Class 1 – March 30, 2012

1. Part 1: What is E-Government?Part 2: The World of E-GovernmentPart 3: The Technology in IT: Extant and Emerging Technologies Class 1 – March 30, 2012

2. What is E-Government? • Refers to government’s use of technology, generally web-based Internet applications • Provides enhanced access to government and service delivery to citizens, business partners, employees, and other agencies • Strategic use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver government services • Online delivery of public services

3. Information Government • Flows of information within the public sector and between the public sector and citizens • Acquisition, storage, dissemination of information • Control of the flow of information • Reduction of locational imperative of information in organizational design in the digital age • Blurring of government and society’s boundaries • E-governance?

4. What is IT? • Various terminologies: • IT = Information Technology • ICT = Information and Communication Technology • IT Components • Hardware: • Computers; infrastructure • Other hardware (e.g. RFIDs) • Software: Algorithms and logic • Operating systems; application/ development programs; databases • Networking is at the core • Internet: server / clients • Wireless networking (mobile government)

5. E-Government Motivations • Re-engineering bureaucracy • New Public Management: citizens as customers • Clinton-Gore initiative, 1993: information superhighway • Efficiency • Legal mandates • Clinger Cohen Act, 1996 • Government Paperwork Elimination Act, 1998 • E-Government Act, 2002

6. Existing Models of E-Government • The Four Stages of E-Governance (Jane Fountain, Building the Virtual State and Baum and DiMaio (2000) who first published this version, and others • Presence (Content) • Interaction • Transaction • Transformation – relationship between government and citizens will change fundamentally in positive ways, producing more citizen-centric and responsive government and increasing citizen trust in government dramatically • E-Democracy

7. Existing Models of E-Government • Layne and Lee’s 4 stages of E-Government • Catalog – basic provision of static information • Transaction • Vertical Integration – upper and lower levels of government • Horizontal Integration – sharing of information across government • (Model stresses interactions among different parts of government, and citizens move from services to electronic participation in the activities of governance) • Ronaghan (2001) • Emerging presence – not much more than web site existence • Enhanced presence • Interactive • Transactional Government • Seamless – vertical and horizontal integration as in Layne and Lee

8. Existing Models of E-Government • Hiller and Belanger (2001) • Information dissemination • Two-way communications • Integration • Transaction • Participation

9. Existing Models of E-Government • Wescott (2001) • E-mail and internal network • Enable interorganizational and public access to information • Two-way communication • Exchange of value • Digital democracy • Joined-up government – similar to seamlessness – vertical and horizontal integration

10. Extensions of Existing Models • United Nations • E-government to Connected Governance • System-orientation to chain-orientation • Structure, functioning, skills, and capabilities • Steps • Intra-Government Process Re-engineering • Inter-Government Process Re-engineering • Re-engineer legacy technology, processes, skills and mindsets

11. Connected Governance • ICT-enabled connected governance contributes to: • Internally • Avoidance of duplication • Reducing transaction costs • Simplifying bureaucratic procedures • Greater efficiency • Greater coordination and communication • Enhanced transparency • Information sharing between agencies • Security of information management

12. Connected Governance • ICT-enabled connected governance contributes to: • Externally • Faster service delivery • Greater efficacy • Increased flexibility of service use • Innovation in service delivery • Greater participation • Greater citizen empowerment • Citizen participation

13. Criticism of Existing Models • Basic levels of ICT adoption in e-government (content and interaction) • First level criticisms • Technological determinism • Linear models: progressive, in steps – Does not happen • Makes normative assumption that more e-government is better, more transactional is better, etc. – not necessarily always better and consequences not always positive • Low levels of IT adoption • E-Government is mainly an add-on to traditional government

14. Criticism of Existing Models • Second level criticisms • Institutional barriers (Fountain, 2002) • Financial barriers; lack of justification for ROI • Organizational (lack of IT staff) • Legal (convenience fees; privacy; security) • Lack of demand • Technology barriers (interoperability; lack of standards) • Other barriers • Lack of support from elected officials • Staff resistance • Resident resistance

15. Breaking Barriers to eGovernment – Modinis Study for European Commission • Leadership failures – during any stage of development • Financial inhibitors • Digital divides and choices – inequalities in skills and access • Poor coordination • Workplace and organizational inflexibility • Lack of trust – fears about inadequate security and privacy safeguards • Poor technical design

