E-democracy Implementation: The Imperative of Agenda Setting
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Decline in the level of citizens’ participation due to disconnect between citizens and their
representatives has been identified as one of the prominent challenges facing most democratic societies in the
world today. E-democracy has been identified to have the potentials to reduce the contemporary
estrangement between the democratic actors by creating new forms of engagement, deliberation, and
collaboration in polity to make the democratic processes more inclusive and transparent. However, edemocracy
initiatives in many countries have had mixed success as most e-democracy implementations have
been unable to justify the essence of huge investments made into it. This research paper reviews existing edemocracy
development processes and agenda of nations among the top twenty countries in e-participation
implementation as rated in the UN Global E-Government Evaluation, 2010. The sample composed of secondary
data sourced from information system centric academic journals, book chapters, conference proceedings,
database of international development organisations (OECD, UN, EU) on e-democracy implementation reports
and database of research institutions and centres that focus on e-government and e-democracy
implementation. Findings revealed that most countries do not have well established framework and agenda
setting for e-democracy implementation, but only based their e-democracy implementation on one of the
objectives of their e-government implementation. As a result, policy content is largely missing in most edemocracy
strategies at both conceptual and implementation stage. This paper therefore, presents a guideline
for e-democracy agenda setting and discusses issues germane to establishing e-democracy agenda. It submits
that for a successful e-democracy implementation, the agenda-setting phase should capture the legal and
political processes of the country. In addition, e-democracy strategic vision, strategic aim and objectives,
strategic policy, mode of implementation and overseeing body should be well articulated in the agenda setting
phase of e-democracy implementation plan. The discussion will benefit both researchers, government and
practitioners on successful e-democracy implementation as basis for societal development.Keywords:
Polity
Deliberation
E-democracy
Representative democracy
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The subject of corporate governance and e-governance are relatively new disciplines and subject of significance for both public policy and marketers. It is useful to recognize that it is a dynamic concept, in terms of scope, thrust and relevance. Information and communication technologies have a valuable potential to help meet good governance goals in India .Yet that potential remains largely untapped to date. Why? Reasons are poor human, social and administrative decisions, organizational/technological/capital infrastructure, inappropriate approaches taken by donors, vendors and governments. This paper hopes to give a strategy to proper implementation of various E Governance initiatives in India. It emphasizes establishment of various institutions for E-Governance especially, the School of E-Governance. The paper suggests the establishment of following state of art institutions. Recently a strong need of good e-governance practices is also felt by the corporate bodies. The World Bank defines “e-governance” as the use of information and communication technologies by government agencies to transform relations with citizens, business and other arms of the government. It is the information technology that has added a new dimension of governance. E-governance is a kind of ‘window of opportunity’ facilitating a much faster, convenient, transparent and dynamic interaction between the government and its people. Therefore the e-governance should be viewed as an ongoing process subjected to rapid changes based on experiences, developments and policy setting.
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Throughout history, knowledge has always been viewed from multiple perspectives-abstract, philosophical, religious and practical. This paper focuses on the practical perspective and how governments can capitalize on it as they attempt to come to terms with the forces being unleashed by what is being described as the "new economy." To deliver more innovative services to a demanding public, governments must be involved in the deployment of such new services as e-government and e-commerce. Active management of their knowledge assets is mandatory for success. Drawing from reported private sector experiences, some issues, challenges and opportunities for government services provision are examined. A suggested implementation approach highlights leadership, culture, technology, and measurement as critical success factors. Examining some US government early practices, the paper advocates for "communities of practice", cautions on "best practices" and concludes with recommendations.
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E-Government .............................................................................. 173 5.2.1 Transformation of Public Administration ......................... 176 5.3 The Issues of Assessment of Forming Processes andManagement of E-Government .................................................... 178 5.4 Intellectual Analysis Issues of Web-ResourcesPerforming In E-Government Environment ................................ 180 5.5 Information Security Provision Issues of E-Government ............ 184 5.6 Electronic Democracy and Digital Citizen Issues ....................... 186 5.7 Effective E-Government Management Mechanisms:Conceptual Approaches ............................................................... 188 5.7.1 Web Analytics as a Feedback Mechanism ....................... 1895.7.2 Social Networks as a Government Administration Mechanism .............................................. 1915.8 Conclusion ................................................................................... 192 Acknowledgment .................................................................................. 193 Keywords .............................................................................................. 193 References ............................................................................................. 1935.1 INTRODUCTIONNowadays, the wide implication of information technologies in developed countries is affecting their social-economic development. The number of citizens, centers, organizations, institutes having access to and using internet for satisfying their needs is being rapidly increased. In this situation, there is an increasing need for more mobility and interactivity in transparency principles of state services and neutrality principles from political point of view. It is worth to mention that the implication opportunities of political and social technologies in administration are being widened nowadays.
