I would like to nominate as a candidate for the 2000 E-work Award under the category "Best Contribution to Public Awareness" the Swedish writer, lecturer and business consultant Mr Lennart Forsebäck.

Mr Forsebäck has in my view - by numerous books, booklets, essays, articles and lectures as well as the implementation and evaluation of telework projects more than anyone else contributed to the public awareness and understanding of flexible work in Sweden, in the other Nordic Countries as well as in other parts of Europe. Correspondingly he has described the advantages and opportunities represented by tele trade as well as tele medicine and other relevant ICT applications.

The book "The Intelligent Community - A book on ICT, Relocation and Productivity " (1992, 120 pp) was one of the first works published in the Nordic countries describing the enabling role of ICT for flexible work, tele trade, distance education etc. for a.o. regional development, relocation of companies and BPR..

In the book "The Stockholm Mälar Region in the Age of
The Information Technologies" (1994 ,90 pp) the specific opportunities and prerequisites of the Stockholm region to become a leading ICT region in Europe are described.

Lennart Forsebäck has in a number of solid works described telework from the three relevant perspectives: The employees, management and employers and society.

His book "20 seconds to work. Tele-homework.
Swedish experiences from a European perspective.
State of the art 1995. ( in Swedish and in English) (140 pp, 1995 - For a brief summary of the (shortened) English version, see www.teldok.org/reports/rep101e.htm ) has been printed in innumerable editions and has established itself as a classic on telework. "20 seconds to work" illuminates the perspectives of the employees as is the case with the manual "Work Where You Want - All you need to know about flexible work" (1996, 200 pp), which was published by Canon Sweden Inc.

The same year Lennart Forsebäck wrote, together with Lilian Holloway, report "Telework in Europe",(Published by Teldok,1996,45 pp), summarising the on-going debate in the European states.

The book "Tele-management - how to create and manage a flexible organisation". (IHM Business School & Förlag 1997, 360 pp) (See attached list of contents) is based upon interviews with about 40 managers and other key persons in European companies and public administrations and analyses the role of management in flexible organisations.

Finally, the book "IT is the answer - But what was actually the question? Some societal aspects of flexible work" (IHM Business School & Förlag, 1998,370 pp) (See attached list of contents!) analyses a large number of social, economic and political issues, related to flexible work, such as economic policy and labour market issues, regional development, psychosocial health issues, economic geography, housing and property, social, traffic and regional planning, global and local ecology and environment issues, energy savings as well as the wider discussion of "dematerialization" of the economy and sustainability.

The sustainability perspectives are further developed in Lennart Forsebäck's first e-book, "ICT & the Environment" - 44 essays on the theme ICT and it's Implications for the Environment ( Dec. 1999,300 pp, www.telia.se/miljo ).

The study was published in English in a shortened version by the European Commission in July 2000. (See attached list of contents!)

Together with professors Birger Rapp and Kjell Ohlsson, Lennart Forsebäck has also made a study, "Flexible Work and Productivity" for the Swedish Government Committee on Telework (1999)

Lennart Forsebäck also wrote the first book in Swedish describing e-trade from a consumer's perspective, "Cybershoppers, Intermediaries & Digital Merchants" (Published by Teldok & Kommunikationsforskningsberedningen ,1998,130 pp)

In addition to this Lennart Forsebäck has written a large number of booklets as well as articles and essays in Swedish and European newspapers, magazines and periodicals

He annually gives 20-40 speeches and lectures in Europe on telework, teletrade, distance education, tele medicine and other ICT applications.

Mr. Forsebäck has also been engaged in the implementation and evaluation of telework at various state and municipal administrations (a.o. The Swedish Energy Administration and the City of Stockholm)

In his former position as Development Director in the City of Nyköping he was in the beginning of the 90ies in charge of the planning and implementation of the first digital housing area in Europe.

At present he is engaged as the leader of the project "Secure Digital Communication" in co-operation with Telia Electronic Commerce (PKI, Public Key Infrastructure and a.o. VPNs, Virtual Private Networks). In parallel he is also accomplishing a study on "ICT-related Solutions and Reduction of Greenhouse Gases" for the Swedish State Delegation on Environmental Techniques.

In all the above-mentioned activities Lennart Forsebäck has contributed substantially in increasing public awareness and understanding of telework, teletrade and other ICT applications. Therefore , it is a pleasure for me to recommend him for the E-work Award.

Best Regards

Lilian Holloway