Title: Government project targets exclusive use of OSS for all government agency websites in 2012
Source: Open Source Observatory & Repository Europe
Publisher: European Comission
Date (published): 14/10/2011
Date (accessed): 17/10/2011
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"The government of Paraguay has embarked on an ambitious project with the aim to implement on an exclusive basis open source software (OSS) in all government agencies in 2012.

Nicolás Caballero, IT Coordinator for the Office of the President of the Republic of Paraguay was quoted by a local newspaper as saying: "The first and most evident aim is to save resources." He noted that the saved resources can be allocated to other areas and that assessments performed by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare foresee savings of about $ 4 million (approx. € 2.9 million) for the ministry alone.

Mr Caballero added that the objective is to achieve full OSS use in 2012 and to attain technological autonomy where the government decides what software is to be used and how. He ensured that with the implementation of OSS, spending will be restricted to the training of civil servants. The Public Administration Secretariat and the National Career Development Service (SNPP) are tasked with carrying out training.

The project is being led by 25 people, excluding experts and all stakeholders involved.

Mr Caballero concluded by stressing that similar initiatives have been spreading in various countries worldwide. He mentioned the case of the French Police, which use 85 000 computers with free software (word processing, spreadsheet processing, etc)."

Title: Local governance and ICTs in Africa : case studies and guidelines for implementation and evaluation
Authors: Timothy Mwololo Waema, Edith Ofwona Adera
Pages: 357 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-55250-518-2, 978-0-85749-032-2
Publisher: IDRC, Pambazuka Press and CAFRAD
Date (published): 08/04/2011
Date (accessed): 12/07/2011
Type of information: book
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"With governance high on the agenda in Africa, many governments are using information and communications technologies (lCTs) to develop ways in which they deliver services to citizens. E-governance has the potential to enable local governments to engage citizens in greater participation, leading to socio-economic developments at local and national levels. But this potential remains largely unexploited and until now there has been a lack of evidence on information technology in local governance in Africa. This book addresses that gap. It offers studies from nine African countries that explore how lCTs can transform service delivery, tax, financial management, land management, education, local economic development, citizen registration and political inclusion. A synthesis of the findings and a roadmap for implementing and evaluating e-local governance projects mean that this book is not only relevant to researchers and students but is also a practical handbook for government decision makers. With lCTs increasingly available in Africa, this timely book speaks to the current issues."
(via zunia.org)

Title: Malaysia's New Govt ICT Masterplan
Author: Jianggan Li
Source: FutureGov
Date (published): 24/03/2011
Date (accessed): 24/03/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:

"Four strategic thrusts have been identified in order for the government to realise its vision for 2020. That includes: “1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now”; Government Transformation Programme (GTP); Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Various programmes are developed to address the ICT requirements for the government in the above-mentioned areas over the next five years.
...
The public sector ICT blueprint, under which all agencies and departments will work towards the common goal, incorporates four key concepts: Information strategy which “enhances information sharing”, “ICT Governance”, “Managing Knowledge Effectively”, as well as “Strengthening the infrastructure architecture”.

For information architecture blueprint aims to achieve a whole-of-government by providing connected service delivery. The government will identify the business architecture components and map it into the information architecture components. The goal is to enhance public facing delivery channels, provide a common architecture standard for information sharing as well as enhance collaboration by identifying common, shareable and reusable information.

The phases will include building the foundation, achieving connected service delivery and finally seamless sharing of information by 2015.

In the area of governance, Dr Nor Aliah says of strengthening the governance structure is to “support and align with the national strategic priorities and initiatives by creating a more responsive governance environement to improve speed of decision-making and delivery”.

The strategy to build an informed knowledge environment includes the building of a Knowledge foundation programme, knowledge practitioner development programme as well as rewards & recognition programme. In addition to inculcating the culture of knowledge management, the government will also strengthen knowledge management initiative in the public sector through development of high impact knowledge management projects and intelligence hub programme. The objective is for an “Existence of a Centralized Knowledge Management Hub for the public sector” in five years’ time.

Dr Nor Aliah highlights the concern that currently “public sector ICT infrastructures are currently not fully optimised due to redundancies and inefficiencies resulting from disparate ICT infrastructure”. To increase the productivity, the government plans to consolidate public sector network, data centres & disaster recovery centres, establish public sector cloud computing infrastructure, standardise end user computing infrastructure, develop common security infrastructure, deploy mobile computing solutions and increase the usage of open source applications.

The public sector ICT framework has been developed, which include ICT governance and change management components.

