LOLA (Linked Organization of Local Authority ICT Societies “LOLA”) is a non-profit organization of ICT professional associations. These associations comprise professionals who work in local authorities and other local public service delivery organizations, and their suppliers, in different countries worldwide. LOLA will work collectively and collaboratively to achieve benefits for these organizations, their members, and the citizens they serve.
LOLA's core values are based on our desire to provide a high standard of local authority services to our citizens through the effective deployment of Information and Communications Technologies. We intend to achieve this through joint projects, sharing of good practices, products, and services, joint influencing of national governments, and engaging the ICT supply industry.
We aim to make a significant contribution to the development of European and/or international ICT standards, codes of good practice, cross-national project coordination and potentially drawing on National and European funding to achieve these objectives. Similar opportunities outside Europe will also be exploited.
On behalf of the LOLA board, we cordially invite you to join in as a partner and to actively contribute to the success of our first conference on October 10th, 2013 (see below). We are looking forward to an excellent program devoted to the exchange of vital information, inspiration, and motivation and to building further networks for future cooperation.
About LOLA
In November 2012 a historic step was set. All member organizations committed themselves to formalize the Linked Organization for Local Authorities into a non-profit organization (NPO) with a legal structure.
As a legal structure, LOLA will be able to set up international (worldwide) projects regarding a high standard of Local Authority services to our citizens through the effective deployment of Information and Communications Technologies, automation, information management, and security.
The founding members are:
- V-ICT-OR - Belgium - represented by Eddy Van der Stock (President)
- KOMMITS - Sweden - represented by Torbjörn Larsson
- VIAG - The Netherlands - represented by Arend van Beek (Vice-President – Secretary)
- SOCITM - United Kingdom - represented by Martin Ferguson
- MISA - Canada - represented by Harry Turnbull
- ALGIM - New Zealand - represented by Mike Wanden
- GMIS - United States of America - represented by Paul Ruth
The member countries also provide mutual support to one another in the pursuit of LOLA's objectives.
We support the declarations specified in the Citadel Statement (as an extension of the Malmo declaration) as specific work domains or core areas where national decision-makers with our support can provide tangible support to improve Local Government:
1. Common Architecture, Shared Services, and Standards;
2. Open Data, Transparency, and Personal Rights;
3. Citizen Participation and Involvement;
4. Privacy and Identification of Individuals;
5. Rural Inclusion.
Conferences
LOLA has set itself the objective of making significant contributions to the development of European and international standards and sharing knowledge and experience. A conference is an appropriate instrument to achieve this objective.
Every year each member of LOLA (Europe) organises its own national conference. However, at present one can hardly claim that there is an actual exchange of knowledge and experience concerning Europe among the members of the different organizations. This exchange does take place at the level of board members, who visit each other’s conferences.
By organizing a European LOLA conference it is possible to create awareness of the LOLA grouping, the individual organizations forming part of it, and the added value created by working together.
Join LOLA
To meet the above objectives, LOLA is looking for new partners. Whether your company is working on a country level, European, or worldwide level, or whether you have a leading role in the Public Sector in your country… partners from all connected 8 countries are welcome!
Gives & Gets
- Participate at projects
- Access to Intelligence on our knowledge platform (http://lola-ict.org/)
- Visibility on the LOLA website
- Company logo with a brief company description
- Publication of best practices, whitepapers
- Participation in the discussion platform
- Participation at the LOLA Conference
- Booth space on the exhibition floor
- 2 persons manning the booth
- Visibility in the conference program
- Different partners per country can join (no exclusivity)
- Transparent communication about the potential partners
- Partnership Fee: € 7.500,00 excl. VAT on a yearly basis