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Mwendwa Kivuva1014638

at Catholic University of Eastern Africa CUEA – www.cuea.edu

Main Campus, Nairobi.March 2011

kivuva@transworldafrica.comwww.transworldafrica.com

E-Government in ICT and SocietyCMT406

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CONTENTS• What is e-government?• E-government segments• Why have E-Gov?• Benefits of E-gov• Prospective Applications of E-Gov• Sample E-Gov projects in Kenya• E-Gov in Kenya - KRA scenario• Shared Government services – Kenya• Shared Government services - Kenya• EMACS in Kenya• Rationale for eGovernment in Kenya• Institutional Arrangements for Kenya eGovernment• Non-internet e-Government• Risks of E-Government• Benefits of e-government

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Desired outcomes

• Define e-government• Get advantages of E-Gov• Get risks of E-Gov• Identify E-Gov in the Kenyan scenario• Identify applications of E-Gov

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What is E-Government?

• e-Government (short for electronic government, also known as e-gov, digital government, online government, or connected government) generally involves using ICTs to transform both back-end and front-end government processes and provide services, information and knowledge to all government customers, that is the public, businesses, government employees and other government agencies. e-Government uses a range of information technologies, such as the Wide Area Networks, Internet, and Mobile Computing, to transform government operations in order to improve effectiveness, efficiency, service delivery and to promote democracy.

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Definition (cont)

• Essentially, the term e-Government or also known as Digital Government, refers to 'How government utilized IT, ICT and other telecommunication technologies, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector' (Jeong, 2007).

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E-gov segments

• E-government can thus be segmented into what are known as primary delivery models. These digital interaction can be between a government and citizens (G2C), government and businesses/commerce/eCommerce (G2B), and between government agencies (G2G), Government-to-Religious Movements/Church (G2R), Government-to-Households (G2H). This digital interaction consists of governance, information and communication technology (ICT), business process re-engineering (BPR), and e-citizen at all levels of government (city, state/province, national, and international).

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Why have E-Gov?

• e-Government is a fundamental element in the modernization of Government. It provides a common framework and direction across the public sector and enhances collaboration within and among public sector organizations and institutions, between Government and the business community, and between Government and the citizens that it serves in the implementation of Government Policies. It also identifies ways of developing the skills needed by public servants to realize the new opportunities offered by ICT advancement such as the internet.

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Benefits of E-govThe adoption and use of the e-government strategy has significant benefits for government in the

delivery of more effective and efficient information and services to the customers of governments

• Simplifying delivery of services to citizens• Minimizing the government bureaucracy • Improved interactions among government units and with business, industry and citizens• Increased empowerment of citizens and businesses through access to information, knowledge and

services• More efficient government management• Improved productivity (and efficiency) of government agencies• More effectively, cheaper and more convenient delivery of information, knowledge and services• Making it possible for citizens, businesses, other levels of government and government employees

to easily find information and get service from the government and government agencies• Strengthened legal system and law enforcement• Improved quality of life for disadvantaged communities• Broadened public participation

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Prospective Applications of E-Gov• Government Pension Administration

• Driver’s License Registration

• Wealth Declaration Form

• High Court Registrar

• Company Registration

• Land Title Registration

• Within each of these interaction domains, four kinds of activities take place:-pushing information over the Internet, e.g.: regulatory services, general holidays, public hearing schedules, issue briefs, notifications, etc.

• two-way communications between the agency and the citizen, a business, or another government agency. In this model, users can engage in dialogue with agencies and post problems, comments, or requests to the agency.

• conducting transactions, e.g.: lodging tax returns, applying for services and grants.• governance, e.g.: online polling, voting, and campaigning.

