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AGENDA PAPER FOR DISCUSSION ON
E-GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP /MEETING
WITH STATE I.T. SECRETARIES

July 11, 1999 New Delhi
Issues and Directions -

1. Information Age Government

The advent of Information Technology as a highly leveraged enabling tool for delivery of services in the public and the private sector has by now been universally recognized. This has redefined the fundamentals and has the potential to change the institutions as well as the mechanisms of delivery of services forever. It is in this context that the issues of Smart Governance - Electronic Governance needs to be analysed.

Quite obviously, therefore, the objective of achieving Electronic Governance (EG) goes far beyond mere computerisation of stand alone back office operations. It means to fundamentally change as to how the Government operates and this implies a new set of responsibilities for the executive, legislature and the citizenry. The effort should aim to bring about a social catharsis which needs to be orchestrated in a comprehensive, concerted and planned fashion.

While initiatives have been emanating from various directions, they are often at cross-purposes and so repetitive and wasteful. The National Task Force has also made several recommendations in this regard. Accordingly critical issues need to be clearly delineated and solutions worked out. A close analysis reveals that there are three fundamental issues to be addressed.

1.1 Technology Issues

• Hardware related
• Software related

2. Management of Change related Issues

• Political issues
• Employee related issues

3. Funding issues

1.1 Technology Issues

A number of organisations both in the Center and the State have taken commendable initiatives to develop hardware and software platforms to address the challenge of EG. At the central level in particular, the C-DAC, CMC and a number of others are noteworthy. The issues which have been consistently highlighted in these efforts are:

The EG initiative would have to address these Technology Issues/Objectives by:

• Indentifying functional areas in every Government organization which need to be taken up for EG objectives.
• Identifying the appropriate hardware platforms and software application packages for cost effective delivery of public services.
• Making this knowledge repository widely available through appropriate Demo-Mechanisms.
• Offering a Basket of these models to the States, Departments both in the Center and the State, which could be suitably customized as per location and work specific requirements. Towards this end we envisage to have State level models, District level models and Ministry/Department level models;
• This offer is to be supplemented by incubating and initiating efforts in this direction by various organs of the Govt.
• Amendment in State laws through study and consultation.
  

Towards this end, efforts by academic institutions like IIMs and IITs, sectoral Government Institutions like IIPA, LBSNAA, State Training Institutions and Private Companies like IBM, LOTUS, GIS Product Companies are slated to be synergised. Efforts by International Organisations (G8-GOL), Kennedy School of Government, Institute of Electronic Governance, Washington, etc. are also targeted for adoption and adoption. This is expected to yield multiple benefits and cost savings on the technology front of enabling implementation of Smart Governance.

1.2 Management of Change Related Issues·

• These would lead to mandatory organisational and institutional changes effecting both people and methods at all interfaces of the Delivery Chain
  
• For this, acceptance of this Changed Processes would have to be properly understood, accepted, internalised, adopted and improved to enable full advantages of the technology being adopted in the first part of Smart Governance.
• De-layering of the decision making levels leading to re-engineering and appropriate sizing of the decision making machinery.
• Training and acclimatization of the personnel at all levels more so at the lower rung of Government management organisations.
• Loss of vested interests and assumed power as well as authority both amongst the legislature and the executive.

Towards this end, while EG initiative in the GOI level aims at, once again tapping existing initiatives by Academic/Government institutions as also efforts in the private sector, it would develop Course Ware and Methodologies to suitably catalyze the factors leading to easier adoption and adaptation of change. It would develop methodologies to ease this process of change so that the adoption is more system friendly. This is expected to enable experience sharing and learning on a common platform and institution which is a fundamental requirement for enabling implementation of Smart Governance objective.

1.3 Funding Issues

While EG could have very laudable objectives and ambitious Work Plans, these have to be weighed in terms of available resources both in the Plan sector and outside it. It is here that leveraging of ongoing projects can be made more cost and value effective with the use of IT in a modulated fashion without any critical incremental costs. The Private sector resources have to be also carefully dovetailed with their commercial interests and those of the Government to provide Value Added Services. The Kiosks by themselves can bring in little in terms of better delivery of Services, unless the same are made economically viable and of demonstrated use to the Stakeholders, viz the Public and Citizenry.

1.4 Electronic Governance

A new division of Electronic Governance has been set up in the Ministry of Information Technology as an initiative to accelerate the usage of E-Governance in all spheres of Governance.

E-Governance division of MIT will examine the practical implications of IT related issues in the Government thereby improving services to the citizens. The goal is to reach beyond current efforts to "reinvent government", by identifying breakthrough strategies that rethink the core value of key government services, improve service delivery, reduce costs, and redefine administrative processes.

The Ministry of Information Technology has done a review of the status of computerisation in government. It shows that though much work has been done in introducing computers, much needs to be done to effectively use these computers for IT based applications.

3. Networked Governments

• Interdepartment Awareness

Perhaps the most important aspect of computerisation and spreading of IT is bringing a change in the mindset of the government servants who have been accustomed to work only in the manual mode., It is necessary to train all employees in basic computer usage. There should be workshops and seminars for all levels.

• Use of local languages

The access of information must be permitted in the language most comfortable to the public user, generally the local language. There are already existing technologies such as GIST and language software by which transliteration from English into other languages can be made.

Strengthening of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances

For this Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances could look at :

- Redesigning the Manual of Offices Procedures
- Cyber laws and their implementation
- 'Content' Organisation

• Use of local languages :

The access of information must be permitted in the language most comfortable to the public user, generally the local language. There are already existing technologies such as GISt and language software by which transliteration from English into other languages can be made.

