Egovernment in the Digital Era

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E-Government in Digital Era: Concept, Practice, and Development

International Journal of The Computer, The Internet and Management, Vol. 10, No.2, 2002, p 1-22

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E-Government in Digital Era:Concept, Practice, and Development

Zhiyuan Fang, Ph.D.School of Public Administration,

National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA),Thailand

Abstract

Governments worldwide are faced withthe challenge of transformation and the need to reinvent government systems in order todeliver efficient and cost effective services,information and knowledge throughinformation and communication techno-logies. Development of Information and

communication technologies catalyzed and led up to E-government.

What is E-government? In this paper, E-government is defined as a way for governments to use the most innovativeinformation and communication techno-logies, particularly web-based Internet applications, to provide citizens and businesses with more convenient access togovernment information and services, toimprove the quality of the services and to

provide greater opportunities to participatein democratic institutions and processes.

E-government presents a tremendousimpetus to move forward in the 21st centurywith higher quality, cost-effective,government services and a better relationship between citizens and government.

One of the most important aspects of e-government is how it brings citizens and businesses closer to their governments. This

paper outlines eight different potential typesor models in an e-government system that isuseful to define scope of E-government studies: Government-to-Citizen (G2C);Citizen-to-Government (C2G); Government-to-Business (G2B); Business-to-Government

(B2G); Government-to-Government (G2G);Government-to-Nonprofit (G2N); Nonprofit-to-Government (N2G); and Government-to-

Employee (G2E). This paper also examinessome examples in E-government practicesand presents a generally-applicable

framework for analysis of challenges and problems in E-government development.

Emerging with E-government, theoriesand practices of public administration havestepped into a new digital era. This paper

proposed that contemporary issues related to E-government in public administration areadministrative interface, i.e, people-computer interface in management digitaladministration, i.e., digital process or

procedures and system in management, and virtual organization, i.e., government onlinesystem, etc. Studies of these issues will be



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more benefits for development of theoriesand practices of public administration in 21 st

century.

The paper concludes by analyzing

concepts and theoretical framework in theseissues given the broader context of structuralinitiatives for E-government development and the recommendations for further studiesof E-government in public administration.

Key Word: e-government, e-commerce,virtual organization, digital administration,administrative interface, e-governance

Introduction

The waves of e-government are risingthrough public organizations and publicadministration across the world. More andmore governments are using information andcommunication technology especiallyInternet or web-based network, to provideservices between government agencies and

citizens, businesses, employees and othernongovernmental agencies. As what JimMelitski described in E-Government Pageof ASPA website, “Across the world,public organizations are beginning an‘e-government journey’ by publishing staticinformation to the Internet and establishingan on-line presence, in the hopes thatthey too will experience increases inefficiency, effectiveness, and organizationalperformance”( Jim Melitski, 2001). Moreand more attractions appeal researchers andpractitioners come to search for a consensusregarding e-government diagrams andinitiatives. E-government may be defined asa continuum from information provisionwhen organizations and public agenciespublish static information to the Internetto web interactive communication andE-transactions, and to one-stop integratedvirtual governmental services.

As e-commerce, E-governmentrepresents the introduction of a greatwave of technological innovations as wellas government reinvention. What isE-government? For purposes of this paper,

E-government is defined as a way forgovernments to use the most innovativeinformation and communicationtechnologies, particularly web-based Internetapplications, to provide citizens andbusinesses with more convenient access togovernment information and services, toimprove the quality of the services and toprovide greater opportunities to participate indemocratic institutions and processes. Thisincludes transactions between governmentand business, government and citizen,government and employee, and amongdifferent units and levels of government.E-business and e-commerce are subsets of e-government. E-government presents atremendous impetus to move forward in the21st century with higher quality, cost-effective, government services and a betterrelationship between citizens andgovernment.

One of the most important aspects of e-government is how it brings citizens andbusinesses closer to their governments. Thispaper outlines eight different potential typesor models in an e-government system that isuseful to define scope of E-governmentstudies: Government-to-Citizen (G2C);Citizen-to-Government (C2G); Government-to-Business (G2B); Business-to-Government(B2G); Government-to-Government (G2G);Government-to-Nonprofit (G2N); Nonprofit-to-Government (N2G); and Government-to-Employee (G2E). This paper also examinessome examples in E-government practicesand presents a generally-applicableframework for analysis of challenges andproblems in E-government development.

Emerging with E-government, theoriesand practices of public administration have





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stepped into a new digital era. This paperproposed that contemporary issues related toE-government in public administration areadministrative interface, i.e, people-computer interface in management digital

administration, i.e., digital process orprocedures and system in management, andvirtual organization, i.e., government onlinesystem, etc. Studies of these issues will bemore benefits for development of theoriesand practices of public administration in 21 st

century.

The paper concludes by analyzingconcepts and theoretical framework in theseissues given the broader context of structuralinitiatives for E-government developmentand the recommendations for further studiesof E-government in public administration.

