|
Volume 3 Issue 4 December 2005
The Effectiveness of e-Service in Local Government: A Case Study
Mehdi Asgarkhani
Faculty of Commerce, C.P.I.T., Christchurch, New Zealand
Asgarkhanim@CPIT.ac.nz
|
 |
|
Recent advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have resulted in staggering growth in the development of e-technologies that have fundamentally transformed the technological, economical and social landscapes. What’s more, the globalisation of national economies has intensified competition within both the private and the public sector. E-technologies have become a catalyst for social and economic development.
For a number of years the competitive imperative of the private sector has directed businesses towards embracing the digital world. Most of the private sector has therefore increasingly set high standards of service through the adoption of e-technologies both domestically and internationally. As public interest in the application of e-technology solutions grows, there is an increasing expectation that they are adopted in national and local government organisations and agencies. Communities and citizens appear to increasingly expect the same level of service from the agencies in the public sector as they do from businesses in the private sector. Many innovative public sector agencies worldwide (e.g. Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR – to name but a few) are having to constantly create new ways in which to use e-technology solutions so as to put in place digital governance facilities and services. Local, regional and national governments throughout the world are attempting to broaden service delivery and citizen involvement by providing effective e-services through the adoption of e-technologies.
There has been much debate over the role and the value of e-technologies and e-service within the public sector. Technology is undoubtedly the backbone of the infrastructure that is needed to support electronic or digital government initiatives. Yet there is a danger in placing too much emphasis on the technology aspect of e-services. What’s more, political and financial support for e-service projects can be accompanied by political rhetoric and hype. The potential benefits of e-technologies in the public sector can only materialise when they are introduced as part of a well-planned and adequately supported social, cultural and political environment. There is also a need for performance measures in order to not only assess progress (and effectiveness) but also ensure that rhetoric of e-service is matched by reality. If citizens are to benefit from the efficacy and potential cost-effectiveness of digital government, it is essential that traditional public sector structures and conventional governance parad igms are revised.
Keywords: Accessibility guidelines, tools, e-Government, web style guide, web testing and evaluation and assistive technology
Download FULL PAPER
Back to Contents |
