Agency 17: Data and Publishing Agency
The seventeenth in the community is the Data and Publishing Agency. It is the second agency in the Data Bureau, which also includes Agency 16 (Accounting), and Agency 18 (QHSE).
The Data and Publishing Agency is concerned with ensuring the community has a solid cybersecurity posture. It also facilitates printing and publishing services. Additionally, the agency provides avenues through which data can be leveraged to improve service delivery by community agencies and participants’ businesses.
The Data and Publishing Agency receives funds in the form of investment from the Capital Bank Agency (agency 8), which it then uses for its operations, including providing chargeable services to participants. The agency also uses these funds to pay and down payments for any loans it may need to procure assets. From the revenues the agency generates, it is able to honor its obligations, such as loan repayments, as well as paying a return to the Capital Bank for capital invested. The agency is therefore geared to run on a profit, while delivering quality and affordable services.
What does the agency do?
The Data and Publishing Agency works through its automated system, as well as contractors who are either hired by the agency to help it deliver services, or by participants who seek help on tasks specific to the agency. The agency presidency provides the necessary strategic direction, which is implemented by the bureau presidencies. The agency’s duties include:
The agency performs the following duties:
- Data management and analytics
- Data security
- Publishing
- Training
- Library services
Data management and analytics
The Data and Publishing Agency facilitates data management and analytics that agencies and businesses need during their planning and operations. Data management is the process of collecting, storing, organizing, and maintaining data. Effective data management means that it is accurate, available, and accessible. The Data and Publishing Agency achieves these roles by constantly collecting and verifying information from participants, their businesses, and community agencies. It then ensures that the information is stored in ways that it can easily be accessed and analyzed.
Data management is important as it helps businesses and agencies optimize the use of data, and do so within policies and regulations that govern data handling. Through this, they can be able to make good decisions that propel them to greater efficiency, and performance.
A key part of data management is having autonomous database management. This is the use of a cloud database that uses machine learning to automate database security, backups, updates, and routine maintenance. Through automation, human error, which is especially frequent if the data workload is enormous, is eliminated. This eliminates the possibility of poor performance and compromised security.
Data analytics involves extracting meaningful information and insights from data. This is important as it helps entities make sense of the information at their disposal. Without it, data is meaningless. The Data and Publishing Agency empowers other agencies’ automated systems to perform analytics as per their functions. It also facilitates businesses to access analytical tools needed to interact with the information that the agency may sell them for their business needs.
Big data is defined as structured or unstructured data collected by a business during its operations. The data is too large to be processed by traditional data-processing tools. In the community, agencies and businesses collect data at ever-increasing rates, with the data coming in all forms. The Data and Publishing Agency provides the necessary big data analytics tools that businesses and other agencies can use to harness the potential of big data, resulting in data-driven decisions. The obvious results of this approach include more effective marketing and better approaches to revenue collection.
Data security, integrity, and cybersecurity
Data is a valuable resource that businesses can use to power their operations, from engaging with customers to making important strategic decisions and boosting revenues. Community agencies use the extensive information they have about participants to identify how best to serve them, and any gaps that need to be addressed to optimize their operations. However, this information is not a free-for-all affair. It is strictly controlled by laws and regulations, as well as industry best practice which dictates how information can be used.
Data security refers to the measures used to protect private information relating to a business or individual. The Data and Publishing Agency works with agencies and businesses to ensure that the information they possess and disclose is utilized in line with the law. Privacy rights are strongly adhered to, and all entities are expected to utilize data responsibly. The agency monitors data use to ensure it is consistent with its terms and conditions.
The Data and Publishing Agency works with agencies and businesses so that the data available for analysis is complete, accurate, and reliable. This involves helping them improve their capacity to collect relevant and complete information and store it properly.
The Data and Publishing Agency also handles the community’s posture regarding cyber security. The agency sets up the systems required to do so and constantly monitors them to ensure they are working well. The agency extensively collaborates with other agencies that have any form of infrastructure with internet connectivity, to ensure the community, which is highly connected digitally, is kept safe.
