Inequalities of Digital Skills and How to Overcome Them

2010 ◽  
pp. 278-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan van Dijk ◽  
Alexander van Deursen
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Government Information ◽  
Dutch Population ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Internet Skills ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Strategic Skills

This chapter focuses on the differential possession of digital skills. Here, four types of Internet skills are distinguished: operational, formal, information, and strategic skills. These types are measured in a number of experimental performance tests among a cross-section of the Dutch population. The tests focus on the use of online government information. The main result of the experimental test is that the average Dutch population performs fairly well in operational and formal Internet skills but much worse in information and strategic skills. However, there are significant differences between people with different age and educational background; no gender differences have been observed. The final sections of this chapter deal with ways to overcome these differences of skill. Two main strategies are discussed: improving the information provision of government Web sites and improving the digital skills of citizens or users by all kinds of educational means.

Designing a CRM-Based E-Government Usability Services Framework

2011 ◽  
pp. 57-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Relationship Management ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Government Information ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship

The “electronic government” movement has swept across most countries in the last decade. This movement represents a new paradigm for public services. As we know, traditional public services may be improved in many ways by the Internet. According to the literature reviewed, we found many studies were only focused on how to technically establish Web sites that allow citizens appropriate access to government information. However, few studies paid attention to the relationship management among the different e-government stakeholders. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to integrate the relationship management among the three groups of stakeholders: the government itself, its citizens and employees. In this chapter, we will examine the literature regarding to the underlying rationale of a successful e-government. Also, an evaluation system for the usability of government Web sites that support relationship management among citizens, government employees and public services are developed and empirically tested.

INAHTA IMPACT STORY: LEGISLATIVE AND ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICE-BASED SURGERY IN AUSTRALIA

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Tivey ◽  
Ning Ma ◽  
Joanna Duncan ◽  
Yasoba Atukorale ◽  
Robyn Lambert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Day Surgery ◽  
Accreditation Process ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Regulatory Oversight ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Reimbursement Scheme

Background:There is growing trend for some surgical procedures previously performed in hospitals to be done in alternative settings, including office-based facilities. There has been some safety concerns reported in the media, which document serious adverse events following procedures performed in an office-based setting. To understand the current regulatory oversight of surgery in this setting ASERNIP-S conducted a review of the legislative and accreditation process governing these facilities in Australia.Methods:Using rapid review methodology, internet searches targeted government Web sites for relevant publicly-available documents. Use of consolidated versions of legislative instruments ensured currency of information. Standards were sourced directly from the issuing authorities or those that oversee the accreditation process.Results:Within Australia, healthcare facilities for surgery and their licensing are defined by each state and territory, which results in significant jurisdictional variation. These variations relate to the need for anesthesia beyond conscious sedation and listing of procedures in legislative instruments. In 2013, Australia adopted National Safety and Quality Health Service standards (NSQHS standards) for the accreditation of hospitals and day surgery centers; however, there is no NSQHS standard for office-based facilities. The main legislative driver for compliance is access to reimbursement schemes for service delivery.Conclusions:The legislative and accreditation framework creates a situation whereby healthcare facilities that provide services outside the various legal definitions of surgery and those not covered by a reimbursement scheme, can operate without licensing and accreditation oversight. This situation exposes patients to potential increased risk of harm when receiving treatment in such unregulated facilities.

A Framework for Citizen-Centric Government Websites

2010 ◽  
pp. 20-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Dianne Lux Wigand
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Public Administrators ◽  
End User ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
To Come

This author argues for a stronger end-user and citizen-centric approach to the development and evaluation of e-government services provided via the Internet. Over the past decade government agencies at all levels have created web sites that provide primarily information and only offer few two-way transactions. The predicted and hoped for resulting transformation of government at all levels due to the advent of Internet services seems yet to occur. The overall development of e-government services has been slow and uneven. To add value to existing and future government web sites, public administrators need to come to grips with a framework presented here and to understand the nature of and relationships among three variables: End-user, task, and channel characteristics and then consider their respective role and impact on channel selection. This framework along with an end-user perspective enables public administrators to assess not only the value of current information and service channels, but newer information and communication technologies such as those found in Web 2.0 or social media developments. Recommendations are offered.

User Help and Service Navigation Features in Government Web Sites

2011 ◽  
pp. 2643-2656
Author(s):  
Genie N.L. Stowers
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Government Structure ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Web Developers ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

This article examines the user help and service navigation features in government Web sites and compares them across levels of government. These features are critical to ensuring that users unfamiliar with government are able to successfully and easily access e-government services and information. The research finds clear patterns in the use of similar help and navigation features across governments, leading to a conclusion that these features are diffusing in the public sector Web development field. The article concludes by stating that Web developers should work to overcome a second digital divide, one of a lack of knowledge of Web site organization and government structure. Users need to be actively assisted to find information by Web developers.

Mechanism of E-Government Undertaking in Japan

2011 ◽  
pp. 2272-2283
Author(s):  
Yuko Kaneko
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Online Application ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
The Government ◽  
Other World ◽  
Government Portal ◽  
Government Initiative

According to the report submitted by the Evaluation Committee of Experts, Government ICT Strategy Headquarters in December 2005 (ECE, 2005), Japan has already established the globally advanced e-government infrastructures for such services as online application and filing. The report also acknowledged that the quantity and quality of information, guidance and search engine at the government portal, “e-Gov”, and individual government Web sites have reached almost the same level as those of the government Web sites of the other world-famous ICT nations. These achievements have resulted from the continuous undertaking of introducing information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the government operations from 1960s (ECHMCA, 2001). In this article, the successful accomplishments of e-government initiative are described followed by the analysis of institutional arrangements and mechanisms concerning e-government initiatives. Lastly, the future challenges will be suggested.

