E-Government: Towards G2C<>C2G Communication

1. E-Government: Towards G2C<>C2G Communication Leslie Regan Shade University of Ottawa Department of Communication shade@aix1.uottawa.ca

2. Talk Outline • Overview of Trends • E-Government • E-Democracy • Citizen Engagement • C2G<>G2C Communication • Your Time!?

3. Trends in KBE/S • Globalization • Media Concentration • Growth in Supranational Forums (e.g., WTO, IMF) • Growing Anti-Corporate and Citizenship Movements

4. More Stakeholders Want a Say in Governance • NGOs, civil society groups, citizens • Lobby groups on the left and the right • Using traditional and new media

5. Changes in Government Funding • Public/Private sector partnerships • Downsizing in public sector • Contracting/outsourcing work • Privatization of functions • Decentralization • ‘New Economy’ Ethos

6. Risks…. • security concerns • privacy • confidentiality • stress • overwork and/or under-work • fraying social safety net

7. Challenges to Governance • Engagement-with citizens and with media • Widening consultation processes-stakeholder summits • Use of ICTs

8. What’s Happening in Canada? • Government Online Initiative - www.gol-ged.gc.ca. Principles are to: • inform the public • consider public concerns • develop policies • implement programs

9. Ensure that Government is… • visible • accessible • accountable

11. “Good” Information • free flow • continuous • open • relevant • understandable • reliable

12. Other Government Initiatives • Industry Canada’s Connecting Canadians • CAP • Volnet • School Net • Access.ca

13. New Kid on the Block • Broadband Task Force – broadband.gc.ca • What’s the content driving broadband?

16. Why Go Online? • Branding Canada • Better Service • Better Government • Stimulates e-commerce • 24-7 availability

17. Big Issues • Privacy • Security • Accessibility • Consultation

18. Big Issues – Privacy • Assuring privacy is key • Many don’t feel secure doing online transactions…. • Why e-commerce initiatives targeted consumer privacy needs - Bill C6

19. Privacy Elements • Confidentiality • Authentication • Access control • Integrity • No fraud!

20. Big Issues-Access • Technical infrastructure • Social infrastructure • Literacy • Content • Design • Universal Usability

21. Accessibility Issues • Persons with disabilities • Low literacy rates • No domestic access • Canada’s Dual Digital Divide

22. Big Issues-Consultation • User input into design of system • Navigation • Content • Online or through focus groups?

23. Types of E-Government Initiatives • Citizen access to government information • Facilitating general compliance • Citizen access to personal benefits • Procurement including bidding, purchasing, and payment

24. E-Gov Services, cont’d • Government-to-government information and service integration • Citizen participation • The Portal…”one-stop shopping”…

25. Pilot Projects for Consultation: U.S. • "E-Government: The Next American Revolution“ • Council for Excellence in Government • move from 1990s dot-com decade....to dot-gov decade • public wants to be a more informed

28. E-government Experiment • “an experiment in interactive legislation” • Senators Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman • topics”-- citizen access, standards and protocols, public kiosks, agency cooperation, public-private partnerships....

29. Comment from:Derek Ohlms Organization: Vanderbilt University Organization type: Academic Institution Date submitted:8 AUGUST, 2000 01:07 AM Topic: Study: Disparities in Access to the Internet

30. I am particularly interested in the availability and use of internet access through public schools andlibraries. How many people per workstation do these sorts of forums offer? Also, who has access through facilities that place significant limitations on time and demand cash foraccess.

31. U.K.: People's Panel -1998 • Part of the 'Modernising Government' initiatives • Cabinet Office Modernising Public Services Group • MORI (market research company) • Birmingham University's School of Public Policy

32. People’s Panel • 5,000 members of the public • representative of the UK population: age, gender, region and a wide range of other demographic indicators • quantitative • qualitative

33. People’s Panel • quantitative (telephone surveys, postal mail-in surveys, face2face interview surveys) •  qualitative (focus groups, workshops, depth interviews, citizens juries, deliberative polls)

34. E-Democracy Goals • Use IT to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of democracy • Increase convenience & timeliness of citizen/government interaction • Reduce cost

35. Tony Blair’s New Hyde Park

36. E-Government is part of E-Democracy • Informing citizens • E-politics: use of Internet to improve effectiveness of political decision-making • Facilitate participation in process

37. Skills Learning • Citizens will have to learn how to use e-democracy • They need the motivation • Trust… • Literacy Skills • Access to ICTs

38. Vision of Democracy Using New Media • interactivity • global • free speech • free association • sharing of information and knowledge • challenges official public opinion

39. Ideal of Strong Democracy • accountable governments • informed citizenry • citizen participation • in affairs of the state • in civil society

40. Design is Important • people-centred • participatory design • citizen-centred evaluation of e-government services

41. Design…. • inadequate pre-testing can lead to flops • ex: kiosk applications • location of kiosk • interface designs

42. Citizen Engagement & Action • Case of the MAI

43. Seattle WTO Meetings Pics from Council of Canadians site

44. Indymedia.org • Local affiliates • Pictures, videos, audio, articles • E-mail updates • Archives and links

45. Indy Media Franchises??!! • International in scope • Policy to start own indy media centre • Working groups: technical and dispatch

47. www.clickforcleanair.org

48. The Right to Communicate & the Communication of Rights

49. Dot Force Civil Society Consultation

50. Problems with E-Democracy • Misuse of IT • Endless babble • Overload can be dangerous • Endless babble • Accountability to citizens • Endless and often mindless babble • A constructive-free zone…..