To complete the various and important tasks related to the activities of the Municipality of Blagoevgrad, fast provision of information and coordination in managing information flows is needed. Such coordination can be achieved by automation of administrative and management activities in two directions:

• automation of activities related to the functioning of the Municipality as an institution, namely: budget and finance, accounting, municipal property management, etc.
• automation of activities related to providing services to citizens, i.e. administrative and technical service.

On the basis of the above concept for automation, the activities and processes of its implementation are aimed at improving the administrative services provided to citizens and of the overall work of the municipal administration, by introducing computer processing of information within all units and expanding the capabilities of the local computer network to establish unified information environment.

The development of the information network within the Municipality has so far went through four stages. Each one of them included research of information needs, in order to:

• define the major activities served by the information network;
• identify the information links, the volume and content of information flows between the separate municipal departments, as well as between the departments and the citizens;
• choose appropriate software and computer systems;
• define the necessary technical means and identify appropriate network software.

During the first stage (1992 - 1993), as a result of the research and by using the available funding, separate automated work places were created, covering the most crucial points where the information flow and the need for updated information were the greatest: accounting, bookkeeping, renting municipal housing, local committee on housing savings accounts, state-owned and municipal property.

During the second stage (1994 - 1995), two independent local computer networks were established. The first one included bookkeeping, the municipal secretary s office, the Bulgarian-Greek Business Center, the technical secretary of the deputy mayors in charge of economic development and construction. All of them had regulated access to the following software: Bookkeeping; Tenants of Municipal Housing and the Norma Program.

The second local network included three users at the Citizen Status and Registration department, which served and updated a database Population by using the Local Database Population software.

Meanwhile, individual work stations, that were not included in the two computer networks, were in use.

During the third stage (1995 - 1996) of the information network building process:

• the following activities were automated: budget and finance, personnel, control on Municipal Council decisions, leases on municipal property, privatization of municipality owned companies, international cooperation, leases on municipal housing, etc.
• a unified local network was established, which included both existing ones and created an opportunity to also include the individual work stations mentioned above.

Whenever network software was changed, the existing databases were preserved and the relevant software was configured for network operations. The established regulated access of individual users to the network, based on their specific activity, created conditions for use of shared resources, exchange of information and generation of reports according to various indicators.

At the current, fourth, stage of the development of the municipal information system, two separate information systems have been established, located at different administrative buildings. A project for modem connection between them is being developed.

Major Results

The automated System for Administrative and Technical Services (SATS), with the integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) model, which allows full automation of the processes related to preparing graphic and text documents, has led to:

• a significant reduction of time needed to provide the services;
• numerous improvements in task management

1. At any moment, the municipal management can get a graphic or text report on unsolved problems;
1. The movement of citizens requests can be checked at any moment, with information on whether the proper deadlines have been kept;
1. All citizens have equal right to services and a certain degree of anonymity (direct contact with municipal employees is reduced);
1. The volume of paperwork was minimized;
1. The data input in the system can be used as initial data in providing other services. For example, a GIS number is enough to identify land ownership on the map and prepare the necessary graphic sketch;
1. Digital archive of all documents is maintained;
1. All documents are in unified format, printouts are of high quality;
1. Municipal employees are relieved in their duties, as many of the routine activities on redirection and preparation of documents are no automated;
1. All tasks assigned to an individual employee are listed by priority;
1. The municipality s management can intervene and, if necessary, require change of task priority.

Increased Number of Services

The GIS model can be used also by other municipal departments and is of interest to various institutions outside the municipality. This is a prerequisite for an increase in the number of administrative and technical services provided to citizens, companies and organizations.

Increased Security

By establishing a system for provision of these services, the control of individual employees access to information was increased. Each document issued by the municipality is registered both at the Bookkeeping Department and in the computer system, which reduces the possibility of misuse. The system makes it impossible to issue documents with altered or incorrect content to citizens.