EGovernment
Encyclopedia
E-Government is digital interactions between a government and citizens (G2C), government and businesses/Commerce (G2B), government and employees (G2E), and also between government and governments /agencies (G2G). Essentially, the e-Government delivery models can be briefly summed up as (Jeong, 2007):
This digital interaction consists of governance
, information and communication technology (ICT), business process re-engineering (BPR), and e-citizen at all levels of government (city, state/provence, national, and international).
'Electronic Government' (or in short 'e-Government') essentially refers to ‘The utilization of IT, ICTs, and other web-based telecommunication technologies to improve and/or enhance on the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in the public sector.’ (Jeong, 2007).
E-government describes the use of technologies to facilitate the operation of government and the disbursement of government information and services. E-government, short for electronic government, deals heavily with Internet and non-internet applications to aid in governments.
E-government includes the use of electronics in government as large-scale as the use of telephones and fax machines, as well as surveillance systems, tracking systems such as RFID tags, and even the use of television and radios to provide government-related information and services to the citizens.
Whilst e-Government has traditionally been understood as being centered around the operations of government, e-Governance is understood to extend the scope by including citizen engagement and participation in governance. As such, following in line with the OECD definition of e-Government, e-Governance can be defined as the use of ICTs as a tool to achieve better governance.
Within each of these interaction domains, four kinds of activities take place:
, SMS
text messaging, MMS, wireless networks and services, Bluetooth
, CCTV
, tracking systems, RFID, biometric identification, road traffic management and regulatory enforcement, identity cards, smart cards and other Near Field Communication
applications; polling station technology (where non-online e-voting is being considered), TV and radio-based delivery of government services (e.g., CSMW
), email, online community
facilities, newsgroup
s and electronic mailing list
s, online chat
, and instant messaging technologies.
There are many considerations and potential implications of implementing and designing e-government, including disintermediation
of the government and its citizens, impacts on economic, social, and political factors, vulnerability to cyber attacks, and disturbances to the status quo in these areas. See also Electronic leviathan
.
-like system could develop. When the government has easy access to countless information on its citizens, personal privacy
is lost.
According to Gartner, Worldwide IT spending is estimated to total $3.6 trillion in 2011 which is 5.1% increase from the year 2010 ($3.4 trillion).
, are often nonprofit volunteers. Even the governments themselves do not always keep track of the information they insert and delete.
Simple tasks may be easier to perform through electronic government access. Many changes, such as marital status or address changes can be a long process and take a lot of paper work for citizens. E-government allows these tasks to be performed efficiently with more convenience to individuals.
E-government is an easy way for the public to be more involved in political campaigns. It could increase voter awareness, which could lead to an increase in citizen participation in elections.
It is convenient and cost-effective for businesses, and the public benefits by getting easy access to the most current information available without having to spend time, energy and money to get it.
E-government helps simplify processes and makes access to government information more easily accessible for public sector agencies and citizens. For example, the Indiana
Bureau of Motor Vehicles simplified the process of certifying driver records to be admitted in county court proceedings. Indiana
became the first state to allow government records to be digitally signed, legally certified and delivered electronically by using Electronic Postmark technology. In addition to its simplicity, e-democracy
services can reduce costs. Alabama
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Wal-Mart
and NIC developed an online hunting and fishing license service utilizing an existing computer to automate the licensing process. More than 140,000 licenses were purchased at Wal-Mart
stores during the first hunting season and the agency estimates it will save $200,000 annually from service.
The anticipated benefits of e-government include efficiency, improved services, better accessibility of public services, and more transparency and accountability.
ging and interactive surveys will allow politicians or public servants to see the views of the people they represent on any given issue. Chat room
s can place citizens in real-time contact with elected officials, their offices or provide them with the means to replace them by interacting directly with public servants, allowing voters to have a direct impact and influence in their government. These technologies can create a more transparent government, allowing voters to immediately see how and why their representation in the capital is voting the way they are. This helps voters better decide who to vote for in the future or how to help the public servants become more productive.
A government could theoretically move more towards a true democracy
with the proper application of e-government. Government transparency
will give insight to the public on how decisions are made and hold elected officials or public servants accountable for their actions. The public could become a direct and prominent influence in government legislature to some degree.
groups, the media, and the public, some governments and organizations have turned to the Internet to reduce this paper use. The United States government utilizes the website http://www.forms.gov to provide “internal government forms for federal employees” and thus “produce significant savings in paper.
procedures.
