INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

WORKSHOPS ON E-GOVERNMENT FOR ACHIEVING THE MDGS AND E-CITIES NETWORK IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC: LOCAL E-GOVERNMENT FOR THE MDGS AND SERVICE DELIVERY

17-18 JUNE 2010SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Malika Ibrahim - Director , Policy & LegalCommunications Authority of Maldivesmalika@cam.gov.mv

MDGs - 2015

End Poverty and HungerUniversal EducationGender EqualityChild HealthMaternal HealthCombat HIV/AIDSEnvironmental SustainabilityGlobal Partnership

WSIS - Geneva Plan of Action

С1 The role of public governance authorities and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development С2 Information and communication infrastructure C3 Access to information and knowledge C4 Capacity buildingC5 Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs C6 Enabling environment C7 ICT Applications ( E-government, E-business, E-learning, E-health, E-employment, E-environment, E-agriculture, E-science )C8 Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content C9 MediaC10 Ethical dimensions of the Information SocietyC11 International and regional cooperation

Source: WSIS-03/GENEVA/DOC/0005

Issues

AccessibilityAffordabilityInfrastructureICT ApplicationsContentBuilding CapacitySecurityHolistic Approach, Cooperation & Coordination

Why e-government is important

There are three primary reasons why e-government is important:Gives a clear and broad understanding for the government to revamp its function of being customer-focusedE-government can be seen as crucial to economic competitivenessIt can reduce the cost, of public services at the same time increase in the quality of service.

Source: Deloitte Research

E-government Objectives

Enabling citizens to effectively participate in the knowledge society/economy;Improving the bottom-line effectiveness and efficiency of government;Providing greater flexibility in the design and management of governmentEnhancing relationships between citizens and the State, and strengthening democratic processes.Integrating, streamlining, and customising the delivery of services;Improving the quality of policy and decision-making processes;Reducing the compliance costs of government;Streamlining governmental operations, Making government services more accessible and convenient to thepublic.Providing government services to citizens 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.

E-government is Complex

As with other projects, e-government projects also require skills to make it work. They are: Analytical skills;Information management skills;Technical skills;Communication and presentation skills andProject management skills

Source: LaVigne, 2000

E-government Perspectives

E-government can be seen from four perspectives:-Citizens’ perspective;Process redesign perspective;Telecooperation perspective; andKnowledge perspective

This is because e-government is said to involve;New forms of delivering information and services;New ways of making information available to citizens;New ways of interacting with the citizens (initiating dialogues); New forms of linking communities, locally and globally by creating online communities;New forms of involving people in the process of governance and policy making;New ways of developing skills for active participation in e-governance;New forms of empowering citizens; and New ways of reducing ‘digital divide’ by providing equal access to information

What should e-government be?

Easy to use, connecting people with local and international governments according to their preferences and needs.Available to everyonePrivate and secure, with the appropriate standards for privacy, security, and authentication Innovative and results-oriented, emphasizing speed and exploiting the latest advances in technology. Collaborative, with solutions developed collectively and openly among public, private, non-profit, and research partners, on the basis of their experience and expertise.Cost-effective, through strategic investments that produce significant long-term efficiencies and savings.Transformational, harnessing technology through personal and organizational leadership to change the way government works, rather than merely automate existing practices.

Successful e-government

Management/ organisational IssuesVisionLeadershipUnderstanding and CommitmentChange ManagementE-government Benefits RealisationE-Democracy Accessibility to IT and Information Back office transformationCollaborationExpertiseE-SkillingPartnershipsLegislative Change Needs analysis for citizens, businesses, and government Knowledge building and sharing

Successful e-government cont…

Technical IssuesE-government Products, Applications, Services and ProjectsE-government Portal SolutionsEnabling InfrastructureE-Government service evaluationAuthentication gateways and Public Key InfrastructureSecurity, authenticity, and citizen trustInteroperability and data standards

E-Government Portals

Government Information Portals – More than just a website

Citizen-centric portals have four major attributes, namelyAppealAggregateFulfill Connect

An integrated website will have the following features:More customer/citizen focussed, Easier to use, Cost-effective to create Ability to reduce inconsistencies and duplication andAbility to adhere to common standard

General e-Gov Portal Requirements

Provision a single general user interface with easy navigation paradigms;Register and dynamically recognise users and virtual communities or categories of users, whether citizens or businesses;Allow the creation and delivery of tailored views into the services and information of multiple government organisations on behalf of users or user communities;Allow easy, straightforward access to information and services, supporting both simple transactions and complex ones; Support interfaces to new and legacy systems and to the government’s internal workflow across different departments and agencies;Provide easy access to other relevant sites;Provides a reliable, scalable, manageable and secure environment;Allow simple, straightforward access to information including complex search of structured and unstructured data and services. Provide interface approaches supporting access for all, including:

Less knowledgeable technology usersUsers with different abilitiesSpeakers of different languages.

