in the normal manner for production before October.

Yearbook of International Organizations (Online version): A distinction should be made between the 11,000 static pages placed by the UIA on the Agora service provider and the UIA databases accessible dynamically on the UIA NT server connected to the Agora service.

Encyclopedia Plus: Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential (CD-ROM version): There remains the possibility of producing a CD version within the context of the contract through which some Encyclopedia databases are currently being developed.

Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential (Online version): Most UIA databases are now "accessible" on the web. However the only databases freely accessible to "Guests" are those relating to the current development contracts of the Encyclopedia, namely the Problems and Strategies databases. The other databases are only accessible for test purposes.

Online databases: as indicated, most UIA databases are now "accessible" on the web. However the only databases freely accessible to "Guests" are those relating to the current development contracts of the Encyclopedia, namely the Problems and Strategies databases. The other databases are only accessible for test purposes

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 reports developed by UIA staff continue to be placed on the static web page facility.

The Bettati report has been placed on the web, in the same manner, as a means of inviting further comment and initiative.

Future development strategy / Proposals / Fund-raising

Future publication on the World Wide Web: The UIA is in process of shifting from focus on the static server to a hybrid focus in which users of the static pages will be referred to databases accessible from the dynamic server. This involves:

Further work is required on this facility but it is currently being tested with selected distant Web users.

Strategic issues: The long-term strategic issues were discussed in a report to an earlier Council meeting (Reflections on a Possible UIA Information Strategy). What follows is an updated checklist:

Evaluating future options: Within the above context, with its various positive and negative dimensions, the question is how to evaluate future proposals and projects.

A tentative framework, entitled Degrees of fulfilment of UIA operational and strategic objectives has been prepared for discussion (see separate Annex 7 of Council documents). In that Annex, Table 1 identifies a set of 11 criteria and 4 levels of achievement. In Table 2 these criteria are applied experimentally to a range of products and services.

Partly in the light of this document (Annex 7), a separate document on UIA Initiatives and services has been prepared (see separate Annex 4 of Council documents). This endeavours to highlight the essential strategic dilemmas to be faced in responding to new opportunities. Implicit in these is the challenge to the UIA of:

(a) determining what constitutes effective action in terms of its mandate

(b) what financial concessions it wishes to make, at what cost, to those it deems in need of information services or other assistance

(c) what posture to adopt with respect to sponsorship arrangements which run the risk of detracting from the UIA's image

(d) what effort to put into responding to calls to essentially indifferent IGOs?

(e) how to make best use of personnel or to pay for additional personnel in the light of a new pattern of requests.

Fund raising (see Annex 1):

Collaborative projects / External relations

European Commission contract: Information Context for Biodiversity Conservation Work on this DG-XIII contract (January 1998-December 1999) is proceeding satisfactorily with respect to development of the Problems and Strategies databases (see Annex 1 for further details). Work on the web access facilities is proceeding satisfactorily, as noted above.

Work on the multi-media dimensions of this project is proceeding less rapidly, but the test interfaces already suggest dramatic new approaches to access to UIA data (see demo).

Interactive Health Ecology Access Links (IHEAL) Project: The UIA is a subconsultant to the NGO UNED-UK, which has been funded by the European Commission (DG-XI) to support work in preparation for the June 1999 Conference of European Environment and Health Ministers. The UIA is responsible for the text content of a participative web database (extension of the Encyclopedia) ; others are responsible for a GIS (mapping) component and organization database. This is a pilot project solely to provide a demonstration at the Healthy Planet Forum, the NGO event which runs parallel to the Conference of Ministers in June 1999. The estimated total budget for the project is 63,888 EUR (£42,938), of which the UIA has 23,526 EUR. The consortium of consultants is seeking further funds for full-blown development of the project.

Publishing / Marketing

Contractual relationships with SAUR: These continue to be satisfactory.

Sales and marketing Reported sales are maintained in a difficult market, possibly due to the web marketing effectively undertaken through the UIA static pages.

Unsold copies The pulping by Saur of the unsold copies of the regular publications continue to be a source of regret.

Secretariat / Administration

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 with UIA data and programs. It is expected that the UIA involvement with the Web will further change the balance and nature of secretariat operations.

Since August 1997, the UIA is having to deal with the departure of a number of significant editorial personnel working on the Yearbook -- whether due to resignation as the consequence of childbirth, moves to other jobs, or to retirement. Work at critical times has also been handicapped by extended illness. The fact that the 1998 Yearbook production cycle kept to deadlines was a result of exceptional initiative by those who had to compensate.

As the table below shows, this pattern represents a serious weakening of the editorial staff in a situation where experience and continuity are vital. At the beginning of 1999, there will be 3 full-time and 6 part-time (equivalent to 6 full-time) which is a slight increase on the 3 full-time and 5 part-time (equivalent to 5.5 full-time) in 1994. But those in 1994 had an average of 13 years experience, compared to 11 years experience in 1999. If the averages are weighted to take account of part-time contributions, the figures become 8.9 years for 1994 against 6.7 for 1999.

*** table *****************

Position Initials UIA years Left UIA Cause New (started) New (left) Senior editor Full RC 22 Feb 99 Retiring PZ (Apr 98) Oct 98 Senior editor Full JN +20 Mar-Apr 98 (Temp.illness+) Editor Parttime MA 12 Editor Full SC 2 Apr 98 New job IZ (Aug 98) Jan99 Editor Parttime MvB +8 Sep 97 Child LY (Jan 98) Editor Parttime CF 8 Nov 98 Child+job LH (Oct 98) Editor Parttime MG 27 Filing Parttime SG 0.75 Aug 98 Dismissed YB Support: Computers Production Parttime TJ +20 Production Computers Editing Parttime JF +3 Production Parttime NC +15 Computer CD +10 Jan-Mar 99 (Temp.

absence) 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. Trial periods for potentially useful people tend to be long, and expensive if the person finally proves unsatisfactory.

The above departures were preceded by representations from editorial staff collectively early in 1997 concerning salary and conditions. Salaries were increased late in Spring of 1998. It cannot be concluded that salaries have been the sole cause of this weakening of staff, but they have certainly contributed to it and make replacements a challenge. The effort to replace the senior editor (retiring early 1999) was an expensive failure due to the time necessary to determine whether the person could comprehend and take on the many dimensions of the task. Replacement of staff scheduled to leave is also expensive when double salaries have effectively to be paid whilst a new person is trained during the presence of the departing person --even though the productivity of the new person will take time to manifest.

Computer-related infrastructure

The UIA computers continue to require replacement or upgrading, notably to provide web and e-mail access from workstations continues.

This upgrading process is also a response to problems potentially associated with the Y2K issue.

Annexes

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