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E-government
E-government is not really about technology. It is about people,
processes, and results – using information and communications
technologies (ICT) to improve the transparency, efficiency, and
effectiveness of public institutions. Thanks to falling ICT costs
and the evolution of affordable open source software, e-government
is already helping meet daily challenges in the developing world.
Better Information for Planning, Spending,
Serving
Applications for ICT to improve governance are myriad. The most
obvious is simply putting an end to the sea of paper documents that
flood many government offices, and storing information in digital
form where it can be easily accessed and transferred to wherever
it’s needed. Electronic platforms enable better accounting,
statistics, and public sector planning and spending. Internet
portals allow a huge savings in time and money for obtaining
business permits, sometimes eliminating days of walking or waiting
for an entrepreneur.
Does this Help the Poor?
But does e-government mean anything to the poor, those who could
never afford a computer and have never been trained to use the
Internet? Absolutely.
In central India, the Gyandoot Project installed Internet kiosks in
rural villages staffed with trained locals who help villagers print
land records, apply for government documents, and access information
on poverty programs. As well, ICT tools enable governments to enact
programs more effectively, for example by allowing much more
accurate, up-to-date maps of poverty, and transferring that data
quickly and uniformly throughout the public sector, so anti-poverty
programs like conditional cash transfers, nutrition for children, or
temporary employment can be closely targeted to those who need them
the most.
DGF and E-government
The Development Gateway Foundation provides Web-based
information-sharing platforms and grants for government procurement,
aid management and other areas of importance to developing
countries. We host an online community for professionals working on
e-government in initiatives. And we work with our Country Gateway
partners and others in the international development community to
facilitate a coordinated effort in this area.
Learn more about DGF’s work:
> Aid Management
> dgMarket
online procurement platform
> Grants program
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