E-Government in the context of National E-Development Strategies:

The Case of E-Sri Lanka

Nagy Hanna, Senior Advisor, e-Development

Office of the VP/CIO, ISGE-Government Workshop

August 8, 2003

ICT Roles, Options and Objectives

Networking, empoweringNetworking, empowering

Infrastructure for networking and service delivery

Infrastructure for networking and service delivery

– Improving delivery of health, education, & other public services

– Improving delivery of health, education, & other public services

Accessing information & knowledge

Accessing information & knowledge

Accelerating transactions & reducing costs

Accelerating transactions & reducing costs

ICT & knowledge industriesICT & knowledge industries

All-purpose technology for modernization

All-purpose technology for modernization

Accelerating Growth

– Participating in ICT-enabled industries & software services

– Participating in ICT-enabled industries & software services

Reducing Poverty

– Diffusing ICT in industries & services– Diffusing ICT in industries & services

– Promoting participation, public accountability & social learning

– Promoting participation, public accountability & social learning

ICT RolesICT Roles Options for DevelopmentOptions for

Development

Objectives of e-

Development

Objectives of e-

Development

Leadership,Policies &

Institutions

ICT in Public Sector: e-government and e-society

Information Infrastructure Fund and Rural Access

Elements of e-Sri Lanka Vision

Human Resources Development

ICT in Private Sector: e-commerce and e-laws, industry promotion

E-GOVERNMENT: • E-government policy and strategy• Government wide process reengineering and

change management• Strategic applications such as unified citizens

database• Prioritized multi-year ICT investment program

SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS FUND:• Low-cost technology solutions• Building capacity of NGOs and underserved populations• Scalable social and business models• Local content industry promotion, multimedia

INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE & ACCESS:• Telecom & Internet policies & regulation • Rural access subsidy scheme • Telecenters

HUMAN RESOURCES:•Specialized ICT

education and training

• ICT literacy for civil servants

•Use of ICT in education

•Mobilizing the diaspora

Elements of E-Sri Lanka Project

LEADERSHIP, POLICY & INSTITUTIONS:

•Overall vision, e-laws • ICT Agency•CIOs in different ministries•Diffusion of ICT to SMEs• ICT industry promotion

Balancing top down leadership and bottom up learning and innovation: PPPs; NGOs.

Nurturing leadership: ICT agency, Cabinet committee, Vision. Capacity building for NGOs, communities, telecenter entrepreneurs.

Leading ICT across government agencies: CIOs.

Program management, M & E, piloting and learning.

Developing human resources and partnerships: industry, government and education sectors.

Enabling laws for e-commerce, e-government, ICT industry.

I. ICT Leadership, Policy and Capacity Building

II. Information Infrastructure & Access Rural multi-service network:

• Policy environment for affordable telecom services.

• Smart subsidies for connectivity: multi-service platform.

Telecenters program:• Telecenter support institutions.• Competitive selection of telecenter

enetrepreneurs.• Community and market development of services.• Pilots; partnerships; systematic learning.

III. Societal ApplicationsGOALS: Promoting ICT use to generate income and

delivery services to the poorest, addressing priority social needs, promoting inclusion and environmentally sustainable practices.

MODALITIES: Identifying sustainable social or business

models that can be scaled up for broader impact.

Engaging NGOs to articulate needs; SMEs to develop appropriate ICT solutions; government and donors to catalyze.

Building awareness, social learning and partnerships.

Developing local content: government; community; industry.

IV. E-government Establish vision, policy, strategy. Pilot and phase strategic applications and

multi-channels. Human and business processes:

restructuring, information sharing, KM, community of practice.

Anytime, anywhere services:• National portal: government-wide networks.• E-Parliament, E-Cabinet.• Financial management, taxes, customs, payment.• Population registry; national smart card.• E-procurement; project management systems.• Rural development, extension services, land information.

E-Government: Part of Larger ICT Strategy 1,000 flowers blooming – no vision, no

sequencing, lack of “integrated government”, no “trickle across effect.”

Telecoms Reforms: A critical mass that will use e-service must have cheap access to ICT. Lack of infrastructure impede use of e-services.

Lack of human capacity/skills building affects long term sustainability beyond project timeframe.

Elements of E-Government A single government portal that crosses

ministerial and agencies & links to all other public websites.

Local content production in key ministries and processes for regular updating.

Computerized and web-enabled key processes.

Legal and technical bases for transactions through the portal.

Capacity for civil servants to facilitate such transactions.

E-Government EvolutionD

eliveri

ng

Valu

e T

o

Cit

izen

s

Complexity of Implementation and Technology

Web Presence

Agency web sites provide citizens with information on rules and procedures

Limited Interactions

Intranets link departments allowing for Email contact, access to online databases & downloadable forms

Transactions

Electronic delivery of services automated. Applications include issue of certificates and renewal of licenses

Transformation

Joined up government. All stages of transactions including payments are electronic. Applications include government portals. New models of service delivery with public private partnerships

E-government: Readiness Indicators Extent of back-end process

computerization and front-end infrastructure.

Demonstrated political will and leadership.

Capacity to design and implement e-government systems.

Funding availability. Existence of an enabling legal framework. Attitude shift amongst civil servants

towards service and customers. 

E-government: Outcomes Improved public sector performance:

changing way of doing business in government.

Increased participation of citizens in government decisions and actions.

Improved accountability of politicians and civil servants.

Assured competitive environment for private businesses. 

E-government: Impact on Organizations Focusing on core competencies, outsourcing. Extended organizations: Partnerships. New forms of organizations- Flat, agile, lean,

networked, client-focused. Flexible with scale. Organizing for innovation, learning at all

levels. Focusing on organization’s II, knowledge &

service competencies. Investing in intangibles. Increasing transparency of government

transactions. Improving government image as modern and

responsive. Catalyst for reform: Improve skills and

motivation of civil servants.

E-Government: Contribution to Poverty Reduction Improving citizen-to gov (C2G) transactions.

One-stop Singapore’s eCitizen. Serving the common man (AP)? 20,000

forms? Improving education, health, social

services. Facilitating partnerships, making

connections, grassroots innovation sharing. Empowering communities, field agents. Access to voice, justice, accountability

(Crystal funds: Argentina; OPEN track: Seoul).

E-Government: Contribution to Growth Improving business-to-government (B2G):

procurement, tax, permits, information. Facilitating public sector reform; G2G;

KM: transparency, efficiency, client-focus. Information to farmers, SMEs, coops,

NGOs. Competitiveness: improve investment

climate. Global competition among cities.

E-Government: Trends Significant competition between

government departments implementing E-government.

Applications integrating fewer departments & delivering specific service to a limited constituency have enjoyed greater success.

Applications for revenue collection are quickly embraced.

Publishing has an important impact on transparency.

E-Government: Lessons of experience E-Government cannot perform as a substitute for

governance reform. E-Government must address the rural urban

divide. Expectations need to be managed: ICT as

catalyst. Promises to benefits involves difficult org. change.

Postures: ignore, isolate, idolize, integrate. No “one size fits all” strategy. Understand

context. Need to adopt a strategic approach. Coherence.

Balance top direction and bottom up initiative. Social learning. Partner.

Avoid large failures; deliver early results. Agility.