Book Review

Sinebare, Musawe. 2014. PNG Vision 2050: A Critique for the Development of Papua New Guinea. India, Rajan Jain. 

Dr Sinebare Musawe
Photo credit: MEDTEC

Review by Ismael K. Isikel

Introduction

Dr Sinebare’s latest book is a critique of Papua New Guinea’s long term development strategy that was introduced in 2009 that envisage the country and its citizens to be smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy by 2050. It touches on our everyday lives, our well-being, and our future as individuals and as a nation.

The book consists of 189 pages and is divided into 18 chapters. There is an index for quick access to topics in the chapters. A bibliography is located towards the end and comprises 62 items.

PNG Vision 2050 appears to join futuristic thinking of our time and drew my attention to two internationally acclaimed futuristic thinkers. These two leading futuristic thinkers are Alvin Toffler (The Third Wave) and John Naisbitt (Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives).  I read these two books over twenty years ago and reread them again this year while researching to do this review. While futuristic thinkers envision the future based on past and current experiences, PNG Vision 2050 plans to get there.

In the process of working on this review I also found another PNG writer’s article. The author is, Tabian Ambang, who looked at Vision 2050 in his work “Progress and the challenges of implementing PNG Vision 2050:  Reflections from Human Development Index ranking for 2011 – 2012.  This is the second work that I have come across relating to critique and analysis of PNG Vision 2050.

The purpose of this review is to draw attention to PNG Vision 2050: A Critique for the Development of Papua New Guinea.

Review

PNG Vision 2050

A synopsis of PNG Vision 2050 is presented next to help the readers in the beginning follow this review.  At the end of 2007 the National Executive Council (NEC) decided to develop this framework strategy to chart the future course for a better Papua New Guinea reflecting our aspirations. The NEC made the decision on advice from the National Planning Committee (NPC) and the result is “The Papua New Guinea Vision 2050” and commonly shortened as PNG Vision 2050.

PNG Vision 2050 is characterised by seven Strategic Focus Areas, also referred to as the seven pillars and these are:

1. Human Capital Development, Gender, Youth and People Empowerment;

2. Wealth Creation;

 3. Institutional Development and Service Delivery;

4. Security and International Relations;

5. Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change;

6. Spiritual, Cultural and Community Development; and

7. Strategic Planning, Integration and Control.

PNG Vision 2050: A Critique for the Development of Papua New Guinea.

In the first chapter the author notes a significant difference between the original and current versions of the mission statement of PNG Vision 2050.  The term “united” was in the original version but when the Final Report to National Development Summit 2008, was presented the term “united” was omitted and it now  reads‘ We will be a Smart, Wise, Fair, Healthy and Happy Society by 2050.’ The earlier version read We will create a united, smart, wise, fair, healthy, and happy Papua New Guinea by 2050.

Two Complimentary Government Plans is the topic of discussion and analysis in the second chapter where the author analyses PNG Vision 2050 and PNG Development Strategic Plan 2010-2030. Here the author gives a snapshot of the similarities, differences, and complementaries between these two long term plans by the government.

There have been calls for the abolition of the dual salary system in the country and again the author reiterates this call in his discussion of Attitude and Mindset in chapter three.  The chapter points out that it is easy to criticise public servants for poor performance and attitude in the workplace.  Of course it is easy to criticise, but no one has made a thorough study of the causes of the poor performance and attitude.  However, there are some causes that stand out and one of them is the dual salary system. I also reiterate the author’s call for the abolition of the dual salary system. It is an outdated system and one of the contributing factors to a divisive situation where the national and the expatriate are treated differently in terms of reward even if they have equal educational qualification and work experience. This is not to say that some expatriates have educational experience and skills that nationals do not posses. However it is time for a paradigm shift, a change of the mindset.

We aspire to be a smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy people and country by 2050. Our aspirations require conformity, individually and collectively, to government directives in order to achieve this smart, wise, fair and happy state.  Chapter 4 concludes that key stakeholders have an important role to play in executing their roles, functions and responsibility in delivering their roles, functions and responsibilities in delivering government services to the nation. Tabian[i] makes similar observations and explains further thus, PNG can be transformed into an emerging developing country if all the directional statements under Vision 2050 are articulated, institutionalized and implemented efficiently and effectively by the government and by its development partners and agencies including the business sector. However there are challenges as the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI), for 2011 shows that PNG is among the group of low human development countries, being ranked 153 out of 187 countries and falling below most of its smaller South Pacific Island countries .

As You Sow So Shall You Reap is the topic of chapter 5 and appropriately illustrated with an analogy of the algorithm that immediately sent me off to the dictionary and I came back with this definition from Google:

Algorithm is a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.

I note in my readings elsewhere the term algorithm is now used more and more in the social sciences and in here the author uses systems approach such as in project management as a systematic way of doing things in order to achieve better desired results.

A social science translation of this computer algorithm simply is, if we put in good quality work in conformity with government policies or PNG Vision 2050 guidelines we can expect good quality outcome. If we put in half-hearted performance without conforming to and understanding of government directives, then let us not expect the best outcome.

