With the rise of digital technology and its implementation, it’s worth revisiting the research on online government services (e-governance) by Zarek Drozda, Ekin Dursun, and Jack Votava. E-governance is the use of technology to improve government activities, with a focus on improving citizen engagement. This new form of governance is becoming increasingly important as the potential administrative applications for technology and the need to quickly satisfy citizens’ needs grow.
Despite increased investment in IT and e-government, public opinion of government service delivery and online user-engagement has declined, reflecting an asymmetry between public investment and outcomes. Drozda, Dursun, and Votava investigated Chicago and Cook County’s progress toward e-governance. Findings indicate that both governments need quicker communication with private agents and better technology infrastructure to satisfy citizen expectations.
Two objectives
To make such improvements, it is critical to revamp procurement policies so that the process of acquiring goods, services, and technology from the private sector is more efficient. The researchers emphasize two objectives: navigability in terms of communication among stakeholders, and scale in terms of implementing technology within budget constraints.
What are some potential solutions?
With these two objectives in mind, they propose 5 general recommendations.
“E-Government 2.0:” Revamping the e-governance framework in future policymaking by developing programs in E-Education, E-Courts, E-Finance, E-Healthcare, E-Resource & Management, etc.
Government Procurement: In terms of tech, the software, hardware, and web-design involved in e-procurement can be refined to maximize efficiency. In terms of joint communication, bid announcements can be more standardized and governments can integrate partnerships or contracts in place of competitive bidding.
Technology Infrastructure: Revamp the back-end infrastructure for online service networks to respond more quickly to large amounts of online demand. Refine the Strategic Technology Alignment Roadmaps (STAR).
Government Restructuring: Structural change within local governments to increase efficient collaboration with the private sector and expand user-friendly online services.
City-Council Collaboration: Structural change between local governments to enable better communication of policy areas and expand data sharing.
For more on E-Governance…
Check out the E-Governance Resource Center (EGRC) by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for more on e-governance and its implications.
Check out the UN’s publications on digital government to observe how the history of e-governance has changed over the past decade.
If you’re interested in the impact of threats against cybersecurity on e-governance, take a look at this article published in the Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Educations on how e-governments have organized their cyberspace to enhance protection. More interested in what’s next in e-governance innovation? This article covers the frontiers of cybersecurity.