Use a technical architecture with technological flexibility.Incorporate technology that ensures the delivery of a reliable, scalable, manageable and secure environment.

E-Government in Action

Action 1: Building e-Government Awareness and Commitment

This action plan includes: -National e-Governance SummitRaising Awareness and Commitment Among LeadersAwareness-Raising Among the Donor Community

Action 2: Building e-Government Strategic Capacity

This action plan includes: -Build Strategic Institutions for e-Governance Build Legislative Infrastructure for e-GovernanceBuild Leadership and Commitment e-GovernanceBuild e-Governance Strategy

Action 3: Building e-Government Implementation Capacity

This action plan includes: -Building Human Capacities for e-Governance ImplementationBuilding Technological Infrastructure for e-Governance ImplementationBuilding Data Systems for e-Governance Implementation

Action 4: Building e-Government Pilot Projects

This action plan includes: -Identifying e-Government Pilot ProjectsImplementing e-Government Pilot Projects

Challenges of E-government

Governance ChallengeThe governance challenge is to have the right people making decisions to integrate the portfolio with strategy, at the same time e balancing the decision rights across multiple constituencies.

Leadership ChallengeThe leadership challenge is to set the agenda and ensure management practices that maximise return on information technology portfolio investments

Technology ChallengeFor many executive managers there is a gap between the technologies now available and their conversion into a portfolio that creates value.Bridge the ‘Digital Divide’

Challenges cont…

A comprehensive view of e-government covers changes of governance in two ways: -Transformation of the business of governance, which is improving service delivery, reducing costs and renewing administrative processes; andTransformation of governance itself, which is. re-examining the functioning of democratic practices and processes.

Following three factors as the most common organisational challenges for e-government.Restructuring Administrative Functions And ProcessesCoordination And Cooperation Within Public AdministrationMeasuring Effects On Service Delivery Challenge of Managing change

Challenges

Factors leading to the overall failure of governancemany developing countries do lack macro-economic stability

Sustainabilitylarge ICT projects fail often. Therefore recurrent funding for e-government should be secured and should be given priority at a national level. There is also the danger of e-government being too external. Many e-government initiatives in developing countries are donor or vendor-led. The latter is particularly problematic given often-conflicting objectives between vendors and government

Over ambitious timescalesThis will lead to short cuts that reduce sustainability; for instance looking for off-the-shelf ICTs. It is better to adhering to the simple principles first

Building e-Governance for Development

Building Awareness and CommitmentBuilding Institutional InfrastructureBuilding Leadership and Strategic ThinkingBuilding Human InfrastructureBuilding Legislative InfrastructureBuilding Data Systems InfrastructureBuilding Technological Infrastructure

Strategic response to the digital divide

Source: Heeks (2001)

Maldives Country Perspective

Maldives Background

Archipelago of 1,192 coral lying islands(200 islands inhabited)Area: 115,000 sq km (including sea)Population: 309,575 (~30% youth) Key Industries: Tourism & FishingLiteracy: 98% Per Capita GDP : ~ USD 2830.0Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa, RFExchange Rate: US$ 1 = Rf 12.75ICT is an important tool for economic development and improving quality of life

Maldives - Development Challenges

Confined economic baseHuman resources not sufficiently developedSmall domestic marketTourism and fisheries vulnerable to exogenous threatsDispersed atolls and islands make it difficult to justify investment due to diseconomies of scale

ICT Background

Policy Maker: Min. of Civil Aviation and CommunicationRegulator: Communications Authority of MaldivesIT Focal Point: National Centre for Information Technology

OperatorsDhiraagu – A JV between Maldives Government and C&WFocus Infocomm – A local company providing Internet serviceWataniya Telecom Maldives – The second cellular mobile operator

Key Success Factors for ICT-based Initiatives

Political will and support ICT for a National AgendaAn inclusive, integrated and a holistic approachBuilding CapacityPilot projects for large investment projectsMonitoring and mid-term policy review

National ICT Initiatives

Government Network of MaldivesIT Development Project, E-Government Service Platform

Vehicles and Vessels registration: creation, renewal & payment of annual fees Birth & Death registration and certificates Health vital statistics databaseExpatriate employment: application for quota & employer statusCompanies and Licenses management: registration & renewalGovernment mail management Government meetings scheduling Data collection

GEMS– Government E-Letter Management System

GEMS– Government E-Letter Management System

GEMS– Government E-Letter Management System

Expanding ICT access

Maldives is a technology embracing country. Mobile and broadbandservices with a next generation networks (NGN) will form the basis for the future services. Maldives needs to bridge the digital gap between the capital Male’and the outer lying islands. By utilizing emerging new technologies to complement the existing infrastructure, we hope to extend comprehensive broadband services to all corners of the country. 3G (HSPA) and WiMAX services are amongst the newest crop in the development of telecoms in the country. Service are providedwith the required licenses and spectrum to offer broadband services.

