7 - ICT and Network Management

Summary

ASEAN faces the challenge of how to evolve into an organization that is capable of effectively and efficiently realizing its goal of regional integration. This study argues that it can be done if ASEAN exploits its character as a network organization. In particular, this study points to the important role ICT plays in responding to the challenge of regional integration and community building. So far, this has been substantiated through a discussion of the role of ICT in three areas:

1. 1) horizontal and vertical coordination;

2. 2) the inclusion of non-government organizations in policy making; and

3. 3) the creation of an ASEAN identity and community.

This section will be devoted to a discussion of ICT and network management.

Scholars have recognized the importance of network management for intergovernmental organizations. Some argue that “inter-organisational networks centralised around a primary coordinating agency — a network administrative organisation — produce better outcomes”. Jordan and Schout, who prefer the term, “network manager”, recognize the importance of this agency “to the stability of the network and to the handling of issues with high transaction costs”.

Jordan and Schout posit that the “network administrative organisation” can act as a “secretary” whose role is to achieve “greater efficiency in decision making” by “gathering and distributing information as part of the benchmarking and peer review exercises”. Or, the organization can serve as network manager — one who “seeks actively to manage coordination in the network”. The network manager arranges and facilitates the “interaction process within networks in such a way that problems of under or non-representation are properly addressed and interests are articulated and dealt with in an open, transparent and balanced manner”. Network management involves three activities:

1. 1) intervening in existing patterns/restructuring of network relations;

2. 2) furthering conditions for cooperation; consensus building; and

3. 3) joint problem solving.

Joaquin Herranz identifies four archetypes of the network manager: reactive facilitator; contingent coordinator; active coordinator; and hierarchical-based network administrator.