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As the author enter the second decade of the twenty-first century, governments, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), philanthropic organizations, and civil society groups worldwide are actively focusing on evidence-based policy and increased accountability to stakeholders (results agenda).The widespread implementation of the Results Agenda has generated a plethora of books, guides, academic papers, trainings, and case studies, which has enabled an ongoing maturation process in the field. Consequently, specialists are now better equipped to understand what works under which circumstances. Broadly speaking there are two interrelated questions which must be answered when assessing the sustainability of a government results agenda. First, is the institutional design and practice of government conducive to evidence-based policy making? Second, are the overarching monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methods and specific tools used appropriate for garnering the evidence demanded by government? These series of notes aim to make a small contribution to the latter question by summarizing and highlighting a selection of PM&E methods and the tools that governments and international organizations around the world have developed to put these into practice in their own contexts. The central goal of this initiative is to prompt a process of learning, reflection and action by providing practical information to those whose leadership role requires them to understand PM&E methods and their potential for enhancing evidence-based policy making.
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summaryIn this paper we argue that the unifting theme of this century will be sustainability; that is, how to accommodate the world’s growing population, providing a decent standard of living for all, while preserving and renewing an effective societal infrastructure and the biosphere on which all life depends. Here we ask whether a sustainable world is more readily achievable under some forms of democracy than others.A series of 6 concrete steps or phases is defined, that can help organizations survive and thrive while developing the capabilities of their workforce members, contributing to a rich and varied community life and sustaining and renewing the biosphere We conclude that the social-democratic tradition, on the whole, provides advantages for the initial rejection, non-responsiveness and compliance phases compared to the economic-liberal tradition. For organisations to move beyond compliance they need the support of economic incentives, ideologically compatible with both democratic regimes. However, there is a major advantage with the newer versions of social democracy which can offer strong standard setting as well as a wider range of environmental incentives.Finally, for organizations to work towards the ideal and address global and local issues of sustainability, democratic systems must foster the decision-making conditions of ‘compliance plus’ and align them with the demands of a new, ‘sub-political’ arena where sustainability will be the critical focus of debate and action. It is in this self-determining, multiple stakeholder and collaborative arena that corporations can develop the flexible relationships necessary for building, sharing and diffusing the tacit knowledge that can be transferred into innovative solutions for sustainability.
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1. IntroductionThe chief enabler of fine e-government advancement is frequently setting in place an adequate governance fabric to back and handle a citizen-led service distribution pattern. Governments should have a more significant function in directing successful schemes to diminish access expenses for mobile broadband; strengthen personal cooperation; promote ground-breaking business patterns that manage recruiting, for example micro-work and outsourcing; and back ICT entrepreneurship. Policymakers should examine e-government via adapting legislation and procedures to incorporate technology in governmental development policies and embracing novel opinions and manners of interacting with citizens. Institutional deficiencies in the configuration of schemes, the handling of agendas, and stakeholder synchronization endanger the longrun advance of e-government practices. (United Nations, 2014) E-government schemes are fundamentally entrenched in associations of political reforms and organizational alterations (Nita, 2015) projected to establish, back and determine a deep transfiguration in the arrangement of the public sphere. ICT advancements in the public sector should concentrate on the intricacy that is related to their enforcement, instead of zooming in on exemplary practices and worldwide approaches to specify how to swimmingly carry out e-government agendas. E-government schemes can influence the selection and configuration of ICT undertakings with the result that technologies become carriers of the e-government schemes' purposes - of particular and conditional e-government policy goals that persist because established in social, bureaucratic and organizational practices, and because entrenched in technological systems and established in organizational practices. (Cordelia and Iannacci, 2010)2. The Intricacies Related to the Enforcement of Technological Solutions in Public Sector EntitiesOver the past decade, there has been increasing evidence describing developing requirements from progressively associated citizens, the employment of online services to further the supplying of data by governments to individuals, and adequate citizen engagement entailing ICTs. Governments employ ICT for intra-govemmental intercommunication and for carrying out services to notify and communicate with individuals, and for furthering citizen involvement in democratic procedures and governance. E-participation concerns the utilization of ICT to enhance engagement among citizens, by furthering connection between each individual, besides with their elected bureaucrats. (PIWA & UNDP, 2010) Advancement in e-government improvement has been achieved via augmented e-involvement, expansion of the mobile route and social media, enlarged utilization and the developing of open government information. Successful e-government improvement is based on powerful political will, cooperative supervision and new governance fabrics to back and handle a citizen-led service distribution pattern. E-government objectives are persistently developing to satisfy rising difficult tasks and boost public value. A set of e-services that covers operations, business entities and geographies may raise the worth of service offers to individuals by successfully embracing intrusive technologies in a flexible and scalable fashion. Predictive investigation establishes matters before questionable scenarios progress, and feeling analysis involves citizens in public dialogue and decision-making procedures. Governments, individuals, civil society and the private sphere frequently perform together to innovate procedures and furnish groundbreaking technologies. (United Nations, 2014)E-government is the outcome of social, political, and bureaucratic negotiation, and the result of political negotiation entrenched in technological stratifications. Technological features affect the outcome of e-government undertakings by backing various manners of working and synchronizing public sphere organization projects, being component of the e-government schemes because they influence the result of the reforms: they are not unbiased and self-sufficient from the e-government schemes that impact their configuration, but thoroughly entrenched and influenced by them in a shared cycle of co-fashioning. …
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Governments are being transformed at every level due to advances in technology and innovative programs that open vast opportunities for delivery of public services, interact with citizens and business, and promote democracy. It is essential that those responsible for operating these services are well trained to provide the leadership needed for successful application of e-services. This is the second volume in the Global e-Governance series and focuses on advancing e-governance through innovation and leadership by presenting original articles by international experts, national case studies and CIO training course materials. This book will serve as a research tool for those examining current economic developments, such as the financial crisis and how the consequences may impact the advancement of e-government programs, including requirements for professional staff and experts to operate e-services. Several chapters also address issues involved in promoting 'green ICT'.