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Sample E-Gov projects in Kenya

• Apply for Public Service Jobs• Registrar of persons - Track status of ID & Passport through

sms• Exam Results & Candidate Selection• Report Corruption Online• HELB Loan Repayment Status• Business Licensing e-Registry• FORMS: - KRA FormsPolice Abstract & P3 Forms, Immigration

Forms• Procurement – tenders.go.ke – All government tenders• Common portal for all services

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E-Gov in Kenya - KRA scenario

• Pin and VAT certificate application• Submit Tax Returns Online• Customs Services Online - Long room

clearance of import cargo (Simba system)• Import Declaration Application • Manifest lodging• Good declaration

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Shared Government services - Kenya

• Has two aspects, Central Government, and Local government

• Government Exchange (GeX). Government Common Core Network – GoK private Network

• Call centers at Nyayo house

• Lack of a shared service caused police to demolish two flats after not sharing Information with Ministry of roads in 2010

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Shared services projects Description

• Shared Services enable public sector organizations to be more effective and efficient in their day to day operations. This enables resources to be efficiently used to deliver core services to citizens and the business community, while the non-core back office operations of ministries, state corporations, and so on, are carried out in a shared environment.

• Benefits of shared services– Economies of Scale; shared services can help minimize capital and

operating costs and encourage inter-agency cooperation by achieving economies of scale by sharing services within the organization.

– Sharing of expenses across agencies allows disperse organization agencies/ departments to take advantage of the latest technology without incurring substantial capital expenditures.

– Focus on core competencies therefore Government agencies spend less time and fewer resources on their respective IT infrastructures, focusing instead on their core competencies needed to better serve the public.

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EMACS in Kenya

• Kenya has an email solution for all Civil Servants, EMACS (Enterprise Messaging And Collaboration System) which is intended to improve cross-ministry/agency communication. Public sector organizations (at all levels) continue to face challenges with inter- and intra-agency communications – from emergency preparedness and management to budgeting and basic health and human services. The solution to these challenges is: improved collaborative work processes and streamlined sharing of information across public sector entities.

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Rationale for eGovernment in Kenya

• Improve GoK’s delivery of services to citizens• Increase type and quality of information from and to

citizens • Increase GoK’s ability to ensure transparency and

support anti-corruption efforts• Increase communications traffic flows contributing to

viability of investments in infrastructure • Contribute to vision 2030 economic policy objectives• Help build trust between government and citizens

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Prospective Applications• Government Pension Administration

• Driver’s License Registration

• Wealth Declaration Form

• High Court Registrar

• Company Registration

• Land Title Registration

• Within each of these interaction domains, four kinds of activities take place:-pushing information over the Internet, e.g.: regulatory services, general holidays, public hearing schedules, issue briefs, notifications, etc.

• two-way communications between the agency and the citizen, a business, or another government agency. In this model, users can engage in dialogue with agencies and post problems, comments, or requests to the agency.

• conducting transactions, e.g.: lodging tax returns, applying for services and grants.• governance, e.g.: online polling, voting, and campaigning.

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Institutional Arrangements for Kenya eGovernment

• ICT Board under the Ministry of Information and Communications– TCIP Implementation with Director, Finance and

Procurement Specialists, CTO, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Governance in close collaboration with the beneficiaries

• Governance Oversight Committee – Representatives from public and private sector

• Risk Management• Performance Agreements• Communications Strategy

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Non-internet e-Government

• While e-government is often thought of as "online government" or "Internet-based government," many non-Internet "electronic government" technologies can be used in this context. Some non-Internet forms include telephone, fax, PDA, SMS text messaging, MMS, wireless networks and services, Bluetooth, CCTV, tracking systems, RFID, biometric identification, road traffic management and regulatory enforcement, identity cards, smart cards and other Near Field Communication applications; polling station technology (where non-online e-voting is being considered), TV and radio-based delivery of government services (e.g., CSMW), email, online community facilities, newsgroups and electronic mailing lists, online chat, and instant messaging technologies.

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Risks of E-Government

• Hyper-surveillance (No privacy)• Cost• Inaccessibility• False sense of transparency and

accountability

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Benefits of e-government

• Democratization• Environmental bonuses• Speed, efficiency, and convenience• Public approval• Improve government services• Improve efficiency, (mass processing tasks,

data collection & transmissions, communication with customers)

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Q?