Asian Forum on Information and Communication Technology Policies and e-Strategies, 20-22 October 2003

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Session Summary

Session III - Role of Government: As an Enabler, Regulator, and Provider of ICT-based Services

Chair: Datuk Dr. Halim Shafie, Secretary General, Ministry of Energy, Communications and Multimedia, Malaysia
Resource Person: Prof. Subhash Bhatnagar, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India
Panel/Discussants:

1.	Mr. Tashi Phuntsog, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Bhutan
2.	Dr. Tran Minh Tien, President of National Institute of Post & Telematic Strategy, Ministry of Posts & Telematics, Vietnam
3.	Mr. Manju Hathotuwa, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Information & Communication Agency of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
4.	Mr. Tua'imalo Asamu Ah Sam, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Samoa

Note: The Roundtable was assisted by a facilitator who posed 11 "Key Questions and Issues" to all the participants.

POINTS AND ISSUES RAISED

-	Government plays a critical role in stimulating the economy in some developing countries. ICT can assist governments to achieve bigger objective/ macro goals.
-	No country is completely ICT ready and therefore leading through action is important. There is a continuous need to balance efforts on policy, strategies, and action.
-	E-government should be seen as one of the roles of government reform and not as a panacea. E-government applications need to be set in the context of wider reform within governments. Often other reforms and use of ICTs move along simultaneously.
-	A few successful projects have shown their potential. There are significant challenges in making e-government widespread. Govt has an equal opportunity to showcase the benefits of ICT in the services they roll out.
-	It is often argued that the record of ICT in delivering value commensurate with investments by governments is poor. Poor record is a result of applications that do not focus on specific goals and measurable benefits. E-Government applications can offer significant value for citizens and businesses.
-	E-government applications that deliver value to rural citizens can become their 'killer application'.
-	Different delivery models on how to address and engage the governments' interface with the citizens in the provision of services - online, portal shop, kiosk in community areas; perhaps, delivery of services through assorted community service centres is the most practical solution in countries with low Internet penetration and significant illiteracy.
-	Governments need to work towards 'less government' - outsourcing many tasks in service delivery. Significant process reform is needed before automation is undertaken. Not all steps have to be or can be automated.

THE WAY FORWARD: SHARED EXPERIENCES/ PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

-	Specific conditions need to be fulfilled to extract value. E-Government projects need to be designed with clearly identified goals and measurable benefits to citizens and business in terms of delivery times, reduced corruption, and lower costs
-	ICT is a necessary condition for development, but is not significant to initiate development. Concentrate on the provision of services of ICT as an enabler and creating the necessary environments. Need specific actions and definable timelines while balancing between strategy and action / implementation
-	E-government is not all about internet but we need a hybrid where part of the work is computerized and the other is done offline due to infrastructure limitations. E-government should/could also include the integration of technology to provide the back-end services (rarely emphasized). Need to evaluate what services can be delivered faster, and more efficiently and openly.
-	The key to e-governance lies not only in strategic process changes and product innovation but also the appropriate strategy and change management processes. Ensure products and services offered are viable and re-examine reasons for previous project failures.
-	Political commitment at the highest level is necessary to initiate the change that is involved. In addition, identify champions at department and local level (implementation level)
-	Building capacities within departments is critical, especially in the context of managing and championing projects.
-	Empower and de-centralize government services and ensure national coordination between states and between ministries. Also need to look into policy harmonization across the board.
-	Applicability of projects to be rolled out nationwide as it requires buy-in from the civil society - to ensure relevance. Need a consultative process with civil society and the private sector to plan directions of the policy. There is a need to ensure an increase in socio-equity of participants. Need to ensure adequate representation within the structure and draft of policies - infrastructure, capacity, frameworks and multi stakeholder formulation.
-	Appropriate solutions could make local council level and/ or privately owned telecenter viable by offering revenue generating e-government services. Other services will be added once basic viability is established. What will be delivered at the rural telecenter needs internal evaluations. In addition partnering with local private sector will assist in ensuring that there will always be spin-off and downstream industries. What is critical is to create a value proposition.
-	Grassroot organizations and NGOs have an important role to play in interpreting the needs of rural citizens and making information usable by rural populations
-	Websites are usually dormant and static and never visited - need professional team, up-to- date information, and guidelines on updating, and the types of documents that should be shared.
-	Public private partnership is key in countries where resources are not available. Look at strategic private partnerships where government is a test-bed and possibly export technologies elsewhere within the country and replicate. A quasi-government agency is often a good established arrangement to develop such partnerships.

Last modified 2004-05-25 03:31 PM