Ultimately as E-government continuumleads to organizational transformation, publicagencies begin implementing e-governmentand governance initiatives, organizationalperformance will be improved and servicesdelivery will be better equipped to interact

with citizens and provide services over theInternet. In addition, e-government istransforming organizations, by breakingdown organizational boundaries andproviding greater access to information,increasing the transparency of publicagencies and citizen participation ingovernment, enhancing communications andfacilitating democratic processes.

1. Definition of E-Government

To understand E-government, it mustunderstand administrative development andreform on government in general. Duringtwo decades, Administrative reform anddevelopment have experienced TQMin1980s, and Reengineering and ReinventingGovernment in 1990s. Governmentreinvention make us realized that

government is actually a dynamic mixtureof goals, structures and functions.E-government initiatives are complex changeefforts intended to use new and emergingtechnologies to support a transformation in

the operation and effectiveness of government derived from governmentreinvention. New challenge of publicadministration in 2000s or 21st century is tocreate an E-government.

1.1 Definition of E-Government in BroadSense and Narrow Sense

What is exactly E-Government?E-Government can be defined in narrow

sense. In State of Texas’ s ElectronicGovernment Strategic Plan, (Department of Information Resources, State of Texas,January 2001), Electronic government isdefined as: Government activities that takeplace over electronic communications amongall levels of government, citizens, and thebusiness community, including: acquiringand providing products and services; placing

and receiving orders; providing andobtaining information; and completingfinancial transactions.

Broadly defined by Gartner (2000):"E-government is the continuousoptimization of service delivery,constituency participation and governance bytransforming internal and externalrelationships through technology, theInternet and new media." This includesGovernment to Citizen, Government toEmployee, Government to Business, andGovernment to Government.

Recognize the implication of e-government, it can be defined as - theability to obtain government services throughnontraditional electronic means, enablingaccess to government information and tocompletion of government transaction on an



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anywhere, any time basis and inconformance with equal access requirement.- offers potential to reshape the public sectorand build relationships between citizens andthe government. Theresa A. Pardo outlined

its functions as follows:

Citizen access to government information . Providing access to governmentinformation is the most common digitalgovernment initiative.

Facilitating general compliance . E-government can also mean providingelectronic access to services that facilitatecompliance with a set of rules or regulations.

Citizen access to personal benefits .Electronic benefits transfer and onlineapplication for public assistance andworker’s compensation are examples of services that provide the citizen withelectronic access to personal benefits.

Procurement including bidding, purchasing, and payment . Procurement

applications allow government agencies toreap the benefits being realized in the privatesector through electronic commerceapplications. Electronic vendor cataloging,bid submissions and tabulations, electronicpurchasing, and payment are government-to-government and government-to-businesstransactions that serve both the needs of government agencies as well as their privatetrading partners.

Government-to-government informationand service integration . Integrating servicedelivery programs across governmentagencies and between levels of governmentrequires electronic information sharing andintegration.

Citizen participation . Online democracyincludes access to elected officials,discussion forums, “town meetings,” voter

registration, and ultimately online voting.These services are intended to serve thecommunity at large. (Theresa A. Pardo,2000)

Viewed from technical terms, E-Government is an integrated tool comprisingthree enabling sets of new technology:infrastructure, solutions and the exploitationof public portals. An e-governmentinfrastructure enabling the implementation of specific applications to address specificproblems and issues of governmentmanagement. So when providing Internetaccess and email services in public portals,the most positive impact will come from thesolutions and services that can be accessedfrom the exploitation of public portals withthese communication tools. Based oninternal and external governmentaltelecommunication and internetinfrastructure, through the exploitation of public portals of governments, provide thesolutions for public service delivery.

Concluded in our comprehensive view,

E-government can be defined as a way forgovernments to use the most innovativeinformation and communicationtechnologies, particularly web-based Internetapplications, to provide citizens andbusinesses with more convenient access togovernment information and services, toimprove the quality of the services and toprovide greater opportunities to participate indemocratic institutions and processes.

1.2 E-Government and E-Commerce

Analogous to e-commerce, which allowsbusinesses to transact with each other moreefficiently (B2B) and brings customerscloser to businesses (B2C), e-governmentaims to make the interaction betweengovernment and citizens (G2C), governmentand business enterprises (G2B), and inter-agency relationships (G2G) more friendly,





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convenient, transparent, and inexpensive.

It is conceivable, on the basis of theabove, that the benefits of E-Governmentwill continue to depend on the realization of

technical advances in Electronic Business(E-Business) in the broadest sense.Electronic Business (E-Business) refers to abroader definition of Electronic Commerce(E-Commerce), not just buying and sellingbut also servicing customers andcollaborating with business partners, andconducting electronic transactions within anorganizational entity.