“In many areas, the government services are available but the usage rate is very low,” says Dr Nor Aliah, who adds that one of the objectives is to make sure more people use government services. Seven strategic objectives have been identified as part of the business strategy plan; these include streamlining ICT architecture; consolidating ICT operations; intensifying inter-agency collaboration; rationalising ICT governance structures; attracting, developing and retaining top talent in the public service; strengthening the performance culture and fostering knowledge culture.

Numerous KPIs have been set in the areas including online services, paperless government, sharing of information and shared services."

Title: Analysing e-Government Project Failure: Comparing Factoral, Systems and Interpretive Approaches
Author:Carolyne Stanforth
Pages: 17 pp.
ISBN:978-1-905469-14-7
Source:Manchester Centre for Development Informatics, iGovernment Working Paper
Publisher:Centre for Development Informatics, Institute for Development Policy and Management, SED, University of Manchester
Date (published):05/11/2010
Date (accessed):13/11/2010
Type of information:research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
„It is a well-known secret in the computer industry that information systems projects are more likely to fail than not. Academic studies by e-government researchers provide the analytical findings that confirm this practitioner insight. Failure and success are subjective assessments that vary over time and with the standpoint of those making the judgement. Evaluation results are often contested, with the dispute based on political, legal or contractual matters – and even differing academic points of view.

This short paper reviews the three main categories of diagnostic approach being used in the study of failed e-government projects – factoral analyses, systems approaches and interpretive studies. It shows that each category derives from a separate academic discipline, is based on differing theoretical constructs and entails a particular epistemological stance and research methodology. The story is told of the author's own experience in deciding on an appropriate research strategy for the study of a failed e-government project in Sri Lanka. Practical conclusions and recommendations are drawn to guide future research.”

Educator's guide to student questions for this paper

Title: Women Forge Ahead in India: Internet and the Public Forum
Authors: Kavita Karan, Dr. Rohit Raj Mathur
ISSN: 1712-4441
Source: The Journal of Community Informatics, Volume 5, Issue 3 (2010)
Date (published): 05/05/2010
Date (accessed): 23/07/2010
Type of information: peer-reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Women must be included and empowered to compete in this internet-driven global economy. The economic stakes are too high to do otherwise. This study provides an understanding of the economic and social impact on women working in the government launched E-seva (electronic-service) project that provides integrated services through a single window system. The study through interviews and surveys provides an understanding of how Internet and new technologies are aiding in the transformation process in empowering the much deprived poor Indian women. Apart from increasing the access and use of ICTs, it is resulting in economic independence and improved social status.-which is the very basic need for women in India

Title: World e-Parliament Report 2010
Pages: 264 pp.
ISBN: 978-92-1-123187-8, 978-92-9142-448-1
Source: www.ictparliament.org
Publisher: United Nations,
Date (published): 10/06/2010
Date (accessed): 13/06/2010
Type of information: report
Language: English, French
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
The United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union just released the World e-Parliament Report 2010. The Report, prepared by the Global Centre for ICT in Parliament, intends to help legislatures to harness the potential benefits of ICT for their work and establish key goals and priorities for exploiting this valuable resource. While providing evidence of the complexities of e-parliament, the Report suggests ways to overcome some of the obstacles to the effective use of technology in parliamentary settings.

The findings presented in the World e-Parliament Report 2010 are based on the results of the Global Survey of ICT in Parliaments conducted by the Global Centre for ICT in Parliament between July and November 2009, to which 134 parliamentary assemblies responded.
The rapid growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) is changing not only the economic, social and political landscape around the world, but also the environment within which parliaments operate and it affects how they are perceived by the citizenry. In both developed and developing countries, parliaments are exploring ways to use technology to strengthen democracy and encourage political participation.
In 2008, the first edition of the World e-Parliament Report established a baseline of how parliaments were using ICT to help them fulfil their responsibilities and to connect to their constituencies. The World e-Parliament Report 2010 builds on that groundbreaking work and evaluates the progress accomplished by parliaments during the intervening two years in their efforts to use modern technologies to strengthen their institutional role. The 2010 Report further provides a methodology that can serve as a tool for parliaments to improve their performance in key areas of e-Parliament.

Foreword and Acknowledgments
Executive summary
Contents
Introduction (784 kb)
Chapter 1 - The Continuing Impact of ICT on the World of Parliaments
Chapter 2 - Communication between Parliaments and Citizens
Chapter 3 - Becoming an Open Parliament: Evolving Standards for Transparency and Accessibility
Chapter 4 - Envisioning, Planning, and Managing for e-Parliament
Chapter 5 - Systems and Standards for Parliamentary Documents
Chapter 6 - Library and Research Services
Chapter 7 - Responsive and Robust Technical Infrastructures
Chapter 8 - The State of e-Parliament in 2010
Chapter 9 - Cooperation and Collaboration
Chapter 10 - The e-Parliament Framework 2010 - 2020
Major Findings, Recommendations, and Conclusions
Bibliography
Boxes and figures
Annexes