16. Government Technology Applications • G2C applications • Information Dissemination • Static/dynamic web pages; documents; data • Citizen Services Provision • Building permits; Electronic Toll Collection • Direct Democracy • Communications with officials; Customer Relationship Management

17. Government Technology Applications • G2B applications • E-procurement • Business services provision (e.g. licenses) • G2G applications • Human resource management • Payments and accounting • Data mining

18. Public vs. Private Technology Applications

19. Public vs. Private Technology Applications • Commonalities: • Disintermediation • Information security • Enterprise wide standardization

20. Theoretical Approaches • Marshall McLuhan’s approach • Control of the means of communication technology is the dominant force for social change – a counter-argument to Karl Marx’s assertion that control of the means of production was the driver for social change • “We become what we behold” – criticism of media impact – “manipulation, exploitation, and control of the individual” • “Extensions” vs. “amputations” • McLuhan’s Global Village • Electronic media replaces print media; instant communication globally; restoration of worldwide intimacy

21. Theoretical Approaches • McLuhan’s four processes for Innovation • What aspect does it enhance? • What does it render obsolete? • What earlier displaced form does the medium retrieve from obsolescence? • What does the medium reverse or flip after running its course and reaching full potential?

22. Theoretical Approaches • McLuhan’s four processes for Innovation Example: • Car extends foot; phone extends voice • Car makes walking obsolete; phone makes smoke signals and carrier pigeons obsolete • Sense of adventure retrieved with car; Sense of community retrieved with phone • Overextended auto culture longs for a pedestrian lifestyle; overextension of phone culture creates need for solitude.

23. Theoretical Approaches • The Network Nation (1978) - Hiltz and Turoff’s approach • Revolution in IT systems could lead to decentralization and democratization. • Socio-organizational change would be forced by the advance of technology. • Major predictions • Change in communication structure equals change in decision-making processes • Organization itself changes due to technology changes; • Organizational hierarchies evolve into democratic marketplaces offering online professional services.

24. Theoretical Approaches • The Network Nation (1978) - Hiltz and Turoff’s approach • 1993 revision • Acknowledged that earlier predictions of the pace at which computer mediated communication would be adopted was overly optimistic, however the advent of the personal computer would positively affect the growth curve. • What happens when IT infrastructure is decentralized? Who gains power? What is the impact on management structure? Flattening and empowerment of workers.

25. Theoretical Approaches • The Electronic Cottage in the Infosphere • Alvin Toffler’s first book (Future Shock, 1970) • Future Shock = Too much change in too short a period of time • Information overload • Toffler’s 2nd book (The Third Wave, 1980) • We are altering our “infosphere” in fundamental ways. • There is a new strata of communication being created in the social system

26. Theoretical Approaches • Toffler (continued) • Waves: Social change proceeds by “waves.” • The First Wave was the agricultural era • The Second Wave was the Industrial Era • The Third Wave is the Information Age. • Third Wave Characteristics • Work is separated from location. • Resources are replicable rather than finite. • Management is decentralized, tending toward self management.

27. Theoretical Approaches • The Network Society (1996) - Manuel Castells’s approach • Takes the view of reinforcement theory. • His assertion is that modern culture is formed by the interaction between the information capitalism of networked international corporations on the one hand and social movements and regional efforts on the other hand • Castells warns that the “rise of informationalism in the end of the millennium is intertwined with rising inequality and social exclusion throughout the world” • Castells feels that IT is a formidable tool wielded with great effect by the powers that be

28. Theoretical Approaches • World Foundation for Smart Communities approach • Emphasizes community transformation through humanistic design of IT to serve human needs • Takes the socio-technical theory approach • IT should focus on human factors as its key to successful implementation. • A reverse flow of sovereignty leads to local governments assuming a greater, more interactive role for citizens’ well-being. • The term community is meant to focus on regional change rather than national change • Canada is a leader in this movement with one ‘world class’ demonstration project in each province

29. Theoretical Approaches • Thomas Horan’s approach - Digital Places (2000) • Presents another view of smart communities, similar Canada’s model but more moderate. • He does not predict that digital places will displace traditional forms of community interaction • Three levels of digital spaces: • Unplugged designs – very low end technology • Adaptive designs – medium level technology • Transformative designs – high end technology