In technology, E-government and e-commerce all represent the introduction of technological innovations. However, UnlikeE-Commerce, E-government is usuallydefined as the use of technology to enhanceinformation sharing, service delivery,constituency and client participation, andgovernance by transforming internal andexternal relationships. This includestransactions between government andbusiness, government and citizen,

government and employee, and amongdifferent units and levels of government. Inanother sense, E-business and e-commerceare subsets of e-government.

1.3 E-Government and E-Governance

E-governance is beyond the scope of e-government. While e-government isdefined as a mere delivery of governmentservices and information to the public usingelectronic means, e-governance allowscitizen direct participation of constituents inpolitical activities going beyond governmentand includes E-democracy, E-voting, andparticipating political activity online. So,most broadly, concept of E-governance willcover government, citizens participation,political parties and organizations,Parliament and Judiciary functions.

Blake Harris (2000) summarizes thee-governance as the following: E-governanceis not just about government web siteand e-mail. It is not just about servicedelivery over the Internet. It is not just about

digital access to government information orelectronic payments . It will change howcitizens relate to governments as much as itchanges how citizens relate to each other. Itwill bring forth new concepts of citizenship,both in terms of needs and responsibilities.E-governance will allow citizens tocommunicate with government, participate inthe governments' policy-making and citizensto communicate each other and to participatein the democratic political process.Therefore, in broadest sense, E-governancehas more implications than E-Government.

Understanding definition of E-Government that encapsulates a broaderagenda of renewal may be more helpful todistinguish from these two different conceptsbut related to each other. E-Governmentrefers to the use by government agencies of information technologies, such as web-based

Networks, the Internet, and mobilecomputing, that have the ability to transformrelations with citizens, businesses, and otherarms of government. These technologies canserve a variety of different ends: betterdelivery of government services to citizens,improved interactions with business andindustry, citizen empowerment throughaccess to information, or more efficientgovernment management. The resultingbenefits can be less corruption, increasedtransparency, greater convenience, revenuegrowth, and/or cost reductions.

1.4 A Triangle Relationship Model amongGovernment, Business and Citizens

View from the definitions of E-Government, we can get a trianglerelationship model among government,



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business and citizens as follows:

1) E-Government focus aspect in E-Government partnership

The processes and structures that define

the relationship between central governmentand local governments; the processes andstructures that define the relationshipbetween organizations and departments oragencies; the processes and structures thatdefine the relationship between governmentand the employees; the processes andstructures that define the relationshipbetween Legislature and the Executive.

2) E-Business focus aspect in E-Government partnership

The processes and structures that definethe relationship between governments andthe markets; the processes and structures thatdefine the relationship between governmentsand the private sector.

3) E-Citizens focus aspect in E-Government partnership

The processes and structures that definethe relationship between governments andcitizens; The processes and structures that

define the relationship between Governmentservice delivery and citizens’ needs; and Theprocesses and structures that define therelationship between countries andInternational institutions.

The following diagram illustrates therelationship among E-Government, E-Business, and E-Citizens in the context of the emergence of the so called “knowledgesociety”, globalization, and sovereignty:

Given the scale, scope, multi-portfolionature, and transformational potential of e-government, it has been advocated that itshould be treated as a holistic system adjunctto the area of e-commerce in the E-society.

Figure 1.1 A Triangle Relationship Model among E-Government, Business

and Citizens





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2. E-Government’s Types andCharacteristics

Deducted from our definition of E-Government, we can further find out the

types of E-Government and their features inpractices of government online worldwide.

2.1 Types of E-Government Partnerships :

Summarized from our research on E-Government, normally, governmentidentifies and drives implementation of eighttypes of E-government which can bringsignificant benefits to the Government,citizens, business, employees and othernonprofit organizations and political andsocial organizations. Types of E-Governmentcan be classified into 8 categories, are asfollows:

1) Government-to-Citizen (G2C)Provide the momentum to put public

services online, in particular through theelectronic service delivery for offeringinformation and communications;

2) Citizen-to-Government (C2G)Provide the momentum to put public

services online, in particular through theelectronic service delivery for exchange of information and communication;

3) Government-to-Business (G2B)Actively drive E-transactions initiatives

such as e-procurement and the developmentof an electronic marketplace for governmentpurchases; and carry out Governmentprocurement tenders through electronicmeans for exchange of information andcommodities;

4) Business -to-Government (B2G)Actively drive E-transactions initiatives

such as e-procurement and the developmentof an electronic marketplace for governmentpurchases; and carry out government

procurement tenders through electronicmeans for sale of goods and services;

5) Government-to-Employee (G2E)Embark on initiatives that will facilitate

the management of the civil service andinternal communication with governmentalemployees in order to make e-careerapplications and processing system paperlessin E-office.

6) Government-to-Government (G2G)Provide the Government's departments

or agencies cooperation and communicationonline base on mega database of governmentto have an impact on efficiency andeffectiveness. It also includes internalexchange of information and commodities.

7) Government-to-Nonprofit (G2N)Government provides information and

communication to nonprofit organizations,political parties and social organizations,Legislature, etc.