Now, back to the systems approach! The chapter suggests a systems approach such as project management as the most potential to help us achieve PNG Vision 2050. Added to the systems approach the author discusses Pursuing the Smart Approach in chapter 6 where SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.

Indeed we need wisdom, both traditional and introduced, to exercise fairness in carrying out our decisions and work. Chapter 8 warns that, if we continue to plant the seed of unfairness and greed in the way we conduct our affairs now, there is little or no hope to see PNG society become a fair society by the year 2050. The chapter encourages reading as a means to collecting information on wisdom from other countries to supplement traditional wisdom to help us assimilate and exercise fairness in carrying out our duties. Most books do not tell us that this is wisdom and that is not. Some of the books we read and work out the wisdom in them. For example, we can be able to work out wisdom from reading the Third Wave by Alvin Toffler. The wisdom comes from our deductions of the changes in society and what to look for in anticipating or planning for change.

Health of body, mind and spirit forms the discussion of chapter 9. A healthy workforce serving a healthy society is something that we should all aspire to have by 2050 and beyond.

People aspire to live happy lives. No matter the ups and downs in their lives, happiness should be long lasting. Chapter 10 treats enduring happiness for people and their communities. It goes on to ask and discuss the following questions that are central to PNG Vision 2050:

1. Is PNG smart?

2. Is PNG wise?

3. Is PNG fair?

4. Is PNG healthy?

5. Is PNG happy?

Papua New Guineans should be asking these questions as basis for acting together or individually in order to contribute to achieving PNG Vision 2050. Let me put these five questions into one main question and that is: What is the current state now?

After dealing with enduring happiness the book next touches on “knowledge is wealth” and basically focuses on development of the human capital for creating wealth.

In discussing Strategic Plans and their Implementation the author points out in chapter 12 some investment decisions appear not to be in line with strategic plans. It also notes the lack of conformity by majority government departments and agencies to directives.

Towards Political stability is treated in chapter 13 and concludes that strong political leadership with high integrity and moral values are needed to shift towards political stability. Leadership of such quality could be groom from within our education system.

The discussion on political stability is followed by Institutional Development and Service Delivery. This chapter call for improvement in critical areas such as political option, public sector reform, and infrastructure and utilities.

Chapter 15 addresses Human Capital Development for Knowledge Economy.  In order to achieve this it concludes discipline must be exercised in apportioning funds according to the percentage distribution required in PNG Vision 2050.

National Security and International Relations forms the discussion in Chapter 16 and includes Prospects for Security in PNG, Social Security, National Security, International Relations, and Deteriorating Law and Order Situation. A strategy is needed to guarantee security for all citizens and good-natured relations between our country PNG and other countries.

   

Vision 2050 and Futuristic

Vision 2050 is not just an ambitious isolated plan, but one that John Naisbitt[1] had foreseen long before it was written. In Chapter four of Megatrends Naisbitt writes in summary, “We are restructuring from a society run by short-term considerations and rewards in favour of dealing with things in much longer-term time frames” (Naisbitt 1982, p.1). Then it is reasonable to state Papua New Guinea Government and its people aspire to restructure and move away from short-term considerations and rewards towards long term planning to achieve better and long term desired results. Another futuristic thinker, Alvin Tofller, wrote, “Today the First Wave has virtually subsided. Only a few tiny tribal populations, in South America or Papua New Guinea, for example, remain to be reached by agriculture" (Toffler 1980, 13). This was noted in 1980 and it would be interesting to analyse the agriculture sector in terms of how much has it achieved in order to guarantee food security between 1980 and 2015.

A shift in leadership style is necessary. We need to move away from the type of leadership styles that are described as the mercenary, merchant, and maniac which the author talks about in his previous book Principles & Practices of Papua New Guinea Leadership. In this book the mercenary  is described as…”an opportunist who uses scare tactics to threaten staff, suppress procedures, pillage resources, and grab what he can and dash” (Sinebare 2013, p.68).

What kind of society do we move away from?

We must move away from a society that is unfair. It is crucial to remove all forms of unfair practices. For example, let us remove the dual salary system and move over to a society where the national is treated equally by reward as the expatriate. Let us give a better education to our children in order for them, and generations after, to acquire knowledge for wealth creation.

Sources

Dr Sinebare used a variety of sources to write this critique. Sources include newspaper articles that were consulted to find out what people are currently expressing on national issues that bears relevance to PNG Vision 2050. The reader will note that each chapter begins with a quotation. These quotations are from various notable people from around the world, including scholars and world leaders that set the gist of each chapter. Dr Sinebare has been a senior academic administrator and senior public servant and draws from his long years of experience in writing this critique.

Conclusion

Understanding, appreciation and acting upon directives to implement Vision 2050 are needed in order to maximize achievements of desired results of PNG Vision 2050 by 2050 and beyond.

Despite the attempts, slow progress is noted in the first two years of Vision 2050’s implementation.

