E-Government

Each day it is becoming more apparent that information is very important towards the goal of advancing and developing the world. It is even more important that such information is made accessible to all citizens. The term E-government (electronic government) refers to the adoption of e-business (electronic business) practices in the government with the use of Information Technology. To make pertinent information available to the citizens across the world is extremely important, it increases empowerment through information, more accurate analysis can be made, more data driven decision are made, many lives can be saved by building awareness about health, AIDS and HIV, and education can be obtained in countries where there is a lack of teachers.

It can be said that the vision of E-government is a means of engaging and enforcing citizens to become more responsive, efficient, and to build a more accountable government. Some of the major goals of E-government include satisfying customer service expectation, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of governmental operations; provide effective access to information, and increasing government participation. In July 2002, President George W. Bush stated in a presidential memo to the Executive Heads of Departments and Agencies, “Effective implementation of E-government is important in making the government more responsive and cost effective”. Since then, there has been an increasingly amount of government generated information systems that are available directly through the Internet. Information Technology is being used exponentially to deliver government services in many ways such as; assisted citizens service centers, call centers, automated self services stands, digital television, mobile portals, and web portals.

Web portals are widely used to access government information. Web portals are multi-functional information systems which provide a single point access to relevant information services via the Internet. Such Web portals promote administrative reform as well as the elimination of corruption across the world. For example, “U.S. Consumer Gateway” portal was created by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the FTC continues to maintain it with the participation of many other governmental agencies. The site is designed to ensure that users can locate government consumer-related information by different categories such as food, health, product safety, money, transportation, and so on. Each category has further subcategories to direct users to areas within individual federal websites containing related information. For instance, the product safety category includes links to product information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, and the FTC, among others. More information about U.S. Consumer Gateway can be found at http://www.consumer.gov/. The Cape Gateway Portal in South Africa provides information about all government department services via the Internet. Information such as health, housing, licensing, transportation, and education are made available. The Cape Gateway portal provides easy access to government information, resources, and services that were not accessible prior to the implementation of this portal. Also in South Africa is the Judicial Inspector of Prisons Online Report System (JIP). JIP uses an online system for reporting on prison issues such as the treatment of prisoners and their living conditions. Due to the fact that Africa’s prisons are extremely overcrowded, this system can help to quality control certain issues that may arise. Through independent prison visitors that visit and interview prisoners, information is collected and monthly reports can be generated through analysis and made available to the public. Besides increasing empowerment of people and efficiency, this system can track and monitor if people are being treated humanly and justly.

E-government is not a tool that is limited to the more privileged countries, in fact some of the most developing countries of the world, where accessible, are taking advantage of E-government. More than ever, Information Communication Technologies (ICT’s) are being used to build awareness, empowerment through information, educate people where physicals teachers cannot, and to render efficient customer service. The results of E-government should be an improvement in business practices, a more streamline government, and a more knowledgeable and sophisticated public.

Reference(s):

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020710-6.html
http://www.cdt.org/egov/handbook/
http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan023997.pdf
http://www.worldbank.org/