Although internet-based governmental programs have been criticized for lack of reliable privacy policies, studies have shown that people value prosecution of offenders over personal confidentiality. Ninety percent of United States adults approve of Internet tracking systems of criminals, and fifty-seven percent are willing to forgo some of their personal internet privacy if it leads to the prosecution of criminals or terrorists.
(mobile government), u-government (ubiquitous government), and g-government (GIS/GPS applications for e-government.
E-government portals and platforms
The primary delivery models of e-Government are classified depending on who benefits. In the development of public sector or private sector portals and platforms, a system is created that benefits all constituents. Citizens needing to renew their vehicle registration have a convenient way to accomplish it while already engaged in meeting the regulatory inspection requirement. On behalf of a government partner, business provides what has traditionally, and solely, managed by government and can use this service to generate profit or attract new customers. Government agencies are relieved of the cost and complexity of having to process the transactions.
To develop these public sector portals or platforms, governments have the choice to internally develop and manage, outsource, or sign a self-funding contract. The self-funding model creates portals that pay for themselves through convenience fees for certain e-government transactions, known as self-funding portals.
Social network
ing is an emerging area for e-democracy. The social networking entry point is within the citizens’ environment and the engagement is on the citizens’ terms. Proponents of e-government perceive government use of social networks as a medium to help government act more like the public it serves. Examples can be found at almost every state government portal through Facebook
, Twitter
, and YouTube
widgets.
Government and its agents also have the opportunity to follow citizens to monitor satisfaction with services they receive. Through ListServs, RSS feeds, mobile messaging, micro-blogging services and blogs, government and its agencies can share information to citizens who share common interests and concerns. Government is also beginning to Twitter
. In the state of Rhode Island
, Treasurer Frank T. Caprio
is offering daily tweets of the state’s cash flow. Interested people can sign up at here. For a full list of state agencies with Twitter
feeds, visit Real Life. Live document. For more information, visit transparent-gov.
The following is the list of the top 50 countries according to the UN's 2010 e-Government Readiness Index.
There have been several ChangeCamps in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, with organizers coming together in Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, drawing many politicians.
The city of Toronto
mayor David Miller
announced plans for an open city data portal at toronto.ca/open.
A collection of uses of social media in Canadian government can be found here.
- the head of the federal public service, has made workplace renewal a pillar of overall public service renewal. Key to workplace renewal is the adoption of collaborative networked tools. An example of such as tool is GCPEDIA
- a wiki platform for federal public servants. Other tools include GCconnex, a social networking tool, and GCforums, a discussion board system.
. For more information see eGovernment in Europe
.
initiative.
, the Emirates eGovernment is designed for e-government operations.
, the Government of Pakistan
's e-government directorate is committed to building a robust e-network framework that essentially allows the government to be more responsive in delivering public services to citizens and businesses.
as President of the United States
has become associated with the effective use of Internet technologies during his campaign, and in the implementation of his new government in 2009.
On January 21, 2009, newly elected President Obama signed one of his first memorandums - the Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Transparency and Open Government In the memo, President Obama called for an unprecedented level of openness in Government, asking agencies to "ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration." The memo further "directs the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Administrator of General Services (GSA), to coordinate the development by appropriate executive departments and agencies [and] to take specific actions implementing the principles set forth in the memorandum."
President Obama’s memorandum centered around the idea of increasing transparency throughout various different federal departments and agencies. By enabling public websites like recovery.gov and data.gov to distribute more information to the American population, the administration believes that it will gain greater citizen participation.
Recently, this initiative has crossed several key milestones and continues to make a significant amount of progress. Certain government information is still, and will continue to be, considered privileged, and this issue remains at the center of the debate.
Additionally, technology is still not accessible by all Americans. The National Broadband Plan hopes to counter this limit, but many Americans are still without access to internet, which would be required to use these services. Some Americans live in rural areas without access, while others are not financially able to support a connection.
.