• Spreading Awareness:

Perhaps the most important aspect of computerisation and spreading of IT is bringing a change in the mindset of the government servants who have been accustomed to work only in the manual mode. It is necessary to train all employees in basic computer usage. There should be workshops and seminars for all levels.

• Issuing indicative Guidelines :

A Inter-dpeartmental group under the Department of Administrative reforms can be formed to prepare common guidelines on different aspects of acquiring IT items, evaluating execution of such contracts etc.

• Defining a Working model for E- Governance :

Governments require this new model so they can perform effectively in a networked, global economy. Businesses need this model so they can define and win emerging public sector markets for digital-era products and services.

A handbook should be prepared that will integrate key project findings into a comprehensive model of E-governance.

Indentification of Govt. Departments with maximum citizen interface

Government departments which have maximum interaction with the public must be identified for the use of IT. Listed below are a few such departments that can be considered :

• · Public Grievances
  

Electricity, Water, Telephone, Ration Card, Santiation, Public Transport, Police ·

• Rural Services

Land Records, Below Poverty Line (BPL) /EWS Families.

• · Police

FIR Registration, Lost and Found Valuables, Persons, dead bodies.

• Social Services

- Pension
- Old Age, Widows, Exgratia Scheme
- Acquisition / Rehabilitation & Compensation
- Registration of Licenses and Certificates
- Ration Cards, Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Domicile Certificate, Caste / Tribe
Certificate, Arms Renewal, Registration of Documents, School Registration, University Registration, Motor Vehicle Registration, Driving License.

• Public Information

Employment Exchange Registration, Employment Opportunities, Examination Results, Hospitals / Beds Availability / Services, Railway Time Tables, Airline Time Tables, Road Transport Time Tables, Chartiable Trusts, Government Notifications, Government Forms, Government Schemes.

• EWS Services

Civil supplies, Old Age Pension, Widow Pension, Handicapped Pension / Services, Ex Gratia Payment

• Agriculture Sector

Speeds Information, Pesticides, Fertilizers, Crop disease, Weather Forecast short range/District wise, Market Price

• Utility Payments / Billing

Electricity, Water, Telephone

• Commercial

Taxation & Return Filing, Income Tax, Corporate Tax, Custom Duty, Central / State Excise Duty, Sales Tax, House Tax, Property Tax, Octroi, Road Tax, Company Returns.

• Government

Defining a working model for E-Governance

Governments require this new model so they can perform effectively in anetworked, global economy. Business need this model so they can define and win emerging public sector markets for digital-eara products and services.

A handbook should be prepared that will integrate key project findings into a comprehensive model of E-governance.

It is expected that the above clutch of efforts and initiatives would go a long way in establishing the framework for the Electronic Governance in the country. What is necessary is that initiatives are shared for maximising synergies.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/051199/detECO10.htm

THE HINDUSTAN TIMES

Last updated [Metro] 2:00 IST I Friday, November 5, 1999, New Delhi

National School for better e-governance

1. E-governance is the latest buzzword in the world of Indian IT. It implies a total computerised network of all state-run activities. Licensing, education, paying bills, tax collections and assessment and a hundred other routine administrative tasks will become part of an overall network and governance totally computerised.
2. There appeared to have been pow-wows over the issue with several states nowhere near computerising administration.
3. While some states siad they would be able to implement e-governance in a year, others said it would take at least 15 years.
4. A National institute for smart governance is in the offing to supply inputs for e-governance in the country.

This was one of the points concurred by most at the three-day national conference on electronic governance here, as part of the ongoing show Bangaore IT.Com

Indiainfo.Com

E-governance in India a distant dream
Imran Qureshi

November 5, 1999, 21:15 Hrs (IST)

Bangalore : Electronic governance, or e-governance, will not come to India at the click of a button.

Most administrative officials are stil quite ignorant about the concept of streamlined administration using information technology (IT) tools. This became clear after three days of brainstorming sessions organised as part of the biggest IT Show, Bangalore IT.Com

The national seminar on e-governance, which was supposed to form the basis for a national policy framework, appears to have been more of an exposure to the concept of electronic and networking among civil servants - sharing the knowledge base, some tools and studies from a couple of IT-literate states.

"Changing the structures of the government and for the civil servant himself to be able to convince the political master to part with power are not easy things to do." The official added.

The fundamental problem - articulated by Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna at the inauguration f the seminar - is that the 'basic psyche of governance inherited from a fedual past still views the right to information with great suspicion."

However, the point that it will have to be citizenry servicing that brings about a change in the mindset in the government appears to have been driven home to a large extent. In fact, one of the conclusions of what is being described as the third annual conference on e-governance is the need to shift focus from being government-centric to citizen-centric.

E-governance will, undoubtedly, help the government provide better services to the people. On this, there are no two opinions. But, there were some questions: how much funding will the Centre provide the states for e-governance; will it lead to retrenchment of existing employees in government service or a total ban on recruitment; and what kind of technologies should be used and how do the states priorities applications.

"It might look confusing, but it was clear (that) public opinion would force the government to take concrete steps towards more e-governance once connectivity is established just like the change that came about when STD/ISD booths were opened in the rural areas", said a senior official. "On the whole, the seminar could not decide the nitty gritty of it all. It will take time. It's long journey and the road is not well laid out," the official added.

India Abroad News Service

http://www.rediff.com/computer/1999/oct/22gov.htm

Rediff On The Net

Oracle, Compaq, SCO set up e-governance centre

A consortium of IT majors, including Oracle Software India, Compaq Computer (India) and Santa Cruz Operations, have sponsored an e-governance centre at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahemedabad.

The centre will identify e-governance applications that can be implemented to provide improved services to citizens and help the public administration in improving planning, monitoring and other processes.