8) Nonprofit-to-Government (N2G)

Exchange of information andcommunication between government andnonprofit organizations, political parties andsocial organizations, Legislature, etc.

From the above categories of E-government, we can sum up thatE-Government initiatives should focus onfive consumer-to-government relationships:Citizen-to-Government, Business-to-Govern-ment, Government-to-Nonprofit, Govern-ment-to-Government and Government-to-Employee. First, Citizen-to-Governmentrefers to the direct consumption of publicservices by the individual consumer forpersonal use. These services includelicensing and permitting for hunting, fishing,and driving privileges. This will not onlyinclude the payment of taxes, fines, and feesto state and local governments, but also thepayment of refunds to taxpayers. Second, the



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Business-to-Government relationship modelrefers to those services consumed byentrepreneurs, businesses, and corporations,for a commercial purpose (profit or non-profit). These include filing statements of

incorporation, obtaining business licenses,assistance with site locations, and obtainingworkforce information. Finally,Government-to-Nonprofit, Government-to-Government and Government-to-Employeerefer to the coordination of both inter- andintra- agency cooperation and employees toimprove services inside or outside

governments. This includes travel requests,purchasing requisitions, payroll processing,intergovernmental fund transfers, andposition applications, etc.

2.2 Characteristics of E-GovernmentTypes:

With comparison and analysis of E-government types, we can concluded somecharacteristics as follows:

Table 2.1 Characteristics of Types of E-Government

Items Information Communication Online TransactionG2Cand

C2G

Information requests of a firmor the citizen regarding taxes,business licences, registers,laws, political programs,administrative responsibili-ties, etc.

Information requests anddiscussion regarding admini-strative processes andproducts; communicationwith politicians, authoritiesetc.

Online delivery of serviceand posting of results;electronic voting, providingsolution online, andparticipation online, etc.

G2Band

B2G

Information requests of a firmor the citizen regarding taxes,

business licences, registers,laws, business programs,business policy, admini-strative responsibilities, etc.

Information requests anddiscussion regarding admini-

strative processes for businessand products; communicationwith politicians, authorities,etc.

Online delivery of serviceand posting of results;

electronic transactions of accounting, e-auditing, e-procurement, e-shopping,etc.

G2G Exchange of informationamong different authoritiesand different hierarchicallevels, regarding administra-tive acts and laws, policymaking, data, projects orprograms, background infor-mation to decisions, etc.

Information is exchangedamong different authoritiesand different hierarchicallevels; discussion fora;communication in negotiationand decision making; inter-action regarding admini-strative acts and laws,projects or programs, etc.

Inter-organisational work-flow and exchange of data,exchanging policy andsolution online, informationand knowledge management,etc.

N2GandG2N

Exchange of informationregarding administrative acts,administrative policy, data,registers, laws, politicalprograms, background infor-mation to decisions etc.

Information is exchangedamong different organizationsand agencies; discussion fora;communication in negotiationand decision making;interaction regarding admini-strative acts

Intra-organisational work-flow, and exchange of policyand solution, data, inform-ation and knowledgemanagement, etc.





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G2E Exchange of informationregarding works andperformance, personnelpolicy, data, and notice forcareer management and

development of governmentemployees, etc.

Information is exchangedamong different departmentor persons; discussion fora;communication in negotiationand decision making;

interaction regarding worksand performance, etc.

Interpersonal workflow, andexchange of personnelpolicy and solution, data,information and knowledgemanagement, participation

online, etc.

2.3 A Broad Schematic System forE-Government Type Models

Electronic Government (E-Government)refers to the processes and structurespertinent to the electronic delivery of government services to the public.

Electronic Government is functionallydependent on the assertion thatE-Government “internal partnership”,namely, comprising Administration,Political, Civil Service, Parliamentand Judiciary functions; E-Government“external partnership”, namely, comprisingCentral, Provincial/State/County or Local

functionality; and information sharing as aservice can be effectuated within andbetween Governments and betweenGovernments, the Public Sector and thePrivate Sector; Government is amenable to apublic service deliver model of variedcomplexity, which takes cognizance of boththe two characteristics of E-Government“internal partnership” and E-Government“external partnership” (See Figure 2.1).

3. Best Practices of E-GovernmentWorldwide

E-government refers to the delivery of information and services online through theInternet or other digital means. Manygovernment organizations have embraced

the digital revolution and are putting a widerange of materials from publications anddatabases to actual government servicesonline for citizen use. Here, we reviewthe current condition and development of e-government.

3.1 Development of E-Government

Similar to the dramatic changes ine-commerce and e-trading, the e-governmentrevolution offers the potential to reshape thepublic sector and remake the relationshipbetween citizens and government. The widevariability in the extent to which web

government is taking hold creates anopportunity to study how the e-governmentrevolution affects public sector performanceand democratic responsiveness. In theUN/ASPA global survey (2000), fivecategories of measuring a global survey,five categories of measuring a country’se-government progress have been identified.A country’s e-government progress shouldbe identified as follows:

Emerging web presence : A countrymay have a single or a few official nationalgovernment websites that offer staticinformation to the user and serve as publicaffairs tools.

