Flexible standards

Abstract

This article addresses the issue of strategies for developing information infrastructures. We identify complexities as the main source of the challenges that such strategies need to address and propose the concept offlexible standards as a key element in the respect. This concept/strategy is developed based on two main sources. The first is theoretical: general theories of complexity and a information infrastructure "design theory" which are built on the theories of complexity. The second source is a case study examining experiencesfrom two developing countries:Thailand and South-Africa.