eGovernment is a term used describe several closely related topics.
The term (in all its uses) is generally agreed to derive from 'electronic government' which introduces the notion and practicalities of 'electronic technology' into the various dimensions and ramifications of government.
The most frequent use of the term eGovernment (also spelled e-government as well as egovernment, Egovernment, E-government, E-Government, e-Gov, egov, EGOV, E-GOV and EGovernment) is related to:
- the delivery of public services, where there is an 'online' or Internet based aspect to the delivery of the services (sometimes called e-Services
- the conduct of government business where the activities of those involved in the process of government itself (such as legislators and the legislative process) where some online aspect is under consideration
- voting where some online aspect is under consideration
Non-Internet aspects of eGovernment
It would be easy to make the mistake of assuming that eGovernment was all about 'online government' or 'Internet based government'.
Many non-Internet based 'electronic government' issues exist which appear under the eGovernment heading.
Similarly, it would also be an error to imagine that all Internet-related eGovernment is about 'government websites'.
Non-Internet aspects of eGovernment include:
- Telephone and telecommunications issues in a government context, including:
- the provision of government services by telephone (such as in call centers)
- the use of fax in the provision of government services and the conduct of government business
- the use of mobile phones (and PDAs) in the provision of government services and the conduct of government business
- general Government IT, which is now starting to be 'reclassified' as eGovernment, in many cases because it is becoming ever more difficult to disentangle 'internal' (i.e., non-'customer-facing') IT resources and projects (which have hitherto mostly not been seen as part of eGovernment) from 'external' (and thus mostly already seen as eGovernment) service provision. This reclassification is by no means universal and is often controversial.
- Identity cards
- 'Polling station technology' (where non-online 'e-voting' is being considered)
- TV and radio-based delivery of government services (this often has a 'crossover' with the Internet, but also includes many non-Internet based aspects and projects)
Non-Website-specific aspects of Internet-based eGovernment concernes:
- the use of Email in the provision of government services and the conduct of government business
- the use of 'online community' facilities, such as message boards, newsgroups and discussion lists
- the use of 'real-time' Internet facilities, such as 'online chat' and 'instant messenger' technologies
eGovernment Issues
- 'rate of take up' of eGovernment services
- broadband provision and its impact on rate of take up of eGovernment services
- accessibility (impediments to take up of eGovernment services, especially through disability, but also through geography, cost, and public education)
- service integration
- local eGovernment
- international egovernment
- transactional services / e-Services
- cost of implementation / impact on existing budgets
- impact on civil service jobs / job cuts / change of roles
- centralisation
- self government
- public education (concerning the availability of eGovernment services, but also adequacy of skills, confidence, interest and choices)
- 'legacy technology' (making 'pre-eGovernment IT' work together with (or be replaced by) eGovernment systems
- environmental impact
- impact on bureacracy / waste
- social impact
- political impact
- technology policy impact
- legislative impact
- 'freedom of information'
- privacy / data protection
- impact of eGovernment on commerce and trade (e.g., public vs. private resourcing)
- impact on transport policy (e.g., 'homeworking' issues)
- impact on the legal system and the judiciary
- Impact on Internet Service Providers and Internet infrastructure
- impact on crime
- gender issues of eGovernment (e.g. 'women it IT')
- age related issues in eGovernment (e.g., online pension payment, special provision for the elderly)
eGovernment news websites
- Kablenet eGovernment coverage is comprehensive, especially UK
- SupportInsight has an eGovernment sub-site, eGovernment coverage is international
- Government Computer News GCN eGovernment coverage is comprehensive, US based
- Federal Computer Week FCW eGovernment coverage is comprehensive, US based
- Europmedia.Net eGovernment coverage is comprehensive, European Union based