I think one other contributing factor is for leaders to align themselves with and understand futuristic thinking because PNG Vision 2050 joins long-term thinking and planning.

Sinebare and Tabian are the two known authors that have made individual study - analysis and critique - of PNG Vision 2050.

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Note

Any misrepresentation in this review is entirely the responsibility of the reviewer and not the author.

References

Ambang, Tabian. 2012. Progress and the challenges of implementing PNG Vision 2050: Reflections from Human Development Index ranking for 2011–2012 in Contemporary PNG Studies: DWU Research Journal Volume 17, November 2012, p.83 -93.

Naisbitt, John. 1982.   Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives. New York, Warner Books.

National Strategic Plan Taskforce. 2009.  Papua New Guinea Vision 2050. Government of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.

Sinebare, Masuwe. 2013. Principle & Practices of Papua New Guinea Leadership. India, Rajan Jain.

Toffler, Alvin. 1980. The Third Wave. US, Bantam Books.

Footnotes

[1] Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives. New York, Warner, Books.

[i] Ambang, Tabian. 2012. Progress and the challenges of implementing PNG Vision 2050: Reflections from Human Development Index ranking for 2011–2012.

Book review

Sinebare, Masuwe. 2013. Principle & Practices of Papua New Guinea Leadership. India, Rajan Jain.

Review by Ismael K. Isikel

Interesting Chapter
I love the title of chapter 7! It reads "Missionaries, Merceneries, Merchants and Maniacs".  In a way it is hilarious, but that is not the intent of the chapter. It is chapter 7 of  Dr Musawe Sinebare's book Principle & Practices of Papua New Guinea Leadership. In chapter 7 the author shares his experience of having served under three different CEOs. The characteristis of the Missionary, the Mercenery, and the Merchant are described but not of the Maniac. Well, there is no need to describe a maniac and i do not wish to work under the leadership of one, No. I wonder how staff cope working under that type of CEO. The Mercenery is another that I do no wish to associate with.

Teacher's Passion
Dr Sinebare writes with the teacher's passion as shown clearly at the end of every chapter. At the end of each chapter he gives the reader the opportunity to ponder over the chapter with an exercise titled Follow-up Tasks. For this chapter the author gives five tasks for the reader.

Follow-up Task
1. Describe each CEO's management styles based on their particular characteristcis.
2. Which CEO would you emulate if you were in a management or leadership position?
3. Describe the merit of each CEO based on their management styles.
4. What management characteristics would you employ if you were a CEO in an organization?
5. If you were a CEO, which category would best describe your qualities?

These Follow-up tasks make good study in leadership.

What is there to learn?
It is a good book for both the CEO and the aspiring CEO. Those in CEO positions may want to read this book and evaluate themselves - their characteristics of leadership- for the purpose of improvement. The aspiring CEO will certainly chart a course of good leadership from reading this book.

Pagination
In total there are seventeen (17) short chapters of this 172-page book. In terms of reading, understanding, and simply following the author's thoughts, it should not take a day to complete the book. Lets say it depends on how fast you read.

Forward and Preface
Another prolific PNG writer, Sir Paulias Matane, wrote the Forward and the Preface is written by the author.

References
As you get to the end of  the book, like most non-fictions, there is a bibliography (References) that lists 42 items of information sources. The reader may wish to consult these, if accessible from any public sources, for additional information on leadership. There are sources on the Internet on leadership and some of them are free. Google "leadership" to get you started on searching for more  information to help you sharpen your leadership skills. That is exactly what i have done in order to improve my skills,

Table of Content & Index
A table of content in the begining and an index at the end are good  quick pointers to where the reader may quikly find topics discussed in a book. There is a table of content for this book, but there is no index.

The author
 Besides having held other senior positions at Eastern Highlands Provincial Government and the National Research Institute, the author had also servied as Pro Vice Chancellor (Administration) and Acting Vice Chancellor at the University of Goroka.  He is also the author  of Path to Success, and Papua New Guinea Development Strategies for Socio-Economic Empowerment

Web2 for Teaching, Learning, and Information Management.

The Papua New Guinea University of Technology Library, Matheson Library, runs a short course for personnel in the public service, private sector, and NGO. The short course is known as Web 2.0 for Teaching, Learning, and Information Management. The duration of the short course is one week and it is offered during the semester.  

Contact
For further details and expression of interest on the next Web2.0 short course contact:

• Georgina Yambei on phone 4734351 or email gyambei@lib.unitech.ac.pg
• Julie Tum on phone 4734351 or email jtum@lib.unitech.ac.pg

Course Details and Content

Web2.0 for Teaching, Learning, and Information Management.

The one week short course is adapted from Web2.0 for Development (Web2.0forDeve) to suit the learning and related environments. It is part of the University Library's ongoing efforts in promoting the effective use of Web2.0 Applications in teaching and learning, information orgainization and management, and other related professions.