Transformation programmes differ from traditional e-Government programmes in four major ways:
- G2C (Government to Citizens)
- G2B (Government to Businesses)
- G2E (Government to Employees)
- G2G (Government to Governments)
- C2G (Citizens to Governments)
This digital interaction consists of governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
, information and communication technology (ICT), business process re-engineering (BPR), and e-citizen at all levels of government (city, state/provence, national, and international).
Defining e-Government
‘E-Government' (or Digital Government) is defined as ‘The employment of the Internet and the world-wide-web for delivering government information and services to the citizens.’ (United Nations, 2006; AOEMA, 2005).'Electronic Government' (or in short 'e-Government') essentially refers to ‘The utilization of IT, ICTs, and other web-based telecommunication technologies to improve and/or enhance on the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in the public sector.’ (Jeong, 2007).
E-government describes the use of technologies to facilitate the operation of government and the disbursement of government information and services. E-government, short for electronic government, deals heavily with Internet and non-internet applications to aid in governments.
E-government includes the use of electronics in government as large-scale as the use of telephones and fax machines, as well as surveillance systems, tracking systems such as RFID tags, and even the use of television and radios to provide government-related information and services to the citizens.
Examples of e-Government and e-Governance
E-Government should enable anyone visiting city website to communicate and interact with city employees via the Internet with graphical user interfaces (GUI), instant-messaging (IM), audio/video presentations, and in any way more sophisticated than a simple email letter to the address provided at the site” and “the use of technology to enhance the access to and delivery of government services to benefit citizens, business partners and employees”. The focus should be on:- The use of Information and communication technologiesInformation and communication technologiesInformation and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
, and particularly the Internet, as a tool to achieve better government. - The use of information and communication technologies in all facets of the operations of a government organization.
- The continuous optimization of service delivery, constituency participation and governance by transforming internal and external relationships through technology, the Internet and new media.
Whilst e-Government has traditionally been understood as being centered around the operations of government, e-Governance is understood to extend the scope by including citizen engagement and participation in governance. As such, following in line with the OECD definition of e-Government, e-Governance can be defined as the use of ICTs as a tool to achieve better governance.
Delivery models and activities of e-Government
The primary delivery models of e-Government can be divided into:- Government-to-Citizen or Government-to-Consumer (G2C)
- In this model, the G2C model apply the strategy of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) with business concept.
- By managing their customer (citizen) relationship, the business (government) can provide the needed products and services fulfill the needs from customer (citizen).
- In United States, the NPR (National Partnership for Reinventing GovernmentNational Partnership for Reinventing GovernmentNational Partnership for Reinventing Government , originally the National Performance Review, was an interagency task force to reform the way the U.S. federal government works in the Clinton Administration.The NPR was created on March 3, 1993...
) has been implemented from 1993.
- Government-to-BusinessGovernment-to-businessGovernment-to-Business is the online non-commercial interaction between local and central government and the commercial business sector, rather than private individuals , with the purpose of providing businesses information and advice on e-business 'best practices'.-External links:*, United...
(G2B) - Government-to-GovernmentGovernment-to-governmentGovernment-to-Government is the online non-commercial interaction between Government organisations, departments, and authorities and other Government organisations, departments, and authorities...
(G2G) - Government-to-EmployeesGovernment-to-employeesGovernment-to-employees is the online interactions through instantaneous communication tools between government units and their employees. G2E is one out of the four primary delivery models of e-Government....
(G2E)
Within each of these interaction domains, four kinds of activities take place:
- pushing information over the Internet, e.g.: regulatory services, general holidays, public hearing schedules, issue briefs, notifications, etc.
- two-way communications between the agency and the citizen, a business, or another government agency. In this model, users can engage in dialogue with agencies and post problems, comments, or requests to the agency.
- conducting transactions, e.g.: lodging tax returns, applying for services and grants.