Development and Use of the World Wide Web by US Local Governments

2010 ◽  
pp. 1371-1378
Author(s):  
Carmine Scavo
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Web Applications ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
The World ◽  
Bulletin Boards ◽  
San Carlos

San Carlos, California (www.cityofsancarlos.org) claims to have developed one of the earliest local government Web sites in the world, posted on May 10, 1994 (San Carlos, 2006). From this early effort, United States (U.S.) cities moved rapidly onto the Web. Norris and Moon (2002), for example, report that some 4.4% of U.S. cities in a 2000 survey by the International City Management Association (ICMA) reported developing Web sites before 1995; 27.1% reported developing their Web sites in the 1995-’96 time period, and 68.5% reported their Web site developed after 1997. San Carlos’ original Web site comprised one page; its current Web site now contains some 8,000 pages and uses some of the Web’s most modern technology available, such as really simple syndication (RSS) and Flash Paper.1 This article uses the example of San Carlos’ Web site, along with two surveys of local government Web sites in the U.S., to illustrate the experience that U.S. local governments have had in developing and using Web sites in the pursuit of bettering governance. The article examines four local government Web applications—bulletin boards, promotions, service delivery and citizen input—and assesses their use by U.S. local governments. The article then addresses current issues of outsourcing Web site design and maintenance, and future issues of privacy, security, the digital divide and the possible effects of increased local government Web sites on U.S. civil society.

Public Administrators' Acceptance of the Practice of Digital Democracy

2008 ◽  
pp. 854-872
Author(s):  
Chan-Gon Kim ◽  
Marc Holzer
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Public Administrators ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
System Characteristics

The Internet provides a new digital opportunity for realizing democracy in public administration, and this study raises a central question: What factors determine public officials’ acceptance of the practice of digital democracy on government Web sites? We focused on online policy forums among many practices of digital democracy. To gauge public officials’ behavioral intentions to use online policy forums on government Web sites, we examined individual and organizational factors, as well as system characteristics. We administered a survey questionnaire to Korean public officials and analyzed a total of 895 responses. Path analysis indicates that three causal variables are important in predicting public officials’ intentions to use online policy forums: perceived usefulness, attitudes toward citizen participation, and information quality. We discuss implications of this study for practices and theories of digital democracy.

A Brave New E-World? An Exploratory Analysis of Worldwide E-Government Readiness, Level of Democracy, Corruption, and Globalization

2007 ◽  
pp. 180-202
Author(s):  
Zlatko J. Kovacic
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Supply Side ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Correlation And Regression Analysis ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Telecommunication Infrastructure ◽  
Readiness Level ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter reports research results on the relationship between e-government readiness and its components and the level of democracy, corruption and globalization for 191 countries. A supply-side approach to e-government analysis using data about national government Web sites, telecommunication infrastructure and human capital was taken rather than a demand-side approach, which is based on the real use of e-government Web sites by citizens, businesses and government, or their perceptions of the online services delivery. Statistically significant differences in the level of e-government readiness and its components between three groups of countries classified according to the level of democracy were identified using ANOVA. It was also shown, using correlation and regression analysis, that e-government readiness indices are related to the level of democracy, corruption and globalization.

Online Petitions to Queensland Parliament

2011 ◽  
pp. 1282-1286
Author(s):  
M. Henderson ◽  
F. Hogarth
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Scottish Parliament ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Australian State ◽  
German Bundestag ◽  
The Right ◽  
Electronic Delivery

The right of a citizen to petition Parliament is arguably one of the fundamental ways individuals can engage in democratic processes, by providing their views on what governments should do and requesting action on a particular issue. In 2000, the Scottish Parliament agreed to a trial of an e-petitioner system whereby members of the Scottish public are able to lodge, sign and view petitions to the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee using the internet. Originally developed and hosted by the International Teledemocracy Centre, constituents can now place petitions on the Scottish Parliament Web site in a format that offers a discussion forum for each petition. In 2002, the Queensland government (Australia) launched an e-democracy policy framework that introduced three digital democracy initiatives, including e-petitions. This particular initiative is presented in the case study below. A second Australian state (Tasmania) commenced a 12-month trial based on the Queensland model in July 2004. These three parliaments are the only parliaments to allow e-petitions as at October 2004, although the Canadian, Basque, European parliaments and the German Bundestag have apparently shown an interest in Scotland’s e-petitioner system (MacIntosh, 2004). Although these are only three parliaments that accept electronic petitions, online petitioning is also being used for engaging with governments and elected members. For example, in the United Kingdom, the prime minister’s office accepts electronic petitions and lists those with more than 300 genuine signatures on the number 10 Downing street Web page, together with a link to the government’s response to the petition. However, petitions are not hosted on that site and a separate Web site must be established to explain the purpose of the petition and to collect signatures. Fourteen petitions on a range of diverse issues were listed on the site for the period between April 2001 and July 2003, ranging from 306 to 83,440 signatures per petitioned issue. There are also non-government Web sites providing information about, and tools for, creating online petitions. For example, www.petitiononline.com (Artifice, Inc, 2004) provides a privately sponsored free online hosting service for public petitions that includes an automatic formatting system for the Web petition; collects, displays and maintains petition signatures; automatically rejects duplicate signatures and confirms receipt to signatories; and allows for electronic delivery through e-mailing the petition URL to the target recipient. In mid 2004, the site claims over 20 million signatures have been collected on a range of topics.

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