The Council of Ministers Resolution no. 135/2002https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=980743, published in the Official Bulletin of November 20, gives the definition and framework of the governmental activity as far as information society is concerned.
The diploma creates the Innovation and Knowledge Mission Unit (UMIC), whose official start-up took place on the 26 of October, when the Executive approved the respective diploma.
The UMIC, organically depending on the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, will be headed by Diogo Vasconcelos, who holds the manager position, assisted by the coordinators Carlos Pinheiro de Oliveira and Maria Alexandra Vilela, pursuant to the Council of Ministers Resolution no. 77/2002 (2nd series)https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=980885, published in the Official Bulletin of November 21 and approved on October 26.
Formed as a structure to support the development of the governmental policy on innovation, information society and electronic government, UMIC shall act namely within the scope of the Integrated Programme to Support Innovation (PROINOV) and the National Initiative for Citizens with Special Needs in the Information Society (ACESSO).
Supervision of the execution of the action plans eEurope 2002 and eEurope 2005, revitalization of the Partnership for the Information Society reflection forum, the citizen portal and the companies portal, apart from the generalization of the Public Administration technological platforms, the production of statistic indicators within innovation and information society and the production of statistic indicators and the realization of prospective research studies of national and international scope are UMIC's assignments.
In order to consolidate the governmental strategy on this area, the Inter-ministerial Commission for Innovation and Knowledge was set up, gathering the former Inter-ministerial Commission for Innovation and the Inter-ministerial Commission for the Information Society. This Commission, which is composed of a representative from each Ministry and includes as well the UMIC Manager, shall meet quarterly and shall propose integrated development strategies for innovation, information society and electronic government, promote articulation of the several programmes and initiatives that exist within their activity area, approve the responsibilities of the different ministries and public bodies and follow up the execution of the Action Plan eEurope 2005.
UMIC mandate coincides with the enforcement period of the III Community Support Framework (CSF), the diploma that approved the respective management structures (Council of Ministers Resolution no. 27/2000, of May 16) being subsequently amended, namely as far as information society operational intervention is concerned.