Target Audience

Web2.0 is aimed at:

• Teachers
• Librarians
• Information Personnel in various fields
• Others interested in Web2.0 applications

Objectives

Participant will:

Be introduced to relevant Web2.0 Applications such as:

• Blog 
• Wikis 
• Dropbox
• My Drive

Use Web2.0 Applications effectively in information and management services
Access, organize, and diseminate information
Create and exchange content with colleagues 
Blog for teaching and learning activities and sharing information
Collaborate in real time in compiling information or creating content
Create professional networks through the social media

Topics

• Web2.0 and Social Media Concepts
• Mass Communication and Social Media
• Web2.0 Applications
• Social Media and Education
• Cloud Computing
• Collaborative work
• Selective Access to Information
• Social Networking

Requirements

1. Participants must have their own laptops that they will bring with them to the workshop to use during the three days. These will be used for workshop activities including access to the internet.

2. Participants should have a current valid gmail account

3. Mobile phone (Smart phone)

Fees

K1200 per person for the one week workshop. This will cover course material and refreshment.

Payment of fees can be made to Unitech Trust Fund on account number 11188172 ANZ Bank, Lae Branch.

Accommodation
Participants make their own arrangement. The following guest houses are within the campus or nearby.

Accommodation within campus

Rainforest Habitat Guest House

Single room K85 per night

Twin room K25 per night

Family room K165 per night

Contact: Zabare on phone number 472 4662

Unitech Guest House

Single room K140 per night

Double room K190 per night

Family room K220 per night

Contact: Miriam or Esther on phone number 4734488

Outside campus

Pilgrim Village Guest House

Single budget K140 per night

Common bathroom/toilet

Self contain K K225 per night

Contact: Saki on phone 4728076

Web2.0 Communication Trends

The current trends of communication using communication features of  Web2.0 Applications makes it far more easier and faster to send, receive, create content,  or gather information with ease. Even colleagues or professionals communicate and endorse each others' skills and expertise for marketability purposes. This post is written from experience and observation

Communication features .of Web2.0 Applications include Link, Share, Follow, Like, Endorse, and Comment .

Link

A Link is a connection from one hypertext document to another location within the same document or to another document or image in another webpage. The Link is activated by clicking on a highlighted word, phrase, or image.

Share 

A post is shared from one timeline to another for general interest, education, alert, and other reasons. It may also be shared from one Web2.0 Application to another, for example, from Twitter to Facebook. From time to time I share posts from Twitter to Facebook.

Follow

Follow is an easy way to keep tab on posts in a blog, for example, You do not have to keep visiting a blog to find out what is being posted. Whenever an activity takes place the blog's link is posted to your timeline with brief details of the new activity. Click on the Follow feature to enable this form of communication.

Like

The popularity of a post may be measured by how many viewers cliked on Like for a post.

Endorse

Linkdln has the Endorse feature and allows colleagues or friends from around the country and the world to confirm that your skills that you list on your profile are geuine. This is good for marketability of your "resume" to possible employers.

Comment

Many Web2.0 Applications provide the comment feature to allow others to write comments on a post.  You can do this in blogs, Facebook, and Twitter.

Web2.0 Participant's Testamonial

This is an acknowledgement from a participant in one of the Web2.0 short courses, The participant, Ian Cosmas, who is an academic staff of the university put out this acknowledgement in the university's email. It is encouraging and i have taken the liberty to post verbatim the acknowledgement email here.

Dear Dora/Ismael/David,

I just returned from attending the Web 2.0 Social Media Technologies used in Education and Learning course which ended yesterday.

I'd like to thank you all for organising courses that benefit staff. 

Although I am aware of Web 2.0 in theory (and some of the others also are), the course was practical and enabled us to practically apply the Web 2.0 social media technologies.  The social media tools learnt can be immediately applied in an educational context to facilitate online and real time collaboration, research and learning in the University amongst staff and students.

It is pleasing to see what is happening now to upgrade the Web 2.0 computer skills of staff in the campus.  The world is fast evolving and technology is a key enabler for change in institutions and organisations globally, and PNG is no exception. The introduction of these technologies in various departments will foster a change in teaching and learning in terms of quality education as well as the improvement of current academic processes.  

I envisage that after staff and students are trained in the use of Web 2.0 social media technologies and Google Classroom, we should start to see the emergence of the modern, digitally driven University of Technology - we can start to live up to our name, i.e. "The University of Technology". 

I do understand that there is still fair bit of work to be done such as the departmental network upgrades which need to happen so the departmental networks sync with the 03b satellite broadband network.  Having said that, we have removed the biggest hurdle and have good progress so far in terms of the implementation of the O3b Satellite Broadband network. 

Thanks

Ian

IT Lecturer - MCSEM, MACS (CT)

Exhaustive Search Strategy

When doing a literature review on a subject of interest it is better to do an exhaustive search in the library and other information sources outside of the library.An exhaustive search ensures maximum location of literature related to the subject. Make sure the search strategy is clearly set out in the begining. Simply, it means to make sure you know the search terms before you actually begin your search.

There are various ways to do a literature search. I offer two ways here and let us call them Strategy 1 and Strategy 2. This is illustrated with an example and an encounter in class with a student.