Publishing
Publishing refers to the process of making information available to the public. It can be digital, such as the making of information public through digital platforms, or printing. Publishing is an elaborate process that starts with the origination of an idea, engagement with publishers, writing, editing, proofreading, typesetting, and marketing. This process is usually tedious and time-consuming and may end up leaving authors unable to achieve the success they need, while readers are unable to enjoy the message the author intended to communicate properly.
Through the automation of many of these aspects, the Data and Publishing Agency makes the process smooth, not only automating the first few steps of approval to deliver a manuscript and automated typesetting but also linking authors with contractors who work as editors or proofreaders. This means that the overall time and costs taken to produce literature are much shorter, and result in superior products.
The agency also assists in the mass reproduction of text and images. It coordinates the process by connecting those who need material printed with printers through its automated system, while also connecting printing specialists who work as contractors with their clients. Printing equipment is owned by the Business Operations Agency. The Data and Publishing Agency coordinates the printing process to ensure that unique aspects of printing are well taken into account.
Library services
The Data and Publishing Agency handles the community’s library services. Every hub has a physical library, run by a contractor as their business. The library is stocked with physical books, as well as computer systems through which clients can access online resources.
Besides the physical library, the Data and Publishing Agency also sets up, through contractors, online library services. The online library services contain scholarly material, books, magazines, and all other works of literature that can potentially be of interest to participants. It acquires literature from authors and other originators and makes it available to participants at a fee. The agency collaborates with the IP Agency to determine how much it can charge participants for access to a specific work of literature. Authors are paid if and when their work has been accessed by a client.
Schooling between grades 1-9 happens at the hubs. The presence of library services enables students to access educational materials easily, within the same hub. The Data and Publishing Agency liaises with the Life Planning Agency to facilitate the availability of educational material needed by students.
Between grades 10-12, and higher education (university and college education), classes are held in the district buildings. To support learners’ access to the material they need, there is a large community library in the storehouse block. It is run by contractors and is set up in the same fashion as the libraries in the hubs, only that they are larger.
Hubs in the mirrored villages mainly support agriculture and industrial activities. As a result, online resources are better adapted to the needs of the people here. Contractors collaborate with the Data and Publishing Agency to set up and run online libraries, which are equipped with computers to access literature that is relevant to the sector.
Training
The Data and Publishing Agency undertakes rigorous virtual training sessions to ensure that all participants are aware of the services it offers. The agency also uses these training sessions to assist participants in understanding how to secure their data, how to analyze it for business, and responsible use. Data collection and analysis is usually done by a business. The agency’s training approach is aimed at ensuring they properly do this, and where possible, adds value to what the community already has.
Training modules are available on the agency’s website. The agency hires contractors to prepare the training material. It then advertises the training services to ensure that all participants are competent in data handling, and are familiar with the publishing services. The automated system monitors how participants interact with data as they go along with their daily activities. It can recommend a training module if it detects there is a gap in knowledge that the module can fill.
How the Data and Publishing Agency works
Background on presidencies
Every presidency in the community is a four-member entity whose members represent one of the four major demographic groups, also known as divisions: married men (A), married women (B), single women (C), and single men (D). However, a president serves the whole community in their role, rather than only their demographic. Presidents’ diversity and commitment to serve all is provided for in the community bylaws and ensures that all access services without any discrimination.
These four major demographics are evenly split in a normal society. Each group accounts for between 23 and 27% of the population, with regular fluctuations as people’s status changes. The community appreciates that discrimination across all social categories happens based on marital status, other social categorizations notwithstanding; married men are likelier to dominate other demographics, especially single men and single women.
The community’s infrastructure promotes equal access to economic and social resources and opportunities. The composition of the community as a whole and those who serve it in the community public service is closely monitored to prevent numerical domination, which can lead to nepotism or unequal access.
Besides marital status, the recruitment to be a participant, and to serve in the public service carefully considers other social categorizations, to ensure racial, ethnic, religious, and sexual groups are well represented in the community as they are in the society in which a community operates. These considerations inform the constitution of the community public service. The diversity in community public service, which is provided by bylaws, is aimed at creating a community that is blind to all other considerations besides service to participants. The service is therefore designed to be free of discrimination.
Agency presidency, demographic presidency, and bureau board
The Data and Publishing Agency is served by an agency presidency, comprised of 4 presidents from the four major demographics, which handles strategy formulation and adjustment, as well as formulating and communicating operational procedures for the agency. Additionally, the presidency facilitates the setting up of the agency’s automated system and adjusts it as necessary to better achieve its goals.