- governance, e.g.: To enable the citizen transition from passive information access to active citizen participation by:
- Informing the citizen
- Representing the citizen
- Encouraging the citizen to vote
- Consulting the citizen
- Involving the citizen
Non-internet e-Government
While e-government is often thought of as "online government" or "Internet-based government," many non-Internet "electronic government" technologies can be used in this context. Some non-Internet forms include telephone, fax, PDAPersonal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
, SMS
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
text messaging, MMS, wireless networks and services, Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
, CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
, tracking systems, RFID, biometric identification, road traffic management and regulatory enforcement, identity cards, smart cards and other Near Field Communication
Near Field Communication
Near field communication, or NFC, allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in proximity to each other, usually by no more than a few centimeters. It is expected to become a widely used system for making payments by smartphone in the United States...
applications; polling station technology (where non-online e-voting is being considered), TV and radio-based delivery of government services (e.g., CSMW
Control System Middleware for operator functioning (CSMW)
The full realization of the wide range of opportunities that have become the norm of digital television in many European countries, is possible with the help of Control System Middleware for operator functioning ...
), email, online community
Online community
An online community is a virtual community that exists online and whose members enable its existence through taking part in membership ritual. An online community can take the form of an information system where anyone can post content, such as a Bulletin board system or one where only a restricted...
facilities, newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
s and electronic mailing list
Electronic mailing list
An electronic mailing list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to...
s, online chat
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
, and instant messaging technologies.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantages concerning e-government is the lack of equality in public access to the internet, reliability of information on the web, and hidden agendas of government groups that could influence and bias public opinions.There are many considerations and potential implications of implementing and designing e-government, including disintermediation
Disintermediation
In economics, disintermediation is the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain: "cutting out the middleman". Instead of going through traditional distribution channels, which had some type of intermediate , companies may now deal with every customer directly, for example via the Internet...
of the government and its citizens, impacts on economic, social, and political factors, vulnerability to cyber attacks, and disturbances to the status quo in these areas. See also Electronic leviathan
Electronic leviathan
The concept of Electronic Leviathan was developed on the basis of research into a product of electronic government, or, the Brazilian Public Key Infrastructure , conducted by Marcello Barra...
.
Hyper-surveillance
Increased contact between government and its citizens goes both ways. Once e-government begins to develop and become more sophisticated, citizens will be forced to interact electronically with the government on a larger scale. This could potentially lead to a lack of privacy for civilians as their government obtains more and more information on them. In a worse case scenario, with so much information being passed electronically between government and civilians, a totalitarianTotalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
-like system could develop. When the government has easy access to countless information on its citizens, personal privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
is lost.
Cost
Although "a prodigious amount of money has been spent" on the development and implementation of e-government, some say it has yielded only a mediocre product. The outcomes and effects of trial Internet-based governments are often difficult to gauge or unsatisfactory.According to Gartner, Worldwide IT spending is estimated to total $3.6 trillion in 2011 which is 5.1% increase from the year 2010 ($3.4 trillion).
Inaccessibility
An e-government site that provides web access and support often does not offer the "potential to reach many users including those who live in remote areas, are homebound, have low literacy levels, exist on poverty line incomes."False sense of transparency and accountability
Opponents of e-government argue that online governmental transparency is dubious because it is maintained by the governments themselves. Information can be added or removed from the public eye. To this day, very few organizations monitor and provide accountability for these modifications. Those that do so, like the United States’ OMBWatch http://www.ombwatch.org/ and Government Accountability ProjectGovernment Accountability Project
The Government Accountability Project is a leading United States whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating of whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability...
, are often nonprofit volunteers. Even the governments themselves do not always keep track of the information they insert and delete.
Advantages
The ultimate goal of the E-Government is to be able to offer an increased portfolio of public services to citizens in an efficient and cost effective manner. E-government allows for government transparency. Government transparency is important because it allows the public to be informed about what the government is working on as well as the policies they are trying to implement.Simple tasks may be easier to perform through electronic government access. Many changes, such as marital status or address changes can be a long process and take a lot of paper work for citizens. E-government allows these tasks to be performed efficiently with more convenience to individuals.
E-government is an easy way for the public to be more involved in political campaigns. It could increase voter awareness, which could lead to an increase in citizen participation in elections.
It is convenient and cost-effective for businesses, and the public benefits by getting easy access to the most current information available without having to spend time, energy and money to get it.
