AN ANALYSIS OF ICT REVITALIZATION AS A TOOL FOR IMPROVING GOOD GOVERNANCE
Ajaz Ahmad Dar
Research Scholar, Bhagwant University Ajmer, Rajasthan
Abstract - In all kinds of organizations—public, commercial, and nonprofit—information and communication technologies (ICTS) are increasingly becoming enablers of organisational change and efficiency. However, as ICTs are merely change, innovation, and creative facilitators, they do not in and of themselves bring about transformation. E- government's goal is to integrate governmental operations with the cutting-edge technology that the world is now using. With the help of e-business, e-banking, e-procurement, and other technologies, the private sector has already seen a great increase in efficiency. In addition to offering services to citizens, e-government also works to cut the cost of public administration while increasing the efficiency, accountability, and openness of the public sector. The ability to provide efficient and affordable public services to citizens is actually the ultimate goal of e-government, and this is also a core principle of good governance.
Therefore, in many nations throughout the world that are working on public administration reform, seeking to make government more proactive, efficient, transparent, and especially more service oriented, e-government can be considered as an effective tool for good governance. It enables people to utilise online, automated administrative operations to their fullest potential. Governments all over the world are rethinking systems, processes, and procedures in order to provide effective and affordable services online. Through the use of technology, the Internet, and new media, e-government, which is the outcome of e- governance, promises the continual optimization of service delivery, public engagement, and governance.
Keywords: ICT, E-Government, Good Governance, Internet, Revitalization.
1 INTRODUCTION
Globalization's direct and indirect effects have led to a current phenomena in both industrialised and developing nations:
governance. The idea of electronic governance has begun to take shape as a result of the development of information and communication technology (ICT).
ICTs are evolving more quickly than ever before, which helps the process of establishing good governance.
ICT, as defined by Sukanta (2012), is the broad range of technology tools and resources used for communication. The effect of new information and communication technologies, according to Heeks (2001), has significantly contributed to the achievement of good governance goals. By connecting diverse departmental information systems, it streamlines the administrative process and enhances performance. It can benefit a company in a variety of ways. In order to increase control over administrative activities and thereby lower an organization's operational costs, it first unifies all components of the organisation. By tying together and integrating all administrative procedures, it also improves operational effectiveness
by reducing the amount of time that employees must spend on administrative chores. Third, it makes information more accessible to users and does it more quickly, which increases the amount of information and time available for decision-making.
The idea of good governance has just lately started to be used often in political science and public administration. The new paradigm in public administration that highlights the new type of approach used by public servants in providing high-quality services to residents has been dubbed "good governance" within the field of public management.
The World Bank states that there are six primary elements that should be taken into account when determining the level of good governance development. The next are they:
Voice and Accountability:
Measures how much a nation's citizens are able to choose their government, as well as their freedom of expression, their freedom of association, and their access to a free press;
Political Stability and absence of violence: determines how likely people believe it is that the government will be overturned or destabilised through violent or illegal means, such as through terrorism or violent acts motivated by politics;
Government Effectiveness:
captures opinions on the credibility of the government's adherence to such policies, the credibility of public services, the credibility of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures;
Regulatory Quality: reflects opinions on how well the government is perceived to be able to create and carry out sensible laws and rules that permit and encourage the growth of the private sector;
Rule of Law: Captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in the rules of society, and in particular the quality of contracten for cement, property rights, the police, and the courts, aswell asthe likelihood of crimeand violence;
Control of Corruption: Captures perceptions of the extent to which elites and private interests exercise public power for private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as
―capture‖of thestate.
Equity, poverty, and quality of life are all significantly impacted by good governance. As a result, participation, transparency, and accountability are essential components of good governance.
This offers a framework for decision- making that respects the needs of the most vulnerable and underprivileged populations while distributing public cash and resources.
1.1 Definition of E-Government
Understanding administrative progress and change on government in general is necessary to comprehend e-government.
Total Quality Management (TQM) in the 1980s and Reengineering and Reinventing Government in the 1990s have both impacted administrative reform and development during the past 20 years.