Enhanced web presence : The numberof government webpages increases asinformation becomes more dynamic with



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users having more options for accessinginformation.

Interactive web presence : A more formalexchange between user and a governmentservice provider takes place, i.e. forms canbe downloaded; applications submittedonline.

Transactional web presence : Userseasily access services prioritized by theirneeds; conduct formal transactions online,like paying taxes; registration fees.

Fully integrated web presence : Thecomplete integration of all onlinegovernment services through a one-stop-shop portal. (UN/ASPA, 2000)

Figure 2.1 A Broad Schematic System for E-Government Models

Central Government

Local Government

Citizens Business

Nonprofit

Figure 2.1 A Broad Schematic System for E-Government Models

G2G

G2C & C2G

G2N & N2G

G2C & C2 G

External E-Government Partnership System

InternalE-GovernmentPartnershipSystem

G2G&G2E





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3.2 Enlightenment from E-GovernmentExamples

Government can begin with developingan e-government strategy which would set

out plans of how government can deliver thetargets set for it in the context of the nationalstrategic framework. To examine this

process and how e-government plans andstrategies is success, we may need to makemore understand the take-up of the strategyacross the authority as a whole.

An example of E-government of NewZealand is showed as follows:

Figure 3.1 E-government Scheme of New Zealand in 2001

Source: New Zealand Government, 2001. (http://www.e-government.govt.nz/ programme/egovt-strategy.html)



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The following features characterizecountries that are successfully implementinge-government projects all over the world.E-Government should be implemented with:

1. Comprehensive. To the greatestextent possible, citizens should be able to doeverything they have to do or want todo with their government through onee-government portal.

2. Integrated. All e-governmentapplications should be integrated with eachother, so citizens can avoid the need toprovide the same data over and over andgovernments can save time and money bynot needing to re-enter data.

3. Ubiquitous. Access to a jurisdiction'se-government portal and its connected sitesand applications should be available tousers/citizens from any Internet-capableconnection, Internet appliances.

4. Transparent/Easy to Use. E-government sites should be designed and

operated so that the most novice of computerusers can readily find the information theyneed, provide the information requested bythe government agencies with which theyare dealing, and otherwise perform alle-government transactions.

5. Accessible. The design and operationof e-government systems should, from theground up, take into account the specialneeds of the disabled, and make it possiblefor them to use these systems as easily as thenon-disabled.

6. Secure. E-government systems needto protect the confidentiality of data providedby citizens, the records created and stored bygovernment, and the content and existence of citizen-government transactions performedover the Internet.

7. Private. Data about citizen-government transactions, and the content of those transactions, needs to be fiercelyprotected by the government.

8. Re-engineered. It is not enough toreplicate electronically the administrativeprocesses and procedures currently in place.It is necessary to thoroughly re-evaluate theoverall mission of the jurisdiction and thendesign a digital structure that creates agovernment-citizen interface that simplifiesand streamlines each transaction individuallyand the entire process of governmentadministration generally.

9. Interoperable. An excellent e-government site is one that providesappropriate and up-to-date links to othere-government sites, at its own and otherlevels in the government hierarchy. Alle-government sites need to work togetherseamlessly.

10. Be Developed to E-governanceSystems. Developed from e-government,

E-governance systems can just as easilyimplement democratic process, e-makingof or policy, building up e-community.E-government serves not only as a means of administration, but also as a primary tool of collective and democratic decision-making,and participation for society.

3.3 A Summary of E-GovernmentInitiatives Worldwide

For E-governments worldwide, thedigital revolution offers unprecedentedopportunities for improving virtually allforms of public revolution offersunprecedented opportunities for improvingvirtually all forms of public service delivery.From Europe to Asia to South America toAfrica, countries are taking a moreinnovative approach to doing business with





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their citizens. The use of the Internet todeliver government information and services

has become a growth industry all over theworld.

Table 3.1 A Summary of E-Government Initiatives Worldwide

Country E-Government InitiativesAUSTRALIA Specific commitments were made to:

- deliver all appropriate Commonwealth services electronically on the Internet complementing;- establish a Government Information Center through the Office for Government Online as amain point of access to information about government services;- establish electronic payment as the normal means for Commonwealth payments; and

- establish a government-wide intranet for secure online communication.

AUSTRIA Government acts and understands itself as a partner of private industry especially in the

transition process from the post-industrial service society to the information society: Information Retrieval Systems; EDI; Interactive Online Systems

CANADA E-Government is effected through the following principles:- Responding to public demand for better and more accessible Government;- Clarifying roles and responsibilities including (i) areas of involvement; (ii) areas of disengagement; (iii) areas of devolution;- Achieving affordable government;- Ensuing that resources are devoted to highest priority

CHINA The Government Online Project covers five aspects of contents:

-The first is to make known government functions online, which is to post to the Internet the

functions, duties, organizational structure, administrative procedures and rules and regulationsof governments and their departments.

