CDT & infoDev E-Government Handbook
Introduction
The Phases of E-Government
Transforming Governments
Challenges and Opportunities
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Collaboration

Governments will have to explore new relationships among government agencies as well as partnerships with the private sector and NGOs to ensure quality and accessibility of e-government. Agencies may have to overcome traditional reluctance to work with each other to maximize benefits of scale in e-government projects.

Collaboration among government entities, private enterprises and NGOs can assist policymakers in crafting meaningful reforms and can expedite the implementation of e-government. Private sector experts, who deeply understand topics such as e-commerce, information technology, marketing, and management, can advise government policymakers. The private sector may have considerable expertise that can help meet the challenges of increasing efficiency, capacity, and consumer (that is, citizen) satisfaction.

Collaboration Recommendations:

  • In the planning phase, establish a consultative process that includes opportunities to hear from and speak with business, NGO's and other government agencies. Explain the goals of the e-government initiative and solicit suggestions.
  • Take private sector advice and experience into account when designing systems. Respond to identified needs.
  • Create incentives for the private sector to become active participants in reform.
  • Encourage cooperation and integration between departments/ministries of government.
  • Local champions will help projects succeed. To decrease skepticism in local communities, directly involve local leaders by making them representatives, and by teaching them IT skills they can pass on to their communities.
  • Create local ownership. In conjuction with the establishment of a local management committee or body, handover of e-government projects should occur as soon as possible.
  • Federal agencies and state and municipal agencies and authorities need to partner to ensure a smooth reform in services.

Online Delivery of Land Titles, Karnataka, India.

Karnataka's land registration records were kept as paper records updated by hand, until computerization made data management much less onerous and more efficient. In order to bring about such radical changes in the system, however, the state government had to secure the cooperation of a number of stakeholders. For one, computerization of the records required the cooperation of the local village accountants who controlled the lucrative trade in land records management. Secondly, government bureaucrats, who were loath to take on new responsibilities, had to be trained to utilize a computerized database. http://www.revdept-01.kar.nic.in/Bhoomi/Home.htm

Case study: http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/egov/bhoomi_cs.htm

AfriAfya, Kenya: Public/private consortium using information exchange to improve health care services to the rural poor.

Kenyan health agencies and international aid organizations established AfriAfya, a public/private site that harnesses ICT to improve the health of rural Kenyans. The project relies on a small coordinating central hub and organizes up-to-date health information for communities that send it a steady stream of data from the countryside. These field centers are spread throughout the rural regions of Kenya, where 80 percent of the population lives. Doctors and caregivers can have instant access to vital information and statistics. Web site access granted to registered members only. http://www.afriafya.org

Case study: http://www.inasp.org.uk/health/hif-afriafya.html

Collaboration Resources

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