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2014 | Buch

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Foundations of Digital Government

Leading and Managing in the Digital Era

verfasst von: Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Buchreihe : Springer Texts in Business and Economics

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

Digital government consists in the purposeful use of information and communication technologies (ICT), in particular the internet, to transform the relationship between government and society in a positive manner. This book focuses on the current status, prospects and foundations of digital government. Integrating examples and cases from administrative practice, it covers all important aspects of digital government management. Learning outcomes include

Understanding the implications of the internet for government and societyGaining deeper insights into the concept and opportunities of digital democracyUnderstanding the challenges of moving public services online

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction to Digital Government

Abstract

The goal of this chapter is to provide a general idea of the characteristics, scope, goals, current status, and future prospects of digital government. Digital government is defined as the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), in particular the internet, to transform the relationship between government and society in a positive manner. Two coexisting reform paradigms of digital government – the participatory and the managerial approach – are briefly introduced. Both paradigms aim to improve the relationship between government and society in such a way that government is perceived as more responsive, accessible, transparent, responsible, participatory, efficient, and effective than before. Moreover, digital government models aiming to explain, predict, and prescribe how digital government develops are presented. Finally, an overview about the target audience, structure, and learning goals of this textbook is given.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

2. Impact of Digital Governments

Abstract

The informational power and connectivity of the internet provides new opportunities for government to promote digital democracy and modernize public service delivery. In this chapter, we discuss how digital government has the potential to change government. On the one hand, we discuss how digital government enables more direct democratic elements in representative democracies and how these opportunities will put pressure on government to let citizens participate in decision-making. On the other hand, we discuss how digital government provides new opportunities for public service delivery and how it has the potential to transform the public administration towards a more citizen-oriented and transparent public service provider.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

3. The Digital Divide

Abstract

Despite the undoubted potential of the internet to improve public service provision and citizen engagement, the digital divide phenomenon remains one of the main barriers to migrating administrative and political processes to the internet. This chapter elaborates why the digital divide is an important issue for policy-makers in social welfare states. Moreover, a digital divide framework is presented which highlights the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon. On the basis of this framework, current European activities to bridge the digital divide are discussed. Finally, the consequences of the digital divide for digital government are analyzed.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

4. Legal Aspects of Digital Service Delivery

Abstract

The rise of the internet in almost all domains of personal and business life means that the public sector is also becoming increasingly involved in digital process management. Hence, a legal basis for digital government is necessary. In this chapter, the most fundamental aspects of this young and developing field are outlined. Regulation of digital government services and delivery is globally very heterogeneous. With a focus on Europe and particularly Germany, “e-government legislation” initiatives are introduced and contrasted with the respective parallel developments in the United States of America. Secure and private communication and storage of information has been identified as one of the key drivers of digital government initiatives. Hence, legal regulations relating to encryption, data protection, and privacy stand in the foreground of this chapter. Finally, the domain of e-inclusion – the inclusion of citizens with disabilities – is addressed in the remainder of the chapter.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

5. Online One-Stop Government

Abstract

The concept of online one-stop government is aimed at simplifying access to governmental services. It implies a strong adoption of interoperability standards or standards for process integration amongst public administrations so that they are able to share data and integrate activities while complying with data privacy standards. The aim of this chapter is to outline the most important aspects of integrating digital public services into one-stop portals with a single access platform, where citizens and businesses can access the services they require based on a life-events approach. Network externalities, prototypical theoretical concepts, and research on determinants of adoption are introduced and discussed.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

6. Open Government

Abstract

While e-government during its early days was primarily concerned with improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government service provisioning, the advent of social media has opened up unexpected new opportunities of engaging the public in government work. Within this chapter, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of Open Government. Thereby, we analyze why and how governments should use open data and citizen-sourcing strategies to improve both the support and operational capacities of governments.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

7. E-Procurement

Abstract

E-procurement – defined as the use of the internet in public procurement – aims to accomplish a complex set of economic, political, and social goals within a complex legal framework. The implementation of fully electronic processes between contracting authorities and providers is a hard, long road in particular as the majority of public contracts in the EU are awarded by state and local authorities. This chapter provides a general understanding of e-procurement in practice by introducing the legal framework and the technological and organizational opportunities of implementation. The European Commission has just recently proposed fully electronic procurement processes by 2016. As we will discuss in this chapter, the success of this endeavor will highly depend on the efficiency, equity, and effectiveness trade-offs made by all legally independent contracting authorities across Europe.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

8. E-Voting

Abstract

The widespread diffusion of personal computers and the internet have facilitated more convenient and less expensive forms of voting. While these solutions are promising, their introduction is typically accompanied by the concerns of candidates and voters regarding the integrity of the results. Within this chapter we first discuss the benefits and disadvantages of voting machines which can be used to improve voting at the polling place. Afterwards, we analyze the opportunities and concerns related to internet voting as a replacement tool for voting per mail. Finally, we present different e-voting practices and discuss why certain countries are ahead in the development of e-voting approaches.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

9. E-Participation

Abstract

E-participation is a term describing the utilization of ICT to enable citizens to participate in political decision-making processes. In this chapter, we first introduce the political decision-making process as the underlying framework for identifying the role of ICT in modern politics. Then, we outline the role played by ICT in the political decision-making process and the potential of ICT. Furthermore, we describe typical difficulties when implementing E-participation initiatives, concluding with a section on costs of such initiatives. In this regard, we introduce the E-participation balanced scorecard, which is a tool to align the political and direct democratic potential of a concrete initiative with the costs associated with its application.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

10. Lesson Learned and Outlook

Abstract

This textbook aims to equip the reader with a fundamental understanding of how information and communication technology (ICT) is influencing the processes of managing and leading political institutions and administrations in the digital era. In times of social media, the internet and all-encompassing digitized communication channels, designing and conducting political agendas has changed fundamentally.

Daniel Veit, Jan Huntgeburth

Titel: Foundations of Digital Government
verfasst von: Daniel Veit
Jan Huntgeburth
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-642-38511-7
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-38510-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38511-7

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

1. Introduction to Digital Government

2. Impact of Digital Governments

3. The Digital Divide

4. Legal Aspects of Digital Service Delivery

5. Online One-Stop Government

6. Open Government

7. E-Procurement

8. E-Voting

9. E-Participation

10. Lesson Learned and Outlook

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