Strategy 1

Strategy 1 is to use Direct Search Terms. Direct Searh Terms are words and phrases directly taken from you topic of research. For example, your topic of research may be "Climate Change and Sustainable Development." The search words and phrases taken directly from this topic are:  Climate, Climate Change, Development, and Sustainable Development. Theses terms and phrases are then used to search the catalogue or entered one at a time on your search browser. This strategy may or may not yield all the results required for the topic, If it does not yield maximum results, move on to Strategy 2.

Strategy 2

Strategy 2 is to use Derived Search Terms. Derived Search Terms are terms and phrases related to the Direct Search Terms in Stategy 1. In other words, they are related terms and phrases to your topic of research "Climate Change and Sustainable Development." El Nino and drought are two related terms to the topic. Your identification of related terms depends on your general knowledge and how widely you read. Another way to identify related terms is to pick up other terms from the search results. You may also identify other terms through discussion with colleagues or fellow students. For example, a week ago i was having a discussion with a small group of students on using certain web2 applications for information gathering. I told the class that through the use of the social media i am able to learn new terms and one of these is the "sixth mass extinction". Immediately one of the students asked to see me after class about "the sixth mass extinction". After class it transpired during our discussion with this particular student that he is currently working on a topic similar to the example used here. He is working in collaboration with staff or students from ANU. We checked the ANU Library and sure enough there are three titles in its collection that treat the subject "the sixth mass extinction".  The student had never come across the phrase "the sixth mass extinction". Our discusion in class on another subject led to his discovery which helped him to broaden his search terms while conducting research. It also maximised his volume of literature on his subject of research.

In summary be organized and plan your search strategy in order to maximise you search results.

Regulating the use of an email service

A small committee had been looking into how email usage could be regulated in an institution. The committee has been concerned about the abuse of the institution's email service and decided to come up with a document. The document was drafted mostly by this blogger who sought assistance from other sources on the subject from the internet. It was drawn up using The IT Donut Template  Other sources on email policy or etiquette were consulted for help in writing to reflect the current situation and the future.The draft document is presented here and does not represent the views of the of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology. The name Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech) is used as an example to try out the IT Donut Template.

Papua New Guinea University of Technology

Email Use Policy Proposal 

Introduction

In the absence of an email use policy and past and current experiences of intermittent, and at times flagrant, abuse of The Papua New Guinea University of Technology email service, the committee has decided to propose a policy to guide email usage, curb further abuse, and maintain professional and institutional integrity.

This policy shall be known as The Papua New Guinea University of Technology Email Use Policy. It describes the rules and behaviour governing email usage at Unitech. It was drawn up using The IT Donut Template and Unitech does not hold The IT Donut responsible for any errors or omissions in this policy. Other sources on email policy or etiquette were consulted for help in writing to reflect the current situation and the future.

The Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech) provides email service to staff and students for work and study. In doing so it calls for responsible use of the email service.

This policy should be read and appropriately applied alongside other relevant rules, policies, and statutes of The Papua New Guinea University of Technology.

Purpose

The purpose of this Email Use Policy is to:

·         Ensure staff and students follow good email etiquette

·         Inform staff and students how they are permitted to use the email service

·         Minimize risks that may be faced by Unitech

Policy Scope

This policy applies to all staff and students at Unitech who use its email service within the campus and outside. It applies to any device (for example, laptop or mobile) owned by Unitech, staff or student.

Work Email Use

Unitech recognizes the importance of email as a communication tool and encourages staff and students to use it whenever appropriate. For example, staff and students may use email to:

·         Communicate work and study information to colleagues and students

·         Inform the public on Unitech’s services and activities relevant to the public

Personal Use of Email

Unitech allows staff and students to use its email service for personal use according to the following guidelines:

·         Personal email use should be of a reasonable level and restricted to non-work times, such as breaks and lunch hours

·         All rules described in this policy apply equally to personal email use. For example, inappropriate content is always inappropriate, no matter whether it is being sent or received for work or personal reasons.

·         Personal email use must not affect the email service available to other users. For example, sending exceptionally large files by email could slow access for others.

·         Users may access their own personal email accounts at work, if they can do so via Unitech’s internet connection. Staff and students may check their Google or Yahoo Mail during lunch break

Authorised Users

Only authorised staff and students may use Unitech’s email service.

Authorization is provided by Head of Department and IT Department. This is granted when a new staff or student joins Unitech and assigned login details for Unitech’s IT systems.

Unauthorised use of Unitech’s email service is prohibited.

Staff and students who use Unitech’s email service without authorization – or who provide access to unauthorised people – may face disciplinary action.

Email Security

Email, if used inappropriately, can be a source of security problem for Unitech. Therefore users of Unitech email service must not:

·         Open email attachments from unknown sources, in case they contain virus or other malware.

·         Disable security or email scanning software because these tools are essential to protecting the service from security problems

·         Send confidential Unitech data via email. The IT Department can advise on appropriate tools to be used instead.

·         Access another user’s email account. If they require access to a specific message (for example, while a staff is off sick) they should approach the Head of Department or the IT Department.