E-government helps simplify processes and makes access to government information more easily accessible for public sector agencies and citizens. For example, the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
Bureau of Motor Vehicles simplified the process of certifying driver records to be admitted in county court proceedings. Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
became the first state to allow government records to be digitally signed, legally certified and delivered electronically by using Electronic Postmark technology. In addition to its simplicity, e-democracy
E-democracy
E-democracy refers to the use of information technologies and communication technologies and strategies in political and governance processes...
services can reduce costs. Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and NIC developed an online hunting and fishing license service utilizing an existing computer to automate the licensing process. More than 140,000 licenses were purchased at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
stores during the first hunting season and the agency estimates it will save $200,000 annually from service.
The anticipated benefits of e-government include efficiency, improved services, better accessibility of public services, and more transparency and accountability.
Democratization
One goal of e-government will be greater citizen participation. Through the internet, people from all over the country can interact with politicians or public servants and make their voices heard. BlogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ging and interactive surveys will allow politicians or public servants to see the views of the people they represent on any given issue. Chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
s can place citizens in real-time contact with elected officials, their offices or provide them with the means to replace them by interacting directly with public servants, allowing voters to have a direct impact and influence in their government. These technologies can create a more transparent government, allowing voters to immediately see how and why their representation in the capital is voting the way they are. This helps voters better decide who to vote for in the future or how to help the public servants become more productive.
A government could theoretically move more towards a true democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
with the proper application of e-government. Government transparency
Open government
Open government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and racist considerations, which have tended to legitimize...
will give insight to the public on how decisions are made and hold elected officials or public servants accountable for their actions. The public could become a direct and prominent influence in government legislature to some degree.
Environmental bonuses
Proponents of e-government argue that online government services would lessen the need for hard copy forms. Due to recent pressures from environmentalistEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
groups, the media, and the public, some governments and organizations have turned to the Internet to reduce this paper use. The United States government utilizes the website http://www.forms.gov to provide “internal government forms for federal employees” and thus “produce significant savings in paper.
Speed, efficiency, and convenience
E-government allows citizens to interact with computers to achieve objectives at any time and any location, and eliminates the necessity for physical travel to government agents sitting behind desks and windows. Improved accounting and record keeping can be noted through computerization, and information and forms can be easily accessed, equaling quicker processing time. On the administrative side, access to help find or retrieve files and linked information can now be stored in databases versus hardcopies stored in various locations. Individuals with disabilities or conditions no longer have to be mobile to be active in government and can be in the comfort of their own homes.Public approval
Recent trials of e-government have been met with acceptance and eagerness from the public. Citizens participate in online discussions of political issues with increasing frequency, and young people, who traditionally display minimal interest in government affairs, are drawn to e-votingElectronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
procedures.
Although internet-based governmental programs have been criticized for lack of reliable privacy policies, studies have shown that people value prosecution of offenders over personal confidentiality. Ninety percent of United States adults approve of Internet tracking systems of criminals, and fifty-seven percent are willing to forgo some of their personal internet privacy if it leads to the prosecution of criminals or terrorists.
Technology-specific e-Government
There are also some technology-specific sub-categories of e-government, such as m-governmentM-government
Mobile government, sometimes referred to as mGovernment, is the extension of eGovernment to mobile platforms, as well as the strategic use of government services and applications which are only possible using cellular/mobile telephones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants and wireless...
(mobile government), u-government (ubiquitous government), and g-government (GIS/GPS applications for e-government.
E-government portals and platforms
The primary delivery models of e-Government are classified depending on who benefits. In the development of public sector or private sector portals and platforms, a system is created that benefits all constituents. Citizens needing to renew their vehicle registration have a convenient way to accomplish it while already engaged in meeting the regulatory inspection requirement. On behalf of a government partner, business provides what has traditionally, and solely, managed by government and can use this service to generate profit or attract new customers. Government agencies are relieved of the cost and complexity of having to process the transactions.
To develop these public sector portals or platforms, governments have the choice to internally develop and manage, outsource, or sign a self-funding contract. The self-funding model creates portals that pay for themselves through convenience fees for certain e-government transactions, known as self-funding portals.
Social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
ing is an emerging area for e-democracy. The social networking entry point is within the citizens’ environment and the engagement is on the citizens’ terms. Proponents of e-government perceive government use of social networks as a medium to help government act more like the public it serves. Examples can be found at almost every state government portal through Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
widgets.
