recycling and open source skills for e-government

Now, two bits of good news in one day, I wasn't expecting that; as one is for the Italian government, I almost fell off my chair.

The first bit is about recyclying software in public admnistration, a portal that is. According to the press fanfare:

It is a ‘software bank’, encouraging the re-use of software and IT applicationsdeveloped or tailored by or for the public sector. Among other things, the portal provides guidelines for the re-use of software, methodological tools, a catalogue of re-usable applications developed by central government, tips for carrying out feasibility studies of software re-use, and a template for drafting re-use contracts. According to government estimates, software re-use could rapidly generate savings representing at least 10% of central administrations’ spending on software applications.

Apart from the saving [a chorus of 'who cares' was heard], it is just amazing that an adminstrator in say Turin will be able to use the same software as one in Naples. This, believe you me, is better than television in terms of cutural unification. Imagined political community and all that. Administrators of all counties, unite.

Which leads to the second bit of news. Not only sharing, but also open source innovation, via the Open Source Academy !! [I admit this is from the UK].

The Open Source Academy aims to encourage the use of Open Source software by local authorities throughout the UK, by demonstrating its benefits and by creating an environment where Open Source software is not only inviting, but also safe to use and adopt by all local authorities. It is also looking at best practice advice and guidance from those local authorities who are now experiencing the benefits of using Open Source in the development of their IT systems.

So, after all, public administration can innovate and share using the OS principles. Which has huge implication for traditionl Weberian [and not-so-Weberian] theories of PA.