Staff and students must always consider the security of Unitech’s systems and data when using email. Staff and students who need help may seek advice or help from IT Department.

Users should note that email is not inherently secure. Most emails transmitted over the internet are sent in plain text. This means they are vulnerable to interception which may be rare, but it is wise to regard email as an open communication system.

Inappropriate Email Content and Use

It is not acceptable under any circumstances that Unitech’s email service be used to send or store inappropriate content or materials. Therefore users must not:

·         Write or send emails that might be defamatory or incur liability for Unitech

·         Create or distribute any inappropriate content via email

Inappropriate content includes pornography, racial or religious slurs, gender-specific comments, information encouraging criminal skills or terrorism, or materials relating to cults, gambling and illegal drugs.

This definition of inappropriate content or material also covers any text, images or other media that could reasonably offend someone on the basis of race, age, sex, religious or political beliefs, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.  Therefore do not:

·         Use  email for any illegal or criminal activities.

·         Send offensive or harassing emails to others.

·         Send messages or material that could damage Unitech’s image and reputation.

Any user who receives an email they consider to be inappropriate should report this to their Head of Department and the IT Department.

Copyright

Unitech respects and operates within copyright laws. Users may not use Unitech email service to share any copyrighted software, media or materials owned by third parties, unless permitted by that third party.

Users should keep in mind that the copyright on letters, files and other documents attached to emails may be owned by the email sender, or by a third party. Forwarding such emails may breach this copyright.

Contracts and Liability

Staff and students must be careful about making commitments or agreeing to purchase via email.

An email message may form a legally-binding contract between Unitech and the recipient – even if the user has not obtained proper authorization from within Unitech.

Email Disclaimer

A standard Unitech email template should include an email disclaimer. Users must not remove or change this when they send messages.

Email Marketing and Bulk Email

Unitech may use email to market to existing and potential customers. All email campaigns must be authorized by the public relations office and implemented using Unitech’s marketing tool. Users must not send bulk emails using the standard business email system. All questions about email marketing should be directed to the public relations office

  

Email Etiquette.

Email is often used for communication in the workplace and other important contacts. Although a relatively informal medium, staff and students should be aware that each email they send does affect Unitech’s image and reputation.

Email etiquette ensures good working relationships between staff within Unitech and with others outside of Unitech. Therefore users must adhere to the following rules:

Don’t abuse the “Reply to All”

Rule – Don’t abuse the “Reply to All”.  Only use Reply to All if you really need your message to be seen by each person who received the original message. Sending off irrelevant or unnecessary replies to everyone on the list is just annoying and confusing. However, if communication is vital between all parties in an email thread, use the Reply to All to keep everyone in the loop. If you only use Reply in such a case, the recipient may have to forward your email to everyone else, which is frustrating and disjointed.

Read it before you send it.

Rule– Read your email before you send it Treat email like any other official document. Read it before you send it. Spelling and grammar errors are just as unfortunate in email as anywhere else in your corporate correspondence. Look out for potential misunderstandings, the tone, and inappropriate comments; we use email because it is quick and easy but precisely that quickness may cause more trouble than you bargained for!

Confidential information

Rule – Confidential information Email is just too risky a place to include confidential information. Ask yourself if you would want the content of your email displayed on a bulletin board. Never make libelous, sexist or racially discriminating comments in emails, even as a joke. Consider implementing a Disclaimer on the bottom of all corporate emails with statements on Breach of Confidentiality, Virus Liability, etc. (Yes, you can be sued for sending an email that contains a virus!)

File Attachments

Rule – Don’t attach unnecessary files. Wherever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments when they are productive. Make sure you have good virus software in place to scan your outgoing emails – a customer would not be happy if you send them documents riddled with viruses!

Don’t forward junk

Rule – Don’t forward junk. Don't forward chain letters, virus hoaxes, chain email solicitations for charitable causes even if they sound bona fide, funny pictures and jokes. Would you put these things on your corporate letterhead? The committee does not think so. Don't ever send or forward emails containing  defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks. Just one offensive remark can result in a multi-million kina court case for you and your institution.

Be concise

Rule – Be concise. Do not make an email longer than it needs to be. Email is harder to read than printed communications. A long email can be very discouraging and can be abandoned before the recipient gets to your final point all the way down at the bottom. If it has to be long, consider including a synopsis at the top of the email.

In regards to upsetting or provocative email, the committee advises that staff maintain professional email communication by taking this approach.  If the subject of the email is provocative, upsetting or depressing, write your response and leave in the “draft” to let it simmer down for some time. This gives you some distance in time between you and your written response. Then review your response to make sure that it is not hectoring, disrespectful, angry or intimidating. Dr Marianne Di Piero of Western Michigan University gives two very good examples here to illustrate the above advice.

Example 1: Unprofessional Communication

Jane, I’ve sent email and also called you 2 times and you still haven’t answered. Is something wrong with your phone? Maybe you are on vacation. Anyway, I’m sick and tired of waiting for you to do your job. I need that examination information NOW so that I can take care of my business. You promised it days ago. Send it ASAP! You are not a student and you don’t know what we go through.

