The e in e-government
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E-government can improve efficiency, increase citizen involvement and help achieve reform – but it is not enough just to open up a website and wait for visitors to start flooding in. Ireland tops the list of OECD countries when it comes to providing government services online, for instance, but actually using online services is apparently far more popular in Sweden.
The government record on e-government so far is impressive in terms of creating websites, sophisticated services and portals, but that is only the first stage, according to a new OECD study, The E-government Imperative. Now governments need to turn their attention to developing their online infrastructure, back office arrangements and more complex services, not to mention keeping up with new technological developments. Whether it is Ireland’s commitment to making all key public services deliverable via a single contact point by 2005, or Sweden’s Wilma (Web-based Information System Linking Migration Authorities) system for treating migration cases, e-government is clearly e-work in progress.
©OECD Observer No. 239, September 2003
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