E-Government Workshop

1. E-GovernmentWorkshop October 21-22, 2003 Fredericton NB

2. From this morning…. • CROSSROADS • In service delivery • In government transformation • Citizen participation and engagement

3. Questions • Direction to go? • Where to invest? • How to sustain? • What are the needs? • What should it look like? Not like it is/brand new?

4. Not just an Information Technology Solution • Structures • Process • Needs

5. How to…. • develop service delivery to the public as a public resource? • Note: government and security structures, processes and roles will undergo change.

6. Underlying all of the issues: • Need public debate • the essence of democracy • needs to be informal • needs to be received and acted upon by gov’t and others

7. From the Tables: ONE • E-government vs. E-governance • Not a dichotomy of government & technology, there are other players • Structure: government idea of structure needs to change • Costs: access, availability, promotion, transformation and service disruption • Partners-need to share risk

8. From the tables: ONE • Agency key-ability of individual groups and organizations to interact with structures/services-2 way flow • Research to capture corporate memory (gov’t, orgs etc.), highlight methodology - could be applicable to other areas • Change E-gov’t to E-governance • Barriers: risk averse mentality, culture & gov’t structure, old & new policies, accessibility

9. From the tables: TWO • Research Issues: access, expectations of public • Barriers need to be articulated/defined • Life-long learning e-culture environment-levels of e-knowledge, how to facilitate learning and training • Using ICTs to teach & provide access • Everyone is responsible for transformation of a democracy

10. From the Tables: TWO • Change the question: people are developing their own gov’ts. How to prevent established gov’t from undermining these new structures? Transforming the existing gov’t is not the answer. • How to be informed about either new or old gov’t, how to ensure accountability? • How to deal with/multiplicity of groups? • How to bring groups together w/ government? • How do we evolve e-gov’t initiatives to replace current model?

11. From the Tables: THREE • Methodology, common language among researchers, between gov’t & academia • Research question often develops out of research and research process • Public consultations-how to get people involved, must be informal • Digital divide issues (digital inequalities0

12. From the Tables: THREE • Discussion of partnerships (existing and new) led to all of the other topics • Missing voices (lack means, capacity)-what environment is necessary for marginalized groups to utilize ICTs? E-gov’t initiatives? • Models of gov’t that would be accessible to all? • How do ICTs change democracy & democratic processes? eg: English, culture, bilingual law, limitation of documents • How to get useful information out to those who need it? • At a Crossroads: need more and different voices in the process

13. Things that make you go “Hmmmmm……” • Do we need to transform ALL institutional structures? • How fast should we go?

14. Summary of Research Issues • Ethics in research approach & ICT • Technology focus • Need to highlight social context & relevance • Social and economic impact • Methodology • Which ones are best? What combinations? • Research needs basis-individual & community

15. Research Issues (2) • Should we introduce new technology, to what degree, how is this decided & by whom? • What are the cost implications? • What obligations & responsibilities are being devolved to individuals/communities? What are implications?

16. Research Issues (3) • New/innovative meets old/established structures: risks and implications • Transformation-policy, institution, human resources, technological dimensions • or Reform? • So what is new? Can the new survive? • Understanding innovative models-fostering, sustaining, complementing

17. Research Issues (4) Gov’t needs/changes: • Take into account, gov’t point of view, service demands by the public • Human resources – fewer staff in future? • Is fundamental change in the future possible? • What should be done, when? • What will be lost? • What must be done in terms of change and what is optional?

18. Final research questions/comments…. • Ask the questions-what should be online? Why? • What motivates citizens? Bias, cultural bias, education, language, age • Multiple inlets/outlets for services • Privacy and security • Maximum return for demographics • Roles of the stakeholders-will they be heard? • Engagement – realistic expectations? Why is the public not engaged?

19. continued… • Temporal challenges (one sol’n doesn’t fit) • Opt-outs • Literacy • Is it necessary? If so, how fast? What checks & balances? • Inclusion as an empowering process • Various initiatives need research evaluation • Who owns the data? • Distinguish concepts in spectrum of citizen/state e-relationships • Political questions of what is a good/just society • Need for collaboration • Engagement and inclusion are separate issues

20. 3 initiatives • Data liberation • Broadband for all • Avoid privatization of gov’t information • Coherence of approaches • What are the issues at stake to be identified and addressed? What are the initiatives that need to be taken? To what end? What are roles & responsibilities? • Resource requirements within stakeholder groups, issues of equity • Potential of federal citizenship?