30. Theoretical Approaches • Jane Fountain’s approach (Building the Virtual State) • Technology enactment theory (a form of socio-technical theory) examines e-Government as the “nextAmerican Revolution.” • In the “virtual state” citizens can access government from any location, any time. This is the prime public administrative challenge of our times, promising tremendous efficiencies through cross-agency integration. • Web portals will be the focal point for cross-agency rendering of virtual services. • E.g. FirstGov.gov • Four Stages of E-Governance – • Presence; Interaction; Transaction; Transformation

31. Theoretical Approaches • Thomas Friedman’s approach • IT and globalization are leveling the playing field in terms of competition • Ten sources of flattening-Political, legal, IT • 11/9/89 (Fall of Berlin wall)—fall of communism, rise of global capitalism • 8/9/95 (Release of Netscape browser)—start of web based world • Work flow software—Network between organizations/ people located in different places • Open source software—freely available; self-organizing community • Outsourcing—global manufacturing and other linkages • Offshoring—Movement of multinational companies’ operations overseas

32. Theoretical Approaches • Ten sources of flattening-Political, legal, IT(continued) • Supply chaining—Just in time inventory • In-sourcing—Horizontal, rather than vertical, collaboration • In-forming—Quick information availability through search engines like Google • Steroids—Digital gadgets (mobile phones, GPS) taking advantage of the networks

33. Part 2: The World of E-Government Class 1 – March 30, 2012

34. Digital Government Transformation • Proponents – pace of Internet change consistent with classic model of large-scale transformation • Change is rapid and abrupt • Spurred by scientific breakthroughs or economic improvements to facilitate availability of technology • Large scale change produces revolutions in individual behavior and organizational activities (e.g. Alvin Toffler’s Third Wave) • Lindblom – politics dominates and organizations “muddle through” • Small scale change – incrementalism • Who is right? • Do you believe technology has the power to change? • Does it have the power to change government?

35. The World of E-Government • Morgeson and Mithas (2009) – Does E-Government Measure up to E-Business? • Reasons to believe government may not be successful in implementing practices commonplace in private sector: • Differences in ownership structures leads to different objectives • Commercial firms key on maximizing profits for private owners • Governments seek to maximize social utility • Policy ambiguity, transparency requirements, customer diversity, and time constraints contribute to decision-making differences and affect information management and communication policies. • Public sector has multiple, conflicting and intangible goals that make managing IT systems in the public sector different • There is a global movement away from private-sector inspired reforms at this time

36. The World of E-Government • Current state of e-government • Nearly comprehensive range of services offered by federal government • E-Government Act of 2002 provided centralized leadership (Office of Electronic Government) aimed at creating a comprehensive and unified electronic infrastructure capable of integrating technology into virtually all the activities of the federal government

37. The World of E-Government • Why has IT-enabled innovation (e-government) been adopted as preferred channel of service delivery at federal level? • To adopt a best practice of the private sector with the goal of transforming federal government, with two objectives: • Create federal government that provides high quality services to citizens – citizen centric – provides more satisfying experiences – worthy of citizens’ trust • Hopes to realize cost savings through efficiency enhancements of e-government.

38. The World of E-Government • Part of broader trend in public administration reform • Emphasizes public sector can overcome many deficiencies through adoption of private sector best practices – typically referred to as “New Public Management” • More decentralized, flexible and entrepreneurial types of agency management • Government wide orientation toward customer service delivery • Setting of performance goals and mandatory performance measurement • Adoption of private sector practices wherever possible

39. The World of E-Government • Conclusions • E-government not yet delivering high quality service to citizens when compared to e-business sites • Considerable variability among federal sites; some doing great job, some far behind • E-government sites are performing very well in areas that would seem to matter most – in getting customer to reuse and recommend the site • Could be due to lack of alternatives • Could also be due to lowered expectations of customers when visiting the e-government site – pleased in relation to lowered expectations • Performance of websites being ignored and not measured

40. United Nations E-Government Survey 2008: From e-Governance to Connected Governance • Among original goals of e-governance • Cutting costs • Efficiency gains • Better management of IT • Less expensive service delivery through online channels • Potential to transform government • The reality • Cost savings sporadic or non-existent • High cost of initial and continuing investment

