ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP

SEVENTEENTH MEETING – SINGAPORE

27 – 31 March 2000

SHEPHERD/HODS/STEERING COMMITTEE COORDINATORS

STEERING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE APEC TPT-WG WEB SITE AND APEC VIRTUAL CENTRE FOR TRANSPORATION RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION

Submitted by Australia, in consultation with Chinese Taipei

March 2000

17TH APEC TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP
MEETING, SINGAPORE, 27-31 March 2000

Overview

Australia is managing the TPT-WG web site and the Virtual Centre for Transportation Research, Development and Education web site. Chinese Taipei has proposed to assume the responsibility for both sites after the 17^th TPT-WG meeting in Singapore.

Proposed Transfer of the Responsibility for the Web Sites

In response to Australia's invitation to economies to explore the possibility of assuming the responsibility for the APEC TPT-WG web site after the TPT-WG meeting in Singapore, Chinese Taipei has indicated that it is willing to assume the management and administration of the TPT-WG web site. It is also prepared to take over the management of the web site on the Virtual Centre for Transportation Research, Development and Education.

It is proposed that Chinese Taipei take over the responsibility for both sites as soon as Australia has completed the updating of the web site after the 17^th TPT-WG meeting in Singapore (presumably in May 2000). This will allow Chinese Taipei to ensure that the web site is fully operational for the 18^th TPT-WG meeting in October 2000 in Japan.

The APEC TPT-WG Web Site (http://www.apectptwg.org.au)

Background

As part of its contribution to the APEC electronic commerce work program, the APEC TPT-WG agreed at its 13^th TPT-WG meeting in April 1998 in Mexico that Australia, in conjunction with a small group of interested economies, develop an APEC TPT-WG web site for the 14^th TPT-WG meeting in October 1998, Seoul, Korea.

In June 1998, Australia contracted a consultant to develop and maintain for a period of two years the APEC TPT-WG web site which was designed and developed in consultation with Korea, Canada, US, Chile, and Japan.

Following a short trial period, the site was launched by Australia at the 14^th TPT-WG meeting October 1998 in Seoul.

Objectives

The main objective was to encourage economies to use the TPT-WG web site as the primary means of communications both for meetings and for inter-sessional work.

In developing a TPT-WG web site, the objectives were to:

• provide efficient electronic communication;
• minimise cost of TPT-WG meetings;
• link TPT-WG work to other Internet sites; and
• promote timely intersessional work on TPT-WG projects.

The web site has been upgraded to provide facilities to allow member economies to:

• distribute papers for meetings;
• access papers from previous meetings;
• advise progress on current projects; and
• advise the outcomes of completed projects.

Benefits

The web site is a clear demonstration of TPT-WG's commitment to electronic commerce, with benefits in term of a reduction in the costs for all economies of copying papers or transmitting papers by fax prior to the meetings; and a reduction in costs for the host economy for TPT-WG meetings in providing copies for all economies of outcome papers from the meeting. A recent example is the cost savings in APEC funding for projects in light of the efficient use of electronic means on the TPT-WG web site.

Features of the web site

The web site has been structured to be user-friendly and conducive to member economies being able to access information quickly and easily to facilitate intersessional work on TPT-WG projects. The web site provides features according to the APEC reporting structure, and other useful facilities:

• 'Shepherd'; 'Steering Committee'; 'Expert/Project Group';

• 'Next Meeting' (access to information relevant to the coming meeting, including facilities for meeting registration; accommodation booking); and

• 'Paper Submission' (economies are encouraged to use this facility to submit documents for discussion at the next Transportation Working Group meeting). Papers from the last TPT-WG meeting are available in 'Last Meeting'; papers from the meeting before last are stored in the archives.

The web site also provides list servers which facilitate intersessional work to be conducted by expert/project groups. The list server facility enables users to have simultaneous access to email broadcast within a designated group, currently including the Expert Groups on Maritime Safety and Electronic Commerce.

The web site is being administered by a consultant on behalf of the Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTRS), Australia until 30 September 2000, with the latter overseeing the overall performance of the site.

At its 14^th TPT-WG meeting in Seoul, the TPT-WG agreed that Australia seek views from APEC economies on the usefulness of the web site. Based on the survey outcomes, Australia prepared a draft paper for discussion by TPT-WG members on the future development of the TPT-WG web site. The paper suggests that the TPT-WG host economy assume responsibility for placing all documents which has been discussed at a TPT-WG meeting on the web site by submitting electronic copies to the web site administrator.

Following the 16^th TPT-WG meeting, Hong Kong, China provided Australia with an electronic copy of all meeting documents on diskettes for loading on the web site. This considerably expedited the updating process of the web site, which Australia appreciated.

It is anticipated the web site will continue to grow as APEC members become increasing aware of its benefits. The site recorded a total of 26, 553 hits per month prior to the Hong Kong TPT-WG meeting, an increase of 21 per cent over the previous TPT-WG meeting in April in Santiago.

APEC Virtual Centre for Transportation Research, Development and Education (http://www.dotrs.gov.au/apec)

Background

Australia launched the site at the TPT-WG meeting in Santiago, Chile, April 1999. The site was established by Australia, building on developmental work carried out by Indonesia.

Objectives

The Virtual Centre is aimed at:

• providing information on research and development work and courses offered by universities and training institutions;
• promoting the sharing and exchange of on-line information on transport research, development and education between APEC member economies;
• enhancing productivity, skills, entrepreneurship, and efficiency of labour and management in the transport sector;
• facilitating international transport technology transfer between APEC member economies; and
• minimising gaps in technology, human resources development and competitiveness among APEC member economies.

These aims address objectives stated by APEC Transportation Ministers in 1995.

Features of the web site

The site includes information received from institutions and agencies from a number of economies ie Australia; Canada; Chile; Chinese Taipei; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Mexico; Philippines; Singapore; the United States. The site has recently been expanded to include information on Australian aviation and maritime training providers.

The site is principally designed to be straightforward and user-friendly; it provides a contact point for institutions and researchers working in transport research and development and education. E-mail addresses allow ease of access to individual researchers and hyperlinks to institution home pages which will guide users to a range of transport-related sites. Through these hyperlinks, users will be able to access papers, course information, details of conferences etc.

The site also provides access to other related web site links such as the TPT-WG web site, universities and training institutions.

The site is progressively expanded upon receipt of information from institutions and agencies.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the TPT-WG note that Chinese Taipei will assume from Australia the responsibility for both web sites as soon as the update of the TPT-WG web site following the TPT-WG-17 has been completed.

This page was last updated on 12 March, 2008