E-Government in the context of National E-Development Strategies: The Case of E-Sri Lanka

1. 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, ISG E-Government Workshop August 8, 2003

2. ICT Roles, Options and Objectives ICT Roles Options for Development Objectives of e-Development Accelerating Growth Accessing information & knowledge • Participating in ICT-enabled industries & software services ICT & knowledge industries • Diffusing ICT in industries & services Accelerating transactions & reducing costs All-purpose technology for modernization Reducing Poverty • Improving delivery of health, education, & other public services Infrastructure for networking and service delivery Networking, empowering • Promoting participation, public accountability & social learning

3. Elements of e-Sri Lanka Vision ICT in Public Sector: e-government and e-society Leadership, Policies & Institutions Information Infrastructure Fund and Rural Access Human Resources Development ICT in Private Sector: e-commerce and e-laws, industry promotion

4. Elements of E-SriLanka Project • 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 • HUMAN RESOURCES: • Specialized ICT education and training • ICT literacy for civil servants • Use of ICT in education • Mobilizing the diaspora • INFORMATION • INFRASTRUCTURE & ACCESS: • Telecom & Internet policies • & regulation • Rural access subsidy scheme • Telecenters • LEADERSHIP, POLICY & INSTITUTIONS: • Overall vision, e-laws • ICT Agency • CIOs in different ministries • Diffusion of ICT to SMEs • ICT industry promotion • SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS FUND: • Low-cost technology solutions • Building capacity of NGOs and underserved populations • Scalable social and business models • Local content industry promotion, multimedia

5. I. ICT Leadership, Policy and Capacity Building • 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.

6. 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.

7. III. Societal Applications GOALS: • 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. E-Government Evolution 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 Transactions Electronic delivery of services automated. Applications include issue of certificates and renewal of licenses Limited Interactions Intranets link departments allowing for Email contact, access to online databases & downloadable forms Delivering Value To Citizens Web Presence Agency web sites provide citizens with information on rules and procedures Complexity of Implementation and Technology

12. 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. 

13. 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. 

14. 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.

15. 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).

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.