Listening to the Ground

2012 ◽  
pp. 474-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laban Bagui ◽  
Andrew Bytheway
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Scenario Analysis ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Communications Technologies

E-Government can be seen as governing through the use of information technology, and a key component of e-Government is e-Participation, the use of information and communications technologies to engage citizens more closely in government processes. Public participation is achieved by a range of means, any or all of which might benefit from the use of technology in order to reduce costs and improve effectiveness. In South Africa, the public has a generally poor opinion of government services, even though Web and mobile technologies are being used. That sentiment sometimes ensues in social tensions. In this chapter, a review of literature, opinions of informed experts, and a scenario analysis develop indications and a model for e-Participation maturing with e-readiness improving.

Extension of E-Government

2012 ◽  
pp. 527-543
Author(s):  
Mahmud Akhter Shareef ◽  
Norm Archer
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Service Adoption ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Communications Technologies

The emergence of mobile technologies has not only revolutionalized business procedures, but it has also resulted in transformation and reengineering of public service adoption mechanisms in more traditional e-government (EG) systems. Mobile-government or m-government (MG) is a subset of EG where interactions with government services can be conducted through mobile devices. In this chapter, we identify the development of the fundamental capabilities needed to adopt and manage information and communications technologies and to successfully implement citizen-focused MG systems. To accomplish this, we address the feasibility of adopting MG and the fundamental capabilities needed by a government to establish MG.

The Electronic-Mediated Public Sphere and Environmental Public Participation in China

2014 ◽  
pp. 134-145
Author(s):  
Ying Xu
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Public Discussion ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Information ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
The Public Sphere

This chapter offers a critical analysis of the new pattern of public participation in the electronic-mediated public sphere. By reviewing the development of Chinese environmental activities that led to an active, electronic-mediated public discussion concerning environmental protection, the findings reveal that new Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have made the public sphere more easily seen and heard by everyone, including governmental departments in the bureaucratic system. Thus, the electronic-mediated public sphere is providing a third power that could help Non-Profit Organizations' (NPOs) development in relatively conservative societies such as China. The implications of using ICTs in the management of NPOs are also discussed.

Extension of E-Government

2011 ◽  
pp. 120-136
Author(s):  
Mahmud Akhter Shareef ◽  
Norm Archer
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Service Adoption ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Communications Technologies

The emergence of mobile technologies has not only revolutionalized business procedures, but it has also resulted in transformation and reengineering of public service adoption mechanisms in more traditional e-government (EG) systems. Mobile-government or m-government (MG) is a subset of EG where interactions with government services can be conducted through mobile devices. In this chapter, we identify the development of the fundamental capabilities needed to adopt and manage information and communications technologies and to successfully implement citizen-focused MG systems. To accomplish this, we address the feasibility of adopting MG and the fundamental capabilities needed by a government to establish MG.

ROLE OF LIBRARIANS IN TEACHING INFORMATION LITERACY IN ZIMBABWEAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinashe Mugwisi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Information Skills ◽  
The University

Information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet have to a large extent influenced the way information is made available, published and accessed. More information is being produced too frequently and information users now require certain skills to sift through this multitude in order to identify what is appropriate for their purposes. Computer and information skills have become a necessity for all academic programmes. As libraries subscribe to databases and other peer-reviewed content (print and electronic), it is important that users are also made aware of such sources and their importance. The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching of information literacy (IL) in universities in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and the role played by librarians in creating information literate graduates. This was done by examining whether such IL programmes were prioritised, their content and how frequently they were reviewed. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 12 university libraries in Zimbabwe and 21 in South Africa. A total of 25 questionnaires were returned. The findings revealed that IL was being taught in universities library and non-library staff, was compulsory and contributed to the term mark in some institutions. The study also revealed that 44 per cent of the total respondents indicated that the libraries were collaborating with departments and faculty in implementing IL programmes in universities. The study recommends that IL should be an integral part of the university programmes in order to promote the use of databases and to guide students on ethical issues of information use.

scholarly journals Users Acceptance of E-Government System in Sintok, Malaysia: Applying the UTAUT Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Anisa Safiah Maznorbalia ◽  
Muhammad Aiman Awalluddin
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Unified Theory ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Utaut Model ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Very High

E-government services have become a vital tool to provide citizens with more accessible, accurate and high-quality services and information. E-government system provides an efficient dissemination of information to people and eases people to communicate directly with government services. The utilization of ICT through e-government enhancing efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in the public sector. The system is regarded as one of the vital elements to be a developed country. The application of e-government indicates the readiness and ability of the nation utilizing technology within public administration periscope. Although the Malaysian government has introduced e-government for many years, its acceptance still not very high. Therefore, this paper studies the key factors of Malaysian citizens’ in Sintok, Kedah, a semi- rural area on approval on e-government services based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and the Use of Technology (UTAUT Model). The survey data was collected from 83% respondents to measure people understanding and awareness toward e-government system. The results show that there is an excellent understanding among Malaysian towards e-government system.

