Building Blocks for Politically-Relevant & Citizen-Centred E-Governance: Learnings from Developing Countries

Vikas NathFounder

DigitalGovernance.org

KnowNet.org Initiative

DevNetJobs.org

@ WSIS Initiative, UNDP and Smithsonian Institute @ WSIS Initiative, UNDP and Smithsonian Institute

World Summit on Information Society, GenevaWorld Summit on Information Society, Geneva

11 December 200311 December 2003

Politically RelevantPolitically RelevantCitizen CentricCitizen Centric

E-governance: E-governance: A 2-Dimensional MechanismA 2-Dimensional Mechanism

Pre-ICT Society Post-ICT Society

Lessons from ICT Penetration in Lessons from ICT Penetration in Developing CountriesDeveloping Countries

ICT has led to greater inter-linkages, increase in interactions, and ICT has led to greater inter-linkages, increase in interactions, and

greater opportunity to broadcast content, greater opportunity to broadcast content, BUT . . . Has it BUT . . . Has it altered the Geometry of Information Flow?altered the Geometry of Information Flow?

• Bringing New Constituencies / Target groups under the Governance sphere

• Making available relevant E-Governance content to communities newly brought under the Governance sphere

So …So …E-Governance should have a E-Governance should have a

development angle development angle

Identify Citizens and their Identify Citizens and their Specific Governance NeedsSpecific Governance Needs

Small & Medium Enterpreneurs

Tax & excise subsidies, Government loans, Credit availability

Farmers Pest control, Market and minimum support prices, Government schemes and subsidies

Unemployed Government employment and roster, medical benefits

Rural people Local government offices, health & education facilities

Fishermen Weather pattern, rehabilitation plans

Do NOT forget the role of E-Governance for Do NOT forget the role of E-Governance for Development PurposeDevelopment Purpose

Citizen-Centred Citizen-Centred E-GovernanceE-Governance3 Building Blocks3 Building Blocks (More ?) (More ?)

1.1. Create geographically rooted e-governance modelsCreate geographically rooted e-governance modelsBrazil: Prefeitura.Sao Paulo Brazil: Prefeitura.Sao Paulo www.prefeitura.sp.gov.brSouth Africa: Cape Town Gateway South Africa: Cape Town Gateway www.capegateway.gov.za

2. Understand user groups and present services accordingly2. Understand user groups and present services accordinglyEg: Farmers need to know about subsidies from all govt. depts., SMEs Eg: Farmers need to know about subsidies from all govt. depts., SMEs

need to know about all applicable benefitsneed to know about all applicable benefitsNepal: Bharatpur- Municipal services online Nepal: Bharatpur- Municipal services online www.bharatpurmun.org.np

India: Bhoomi Project India: Bhoomi Project www.revdept-01.kar.nic.inwww.revdept-01.kar.nic.in

3.3. Intermediary Creation: Ensure participation in governance Intermediary Creation: Ensure participation in governance sphere is smooth and not time-consuming sphere is smooth and not time-consuming

India: Maharashtra- Integrated Citizen Facilitation Centres India: Maharashtra- Integrated Citizen Facilitation Centres setu.maharashtra.gov.in setu.maharashtra.gov.in

Why Politically Relevant?Why Politically Relevant?

E-Governance has to viewed as a E-Governance has to viewed as a Governance Reform Process.Governance Reform Process.

Electronic governance is thereforeElectronic governance is therefore a political process a political process

Governance reformGovernance reform is a slow process- requiring is a slow process- requiring engaging with governance institutions and bringing engaging with governance institutions and bringing about bothabout both attitudinal attitudinal and and constitutionalconstitutional changes. changes.

  Where political will existsWhere political will exists, electronic governance can , electronic governance can

significantly catalyze the reform process towards significantly catalyze the reform process towards good governance.good governance.

Politically Relevant Politically Relevant E-GovernanceE-Governance4 Building Blocks4 Building Blocks (More ?) (More ?)

1.1. Political Will and E-Champions (Top-Down Guidance)Political Will and E-Champions (Top-Down Guidance)

1.1. Information Sharing Culture (with Government as Information Sharing Culture (with Government as Role Role Model). And Governments also need Model). And Governments also need to connect and to connect and communicate from within communicate from within (State with Central, One (State with Central, One Sector Sector Ministry with Ministry with Other)Other)

2.2. Steps towards E-Bureaucratization: accountable MIS, Steps towards E-Bureaucratization: accountable MIS, Legislative and Regulatory Framework Legislative and Regulatory Framework

(Eg. Digital (Eg. Digital Signatures, Electronic files)Signatures, Electronic files)

1.1. Periodic Auditing of Information Provided on Periodic Auditing of Information Provided on WebsitesWebsites

Action PlanAction PlanAnalyse:Analyse: Where Are We? Where Are We?

Politically

Relevant

Not Politically

Relevant

Citizen Centred

PERFECT Need Strong Citizens’ Movement

Not Citizen

Centred

Good start. Need to develop intermediaries

Will not make significant difference

CAUTIONCAUTION

Do not view E-Governance as a Do not view E-Governance as a revolutionary process. revolutionary process.

Instead view it is as a reform process and Instead view it is as a reform process and changes will not happen overnightchanges will not happen overnight

Corruption, scams, resignations are given greater Corruption, scams, resignations are given greater visibility in E-governance case-studies, visibility in E-governance case-studies, Efficiency gains, user benefits get less easilyEfficiency gains, user benefits get less easilynoticed. noticed.

This will make This will make political willpolitical will and relevanceand relevance difficult difficult to capture, EVENTHOUGH …. to capture, EVENTHOUGH ….

… … E-GovernanceE-GovernanceWorks Both WaysWorks Both Ways

Ease in Payment of Water Ease in Payment of Water Charges, Taxes, Bills etcCharges, Taxes, Bills etc

Information about Information about GovernmentGovernment

Enhanced access to Enhanced access to government schemesgovernment schemes

Lower transaction costs in Lower transaction costs in revenue collectionrevenue collection

Knowledge about opinion of Knowledge about opinion of peoplepeople

Feedback on government Feedback on government schemes and people’s schemes and people’s

participation in their designparticipation in their design

Political BenefitsPolitical BenefitsCitizen BenefitsCitizen Benefits

For more information:For more information:

Vikas Nathfounder

www.DigitalGovernance.org

A network of over 2500 individualsWith National Networks in India, Nigeria, Guyana and

South Africa

KnowNet@Knowetweaver.org or v.nath-alumni@lse.ac.uk