As part of the Data Bureau, the agency presidency forms a bureau board with agency presidencies serving the Accounting and QHSE agencies. The board acts as a check and monitoring tool for individual presidents and agencies, especially when decisions have far-reaching implications for the community.
Within the bureau board, three presidents from the same demographic form a demographic presidency. There are four such presidencies in the bureau. The demographic presidency performs an advisory role to presidencies and agencies regarding a particular demographic; it does not have operational or executive authority. The demographic presidency also plays an important role in the mentorship and training of new presidents.
| Demographic presidency A | Demographic presidency B | Demographic presidency C | Demographic presidency D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency presidency, Accounting (16) | 16A | 16B | 16C | 16D |
| Agency presidency, Data, and Publishing (17) | 17A | 17B | 17C | 17D |
| Agency presidency, QHSE (18) | 18A | 18B | 18C | 18D |
Data Bureau presidencies
The three agencies in the Data Bureau are served by 24 data bureau presidencies. Each presidency serves one district. The presidencies carry out the operational duties of each agency. They interact with community public servants and contractors. They also observe the workings of the automated system as participants and contractors interact with it. Based on their observations and interactions, bureau presidencies advise the agency presidencies on changes that need to be made to the system and its strategic approach.
Since each presidency has four presidents (married men – A, married women – B, single women – C, and single men – D), there are a total of 96 presidents serving the bureau.
Limited partners and branch presidencies
Limited partners and dependents
A limited partner is the basic unit in the community. A limited person, usually above 18 years old, but sometimes as young as 16, has been admitted into the community and has invested $20,000 as partnership interest, for which they earn a return. This is regarded as one unit of partnership interest.
Over time, a limited partner can add more units of partnership interest, as their business prospers. The more partnership interest units a limited partner has, the more the return they receive from the Capital Bank.
A dependent is a minor, or a person living with a disability, under the care of a limited partner. In some instances, a dependent may be a fit adult, who for various reasons is supported by community agencies, and assigned by contract to a limited partner. Limited partners are responsible for any legal agreements that their dependents enter into, either with community agencies or other participants, and therefore have the right of attorney.
Together, limited partners and dependents are referred to as participants. Participants who are dependents, because they are still minors, can start a business when they reach 12 years of age. This allows them to save up and invest $20,000 into the community by their 18th birthday, and possibly as early as 16.
Limited partners and their dependents reside in apartments (village buildings). Each apartment has 4 floors, with each floor containing 16 apartments. Each floor has floor has 7 – 12 limited partners, with each limited partner having 1 – 3 dependents. Each floor therefore has around 25 residents. With four floors, each building has approximately 100 residents. An apartment building also forms a branch.
Limited partners and unit
A limited partner is the basic unit in the community. A limited partner, usually above 18 years old, but sometimes as young as 16, has been admitted into the community and has invested $20,000 as partnership interest, for which they earn a return from the Capital Bank Agency, which invests other community agencies. This is regarded as one unit of partnership interest. Over time, a limited partner can add more units of partnership interest, as their business prospers. The more partnership interest units a limited partner has, the more the return they receive from the agency.
A dependent is a minor, or a person living with a disability, under the care of a limited partner, and who has, in any of these cases, given their power of attorney to the limited partner. In some instances, a dependent may be a fit adult, who for various reasons is supported by community agencies, and assigned by contract to a limited partner. Limited partners are responsible for any legal agreements that their dependents enter into, either with community agencies or other participants. Together, limited partners and dependents are referred to as participants.
Participants who are dependents, because they are still minors, can start a business when they reach 12 years of age. This allows them to save up and invest $20,000 into the community by their 18th birthday, and possibly as early as 16. Limited partners and their dependents reside in apartment buildings (village buildings). Each apartment building has five floors, with four containing apartments. An apartment building also forms a branch.
Captains and branch presidencies
Of the approximately 100 residents in a branch, around 40 of them are limited partners.They are divided into 4 units, each of which has 10 limited partners and their dependents. The limited partner membership in a unit is diverse, containing different social groups that are reflective of the society within which a community operates.
