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Transformational government has been on the European agenda for several years. However, progress towards transforming public services for older adults with age‐related cognitive impairments has been very limited. While socioeconomic factors associated with the older adult community which can hinder their usage of governments' online services, partly explain such slow progress, the paper argues that inability of current web‐based technologies and services to adequately cater for specific cognitive impairments of older adults plays a major part in this. Highlighting such limitations, the purpose of this paper is to present the results from a research project currently being undertaken in the UK, Norway and Italy, to demonstrate how assistive web‐based technologies can be developed to assist the transformation of governments' services for older adults with age‐related cognitive impairments.

The research approach includes three phases. The aim of Phase 1 is to develop a comprehensive list of requirements for the development of the first version of the delivering inclusive access to disabled and elderly members (DIADEM) application. In Phase 2, a usability evaluation is carried out from the perspective of the older adult target user group. These two phases include the literature revive, the focus group interviews and the user trials. Currently, DIADEM project activities are about to go into Phase 3.

The key findings of the study indicate that the users of the DIADEM assisted online form filling seemed report comparatively high levels of satisfaction. Furthermore, the innovative use of experts systems has brought significant benefits to the older adults with cognitive decline as the DIADEM technology appears to be sensitive to the users who present high level of cognitive decline, and provides increased levels of assistance accordingly. The paper shows how such benefits can transform the governments' services to older adults with age‐related cognitive impairments when the DIADEM technology is commercialised and diffused.

The DIADEM enabled transformations is not simply about technology. It is an organisational change too. As a result further research needs to be carried out on the challenges around change management, and the level of commitment to change which will be required to achieve the DIADEM enabled transformation in governments.

The paper focuses on transforming governments' online services for older adults with age‐related cognitive impairments. This research area has been neglected for several years by both researchers and practitioners.

Little systematic applied research has been conducted on how age‐related cognitive impairments might affect older adults' usage of web service and this paper aims to fill some of that gap.

An analysis of the relationship between the cognitive changes of aging and the usage of web services. Supported by field research with the key stakeholders, including older adults and organisations that provide services for older adults. This consists of focus group sessions with key stakeholders and individual interviews with older adult users. Older adult users also complete an online form using a think aloud protocol. The data are analysed using a thematic content analysis technique.

Issues around older adults' relationship with technology and the challenges they face along with the strengths and weaknesses of online forms and means to improve them. In particular, there are issues of fear and frustration, inconsistency and visual clutter, and a feeling of neglect by service providers. Users also identify a strong need for human rather than machine support when struggling with the technology.

The findings only now being applied to an existing system in the Delivering Inclusive Access to Disabled and Elderly Members (DIADEM) project and it still needs to evaluate of usability of DIADEM. Further research also needs to consider the technology adoption model for system like DIADEM.

The findings have implications in form design and transaction delivery for online services.

The perception of neglect by service providers is new and this with the needs for consistency and for human support lead to novel approaches in the DIADEM system.

The purpose of this paper is to deliver a detailed analysis of the functioning of upstream–downstream interface process of the tsunami early warning and mitigation system in Sri Lanka. It also gives an understanding of the social, administrative, political and cultural complexities attached to the operation of interface mechanism, and introduces an analytical framework highlighting the significant dynamics of the interface of tsunami early warning system in Sri Lanka.

Through the initial literature review, a conceptual framework was developed, highlighting the criteria against which the interface process can be assessed. This framework was used as the basis for developing data collection tools, namely, documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews and observations that focused on the key stakeholder institutions in Sri Lanka. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data according to the conceptual framework, and an improved and detailed framework was developed deriving from the findings.

The manner in which the interface mechanism operates in Sri Lanka’s tsunami early warning system is discussed, providing a detailed understanding of the decision-making structures; key actors; standardisation; technical and human capacities; socio-spatial dynamics; coordination among actors; communication and information dissemination; and the evaluation processes. Several gaps and shortcomings were identified with relation to some of these aspects, and the significance of addressing these gaps is highlighted in the paper.

A number of recommendations are provided to address the existing shortcomings and to improve the overall performance of tsunami warning system in Sri Lanka.

Based on the findings, a framework was developed into a more detailed analytical framework that depicts the interface operationalisation in Sri Lanka, and can also be potentially applied to similar cases across the world. The new analytical framework was validated through a focus group discussion held in Sri Lanka with the participation of experts and practitioners.

This paper examines the transformations that have been taking place in culture and built form in Sri Lanka and their spatial geography mooted by the open economic policies introduced in the 1970 s and the subsequent developments. It analyses the major facets of the dominant Sinhalese culture having located them within the sacred and profane realms, nature and its social make up. Major characteristics of the traditional culture and built-form are identified and through a longitudinal study of six case studies around the southern region, the study elucidates the major transformations and the social and societal forces behind them. The paper proposes three models for understanding such cultural transformations; Conventional-Sri Lankan, Transitional-Sri Lankan, and Euro-Sri Lankan, the forms of which could also be used in other similar situations.