-Second, government documents, archives and databases posted online.

-Third, daily activities of government departments released online, which is regarded as achannel of openness of administrative affairs.

-The fourth is online administration, with an electronic center of files and documents to

improve administration efficiency.-Online trading is the last to be posted online.

DENMARK E-Government is based on the following principles:- Information Society for All;

- Realization of the Global Research Village;

- Realization of Broadband Internet for Research Institutions;- Use of Online Publications;

- IT Usage in Municipalities- IT Usage in Danish Companies;- Electronic Filing;- The Portable Revolution;- IT Usage in Education;- Electronic Supported Administration & Legal Roles- IT and the Disabled- Plan of Action



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FINLAND - E-Government deploys the following:- Sharing of Data between National Base Registers;

- Messaging e-mail;

- EDI for some applications;- E-commerce;

- Telework; Smart Card Use, Kiosks and Internet Use;- One-Stop Service;- Communication and Documentation become increasingly electronic;

FRANCE . -IT has lost its “special narrow status” in preference to being perceived as one of the necessarytools for modernizing or improving government administration

HONG KONG The Government published the "2001 Digital 21 Strategy" signifying its firm commitment tolead by example in the adoption of e-business, both in conducting internal business operations

and in delivering public services to the businesses and the community on an "anywhere

anytime" basis.JAPAN The Millennium Project “ Electronic Government” includes:

- Online administrative procedures- Basic system such as electronic authentication

- Network base- Technological base- Electronic public procurement- Security measures

NEW

ZEALAND

Intends to be among the governments which actively manage e-technology to make life better

for its people. Overall that requires government to do two things:

- create the environment where others - the private sector, communities and individuals - canmake the most of e-technology;

- capitalize on e-technology to improve the way government serves New Zealanders.

SINGAPORE The “Singapore ONE” Initiative is one of the first implementations of multimedia broadbandnetworks and applications in the world. The program is a national initiative that delivers a newlevel of interactive, multimedia applications and services to homes, businesses and schoolsthroughout Singapore.

UNITEDKINGDOM

There are four guiding principles underlying the Government’s strategy as set out in E-government, a strategic framework for public services in the information age, April 2000 :

- building services around citizens choices;

- making government and its services more accessible;- ensuring that new technology does not create a digital divide between those with ready access

to electronic media and those without; and

- using information more effectively.UNITED

STATESE-Government is based on 7 principles comprising the following:- Easy access;- Re-engineered Systems;- Automated Systems;

- One-Stop Service;- Service by Customer, not Provider;

- Privacy protected and embraced;

- Access to the physically challenged

Source: Summarized from the E-Government Program websites of the above countries.





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4. E-Government Research Issues inPublic Administration

As the E-Government initiatives becomea primary access point for millions of

citizens to access government, many issuesneed to be considered like:

- How will e-government influence theperformance of public organizations?

- What are the organizational effects of e-government and information technology?

- What did E-Government change publicadministration, organization structure andinterface in an information age?

These questions have severalimplications for researchers and practitionersin the field of public administration. There isalready evidence to indicate that more andmore baseline data needs to be collectedto determine the longitudinal effects of e-government initiatives on publicadministration. We have to examinetheoretically and logically more issues of e-government for administrative development

so that we could analyze and conclude theimpacts of e-government on publicadministration.

4.1 Administrative Interface

Administrative interface has beentransformed from unitary people-peopleinterface into multi-interface such as people-people interface, people-network-peopleinterface, people-network interface, network-people interface, and system-systeminterface, with different interfacescharacteristics, operation procedures andregulations.

In Government the transition toelectronic delivery of services will not onlyinvolve changes to the systems, procedures

and processes of the relevant services butwill also affect the way in which the publicand the business community deals with thegovernment. Customers will no longer needto interface directly with government

officials in order to secure a particularservice. They also do not need to knowwhich agency is the service provider, as theservice can be obtained through a kiosk orpersonal computer. What is important tothem is to be able to secure the requiredservice speedily and easily. These new trendswill influence the nature of governmentadministration and management, therebyreinventing the government to make itsexperience seamless to the citizens.

Another issue more detail in E-Government is Various User interfaces. Thestandard user interface and the World WideWeb browser have done much to extenduseful computing to every area of oursociety. The standard interface, commonlybased on Microsoft Windows, flattens thelearning curve needed for each newapplication. The Web browser’s ease of use

and widespread public acceptance have ledto use this technology in direct publiccontact. However, further advances in userinterfaces are likely to focus both onsimplicity and increased power. Digitallibrary technologies. Data visualizationtechnologies allow users to manipulate largedata sets to get a better understanding of theinformation they contain. Research into theinteraction between people and machines,including speech recognition and 3Dmodeling, will likely lead to innovations inthe way people perceive and use theinformation environment.