Additionally, a unit contains members of the four main demographics: married males (A), married females (B), single females (C), and single males (D).
The 4 demographics in the branch form 4 groups, as follows:
- Group 1: married males and married females
- Group 2: single females and single males
- Group 3: married males and single males
- Group 4: married females and single females
Within each group, there are different subsets, known as classes, based primarily on age. There is a class for Nursery (0-2), toddlers (3 – 5), young children (6-9), pre-teens (10-12), teens (13-18), young adults (19-31), adults (32-72), and empty nesters (73+).
| Meeting week | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 | Class 7 | Class 8 |
| Week 1 and 3 | All married adults | All single adults | Teen boys and girls | Pre -teens | Young children | Toddlers | Nursery | |
| Week 2 and 4 | All men | All women | Teen boys | Teen girls |
Further details on the composition of units, groups, classes, and branches, and their meeting schedules, is detailed here.
Recruitment and diversity
Captains are responsible for recruiting limited partners into the community through their council and by extension, branch. A captain does not recruit limited partners only from their demographic. Instead, they work to ensure that their recruits are diverse, considering social categorizations, gender, and social status, in addition to demographic groups.
Captains work in concert with their fellow captains in the branch presidency, and other presidencies in a village and district to ensure that the district is as diverse as possible. They are guided by present data on how diverse their district, village, and branch are, and what needs to be focused on to improve. They are also guided by community bylaws, which expressly require diversity as shown by demographic data about a population from which the community intends to recruit limited partners.
The captain serves as a service extension of the Human Relations Agency, though they also act as an interface between participants and other community agencies. For agencies that do not have bureau presidencies, such agencies in the Economic and Public Administration Bureaus, captains come in handy in helping participants navigate these agencies’ automated system and other relevant tools used by the agency to deliver services.
The automated system is designed to help participants with all the help they need in matters related to various agencies, including the Human Relations Agency. However, should they run into problems, captains assist them in navigating the system, or direct them to relevant contractors who help them at a fee.
Automated system
The Data and Publishing Agency relies on an automated system to serve the community. The automated system is two-pronged. On one hand, it helps participants in publishing, while on the other, it ensures that data integrity and security are maintained at all times.
As cybersecurity threats evolve and become ever more challenging to manage, businesses and individuals are struggling to invest in the tools to keep these threats at bay. However, with automation, it is possible to have an affordable and highly effective security system that anticipates challenges as they emerge. The Data and Publishing Agency provides agencies and businesses with the necessary cybersecurity weapons needed to secure their data. The agency can either purchase or develop these tools through contractors. The minimal human intervention or oversight that may be needed to manage the systems is also provided by contractors hired by the agency.
The Data and Publishing Agency works with agencies and businesses with tools to ensure that data integrity is maintained. Integrity in this sense refers to the completeness, accuracy, and consistency of information. Agencies, through their systems, handle enormous amounts of sensitive data about participants, the community’s operations, and strategy. Much of the information about participants is personal, and governed by stringent data protection laws, while other refers to IP and business operations. The agency provides businesses and agencies with a means through which they can leverage the data without contravening any laws or harming participants or their businesses.
The automated system will also assist authors in having their material published digitally or otherwise. The agency will set up systems that automate tasks such as typesetting, editing, proofreading, and any other aspect of publishing. The agency will also use the system to assist content creators in reaching their clients.
Contractors
The Data and Publishing Agency’s roles require contractors to assist in instances where participants are unable to navigate the system and get what they need, or the system needs to be monitored for improvement. In both instances, the agency maintains a database of contractors for various services that participants and agencies need.
Data integrity and security are largely automated exercises, with participants rarely needing the services of data experts to assist them. The agency, however, needs the systems to be constantly monitored to ensure they are working optimally. It hires the necessary contractors through a competitive process for a specific amount of time. Contractors work with bureau presidencies in this process. Bureau presidencies then recommend any changes needed to the agency presidency, which then executes them, through the system, or contractors.
Some aspects of publishing are not easily automatable. Editing, and proofreading, frequently require a human touch, so that a work of literature can easily connect with the audience. The Data and Publishing Agency has a register of contractors that shows contractors who are experts in these fields and provides means through which they can easily connect with their clients and content creators.