Governmental innovation has helped us
to see that it is actually a dynamic fusion of objectives, structures, and operations.
The goal of e-government programmes is to employ new and emerging technologies to assist a shift in how effectively and efficiently government functions as a result of government reinvention. The development of an electronic government is the new problem facing public administration in the new millennium.
E-governance, also known as e- government, online-government, or digital government, is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by the public sector to enhance and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of information and services to individuals, businesses, and organisations. ICTs include the internet, mobile devices, digital content, etc. Essentially, "e- government" is seen as a potent instrument in the hands of the government for lowering costs, increasing revenues, and improving the delivery of public services (Saeed, 2012).
Additionally, it aims to demonstrate the principles of good governance and guarantee the effectiveness, accountability, and transparency of government operations (Harris, 2000).
Heeks (2001) also highlights the three (3) primary benefits of e-governance, including streamlining government operations (e-administration), bringing citizens together (e-services), and fostering external relationships (e-society).
Fig.1 Interactions between Government and other Agencies
2 E-GOVERNMENT AND E- GOVERNANCE
The definition of e-government is beyond e-governance. While e-government is merely the delivery of public services and information via electronic means, e- governance enables direct citizen participation of constituents in political activities that go beyond the scope of government and includes E-democracy, E-
voting, and engaging in political activity online. Therefore, the term "e-governance"
refers to all aspects of government, including executive, legislative, judicial, and party activities.
2.1 Recognizing E-Government as
“Good Governance” Tool
―E-Government ‗essentially refers to ‗The utilization of Information Technology (IT), Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and other web- based Telecommunication technologies to improve and/or enhance on the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in the public sector.‘ (Jeong, 2007, citedin Madzova, V., Sajnoski, K & Davcev, L.
2013).
While the focus of e-Government has typically been on governmental operations, e-Governance is thought to broaden the definition by incorporating citizen interaction and participation in governance. Consequently, e-Government can be utilised as a tool to attain improved government. In order to convert government into one that is founded on democracy, inclusivity, and performance excellence, several governments have taken use of the opportunities presented by new and emerging information and communication technology. The significance of the new information and communication technologies has yet to be fully understood by others. They have persisted in relying on conventional means of making money and offering services.
2.2 Virtual Organization
A virtual organisational structure for government services should be established in an effort to develop a government that is focused on the needs of its citizens. The entire government has shifted to the internet and networking thanks to the e-government system.
Instead of categorising websites by the organisation in charge of them, websites should be categorised by the service they provide. The efficiency and effectiveness of citizen government contact will increase with a well-designed portal to all online governmental information.
E-government should build a database-driven system, where all information is automatically listed in databases as it is posted online, as this is
the most efficient way to categorise information about the government. The use of such a technology would enable more precise and effective searches. There are other additional applications that may be created to help the government become more customer-focused. To give citizens access to government information, government should create "information on request" mechanisms. Additionally, the number of applications for online forms should be increased and standardised by the government. On a single governmental website, all forms should be accessible to the public and searchable.
3 ADMINISTRATIVE, POLITICAL AND ETHIC ISSUES IN E-GOVERNMENT Some administrative, political and ethical issues derived from E- Government should be addressed here, such as security, privacyand digital divide.
Implementations of e-government must take security and privacy into account to guarantee that information systems and holdings are suitably safeguarded and that individual rights are respected. Security generally refers to safeguarding the components of information systems and limiting access to the data itself. The way security is applied depends on the circumstances and the sensitivity of the data. For instance, public information is not subject to the same level of security protection as personal information, such as the minutes of a council meeting posted online. In general, maintaining privacy means upholding the right to have information that can be used to identify a specific person (also known as nominal information) treated with the proper level of security. To control this, rules protecting the privacy of personal information are frequently adopted.
Digital divide is another problem. The
"digital divide," as it is more often known, is the separation between those who have access to technology and those who do not. Expanded dialogue and new forms of cooperation between public, private, and civil society organisations are required to ensure that nations do not create a digital divide and to create the conditions necessary to ensure that the growth of the knowledge economy contributes to carrying out a democratic process of
efficient, equitable, and sustainable development.
