Integrated Platform for Processing and Traceability of Information within Collaborative Policy Modelling Process in OCOPOMO 1 Peter Bednar, 2 Peter Butka, 3 Marian Mach, 4 Karol Furdik, 5 Tomas Sabol, 6 Peter Smatana 1,5 Faculty of Economics, Technical University of Kosice, Bozeny Nemcovej 32, 04001 Kosice, Slovakia, peter.bednar@tuke.sk, tomas.sabol@tuke.sk *2,3 Department of Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Technical University of Kosice, Letna 9, 04200 Kosice, Slovakia, peter.butka@tuke.sk, marian.mach@tuke.sk, 4, 6 Intersoft, a.s., Florianska 19, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia, karol.furdik@intersoft.sk, psmatana@gmail.com Abstract In this paper we provide an integrated platform composed of several ICT tools enabling traceability of information between individual steps of collaborative policy modelling process proposed by the OCOPOMO project. This process combines collaborative creation and analysis of narrative scenarios with agent-based simulation models. The policy model for a given domain is created iteratively, by means of cooperation of several stakeholder groups (decision makers, policy analysts, companies, NGOs, the general public). In order to provide modellers and stakeholders with the correct and case- specific information we have designed an integrated architecture supporting processing, sharing and traceability of evidence-based information between simulation models (with rules and agents), conceptual models of the current case and related background data. Thus, users are able to work with this information in a specific policy development process with the appropriate set of tools. Keywords: ICT tools, integrated platform, policy modelling, social simulation, e-Governance 1. Introduction The main outcome of the fact that Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are intensively used in the area of e-Government is their potential to support an active and beneficial engagement of citizens in decision-making within democratic processes. One of the main functions of the advanced e-Governance solutions is to provide effective co-operation and information exchange between involved parties, governmental bodies, citizens and businesses, during the policy initiation, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Involvement of the broader public in such process is important for achievement of stakeholder-centred government providing significant benefits. The focus of our research is on design, development and provision of ICT tools and technologies that are capable to gather stakeholder opinion in an open discussion and transform it to a shared knowledge. According to the EU FP7 ICT Programme initiative related to policy modelling, any toolkit should be able to perform simulations integrating all possible variables, parameters, relations, and scenarios necessary to forecast policies potential outcomes and impacts. Therefore, e-Government applications should extend the paradigm of service provision towards a broader active participation of wider public and various interest groups in a collaborative policy creation. This can be achieved by combination of analysis of statistical methods, scenario and agent-based social simulations, with the support of statistical methods and agent-based social simulation [1]. From the technological perspective, the proposed solutions are usually built on already known and proven technologies, which typically include rule-based or agent-based modelling platforms [2], tools and interfaces for visualised social simulations, knowledge representation models, and web-based e-Participation tools with Web 2.0/Web 3.0 principles of social semantic web. The main innovation is in integration of such multidisciplinary tools within one comprehensive platform used for evidence-based collaborative policy modelling. The design of a software platform and methodology providing an environment for modelling policies in a collaborative manner is in the focus of the European R&D project OCOPOMO (Open COllaboration for POlicy MOdelling, http://www.ocopomo.eu). OCOPOMO is co-funded by the Integrated Platform for Processing and Traceability of Information within Collaborative Policy Modelling Process in OCOPOMO Peter Bednar, Peter Butka,Marian Mach, Karol Furdik, Tomas Sabol, Peter Smatana International Journal of Digital Content Technology and its Applications(JDCTA) Volume7,Number8,April 2013 doi:10.4156/jdcta.vol7.issue8.100 865