Finally, Effective Service Delivery—Electronic government will be a seamlessand comprehensive interface to government,designed and delivered from the citizen’sperspective.



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4.2 Digital Administration

Emerging with E-Government,digitalization of public organization hashappened, such as MIS and Web system,

Digital Office and E-paper, Knowledgemanagement and sharing system, Structuraland Process Change, E-Citizens and E-Learning.

E-government initiatives includesdozens of digital applications that can beimplemented across a broad range of functional government areas – from publichealth and safety departments to motorvehicle and criminal justice agencies. Thedigital applications include:

1) Public Access Systems that satisfythe public’s need to know and right to know.These systems make information easilyavailable over the Internet to citizens,businesses, government workers, and othergovernment entities.

2) Knowledge Management Systems

that turn your organization’s data into useful,intelligent information and deliver it overintranets, extranets, and the Internet to thoseho need it, thereby enhancing efficienciesand facilitating the decision making process.

3) Transaction Systems that encompasspublic access and knowledge managementsystems, and a so enable end users to submitpayments and registrations, obtaincertificates, and engage in other transactionalprocesses.

4) E-Government SystemInfrastructure that provides many things:session management, systems management(audit and logging), scalability, etc. Yetbecause the e-government space promisesconsiderable change over the next fewyears, perhaps the most important qualityof n e-government system infrastructure is

flexibility.

5) MIS and Web Integration Systemthat the most effective solution forcategorizing information on government

Web pages would be to develop a database-driven system, where all information isautomatically listed in databases as it isplaced online within internet, extranet, andintranet. Web integration is the process of the standardization of data definitions anddata structures by using a commonconceptual schema across a collection of data sources.

6) New models for public-privatepartnerships and other networkedorganizational forms. Given the diversity of players involved in delivering governmentservices, developing effective IT systemsoften requires new coalitions of partners atall levels of government, and betweengovernment and the private and nonprofitsectors.

7) Intuitive decision support tools for

public officials . Technologies and datastandards that encourage information search,selection, analysis, and sharing can stronglyinfluence the nature and effectiveness of decision making by elected officials, seniorexecutives, and program managers alike.

8) Archiving and electronic recordsmanagement. More and more informationnow resides in electronic rather than physicalfiles, generating new issues around recorddefinition and content, version control,public access, ongoing preservation, and theability of government to maintain history andaccountability.

The use of new tools by TexasElectronic Government Initiatives may alsohave implications for public administration.(See Figure 4.1)





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4.3 Virtual Organization

In an effort to create citizen-focusedgovernment, government should create anvirtual organizational structure forgovernment services. E-Governmentalsystem has moved the whole governmentonto the web and networking. Web sitesneed to be categorized by the function of theservice rather than the agency administeringthem. A well designed portal to all online

federal information will make citizen-government interaction more efficient and

effective.

The most effective solution forcategorizing information on government,E-government should develop a database-driven system, where all information isautomatically listed in databases as it isplaced online. Implementing this type of system would allow more accurate and

Figure 4.1: Texas Electronic Government Initiatives

Source: TexasOnline Task Force, “A Feasibility Report on Electronic Government”November 1, 2000



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efficient searches. There are a number of other applications that could be developedthat would make government more customercentered. Government should develop“information on request” systems to provide

people with government information. Inaddition, government should expand andstandardize the number of applications foronline forms. All government forms shouldbe publicly available and searchable on acentral federal Web site.

To exhibit virtual organization, theNational Partnership for ReinventingGovernment proposed the creation of theInternational Trade Data System (ITDS).ITDS was intended to be a partnership of theCustoms Service and a number of otherregulatory agencies, including the Food and

Drug Administration, the EnvironmentalProtection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture, to accomplish a variety of trade-oriented tasks without the traditionalhindrances of agency boundaries. The

proposed system would allow importers andexporters to essentially fill out one masterform that would combine all of theinformation all of the various agencies mayneed. This process would lead to cheaper,more accurate, and more timely exchangeand recording of information, and expeditethe physical movement of trade by reducingthe time goods are kept at the border forinspection. (Rob Atkinson, 2001)

Another example is also from theTexasOnline Internet Portal, showed asfollows:

Figure 4.2 Virtual Government-The TexasOnline Internet PortalSource: TexasOnline Task Force, “A Feasibility Report on Electronic Government”

November 1, 2000





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4.4 Redesigning AdministrativeOrganizations

Given the extraordinary pace of changesin the IT industry, the term E-Government

itself is somewhat new and essentiallyimplies upgradation of the efficiency andeffectiveness of the administrativemachinery through the combination of information technology and sophisticatedmultimedia to deliver better, cost effectiveand speedy services to the citizens. PublicAdministration is, in fact, in the midst of oneof the most rapidly changing periods inhistory.

There has been a shift in importancefrom the traditional inputs of a productionprocess to the processes involved in thecreation, storage, dissemination and use of information. The new technology has alreadyhad a profound impact in the manner inwhich large organizations function. Many of these organizations have had to restructurethemselves to create a flatter - lesshierarchical - structure. At the same time one

of the principal efforts of all organizationshave been devoted to creation andsustenance of an environment of learning inview of the quantum increases in knowledgeand changes in technology.