3.1 Types of E-government Portfolio a)G2C–Government to Citizen: This is the best-known and fastest growing type of e-government.
b)G2B–Government to Business:
Specifically intended facilitate business interaction with government. This are a has the greatest potential for urban planning, reale state development, and economic development.
c)G2G–Government to Government:
Probably the least known type of e- government, G2G will greatly improve the interaction among local, state, and federal governments.
d)G2E-Government-to-Employees: The objective of G2E is agencies to be able to improve effectiveness and efficiency, eliminating delays in processing and improving employees‘ satisfaction and retention. Internal efficiency and effectiveness, adopting commercial best practices in government operation in are as such as supply chain management, financial management and knowledge management. The category of e- government that focuses on interactions between government and government employees to support transactions such as payroll and pension plans, obtaining training information, and accessing benefit eligibility information.
3.2 Advantages of Electronic- Government
The ability to provide citizens with a wider range of governmental services in an effective and economical manner is the ultimate goal of e-government. Because it enables the public to learn about the government's projects and the policies it is attempting to enact, it promotes government openness. However, the true value of e-government is not found in the deployment of new technology per se, but rather in its integration into the transformation process.
1. To make the current paper-based method (which would cost the same money and take the same amount of time) more effective. Additionally, the introduction would make it easier for businesses and governments to communicate. For instance: E- procurement makes G2G and B2B
communication easier, enabling smaller businesses to compete with larger ones for government contracts. Hence the benefit of developing a free market and a robust economy. Information may be acquired by businesses and citizens more quickly and at any time of the day.
2. E-government services also provide social advantages to a nation's population. E-government services enable individuals in rural parts of nations with widely distributed populations to receive the same services as those available to those living in big cities. Canada is an example of a nation with a population that is largely dispersed;
for the past five years, Canada has been placed first in Accenture's global e-government assessment.
3. Efficiency, improved service delivery, improved accessibility of public services, and more government accountability are some of the projected advantages of e- government. Government openness is crucial because it enables citizens to learn about the projects the government is working on as well as the laws they are attempting to enact. A state in India named Gujarat used an e-government programme to manage border inspections, and it was found that doing so resulted in "a large rise in the state's tax collection" and a
"decrease of corruption." In just two years, the new system increased tax revenue from $12 million to $35 million, more than tripling it. As a result, the project's $4 million cost was recovered in just six months.
4. The people can easily get more involved in political campaigns by using e-government. People from all over the world can communicate with elected officials and other public figures online and have their voices heard. With the use of these technologies, governments may become more transparent, voter turnout in elections could rise, and voters would be able to see right away how and why their representative in the capital is casting their vote. This may make
government employees more effective as well as help citizens make better voting decisions in the future.
5. Computerization has improved accounting and record keeping, and it makes information and forms easier to access, which results in faster processing times. On the administrative side, databases can now be used to store access to help search or recover files and connected information instead of hardcopies stored in multiple locations. People with ailments or disabilities are no longer need to be on the move in order to participate in governance;
they can do so in the comfort of their own homes.
3.2 Disadvantages of Electronic- Government
The main drawbacks of e-government include the unequal public access to the internet, the veracity of information found there, and the potential for government organisations to have secret agendas that could sway public opinion.
The disintermediation of the government and the people, the effects on economic, social, and political variables, the vulnerability to cyber attacks, and the disruption of the status quo in these sectors are all potential consequences of adopting and creating e-government.
Hyper-surveillance: The public will be compelled to engage with the government more frequently and electronically if it starts to grow and become more intelligent. For instance, this might result in a lack of privacy for citizens when their government gathers more and more data about them.
Cost: Even if e-government creation and implementation cost a lot of money, the results and consequences of trial internet-based governments are frequently hard to predict or undesirable.
Inaccessibility: Many users, particularly those who reside in distant locations, have low literacy levels, and make subsistence incomes, are not likely to be reached by an e-government website that offers web-based access and support. The majority of the time,
the internet is not a space that is created with people with disabilities in mind. For instance, relatively few webpages are created with a blind person's ability to view the material in mind. The creation of an e- government service employing internet infrastructure would inevitably result in the exclusion of a number of persons within a nation who are unable to use the service.