Title: United Nations e-Government Survey 2010: Leveraging e-government at a time of financial and economic crisis
Author Editor:
Pages: 140 pp.
ISBN: 978-92-1-123183-0
Publisher: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Date (published): 13/04/2010
Date (accessed): 06/05/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML and pdf)
Abstract:
The 2010 United Nations e-Government Survey: Leveraging e-government at a time of financial and economic crisis was completed in December 2009 and launched in early 2010. The report presented various roles for e-government in addressing the ongoing world financial and economic crisis. The public trust that is gained through transparency can be further enhanced through the free sharing of government data based on open standards. The ability of e-government to handle speed and complexity can also underpin regulatory reform. While technology is no substitute for good policy, it may give citizens the power to question the actions of regulators and bring systemic issues to the fore. Similarly, e-government can add agility to public service delivery to help governments respond to an expanded set of demands even as revenues fall short. Since the last edition of the survey, in 2008, governments have made great strides in development of online services, especially in middle-income countries. The costs associated with telecommunication infrastructure and human capital continue to impede e-government development. However, effective strategies and legal frameworks can compensate significantly, even in least developed countries. Those who are able to harness the potential of expanded broadband access in developed regions and mobile cellular networks in developing countries to advance the UN development agenda have much to gain going forward.

Contents:
Foreword, acknowledgements and contents
Introduction
Part 1: Leveraging e-government at a time of financial and economic crisis
Chapter 1: Stimulus funds, transparency and public trust
Chapter 2: Roles for e-government in financial regulation and monitoring
Chapter 3: E-service delivery and the MDGs
Part 2: The state of e-government around the world
Chapter 4: World e-government rankings
Chapter 5: Citizen empowerment and inclusion
Chapter 6: Measuring e-government
Notes and references
Statistical annex

Title: Review of E-governance for Development: A Focus on Rural India, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan, London ISBN 978-0-230-20157-6
Author: Chris Westrup
Pages: 2 pp.
ISSN: 1681-4835
Source: The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, (2010) 40, BR1, 1-2
Publisher: www.ejisdc.org
Date (published): 08/01/2010
Date (accessed): 03/05/2010
Type of information: peer-reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Shirin Madon’s book is a welcome addition to a select corpus of monographs addressing issues in ICTs and development. It is fitting that Madon has written this book as it gives her space to articulate her position and findings on e-governance based on twenty years of fieldwork in India. This experience makes her well placed to address a key theme in the book understanding e-governance for development in relation to ‘historical processes of development and governance’ (p.166). The book sets out to question commonly understood assumptions about e-governance. First, that good governance is a key feature to achieve human development and second, that e-governance is supportive of good governance in a variety of ways including improving government’s efficiency and effectiveness; improving the relationships between government administration and citizens; improving transparency and accountability; and enabling access to information and participation in the processes of public policy. These are, as Madon notes, ambitious claims. Her approach is to critically review the relationship between governance and development which is then exemplified through description and analysis of three case studies of e-governance projects in the rural parts of the states of Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala in India.

Title: E-Readiness Assessment of Enugu State, Nigeria
Authors: C. Okoronkwo Matthew and N. Agu Monica
Pages: 10 pp.
ISSN: 1819-334x
Source: Asian Journal of Information Management, Volume 4(1), 2010
Publisher: Science Alert
Date (published): 17/03/2010
Date (accessed): 28/04/2010
Type of information: peer-reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML and pdf)
Abstract:
This study looks at the e-readiness of Enugu State (ES), Nigeria as the government is making efforts to digitalize government administration processes to provide the citizens access to governance information through the establishment of portal which test run was just completed. The study provides assessment guide; a mirror which governments, should use to determine the direction and milestones. It provides the e-readiness measuring instruments and showcases the outcome of application of the assessment methodology through a study carried out in the State. The main objective was to raise the awareness of stakeholders on the key issues in e-governance implementation to ensure rich content, sustainable service management and efficient use of ICT in support of current efforts in institutional, economic and administrative reform programmes.

Title: Brazil launches new version of their electronic government portal
Source: Free Software in Latin America
Date (published): 07/03/2010
Date (accessed): 08/03/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
The Brazilian federal government has launched a new version of their portal, offering more than 500 online services to Brazilian citizens, built entirely with free software...
Technology: The Brazil Portal is developed with Plone 3.1.7 and runs on Zope Application Server 2.10.6, programmed in Python 2.4.4. “The use of free platforms is the direction of the federal government. And the choice of the tools for the construction of the Portal would not be different. So, we chose Zope/Plone,”

via http://twitter.com/glynmoody