Interagency collaboration
The 24 community agencies form three columns, of 8 agencies each. The Data and Publishing Agency is part of the second column. Agencies do not collaborate as much along columns as they do within their bureau. However, there is still significant collaboration between agencies in a column. For instance, the Data and Publishing Agency coordinates with the Bylaws Agency (agency 10) to ensure that IT infrastructure is secure from cyber-attacks. The two agencies also work to ensure the use of information conforms with the community’s bylaws.
The Data and Publishing Agency works with the Legal Affairs Agency (agency 14) in ensuring that its data integrity and security systems, and data uses are within the law. The agency also collaborates with the Marketing Agency (agency 20) to help businesses and agencies use information about their clients so that they can formulate and execute effective marketing strategies. The Life Planning Agency (4) uses information about participants to help them with life planning. The Data and Publishing Agency can help with the necessary analytics to make successful life plans.
The Data and Publishing Agency coordinates with the Life Planning Agency, which also handles education, on access to the online library. The Life Planning Agency provides valuable input on what material can be posted in the library that will help participants’ education objectives.
Presidencies’ offices, meetings, and quarterly conferences
Offices
The permanent offices of the Data and Publishing Agency presidency are in building 17, on the western side. On the eastern side, the trustee and the Regulatory Bureau presidencies that serve the Data and Publishing Agency, as well as District 17, have their offices.
Trustees and the regulatory bureau presidencies alternate their offices. Trustees have the offices in building 17 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the bureau presidencies use the offices on Mondays and Wednesdays, as shown in this timetable:
| Building 5/ Life Planning Agency | Building 17/ Data and Publishing Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Trustee presidency | Regulatory Bureau presidency |
| Tuesday | Regulatory Bureau presidency | Trustee presidency |
| Wednesday | Trustee presidency | Regulatory Bureau presidency |
| Thursday | Regulatory Bureau presidency | Trustee presidency |
The Data Bureau’s bureau presidencies have offices on the first floor of every district building, with each of the 24 presidencies occupying offices in one building. This graphic shows District Building 17’s first-floor layout, with offices for the agency presidency, trustees, and various bureau presidencies indicated.
Working hours and meetings
Agency presidents, trustees, and regulatory agency presidents work in their offices on a full-time basis. To allow for this, they are required to be at least 50 years of age, be experts in NewVistas concepts, an be semi or fully retired from their business. This allows them to dedicate much of their productive time to serving the community.
Other presidencies work from Monday to Thursday, from 8 – 8:45 AM. their offices are converted for this purpose, and can thereafter be used for other activities, such as office space for participants, hotel rooms and hospital consultation rooms. On Thursday, the whole presidency (four presidents serving A, B, C, and D) meets for a 45-minute meeting from 9:00 to 9:45 in the morning.
On the last Friday of each quarter, between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM, each demographic presidency meets. The three-member presidency discusses common bureau matters that are of interest to the demographic they serve. On Saturday, again between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM, the whole board meets, where the presidents present their input from the previous day’s demographic presidency meeting, and prepare for the quarterly conference. The aim is to have a cohesive presentation during the quarterly conference but tailored to specific demographic interests.
Quarterly conferences
Quarterly conferences are held on the last Sunday of each quarter, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with a lunch break in between. During quarterly conferences, each demographic presidency sits together in the same row.
Quarterly conferences are held in District Buildings 5 and 17. Each building has a lower and higher assembly court. The different demographic groups use the assembly courts as follows:
| Building | Assembly court | Demographic |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Lower court | Married men (A) |
| 5 | Higher court | Married Women (B) |
| 17 | Lower court | Single women (C) |
| 17 | Higher court | Single men (D) |
Each of the four assembly courts has seats for 480 presidents representing the respective demographic. In the diagram below each of the 4 courts is illustrated. The ceiling of each court has an elliptical arch that enables agency presidents, who are the only ones who make a presentation during the conference, to speak without the need to amplify their voice. The 480 seats are easily rotatable to enable presidents to face whoever is speaking.
Each of the four courts has an identical arrangement and number of seats. The exact arrangement of each court can therefore be illustrated using one court, in this case, building 5’s lower court that is used by married men (A).