Ongoing ICT Access Initiatives

The main focus of CAM activities is at extending broadband internet services to the islands. Policy initiatives and incentives are provided to entrepreneurs and business in islands. One of such initiatives is to facilitate internet retailing in the islands. Under this scheme, businesses in islands can provide internet service under their own brand and banner using technologies theyprefer. The technologies include cable modem, WiFi or wireline technology. Internet bandwidth from major ISPs is provided at discount rates to these businesses. Other policy directives include enhancing the existing infrastructure to cater for broadband. Facilitating new technologies like WiMAXand HSPA (3G+) are also aimed at accelerating Internet growth inthe islands.

Infrastructure

Wireless technologies, predominantly cellular mobile and other BWA (broadband wireless access) technologies such as WiMAX and LTE are the feasible options to provide access to the underserved regions in the country.The major obstacle in providing access to the unconnected and underserved areas is the lack of high speed backbone network. Once the network is expanded and extended to a region, providingaccess to the people can be achieved with relative ease.

Telecommunications Network

National telecommunications network comprise of copper trunking,fiber optics trunking, SDH or PDH microwave links, mobile networks, national / international switches and gateways, WiMAX,UHF trunked radio, rural satellite( excluding HF Radio).Different areas are served with different combinations of these technologies.Even in the currently underserved and unconnected areas, the demand exist for broadband ICT services, provided the services are offered and reasonable prices

ICT regulations to expand & encourage ICT access

Regulations exist to encourage local businesses to work along with the major service providers to services in the islands Service providers are provided with free spectrum to expand the backbone network if they are to use wireless technologies.

Data privacy and cyber-security

Currently there are no policies as such. But work is underway toestablish a plan of action and related laws on combating cybercrime and protecting critical infrastructure. A bill on addressing computer misuse has been submitted the Parliament this year.

Gaps in expanding ICT access

The key issue in providing broadband access to the islands is the lack of a high speed backbone network to serve the islands. This is mainly an infrastructural problem which in turn is relates to high cost of investments to enable such a network

Regional Cooperation

As a region with significant growth, there is a huge potential for ICT and media services. Since most countries in this region are now connected to the global infrastructure by fibre optic cable, cooperation within services providers can bring about cost savings by sharing platforms and systems. Consequently this can lead benefits to the customers in the form of choice of services and lower prices. Policy makers and regulators in the region may consider making polices and regulations for harmonized and borderless services. The EU sets a good example on this.

Achievements

Considerable achievements have been made in providing voice communications across the country.Fixed line service was provided to all inhabited islands in 1999. In 2006 all inhabited islands had mobile service. Over 50% of the population has access to broadband internet services now.Combined Teledensity reached 150%Results of the ITU ICT Development Index (IDI) in Asia and Pacific for two benchmarking years, 2002 and 2007, where ranking of Maldives improved from 16 in 2002 to 13 in 2007.

ITU ICT Development Index, IDI

Telecom Stats

Recommendations & Conclusion

Reflecting on both MDGs and WSIS Action Plan

Policy makers need to adopt the basic idea of ‘universal design’ in ICTs. This will ensure that ICTs are designed for use by everyone (This idea is greatly promoted by ITU) Integrate the universal design principles and to include the end-users throughout the development process.Policy makers and regulators need to consider different population groups in the design, development and implementation of ICTs (E.g. aging populations and especially Persons with Disabilities)Recognise that ICTs enable greater autonomy and empower people in their living, education, careers, etc.Adopt a non-discrimatory approach and map existing laws and regulations to address non-discrimination in ICT access. Promote user-centered design in the development /implementation processAdopt the ‘Inclusive Approach’ to enhance the active participation and consultations on proposed legislation, policy, regulations or industry codesPromote issues such as self regulation, codes of practice, etcPromote the international work collaboration for a better implementation ICTs.Accessible to websites and online services - E.g. W3C's primary goals is to make the Web available to all people, whatever their hardware, software, network infrastructure, native language, culture, geographical location, or physical or mental ability. Hence policy makers need to adopt standards of W3C’s to make the websites or online services to all people, especially in an age where both private and public sector offer

Conclusion

In conclusion, let us make this workshop a workshop of solutions, to translate the outcomes of the workshop into tangible reality that manifests all the principles and values of joint work so that our world becomes more free, more accessible and more equitable by the year 2015.

Thank you for your kind attention

Malika Ibrahim – Directormalika@tam.gov.mv

Communications Authority of Maldiveswww.cam.gov.mv