Government and its agents also have the opportunity to follow citizens to monitor satisfaction with services they receive. Through ListServs, RSS feeds, mobile messaging, micro-blogging services and blogs, government and its agencies can share information to citizens who share common interests and concerns. Government is also beginning to Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. In the state of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Treasurer Frank T. Caprio
Frank T. Caprio
Frank T. Caprio is a Managing Director at Chatham Capital a mezzanine finance firm with offices in Atlanta, Dallas and Providence. He had a twenty year political career which included being elected as the former General Treasurer of Rhode Island...
is offering daily tweets of the state’s cash flow. Interested people can sign up at here. For a full list of state agencies with Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
feeds, visit Real Life. Live document. For more information, visit transparent-gov.
UN e-Government Readiness Index
There are several international rankings of e-government maturity. The Eurostat rankings, Economist, Brown University, and the UN e-Government Readiness Index are among the most frequently cited. The United Nations Public Administration Network conducts a bi-annual e-Government survey which includes a section titled e-Government Readiness. It is a comparative ranking of the countries of the world according to two primary indicators: i) the state of e-government readiness; and ii) the extent of e-participation. Constructing a model for the measurement of digitized services, the Survey assesses the 191 member states of the UN according to a quantitative composite index of e-government readiness based on website assessment; telecommunication infrastructure and human resource endowment.The following is the list of the top 50 countries according to the UN's 2010 e-Government Readiness Index.
| Rank | Country | Index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Korea |
0.8785 |
| 2 |  United States |
0.8510 |
| 3 |  Canada |
0.8448 |
| 4 |  United Kingdom |
0.8147 |
| 5 |  Netherlands |
0.8097 |
| 6 |  Norway |
0.8020 |
| 7 |  Denmark |
0.7872 |
| 8 |  Australia |
0.7863 |
| 9 |  Spain |
0.7516 |
| 10 |  Early Modern France |
0.7510 |
| 11 |  Singapore |
0.7476 |
| 12 |  Sweden |
0.7474 |
| 13 |  Bahrain |
0.7363 |
| 14 |  New Zealand |
0.7311 |
| 15 |  Germany |
0.7309 |
| 16 |  Belgium |
0.7225 |
| 17 |  Japan |
0.7152 |
| 18 |  Switzerland |
0.7136 |
| 19 |  Finland |
0.6967 |
| 20 |  Estonia |
0.6965 |
| 21 |  Republic of Ireland |
0.6866 |
| 22 |  Iceland |
0.6697 |
| 23 |  Liechtenstein |
0.6694 |
| 24 |  Austria |
0.6679 |
| 25 |  Luxembourg |
0.6672 |
| 26 |  Israel |
0.6552 |
| 27 |  Hungary |
0.6315 |
| 28 |  Lithuania |
0.6295 |
| 29 |  Slovenia |
0.6243 |
| 30 |  Malta |
0.6129 |
| 31 |  Colombia |
0.6125 |
| 32 |  Malaysia |
0.6101 |
| 33 |  Czech Republic |
0.6060 |
| 34 |  Chile |
0.6014 |
| 35 |  Independent State of Croatia |
0.5858 |
| 36 |  Uruguay |
0.5842 |
| 37 |  Latvia |
0.5826 |
| 38 |  Italy |
0.5800 |
| 39 |  Portugal |
0.5787 |
| 40 |  Barbados |
0.5714 |
| 41 |  Greece |
0.5708 |
| 42 |  Cyprus |
0.5705 |
| 43 |  Slovakia |
0.5639 |
| 44 |  Kingdom of Bulgaria |
0.5590 |
| 45 |  Poland |
0.5582 |
| 46 |  Kazakhstan |
0.5578 |
| 47 |  Kingdom of Romania |
0.5479 |
| 48 |  Argentina |
0.5467 |
| 49 |  United Arab Emirates |
0.5349 |
| 50 |  Kuwait |
0.5290 |
Government to citizen
Public information in Canada is the subject of the Access to Information Act. VisibleGovernment.ca is a Canadian non-profit that promotes online tools for government transparency.There have been several ChangeCamps in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, with organizers coming together in Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, drawing many politicians.
The city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
mayor David Miller
David Miller (Canadian politician)
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term...
announced plans for an open city data portal at toronto.ca/open.
A collection of uses of social media in Canadian government can be found here.