Example 2:  Professional Communication

Hello Jane.

I hope that all is well there. I’ve tried to contact you several times regarding the information that you were going to send so that I could prepare for my examinations next month, but I haven’t heard from you. I know how busy it is at this time of year.  If you could prepare that information for me, I will make a special trip over to your office and pick up the materials myself so that you don’t have to email them to me.  I’m a bit nervous about the upcoming exams and access to those study guides would really help me a lot.

Please send me an email or call me and let me know a good time to stop by and if you need me to assist you in compiling the guides, I can do that easily. Professor Smith gave me acomplete list of all the titles and so it should take only a few minutes.

Thank you

Sincerely

John Smith

Internal Email

 Email is a valid way to communicate in the workplace however it tends to be overused for internal communication.

Users should bear in mind the following points when they need to communicate with colleagues:

·         If the issue or subject can be better addressed by face-to-face or telephone discussion, do not use email.

·         Is email the best way to send a document out for discussion? Often, it becomes very hard to keep track of feedback and versions.

·         It is rarely necessary to ‘reply to all’. Usually, it is better to reply and then manually add other people who need to see a message.

Policy Enforcement

1. Monitoring Email Use

Unitech email service is provided for legitimate business use and therefore reserves the right to monitor staff and students use of email. Monitoring will only be carried out by authorised staff.

In addition, all emails communication through Unitech’s email service are part of Unitech’s records. Unitech can be legally compelled to show information to law enforcement agencies or other parties.

Staff and students should always ensure information sent via email is accurate, appropriate, ethical, and legal.

2. Potential Sanctions

Knowingly breaching The Papua New Guinea University of Technology Email Use Policy is a serious matter. Staff and students who do so will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension or termination of study or employment.

Where appropriate, Unitech will involve the police or other law enforcement agencies in relation to breaches of this policy.

RFERENCES

1. Pierro , Marianne Di. Professional Email Etiquette in 11 Easy Steps. http://linkis.com/ucLGy (19/08/2015)

2. www.itdonut.co.uk/it/staff-and-it...it-policies/sample-email-use-policy (2/08/2015)

3. http://www.advantage-positioning.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/23_Rules_of_Corporate_Email_Etiquette.pdf (19/08/2015)
4. Raman, Meenakshi and Sharma, Sangeeta. 2004. Technical Communication:Principles and Practices. India, Oxford University Press.

Web2.0 Textbooks

A textbook is a necessary item in formal learning because that is where we get information in order to learn a subject of interest. Our learning becomes more profound if we learn from authors who are themselves expert or experienced in the field. I have found two textbooks, discussed here, as relevant and helpful  to learning, understanding, and using Web2.0. The first of the textbooks is "Web2.0 and Beyond: Principles and Technologies" by Paul Anderson and the second is "Weblogs and Libraries" by Laurel A. Clyde. First Textbook Anderson, Paul. 2012. Web2.0 and Beyond: Principles and Technologies. Boca Raton, CRC Press.  Anderson Paul is a British writer in the field of computor science and technology. He has experience and recognition in this field and it is the reason i find his book helpful. It is also easy to follow because it is well structured. I do not intend to do a comprehensive review of this book here because a detailed review of the book may be found in http://firstmonday.or/ojs/fm/article/view/4227/3314 However, according to the review, by Yijun Gao, in part reads: The author, Paul Anderson, is a writer and technology forecaster for Intelligent Content Ltd. and has worked in academia and industry for more than two decades. His works draws the wide implications of computing as well as how other areas interpret the Web 2.0. Summaries of important research from various disciplines are also mentioned as themes in the book. Web 2.0 and beyond: Principles and technologies introduces the necessary background knowledge of today’s Web services and studies. Mr. Anderson’s book not only covers technology standards but also the processes of standardization, which shows how the inter–relatedness among them is important to understanding Web 2.0, as well as relevant key research findings. This book is well structured and divided into three sections following an introductory chapter reviewing the evolution of the Web in recent years, such as the emergence and controversy of Web 2.0, the definition of Web 2.0 by O’Reilly, and the author’s iceberg model. This chapter gives the readers an opportunity to understand the concept of Web 2.0 as a whole. Indeed the book is well structured for organized reading and learning and if you want to understand Web2.0, read chapter 1. Based on practice and readings I find that Web2.0 is now a reality taking into consideration the fact that more and more people are using Web2.0 applications such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, and RSS that connect and allow people to exchange information. In the process of exchanging information people comment or add on facts and ideas to a discussion locally or globally. It is a reality. My blogging here is part of this reality. This book was published about the time I began blogging however, reading it now makes things to fall into place. I understand a lot better now than when i began. Subsequently, i am now better able to help colleagues and others use Web2.0 applications.
Second Textbook Clyde, Laurel A. 2004. Weblogs and Libraries. Oxford, Chandos Publishing. I remember in 2004 I was trying to learn CDS/ISIS that later was developed to WIN/ISIS. I wanted to learn to create a bibliographic database.That was the year Weblogs and Libraries was published. I did not get the chance to read this book until eleven years later.  The book contains eight (8) chapters and an index at the end. Overall, the author discusses Weblogs and Libraries from two main perspectives. Firstly, it treats libraries Weblogs as sources of information for libraries and librarians. Secondly, it treats Weblogs as tools for libraries to use in order to publicise their services as well as providing a means of communication with users. It gives various examples of weblogs from the Internet. The author Dr Laurel Anne Clyde was Professor and Chair of the Library and Information Science Department at the University of Iceland, where she taught courses related to information technology in libraries and information agencies. She is the author of numerous books, including Weblogs and Libraries. The word blog is used previously and now comes weblogs. Let us take blog as a truncation of weblog. In summary, these are two relevant books to read particularly for the untrained in order to understand Web2.0.