E-Organizations or E-Agencies becamea key part of government organization.E-organizations like the E-Governmentprofessional department, which is a part of government networking operation entity, isin the process of conducting severale-government research projects at the state,national, and international levels to addressmany e-government issues, but more work isneeded. The E-Government organization iscurrently working to build knowledge aboute-government and e-governance, improve theproductivity of public agencies and to givemanagers in public organizations the skillsneeded to maximize their performance in an

information age.

However, more baseline data needs tobe collected to determine the longitudinaleffects of e-government on public agencies.

There is also an ongoing academic debateregarding the structural effects of information technology on public and privateorganizations. Researchers have debated forlong times about whether technologicalinnovations cause centralization ordecentralization in organizations. Rethinkingthe entire organizational structure of publicsector bodies, allowing the citizens andrepresentatives to consider and approve anew form of organization (through a popularreferendum, convention, or other means),and then designing a digital or virtualnetwork to implement these new forms isalso a opportunity to resharp publicadministration.

4.5 Administrative, Political and EthicIssues in E-Government

Some administrative, political and ethicissues derived from E-Government should beaddressed here, such as security, privacy anddigital divide.

E-government implementations mustconsider security and privacy to ensureinformation systems and holdings areappropriately protected and individual rightsare respected. Security generally refers toprotection of the information systems assetsand controlling access to the informationitself. Application of security is specific tothe situation and sensitivity of theinformation. For example securityprotection for public information, such as theminutes of council meeting on the web, isnot stringent as would information specificto an individual’s information. Privacygenerally refers to respecting the right tohave information attributed to an individual



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(often called nominal information) be treatedwith an appropriate level of protection.Information privacy protection laws are oftenput in place to regulate this.

Another issue is Digital Divide. At thesame time, concerns have already beenexpressed about the gap between thetechnology haves and have-nots, and morepopularly known as "the digital divide." Inorder to ensure that countries avoid creatinga digital divide and create conditions toensure that growth of the knowledgeeconomy contributes to carrying out ademocratic process of efficient, equitableand sustainable development, expandeddialogue and new patterns of cooperationamong public, private ad civil societyorganizations are needed.

4.6 A Holistic View to AdministrativeIssues in E-Government

In conclusion, addressing theseadministrative issue related to E-government

may be complicated but can be managed solong as the issues are treated in a fair andrealistic way to be key issues in E-government. A holistic view onadministration’s processes, communication

and information resources may think like thisway:

- electronically mediated communication- improving communication with the

citizen- merging external and internal processes- improving co-operation between

agencies- supporting administration and

governance processes on different levelsand in different stages

- Innovative organisational design- cooperation over distances, across

organisational boundaries, acrosshierarchical echelons (Maria A.Wimmer, 2001)

Maria A. Wimmer’s SHEL Model foradministrative processes may be a goodpoint for understand and further studies onthese issues (See Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3 Administrative Processes in the View of the SHEL Model

Source: Revised from Maria A. Wimmer, Knowledge Management in e-Government,2001. htt ://falcon.ifs . uni-linz.ac.at/





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5. Conclusion

The movement to e-government, at itsheart, is changing the way people andbusinesses interact with government. E-

Government offers a huge potential inseeking innovative way to reach the ideal of government of people, by people and forpeople.

This paper just provides a basic viewfor guidelines and frameworks that addresse-government’s definition, characteristicsand types. It also gives impetus forresources that enable e-government’splanning, design, and implementationthrough reviewing E-government initiativesworldwide. By analyzing concepts andtheoretical framework in these issues maygive the broader context of structuralinitiatives for E-government developmentand the recommendations for further studiesof E-government in public administration.The issues of public administration riised byE-government such as Administrativeinterface, Digital Administration, and Virtual

Organization, need to be analyzedsystematically and further studied especiallyin the digital era of 2000s. PublicAdministration in 21st century will be aelectronic, digital and virtual world for thescholars and practitioners in this field.

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Reference

1. Blake Harris, E-governance, 2000(http://www.iadb.org)

2. Brendan Boyle, Electronic Governmentfor New Zealand: Managing theTransition., May 8, 2000. Thesis of MBA.

3. David C. Wyld, "The Auction Model:How the Public Sector Can Leveragethe Power of E-Commerce ThroughDynamic Pricing". The Pricewater-houseCoopers Grand Paper. October2000.

4. Electronic Government Task Force of State of Texas, TexasOnline: AFeasibility Report on ElectronicGovernment, 2001. (http://www.dir.state.tx.us/egov/)

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10. Rob Atkinson, Digital Government: TheNext Step to Reengineering the FederalGovernment. PPI .2000.http://www.netcaucus.org/books/egov2001/pdf/ digigov.pdf

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Egovernment in the Digital Era

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