Critical Success Factorsin

e-Governance Projects

Mukund NadgowdaAssociate Professor and Head of Department (IT),

Kundal Forest Academy, Kundal, Sangli

We will share experiences of a few e-Governance applications. These illustrations will help you understand how e-Governance applications can be designed in many different ways for achieving different types of goals and objectives.

We will discuss various delivery models that get round the constraints of capacity and infrastructure.

We will then look into various Critical Success Factors that play key roles in e-Governance projects.

Overview

Contents

• e-Governance: various perceptions and delivery models

• Illustrations of e-Governance applications.• Benefits from e-Governance for various stake

holders• Critical Success Factors in e-Governance

projects• Key Challenges in e-Governance in India• Measuring impact and assessing readiness

Essence of e-Government• Involves process of reform in the way Governments work,

share information and deliver services to external and internal clients

• Clear intent of greater transparency in functioning • Achieving greater efficiency• On-line delivery of services to citizens/ businesses targeting

concrete benefits such as convenient access (time and place), reduced transaction time, and lower costs.

• Harnesses information technologies such as WAN, Internet, World Wide Web, and mobile computing to connect computerized back-ends that enable process reform with front-ends that service the citizens electronically.

(“Online” does not necessarily imply the Internet. It implies that transactions access / update databases immediately to minimize errors and speed-up processing. If applications are submitted electronically, the movement and processing of documents is also done electronically.)

The resulting benefits could be more transparency, empowerment, greater convenience, less corruption, revenue growth, and cost reduction.

Different types of applications

• Back-end automation of processes– Payroll Accounting, Integrated Financial Management

Systems, Personnel Database • Data gathering and MIS

– MIS and Monitoring and Evaluation Systems • Electronic delivery of information and services

– G2C: Property registration, Municipal services, Drivers license, Land records

– G2B: e-Procurement, Business Registration, Sales Tax, Online customs

– G2G: Electronic work flow and file handling, Treasury Computerization, Transfer and appointments.

• e-Participation – Web sites for sharing information on budgets and expenditure

in federal and local Governments, e-discussion, e-voting

Key Outcomes

• Automation and Process Reform – Reduce delay, less discretion, less mistakes, minimize

face to face contact, improve quality, improve efficiency• MIS use by supervisors

– Detects inefficiency and corruption, monitor performance, enhance accountability, improve processes

• Sharing information with public – Builds transparency and trust, supports complaint

process, enables tracking, enhances accountability, involves civil society, deterrent

• Intelligent Decision Support and audit– Analyze data and build models to spot outliers

Choice(s) of Delivery Mode(s)

Environment•Level of Trust•Value of time

Characteristics of clients•IT literacy•Homogeneity•Affordable access to Internet•Spatial dispersion

e-Readiness•Back end computerization•Robust networks•Laws for e-transactions•Level of standardization

Characteristics of service•Complexity•Information intensity

Different Delivery Models• Departments going online

– Citizens visit many departments, each one may be more efficient– Could be a first step in the absence of high band width network– Assisted; restrictive timings, single agency-complete service

• Conveniently located Community Service Centers– Assisted counters manned by public / private agencies– Services from single / multiple agencies under one roof: payment,

licenses, certificates– Larger time window but not 24X7

• Self Service through a Portal– 24X7, multiple agencies, partial service (like submitting applications)– Back-end computerization and integration needed for data sharing– High internet penetration, willingness and ability of citizens to use– Security and mutual trust (builds with successful outcome) – Usage builds up gradually. Adoption rate has to be driven.

• Access through mobile phones, Call centers, ATMs etc.

Delivery of Services - How Channels Differ

• Self use versus assisted by staff• 24X7 operation versus restricted days and timings• Services offered by single agency versus multiple

agencies from different levels of Government• Online delivery of one step in a service versus the

entire tasks or several steps done in one go• Location of access point: anywhere through

Internet, departmental counters, conveniently located service centers, Internet kiosks

Four phases of e-Government

Scale and scope defined on many dimensions

• Targeted outcomes: automation, process reform, effectiveness and transparency

• Coverage in terms of basket of services• Extent of online support - for different stages

(processes) in delivery of a service• Integration : horizontal (across agencies) and

vertical (levels of Government) • Choice of channels to clients• Reach across geography and economic strata

of citizens

Examples of e-Government Applications

• Property Registration, Land Records, MPSC, Rly.Reservations• Integrated Service Centers for multiple services-eSeva, Bangalore

one• Municipality: Bangalore, Ahmedabad • Income Tax online• E-procurement • New Business Registrations • Customs online• Integrated Financial Management System; computerized

treasuries• Appointment and Transfers in Karnataka and SmartGov in AP• e-Chaupal, Akshaya, Drishtee in Rural India • Lokvani (Sitapur)• eBharat (National E-Government Program)

Benefits to Citizens• Reduced transaction time and elapsed time• Less number of trips to Government offices• Expanded time window and convenient access• Reduced corruption (need for bribes, use of influence)• Transparency (clarity on procedures/documents)• Less uncertainty in estimating time needed• Fair deal and courteous treatment• Less error prone, reduced cost of recovery• Empowered to challenge action-greater accountability• Levy of use charges

