Critical to the success of e-government transformation is the understanding that e-government is not just about the automation of existing process and inefficiencies. Rather, it is about the creation of new processes and new relationships between governed and governor.
The use of ICT is not merely a cost or labor saving tool, to be achieved simply by giving government officials computers or automating manual records. Rather, if conceived and designed correctly, e-government is a solution that can genuinely revolutionize the process of government itself. Therefore, government leaders planning e-government projects should first examine the function or operation to which they want to apply ICT: For example, governments should use ICT to bring transparency to problems, where the transparency represents a new way of addressing the problem.
Or, to take another example, if the subject of an e-government project is procurement, officials and companies that do business with the government should first examine the entire process by which the government publishes solicitations and qualifies bidders and the requirements for filing bids.
Many nations face challenges in fighting corruption, due in part to a lack of transparency in anti-corruption enforcement. Public exposure can both boost public confidence that action is being taken and serve as an important deterrent.
The Central Vigilance Commission of India is an independent government oversight agency involved in the fight against corruption. In January 2000, the CVC began publishing on the Internet the names of officials suspected of extorting bribes and the disciplinary actions taken against them. The CVC site exemplifies process reform by creating a new method for dealing with corruption: exposure and public censure. The CVC site, by giving citizens ready access to information, also helps boost confidence in the system by showing that complaints are acted upon, while also creating accountability, for citizens can immediately determine if action has not been taken. http://www.cvc.nic.in
Case study: http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/egov/cvc_cs.htm
E-Procurement System, Chile: Making government procurement more efficient and transparent by implementing comprehensive procurement reform.
Prior to the establishment of portals to conduct government transactions online, the government procurement system
in Chile was fragmented and burdened with various, sometimes contradictory regulatory frameworks. In 1998, the government formed the Communications and Information Technology Unit (UTIC) and conferred on it the mandate of coordinating e-government efforts in an attempt to control costs and bring transparency to the system.
The UTIC completely revamped the underlying system of procurement by centralizing all purchasing activities through a central web site. This web site automatically sends emails to private companies registered on the system when contracts come up for bid and takes bids online. Not only has the new system streamlined procurement, it has also created new methods of oversight and accountability. For example, the site also includes statistics and other information on past performance of government contractors. http://www.compraschile.co/Publico/entrada_publico.asp (in Spanish)
Case study: http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/egov/eprocurement_chile.htm
Additional Resource:
The following website has a check-off list to assist in process development: http://www.local-regions.dtlr.gov.uk/egov/