E-governance
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This cover paper summarizes the research conducted in the period from June 2011 to January 2013 as part of PhD work. It belongs to the field of eParticipation, often considered to be a sub-domain of the eGovernment field. More generally, stands for citizens’ participation in the processes of public service provision at its various stages. It is not limited to activities involving government but also includes bottom-up citizen participation like social networking, blogging, video sharing etc. The focus of this thesis is government-initiated activities. The rationale for focusing on government-owned channels of is that they, unlike e.g. opinion formation in social networks, normally have a direct link to the formal process of decision-making. This means that the citizens’ input provided via government-managed tools would be expected to be formally processed by the government and integrated in some way into the policy-making activities.The status of government-initiated is not impressive by any standards; regardless of numerous trials and gradual progress, governments still use the new media in their interaction with the public in a quite tentative manner. This occurs against the background of the rapidly changing communication landscape, such as the rise of the social Internet, which governments need to embrace in order to catch up with the public and stay relevant to their citizens. Therefore this research asks the question: how do governments handle the challenge of delivering and better eParticipation? By more and better eParticipation is meant including forms of participation which utilise state-of-the-art communication technology as well as enhancing the role and influence of the citizenry in the decision-making process. Digital citizen as partner is the conceptual framing of such enhanced presence and leverage of the wider public in the democratic affairs of the state. In sum, this research looks into the development practice of ambitious activities with the view of understanding how – with what degree of success and failure, and why – governments implement this change.The research is based on the analysis of a single project using case-study methodology. The selected case is the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), which was launched on April 1, 2012. It was bound to become the first trans-European agenda-setting mechanism; 1 million citizens can by signing an initiative propose a new EU law. Of particular interest in this study was the element in this project, namely the online collection of statements of support across EU. Hence the research inquired into how this technological component was shaped by the institutional forces, including organisational behaviour, institutional logics, political agendas, regulatory frameworks etc. The research refers to such theories as systems view (dimensions of eDemocracy shaping, dynamic socio-technical eGovernance system); political value perspective (models of eDemocracy, values in participatory policy-making); stakeholder analysis (genre taxonomy to capture perceptions). The research is reported in three research publications, including a literature review of (Paper 1), a conceptual study of the case (Paper 2), and an empirical investigation of the start-up phase of the project (Paper 3). The fieldwork included document studies, interviews, and observations carried out in the period of March through August 2012 in EU institutions in Brussels.The main findings of the case study can be summarised as follows: in its initial configuration the ECI created major constraints to effective citizen participation online. This was due to the disproportionate requirements for using the procedure, such as for example expensive system setup and liability for data breaches. The root cause, as the analysis of policy-makers’ rationales showed, lay in the way the tool was designed. This in turn could be traced to the institutions’ failure to handle the socio-technical complexity of the procedure, i.e. focusing on the technical solution without properly considering the social environment of its use. The research proposes a number of measures which can be conducive to effective design, such as for instance enabling genuine collaboration with external stakeholders and seizing opportunities for learning and adjustment in the organisational setup of public institutions. In general the conclusion is that the strategic and operational sides of developing need better alignment; a visionary eDemocracy idea like the ECI would require a entrepreneurial attitude and processes within government to implement it effectively.The contributions of this research are relevant both for the practice and theory of development. In the practical dimension this research shows how the design – understood broadly as the regulatory framework governing the use of the tool – which is conditional on internal institutional variables, can affect eParticipation. Therefore understanding the attitudes and actions of the ‘insiders’ – politicians, public officials, technologists – can be crucial for developing ICT-supported democratic procedures. Such focus on the collective mental models of decision-makers regarding is not quite common in research and practice which makes this thesis particularly relevant. In relation to theory this cover paper also has important implications – it addresses a gap in the literature concerning the changing role and behaviour of traditional public institutions under the conditions of new media and the transforming relationship with the increasingly digital citizenry. The research also puts an case against the background of eGovernance by applying a model therefrom (a dynamic socio-technical view of eGovernance) onto the development of the ECI as an opportunity. By doing so the cover paper tests the model and further elaborates on the interaction between the social and technical dimensions using the case as an illustration.
Public Participation
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