Briefing Note 3: e-Government Applications

This briefing note provides an overview of e-government, including key elements and concepts, principles, and types of applications. It discusses how an e-government system is built by providing an analysis and identifying design considerations. It is published by the United Nations Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (UN-APCICT/ESCAP). It is drawn from Module 3 - e-Government Applications, the third of eight modules of the Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders.

The document describes e-governance as: acquiring and providing products and services; placing and receiving orders; providing and obtaining information; and completing financial transactions. “In a broader sense, e-government is the application of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to enhance the performance of government functions and services.” Benefits come from "leveraging the new ICT tools to provide better services to citizens and make government more effective and responsive....[I]t is necessary to establish a high-level e-government roadmap (top-down design) with a bottom-up detailed implementation plan. In the top-down design, the roadmap should include long-term strategic plans, as well as corresponding annual plans. The bottom-up detailed implementation plan should focus on delivering services that are based on the needs of citizens and businesses."

The document links the success of e-government to strong demand and support from the majority of the population. This demand will first come from a stronger awareness of the opportunities offered through efficient online government service delivery. Citizens and businesses also need to be motivated to use e-government services through the provision of compelling, relevant, and accessible digital content. Two types of e-government are: 1) "front-office", including government-to-citizens (G2C) and government-to-business (G2B) and 2) "back-office" or government-to-government (G2G). (The possible services of each category are enumerated in Table 1, page 1.) G2C provides citizens with information and basic services. G2B includes: "corporate civil administrative affairs, industrial information, and electronic transaction services. Examples of these electronic transaction services are procurements, bids and awards, and payment services for various taxes and public charges." This may incorporate e-procurement, e-customs, and e-commerce. G2G delivery aims to reform government internal work processes to improve efficiency of reporting systems and information sharing among agencies. "Digitizing document processing in government agencies and moving to paperless government operations is a key G2C initiative. e-Document exchange is expected to ensure efficiency, security and reliability in administration."

Issues for consideration include: 1) the benefits of successful e-government implementation; 2) critical success factors and risk factors of e-government deployment; and 3) strategic planning. Success factors are: the provision of common standards for information management, characterised by convergence; a single contact point and online access, reducing office visits; and service-oriented procedures through electronic document processes. Leadership and citizen support, agenda setting, and legislative changes are necessary in order to move forward. The following laws need to be in place for e-government to succeed: law on privacy and related issues; law related to changes in business processes and information systems; and law regarding the government information technology architecture and establishing an integrated computing centre. Organisational restructuring - possibly using "Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)" - may be needed to redesign the work flow within or between department levels to increase process efficiency, described as 30-50% of the effort. This requires leadership, planning, a budget, coordination and collaboration, monitoring and performance measurement, and government-private sector-citizen partnership. An ICT infrastructure and the skill and funding to keep it current are necessary.

Strategic planning develops the ultimate and situation-appropriate objectives and can aid in avoiding some of the risk factors of e-government deployment, inducing the following:

1. Lack of agreement within the public administration system; internal resistance by government
   
2. Inadequate plans and strategies; e-Government is introduced in a piecemeal and unsystematic fashion
   
3. Lack of adequate human resources; insufficient institutional and human capacity building
   
4. Absence of an investment plan
   
5. Shortage of IT [information technology] and system suppliers
   
6. Immature technologies and overemphasis on technology or technology-oriented deployment
   
7. Rapid implementation without adequate testing and preparation, and without adequate input from key local stakeholders 

As stated here, “The most important challenge to overcome is realizing that there is no one solution to fit every situation."