Government to government
The current Clerk of the Privy CouncilClerk of the Privy Council (Canada)
The Clerk of the Privy Council is the senior civil servant in the Canadian government. The Title and Office is in fact "Clerk of the Privy Council and the Secretary to the Cabinet"...
- the head of the federal public service, has made workplace renewal a pillar of overall public service renewal. Key to workplace renewal is the adoption of collaborative networked tools. An example of such as tool is GCPEDIA
GCPEDIA
GCPEDIA is an internal wiki used by the Government of Canada, for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Its slogan is “People & Knowledge“. GCPEDIA is only accessible via the Government of Canada network and contributors must be on a computer on a government network to be able to access it. This...
- a wiki platform for federal public servants. Other tools include GCconnex, a social networking tool, and GCforums, a discussion board system.
In Europe
eGovernment shows significant advancement in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. For more information see eGovernment in Europe
EGovernment in Europe
e-Government refers to the use of information and communication technology to provide and improve government services, transactions and interactions with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government...
.
In India
In India, the e-Governance initiatives are broadly managed under the umbrella of the NeGPNeGP
NeGP is a plan of the Government of India to make all government services available to the citizens of India via electronic media.This plan was an outcome of the recommendations of the second Administrative Reforms Commission"...
initiative.
In Malaysia
In Malaysia, the e-Government efforts are undertaken by the Malaysian government, under the umbrella of Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and e-Government flagships.In Middle East
In the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, the Emirates eGovernment is designed for e-government operations.
In Pakistan
In PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, the Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
's e-government directorate is committed to building a robust e-network framework that essentially allows the government to be more responsive in delivering public services to citizens and businesses.
In the United States
The election of Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
has become associated with the effective use of Internet technologies during his campaign, and in the implementation of his new government in 2009.
On January 21, 2009, newly elected President Obama signed one of his first memorandums - the Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Transparency and Open Government In the memo, President Obama called for an unprecedented level of openness in Government, asking agencies to "ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration." The memo further "directs the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Administrator of General Services (GSA), to coordinate the development by appropriate executive departments and agencies [and] to take specific actions implementing the principles set forth in the memorandum."
President Obama’s memorandum centered around the idea of increasing transparency throughout various different federal departments and agencies. By enabling public websites like recovery.gov and data.gov to distribute more information to the American population, the administration believes that it will gain greater citizen participation.
Recently, this initiative has crossed several key milestones and continues to make a significant amount of progress. Certain government information is still, and will continue to be, considered privileged, and this issue remains at the center of the debate.
Additionally, technology is still not accessible by all Americans. The National Broadband Plan hopes to counter this limit, but many Americans are still without access to internet, which would be required to use these services. Some Americans live in rural areas without access, while others are not financially able to support a connection.
e-Government – an alternative approach
Recent government policy updates have seen a shift away from e-Government towards a much more radical focus on transforming the whole relationship between the public sector and users of public services. This new approach is referred to as Transformational GovernmentTransformational Government
-Introduction:Transformational Government is a term which describes the use of computer-based information and communications technologies to enable radical improvement to the delivery of public services...
.
Transformation programmes differ from traditional e-Government programmes in four major ways:
- They take a whole-of-government view of the relationship between the public sector and the citizen or business user.
- They include initiatives to e-enable the frontline public services: that is, staff involved in direct personal delivery of services such as education and healthcare – rather than just looking at transactional services which can be e-enabled on an end-to-end basis.
- They take a whole-of-government view of the most efficient way managing the cost base of government.
- They focus on the "citizen" not the "customer". That is, they seek to engage with the citizens as owners of and participants in the creation of public services, not as passive recipients of services.
See also
- Application Service ProviderApplication service providerAn application service provider is a business that provides computer-based services to customers over a network. Software offered using an ASP model is also sometimes called On-demand software or software as a service ....
- Center for Electronic Governance at UNU-IISTCenter for Electronic Governance at UNU-IISTThe Center for Electronic Governance at UNU-IIST is an International Center of Excellence on research and practice in Electronic Governance, part of United Nations University - International Institute for Software Technology located in Macao, China.- History :...
- Digital Government Society of North AmericaDigital Government Society of North AmericaThe Digital Government Society of North America or DGSNA is an international, nonprofit, professional society devoted to advancing democratic digital government via research, policy, and best practice, in the countries of Canada, the United States, and Mexico.-History and purpose:The organization...