Benefits to Agency• Reduced cost of delivering service-manpower,

paper, office space• Reduced cost of expanding coverage and reach

of service• Growth in tax revenue-coverage and compliance• Coping with growth in transaction volume• Improved image( service, corruption and fraud)• Improved monitoring of performance and fixing

responsibility• Improved work environment for employees• Better quality decisions

Tackling Corruption through e-Gov

• Introduces transparency in data, decisions/actions, rules, procedures and performance of Govt. agencies

• Automates processes to take away discretion• Entry point for simplification of rules and reengineering • Makes decisions traceable - tracks actions • Builds accountability - greater access to information through

web publishing-role of civil society• Provides documentation to citizens for follow up• Introduces competition amongst delivery channels• Standardized documentation of comments / objections leads

to effective supervision- through comparative indicators • Centralizes and integrates data for better audit and analysis.• Enables unbiased sampling for audit purposes

Assessment of Consulting Companies

• Few “real life” examples of successful e-Government • Many examples of attractive web sites with “same old back office

procedures”• Confusion between “a pretty website” and a successful portal• No “best in class” state or local e-Government solutions have

gained widespread adoption• Governments, in their rush to the web, often underestimate their

security, privacy, interface and infrastructure requirements• Citizens are becoming increasingly demanding (want more, not just

faster service in exchange for convenience fees)• Migrating private sector “best practices” to public sector often fails

to achieve desired results• Most Governments have not fundamentally changed their

processes in any way, though some have automated a flawed process.

Overall Assessment• Impact not assessed through independent evaluation.• Limited scope and scale-implemented in a few departments• Service delivery has become efficient but impact on

transparency and corruption is marginal• Focus on urban areas. Access points in rural areas is a key

challenge. • Largely bottom-up, driven by reformist civil servants with

some political support. Lack of central coordination.• Large number of Web sites are not used. Citizens unwilling to

engage. Intermediaries are needed.• High enthusiasm for implementing e-Government across

political spectrum. Lack of understanding of implementation difficulties

• Bulk of the applications are simple. Limited integration. Data sharing, scalability, security not adequately addressed.

• Inadequate re-engineering, a broader context of reform is missing.

Critical Success Factors• Strong Political and Administrative Leadership• Availability of funds and human resources• Clearly identified goals and benefits• Significant Process Re-engineering required• Detailed Project Management • Ownership by people who are most affected• Adopt established standards and protocols – minimize

customization• In-source Analysis and outsource design, software development,

data preparation, training, etc.• Manage change process-unfreeze, move-refreeze• Invest in training all stake holders on application and its use• Explore Public Private Partnership• Create awareness of how things have changed for clients• Think Big, start small, evaluate and learn, scale up and evaluate

Enablers of e-Government

20 % Technology + 35 % BPR / GPR +40 % CM and CB + 5% Luck !

Risk Factors for Sustainability• Not implemented in a context of wider change /

administrative reform. • Inadequate ICT infrastructure and enabling

policies.• Poor costing or lack of resources-creeping

commitments.• Short tenure of implementers and hurried

implementation.• Management of change-resistance from vested

interests.• Use of untested fancy technologies.• Inadequate attention to monitoring and evaluation.

Key Challenges in Moving Ahead• Designing projects to deliver value• Making projects sustainable• Expanding the coverage to multiple

departments• Providing services in the rural areas• Enhancing impacting on transparency and

corruption• Organizing for scaling up

Organization for implementing e-Government

• A champion at the political level• Ministerial level co-ordination committees• A central support group• Departmental champions and co-ordination

committee• Institution for training / CB• Private sector partners

Centralized versus decentralized ApproachType of Approach Strengths Pitfalls

Centrally Coordinated and executed e.g. UID

Can benefit from the authority of a strong central leaderCan encompass all components of ICT developmentLeads to improved utilization of resources-shared infrastructureAdherence to standards facilitates data sharing and integrationDonor coordination is easierScaling up pilots is easierProjects can have a tighter fit with overall development strategy

Lack of departmental ownership may thwart significant changesLocal initiative and innovation potential is curbedProject becomes complex and increases chances of implementation failure

Decentralized e.g.Many States in India

Departmental ownership-easier to re-engineer and implementQuicker to implementBreeds innovative usesDemonstration effect is quickerApplications can evolve and improve quicklyProjects can benefit from attention of political leadership-easier to de-bottleneckFlexibility in administrative arrangements

Quality is hinged to the capability of the championSustainability can be hurt due to change in leadershipData sharing is difficult Variable quality of design as standards are not followedApplications may be out of tune with an accepted development plan or direction of reform

Role of the Central Support Group • Assessing and enhancing preparedness • Developing a strategy and implementation plan• Resources for re-engineering, application

development and change management• Guidelines, standards and best practices• Developing public private partnership• Identifying departmental champions• Monitoring progress and impact• Overseeing a few key projects• Building / managing shared infrastructure

Time to think…

Is e-Government just the next “new and greatest” government solution?

OR

Is it really going to make a difference?

e-Governance is an investment for tomorrow…

…at today’s expense

Remember…