Some additional notes/definitions from an earlier version of this page:
- To ensure the accuracy and completeness of data, modern organizations extensively train personnel on data entry and accountability for data uploaded unto the system. Organizations also have protocols to follow which ensure information is well input, and that personnel only have the necessary rights to manipulate data. In the community, however, most data processing, apart from primary data upload by participants, will be automated. The agency will deploy blockchain technology to ensure data is not manipulated by unauthorized parties, and that there any manipulation is traceable (Sutherland, C. 3 Strategies to Maintain Data Integrity. 17 12 2018. electronic. 26 05 2019.).
- The community’s competitive advantage and long-term survival will be dependent on among other things, its approach to learning, knowledge management, and how it manages big data. Modern organizations have increasingly discovered the links between productivity and growth on one hand, and information processing efficiency (Ekambaram, A., et al. “The role of big data and knowledge management in improving projects and project-based organizations.” Procedia Computer Science 138.2018 (2018): 851-858.)
- Through the easy access to information, participants and agencies alike will be able to reach better and well-informed decisions. This approach has been used in government, where, to promote transparency and accountability, information that concerns the citizens is easily accessible and disseminated. Complete and accurate information about agencies and participants will be critical in ensuring that other agencies – including the banks – are able to make the contributions expected of them in the community (Dawes, S. “Stewardship and Usefulness: Policy Principles for Information-Based Transparency.” Government Information Quarterly 27.4 (2010): 377-383.).
- The data validation process ensures that information processed thereafter is of high quality. The process ensures that whatever is processed and later stored fulfills the needs of the entity. The Data Management Agency will validate data validation through a well-documented process, including checks for completeness, accuracy, complexity, and usefulness of information collected. This is especially important due to the issues associated with big data, including data management challenges (di-Zio, M. Methodology for data validation 1.0. Informational. Brussels: Essnet Validat Foundation, 2016.)
- Aggregated data is easy to organize, and therefore analyses. Data aggregation involves using various statistical, mathematical and probability functions to manipulate data in a way that enables more uniform analysis (Chan, H. Secure Distributed Data Aggregation. Boston: Now Publishers, 2011.).
- There exists a “communication gap” between developers of security systems and the users. This means that, in many cases, organizations are vulnerable to threats before they are provided with the necessary tools to fight them. The Data Management Agency should be in a place to anticipate threats, and prepare responses before they occur (Al-Hassan, M. and A. Adjei-Quaye. “Information Security in an Organization.” International Journal of Computer 24.1 (2017): 100-116.).
- The community data’s security will be enhanced by the use of blockchain, making it easy to trace data manipulation and access instances (Taylor, P. “A systematic literature review of blockchain cybersecurity.” Digital Communications and Networks (2019): 1-10.).
- The vast majority of cyber-attacks occur due to human error, suggesting that with better training and vigilance, most of them could be avoided. At the same time, only a few organizations are well equipped to handle a sophisticated cyber-attack, whose response would include both effective security systems, and a vigilance community. Training goes a long way in avoiding such threats, as well as building the capacity of individual participants’ security systems, so that they can withstand such cyber-attacks (Fraudwatch. What is Cyber Security Awareness Training and Why is it so Important? 21 12 2018. 26 05 2019.).
- Decision support tools and systems thrive when there is enough data to process, and arrive at quality conclusions. The Data Management Agency will supply complete and accurate information, while also training the relevant parties on how they can harness DSS to improve decision-making (Abdolhamidzadeh, B. “Perspectives in the Development and Application of DSS for Domino Assessment.” Domino Effects in the Process Industries (2013): 296-323.).
- As organizations become dependent on technology for financial reporting, they open up another vulnerability from cyber-criminals. The coordination between the two agencies will involve improving accounting systems in use by community agencies and participants to safeguard themselves from loss (ANSI. “the financial management of cyber risk.” 2010.).
- Data sharing is governed by various laws, which aim to protect individuals and companies, depending on the nature of the information – financial, health-related, etc. Sharing information may sometimes require the informed consent of the participant, in which instances the Legal Services Agency will offer the required legal advice (Yip, C., N. Han and B. Sng. “Legal and ethical issues in research.” Indian Journal of Anaesthesia 20.9 (2016): 684–688.).