The Government in the Digital Age: Myths, Realities and Promises

Mircea Georgescu, Al. I. Cuza University

9/19/2008
(Original Publish Date: 7/22/2008)

E-government is about transforming the way government interacts with the governed. The process is neither quick nor simple. It requires a coherent strategy, beginning with an examination of the nation's political will, resources, regulatory environment, and ability of the population to make use of planned technologies. The success of e-government requires fundamentally changing how government works and how people view the ways in which government helps them. The last five years has been a period of change in the e-Government agendas of many countries - with reorganisation and new strategy development commonplace. However, this change is broader than national level, with 2005 marking the end of the eEurope action plan and the launch of its successor i2010. Countries clearly face some tough challenges ahead in areas such as data sharing, personalisation of services, balancing efficiency with inclusion, and the effective management of huge ICT-enabled change programmes. It is a time of great change for national e-Government programmes worldwide and also those at supranational level. Understood correctly, e-government utilizes technology to accomplish reform by fostering transparency, eliminating distance and other divides, and empowering people to participate in the political processes that affect their lives. Governments have different strategies to build e-government. Some have created comprehensive long-term plans. Others have opted to identify just a few key areas as the focus of early projects. In all cases, however, the countries identified as most successful have begun with smaller projects in phases on which to build a structure. Research suggests that there is large potential for e-governance, creating a channel that would bring the government closer to citizens by increasing the speed and efficiency of their interactions. In order for e-government to reach its full potential, there are several barriers it must overcome.