- E-AuthenticationE-AuthenticationE-authentication is a shorthand for electronic authentication. Authentication is a process closely related to identification. In online environments, the username identifies the user, while the password authenticates that the user is whom he claim to be....
- E-democracyE-democracyE-democracy refers to the use of information technologies and communication technologies and strategies in political and governance processes...
- Egovernment factsheetsEgovernment factsheetse-Government factsheets are periodical publications of the ePractice initiative which aim to promote good practice sharing among countries of Europe in the field of delivering electronic services to the benefit of Public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens.Published biannually, Egovernment...
- E-Government UnitE-Government UnitThe e-Government Unit , the largest unit of the Cabinet Office of the government of the United Kingdom, is responsible for helping various government departments use information technology to increase efficiency and improve electronic access to government services...
- Electronic services deliveryElectronic services deliveryElectronic services delivery or ESD refers to providing government services through the Internet or other electronic means.-Defining e-Service:E-Service...
- Electronic votingElectronic votingElectronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
- E-participationE-participatione-participation is the generally accepted term referring to "ICT-supported participation in processes involved in government and governance". Processes may concern administration, service delivery, decision making and policy making...
- E-procurementE-procurementE-procurement is the business-to-business or business-to-consumer or Business-to-government purchase and sale of supplies, Work and services through the Internet as well as other informations and networking systems, such as Electronic Data Interchange and Enterprise Resource Planning.E-procurement...
- eRulemakingERulemakingElectronic rulemaking is the use of digital technologies by government agencies in the rulemaking and decision making processes. An interdisciplinary electronic rulemaking research community has formed as a result of funding under the auspices of the...
- IDABC
- Identity documentIdentity documentAn identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
- International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic GovernanceInternational Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic GovernanceInternational Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance is an international conference series, established by the United Nations University in 2007, with the aim of bringing together practitioners, developers and researchers from government, academia, industry, non-governmental...
- Knowledge policyKnowledge policyPolicies are the paradigms of government and all bureaucracies. Policies provide a context of rules and methods to guide how large organizations meet their responsibilities. Organizational knowledge policies describe the institutional aspects of knowledge creation, management, and use within the...
- National Center for Digital GovernanceNational Center for Digital GovernanceNational Center for Digital Government is a research center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Center is directed by Dr. , Professor of Political Science and Public Policy. Dr. , Associate Professor of Natural Resources Conservation and Public Policy, and Dr. are the Associate Directors...
- Online consultationOnline consultationOnline consultations or e-consultations refer to an exchange between government and citizens using the Internet. They are one form of online deliberation. Further, online consultation consists in using the Internet to ask a group of people their opinion on one or more specific topics, allowing for...
- Online deliberationOnline deliberationOnline deliberation is a term associated with an emerging body of practice, research, and software dedicated to fostering serious, purposive discussion over the Internet...
- Open source governanceOpen source governanceOpen-source governance is a political philosophy which advocates the application of the philosophies of the open-source and open-content movements to democratic principles in order to enable any interested citizen to add to the creation of policy, as with a wiki document. Legislation is...
- Collaborative e-democracyCollaborative e-democracyCollaborative e-democracy is a democratic conception which combines key features of direct democracy, representative democracy, and e-democracy...
- PolicyPitchPolicyPitchPolicyPitch is a crowd-powered platform that gives ordinary people the power to influence policy and change in their community. The site focuses on increasing transparency in government and providing tools for citizens to connect with their elected officials and include policy at the local and...
- PrivacyPrivacyPrivacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
- SEMIC.EU
- Transformational GovernmentTransformational Government-Introduction:Transformational Government is a term which describes the use of computer-based information and communications technologies to enable radical improvement to the delivery of public services...
External links
- Digital Government Portal
- University of Illinois at Chicago e-Government Online Certificate Program
- University of Illinois at Chicago e-Government Workshop
- International Conference on Electronic Governance
- Center for Electronic Governance at UN University - IIST
- EGovernment at W3C
- e-Governance Academy
- e-government at Publicservice.co.uk
- e-Government Project RISER "Address Verification online in Europe"