A Case Study of Public Servants Engaged in E-Consultation in Australia

2011 ◽  
pp. 759-772
Author(s):  
Lucas Walsh
Keyword(s):  
The Internet ◽  
Local Form ◽  
Political Democracy ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
The Public ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Elected Representatives

This article examines some of the challenges faced by local government during the development and implementation of a relatively new area of e-democratic innovation in Australia: e-consultation. E-consultation is seen as a valuable way through which a two-way relationship can be developed and enhanced between citizens and elected representatives. It involves the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs), such as the Internet, to extend and/or enhance political democracy through access to information, and to facilitate participation in democratic communities, processes, and institutions. Drawing on a case study of the Darebin eForum in Victoria, Australia, this article focuses on the role of public servants as moderators of this local form of e-consultation. The discussion has three parts: online policy consultation is defined within the context of e-democracy; some of the ways that e-consultation challenges the roles of the public service, elected representatives, and citizens are outlined; and the author then argues for an e-consultation strategy that is situated within a continuum of citizen engagement that is ongoing, deliberative, educative, and inclusive.

Realigning Governance

2005 ◽  
pp. 250-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald G. Lenihan
Keyword(s):  
New Technology ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Efficiency Gains ◽  
New Era ◽  
The Public ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Major Transformation ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
The Right ◽  
Dot Com

In this chapter, the author acknowledges that over the last few decades, information and communications technologies (ICTs) have progressed at a remarkable pace. By the mid-1990s, the new technology had been used to engineer a major transformation of the private sector, reshaping markets and the basic building block of the modern economy: the corporation. Likewise, enthusiasts predicted that the public sector was about to go through a similar transformation. A new era in government was said to be dawning. For some, electronic- or e-government promised to transform government operations leading to major “efficiency gains” in service delivery. But e-government is proving more difficult and costly than first thought and the expected benefits have been slow to materialize. With some notable exceptions, the efficiency gains have been mixed. The boom in e-commerce was short-circuited by the dot-com bust. Is the bloom coming off the e-government rose? This chapter tries to shed more light on the pertinent issues and reflect a broader vision that e-government is about the transformation of government. A firm commitment from decision makers to think through the issues and steer the right course is critical or e-government could easily lose momentum or veer off course.

One Size Does Not Fit All

2011 ◽  
pp. 10-15
Author(s):  
Gerald Grant
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Global Information ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Global Organizations ◽  
It Systems ◽  
Communications Technologies ◽  
Global Information Systems

Managers, IT practitioners, and IS researchers are easily seduced by the latest information technology wave. Consequently, we tend not to question conventional assumptions about the implementation of IT systems in organizations. Instead of providing managers with directions, IS researchers can sometimes turn into prognosticators of the latest information technology fad. We call on researchers to delve below the surface of new IT trends to expose inconsistencies between technological promises and the reality of deploying information systems in global organizations. Many IS researchers are turning their attention to the area of global information management (Gallupe and Tan, 1999). This journal is a vehicle for publishing such research work. Interest in integrated global information systems is fueled both by the developments in information and communications technologies and the trends in business towards globalization of products and markets. Conventional wisdom suggests that businesses operating in global markets would benefit from implementing global information systems and achieve economies of scale and scope. This may be true in some cases, but does it hold for all cases? I suggest it may not. In certain cases deploying global IT systems could lead to diseconomies of scale.

Political Parties and Public Participation in Constitution Making: Legitimation, Distraction, or Real Influence?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Hudson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Participatory Methods ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Party Strength ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Constitution Making

Over the past three decades, participatory methods of constitution making have gained increasing acceptance and are now an indispensable part of any constitution-making process. Despite this, we know little about how much public participation actually affects the constitution. This article investigates the impact of participation in two groundbreaking cases: Brazil (1988) and South Africa (1996). This analysis demonstrates that public participation has relatively small effects on the text, but that it varies in systematic ways. The theory advanced here posits that party strength (especially in terms of discipline and programmatic commitments) is the key determinant of the effectiveness of public participation. Strong parties may be more effective in many ways, but they are less likely to act on input from the public in constitution-making processes.

scholarly journals The potential of mobile phones for increasing public participation in local government in South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Thinyane ◽  
Ingrid Siebörger ◽  
Edward Reynell
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Current State ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Mobile Phone Usage ◽  
Ict For Development

This paper presents a critical discussion on the current use of technology and participation in local government. It discusses the rise in popularity of mobile devices, and how they have been used in ICT for development. The paper describes the results of a baseline study undertaken in a city within Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, to empirically investigate how residents are currently using mobile phones and participating with local government around the area of service delivery. The findings illustrate the current state of mobile phone usage and capabilities, and the potential for using the mobile platform to increase participation in local government in South Africa. The paper also can be used to inform and guide project stakeholders on how best to implement m-participation strategies.

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