GSS collaboration in document development: using GroupWriter to improve the process

Research was conducted on the application of GroupWriter, to support the development, editing, sharing, and modification of government documents. One of the major advantages of using GroupWriter is the support of collaborative writing and the manipulation of documents in a manner unconstrained by time and place. At this time various groups from government agencies and the University of Arizona's Center for the Management of Information (CMI) are involved in GroupWriter sessions. Development of the tool has revealed the need for preset protocols, which explain the requirements, definitions, and uses pertaining to the system and software. Achievements were made in tailoring the technologies to fit the needs of specific groups. This paper focuses on the development of both facilitation processes and GroupWriter as a collaborative writing fool. Lessons learned in this area call for the reduction of system and process ambiguity to support both synchronous and asynchronous distributed users.