Web2 Short Courses

The next Web2.0 short course that was scheduled for the 24th to the 28th August 2015 at Matheson Library, PNG University of Technology, has been deferred until further notice. A change of date will be advised on this blog soon. However, those interested please register your interest by submitting your name to:

                                       Ismael K. Isikel on email ikisikel@lib.unitech.ac.pg
                                       Phone 4734360

Course Details and Content

Theme: Web2.0 for Teaching and Learning.

The one week short course is adapted from Web2.0 for Development (Web2.0forDeve) to suit the learning and related environments. It is part of the University Library's ongoing efforts in promoting the effective use of Web2.0 Applications in teaching and learning, information orgainization and management, and other related professions.

Objectives

Participant will:

• Be introduced to relevant Web2.0 Applications
• Blogger
• DropBox
• My Drive
• Use Web2.0 Applications in information and management services
• Information gathering, orgainization, and distribution
• Create and exchange content with colleagues and clients using Web2.0 Applications
• Blogging for teaching and learning activities
• Sharing information
• Collaborating in real time in compiling information
• Create professional networks through the social media

Topics

• Web2.0 and Social Media Concepts
• Mass Communication and Social Media
• Web2.0 Applications
• Cloud Computing
• Collaborative work
• Selective Access to Information
• Social Networking

Reading Inspires

NATIONL BOOK WEEK 2015 (Erap Primary School)

                                    Ismael K. Isikel 7/8/2015

My National Book Week speech delivered on 7th August 2015 at Erap Primary School.

 Principle, teachers, students, and parents on behalf of the University Library I thank you for the invitation to officiate here at Erap Primary School to mark National Book Week 2015. It is an important occasion in the Education calendar in PNG and the world. It is celebrated worldwide.

The theme for this year’s book week is Reading is Power. Every book week is celebrated with a theme that carries the message of book week or book day as known in other countries.

National Book Week is about:

·         Celebrating Books, Reading, and Libraries

·         The love of books and reading for education, information, and personal interests

·         In doing so we are also promoting literacy (the ability to read and write) and literature (the love of stories, poems, and plays)

·         I acknowledge authors of both fiction and nonfiction for creating stories and knowledge that we enjoy and learn from.

Books record events, stories, knowledge, people and places, to name a few.

Books give us inspiration. They inspire us to do something; even something creative. Let me illustrate the term inspiration. In PNG there are recorded myths about the moon and going to the moon. One of the myths tells us that the moon stayed underground until one day someone plucked it out. He held it in his hands and it grew and grew and finally floated off into the sky where it has remained giving light to the world.  In one Native American legend, the gods struck the moon in the face with a rabbit, and it stayed there lighting the world every night. Besides those legends, you have been singing "Hey, diddle, diddle,"

Hey, diddle, diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon;

The little dog laughed

To see such sport,

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Note the third line: The Cow Jumped Over the Moon. That is another reference to the moon. Isn’t that another of those inspirations?

That song was composed centuries before Niel Armstrong landed on the moon in July 1969. In fact it was already popular around the 16^th century. The power of inspiration from stories gives people ideas to device ways and strategies; to achieve something, even something greater such as landing on the moon.

Libraries help preserve and distribute information. They help us not to reinvent the wheel. They help us improve on previous knowledge. They are traditional places for study and self-learning. The Internet should not be taken as replacement for the traditional library because when there is no electricity or internet connections, I can always read a book on hand.

As far as civilisation is concerned nations have prospered because of libraries. They stored information where later generations retrieved them and improved on various fields of knowledge such as mathematics, astronomy, engineering, and law.

Reading helps in acquiring information to improve our knowledge and wisdom. Reading helps us to improve and succeed at school, at work, and at home. It helps us to decide what is best for us and what is not good. It has the greatest potential to influence success in life. It keeps us well connected with the community we live in and the world.

Reading influences positive behaviour in our relationships with others and our surroundings as illustrated in this short poem simply titled “Mirror Image”

                                                      Dogs are their masters

Children are their parents

Students are their teachers

And Books are their readers

                                                Ismael K. Isikel

READING IS POWER!! ASA SUMBA!!