E-Government Services

While electronic service delivery is the main thrust of e-Government policies at all levels, greater community contact is often seen as more practical and achievable at a local level (Musso et al., 2000; Steyaert, 2000). In recent times, greater focus has been given to local e-Government where significant citizen to government interaction takes place (SOCITM and I&DeA, 2002). Community participation at this level is often much higher than at a national level, however, local governments are often poorly resourced and resistant to change. In the 1980s and 1990s many local government, particularly in countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom, under went massive change and are now faced with a new form of local government (Cochrane, 1993; Gerritsen and Osborn, 1997; Kloot, 1999; Sanderson, 2001; Steyaert, 2000). Local governments today are under pressure to provide efficient and effective e-Government information and services as a result of increased accountability and performance management. The aim has been to increased consumer choice, often by the decrease in direct service provision as the result of outsourcing and competitive tendering, while at the same time reducing costs.