41. United Nations E-Government Survey 2008: From e-Governance to Connected Governance • Increased cost traced to wider scope and purpose of e-government vision • Efficiency/cost reductions • Public service – better quality, easier access and new services • Democracy – participation and interactive dialogue • Mexican government definition reflecting wider scope: “the continuous innovation in the delivery of services, citizen participation and governance through the transformation of external and internal relationships by the use of information technology, especially the Internet”

42. United Nations E-Government Survey 2008: From e-Governance to Connected Governance • Integrated service offerings – • Based on citizen usage and outcomes rather than organizational charts • Simplification of traditional machinery of government • Four variations of what it means to integrate services: • All relevant agencies offering the same service in a common manner, sharing data definitions and at best sharing data, but no technological integration between the services being offered; • Services are collected together under a common theme or event. The services are not inherently integrated, or even with a common look and feel, but are grouped in ways that aid discovery and promote the comprehensive completion of necessary services; • Services are delivered by a single provider as an agent of other government agencies. Singular services are offered by the agent and the integration is hidden from the customer; • Services are technologically integrated into a pseudo-supply-chain application. Requires the most sophisticated integration and is not often implemented.

43. United Nations E-Government Survey 2008: From e-Governance to Connected Governance • Some barriers to integration development • Internet and broadband availability • Technological issues within government • Well-performing public sectors in jurisdictions with high Internet availability may result in preference for and contentment with existing interface with government. • Demand for government services is segmented, with most affluent requiring less accessibility – demand becomes intertwined with digital divide

44. United Nations E-Government Survey 2008: From e-Governance to Connected Governance • E-governance partially inspired by New Public Management and movement toward decentralized government – but e-government has fostered collaboration and partially centralized mindset more recently. • Information sharing • Aligning or integrating service offerings across providers • Pursuit of interoperability across enterprise-wide architecture has become a centralizing force • Movement is toward networked government

45. United Nations E-Government Survey 2008: From e-Governance to Connected Governance • Better outcomes on the citizen-centric part of the puzzle require: • Front line flexibility • Specialization • Requires more control, but not as a means to shape every behavior, but as a basis for coordinated and shared actions orchestrated on the basis of outcomes and objectives. • Two stubborn questions: • How do we motivate public managers to share data and work together? • How to understand and influence the barriers that hinder cross-agency initiatives?

46. United Nations E-Government Survey 2008: From e-Governance to Connected Governance • CIO position • De facto head of e-government strategy • Must achieve balance between decentralized innovation and flexibility on one hand, and centralized leadership and coordination on the other • Expanded importance due to need for alignment between technology, information and strategy

47. Improving Technology Utilization in Electronic Government Around the World, 2008, Darrel M. West • Public sector innovation has tended to be small scale and gradual, restricted by • Institutional arrangements - Competing agencies and jurisdictions confounding cooperation in promotion of technological innovation • Budget problems • Group conflict • Cultural norms • Prevailing patterns of social and political behavior – intense group conflict over resources

48. Improving Technology Utilization in Electronic Government Around the World, 2008, Darrel M. West • United States has fallen behind other OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations in Internet access and broadband usage • Problems noted with government sites • Inconsistencies in countries that have implemented portal sites • Lack of uniform, integrated and standardized navigational features and design due to agency autonomy issues • Lack of features that enhance public accountability • Search features, for example, that enable citizens to quickly find pertinent information online • Lack of adequate capabilities for public comments and feedback • Infrequent updating of sites • Upfront costs too much for many jurisdictions to handle

49. Improving Technology Utilization in Electronic Government Around the World, 2008, Darrel M. West • In general, e-government is not transforming the public sector • Governments must make better use of available technology and address problems of access and democratic outreach

50. Rankings - 18 features – 4 points for presence of each (72 points possible): Publications Databases Audio clips Video clips Foreign language access Not having ads Not having premium fees Not having user fees Disability access Having privacy policies Security policies Allowing digital signatures on transactions An option to pay via credit cards Email contact information Areas to post comments Option for email updates Option for website personalization PDA accessibility Improving Technology Utilization in Electronic Government Around the World, 2008, Darrel M. West