Online government transparency, according to e-government critics, is questionable because it is upheld by the governments themselves. It is possible to add or remove information from the public domain.
Very few organisations still keep track of these changes and hold people accountable for them. Even the governments themselves occasionally lose track of the data they add or remove.
4 CONCLUSIONS
National governments are working to create national information policies and strategies in response to the potential and problems presented by new and developing information technology.
Governments make decisions, enact laws, and spend a majority of money on information and communications technologies. In actuality, when e- government was introduced, societies were already actively looking for fresh and cutting-edge approaches to public governance.By facilitating communication and improving the coordination of authorities at various government tiers, e- government can greatly assist to the process of public administration reform in terms of establishing responsible and cost-effective government. At its core, the e-government movement aims to alter how citizens and corporations interact with the government. E-government has a great deal of potential for finding creative ways to realise the goal of a government that is run by, for, and for the people.
REFERENCES
1. Anyasi, F.I, Onianwa, C.U, Akpadia, V.O. A, Idiakheua, L. O and Ebegba, D (2012).
Promoting Sustainable Development in Nigeria through Information and Communication Technology. A Journal of Electronics and Communication Engineering. 3(1), 05-11.
2. Bhavya, L. (1999). Information and Communication Technologies for Improved
Governance. Technology Analytics Group Abt Associates Inc., African Development Forum, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 22-32.
3. Chao. T. & Muruga, P. R. (2013). The Characteristics and Values of E-governance and the Role of E-democracy. International Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences (IJHMS) Volume 1(1).2-5.
4. Fang, Z.(2002). E-Government in Digital Era:
Concept, Practice & Development.
International Journal of The Computer, The Internet and Management, Thailand, Vol.
10(2), 1-22.
5. Harris, B. (2000). E-Governance.
http://www.iadb.org. Retrieved 11/08/2017.
6. Heeks, R. (2001).―Understanding e-governance for development, e-government working paper Series‖. Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, Vol.
1(11). http://www.man.ac-
uk/idpm/idpm_dp.htm#ig. Retrieved 22/09/2017.
7. http://homepages.abdn.ac.uk/f.guerin/pages /teaching/CS5038/assessment/essays/essay s_from_2006/groupB/eeadie-1.html.
Retrieved 12/11/2017.
8. Hughes, Sand Johnston, P (2005).
Sustainable future: Policies for Global Development, Futures, 37(8), 813-831.
9. Jeong, D. L. & Sang, S.(2009). A Conceptual Model of e-Government Acceptance in Public Sector. Digital Society, 3rd International Conference On, IEEEXplore, Cancun, Mexico.
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document /4782853/. Retrieved 04/11/2017.
10. Madzova, V., Sajnoski, Kand Davcev, L.
(2013). E-Government as an Efficient Tool towards Good Governance (Trends and Comparative Analysis throughout Worldwide Regions and within West Balkan Countries), Balkan Social Science Review, Vol. 1(1), 157- 174.
11. Makene, B.(2009). The Role of E-Government In Effective Service Delivery A; Case Study of Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco), University of the Western Cape, Tanzania.
12. Naz, R. (2009). E-Governance for Improved Public Service Delivery in Fiji J. Service Science& Management, University of the South Pacific, FijiIslands, Vol.3(1):190-203.
www.SciRP.org/journal/jssm. Retrieved 10/10/2017.
13. Paul, R(2010). Issues Concerning the Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT‘s) in Developing Sustainable Tourism.
Tourism Workshop South-West Journal of Teacher Education, Vol.3(1), 598-614.
14. Saeed, M. (2012). E-governance Service Delivery-an Assessment of Community Information Center Model in India.
Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(9): 1344-1359.
15. Sukanta, S(2012). The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Higher Education for the21st Century. The Science Probe. 1(1), 30-41.
16. United States of America–E-Government Act 2002.
17. World Bank, (2006). Worldwide Governance Indicators: 1996-2005, World Bank, Washing to n DC, 2006.
