Promoting Transparency and Strengthening Public Trust in Government through Information Communication Technologies?

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank L. K. Ohemeng ◽  
Kwaku Ofosu-Adarkwa
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Trust In Government ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
The Public ◽  
Remarkable Progress

This paper attempts to examine Ghana's quest to use ICT as a tool to enhance transparency and build public trust in government. The questions the paper attempts to answer are: what are the main challenges confronting the government's e-governance initiative as a tool to ensure transparency and citizens' trust in the public sector? What steps are being taken to address these challenges? We argue that while Ghana seems to have made remarkable progress in this endeavour, it still faces a number of significant obstacles, which must be addressed if the objectives of its e-governance project are to be fully realized. Key challenges include infrastructure development for the growth of ICT, the huge gap in access to ICT (or what may be described as the digital divide), and the change in organizational culture to enhance easy accessibility to public documents.

scholarly journals The Puzzle of ICT Driven Innovation in the Public Sector: Hungary's Case

2018 ◽  
Vol 331 ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
András Nemeslaki
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Productivity Improvement ◽  
Or Efficiency ◽  
The Public ◽  
Structural Funds ◽  
Policy Objectives

Public ICT (Information Communication Technologies) investments do not necessarily result in improvement of effectiveness or efficiency regarding public services. Hungary has been spending around 1,2 billion Euros using funds from the European Social Cohesion and Structural Funds during the period of 2007-2018 for modernizing its public administration. Taking the investments into other sectors as a comparison, this means that more than 25% of ICT development projects go to the public sector, which is in the magnitude of the financial, commercial and media sectors of Hungary. While the effects of digital transformation are unquestionable in these latter sectors, effectiveness of public ICT spending is problematic. When we look at the measurement scoreboards used in the EU and UN, we find Hungary not even improved its position, but in some areas has lost competiveness and fell behind. In this paper we show using some elements of earlier findings in digital innovation studies on public administration, that four key factors should be analysed in detail to find out reasons behind this phenomenon, Infrastructural questions, although need constant development and improvement, do not seem to be key explaining factors of lack of productivity improvement. Nor the techno-legislative institutions seem to be obstacles in Hungary´s case, but rather some alignment in policy objectives and consistency.

scholarly journals Defining the Directions of Development of the National Economy in the Context of Reforms on the Basis of Ensuring Effective Public Administration in Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (520) ◽  
pp. 102-107
Author(s):  
H. М. Shumska ◽  
◽  
V. I. Melnyk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
National Economy ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Innovation Policy ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
The Public ◽  
Innovation Activities

The article is aimed at substantiating the major directions of development of the national economy in the context of reforms on the basis of ensuring effective public administration in Ukraine, which will allow achieving high social development in the country. The article explains the importance of increasing the effectiveness of innovation activities in government bodies to ensure the efficiency of the public administration and administration system in Ukraine in the context of reforms. The connection between the process of achieving the development of the national economy and the process of ensuring effective innovative activities by the authorities based on the implementation of effective public administration and management is established. The main obstacles to conduct an effective innovation policy in the country are defined. A further development of an integrated approach to ensuring effective innovation activities in the authorities is specified, which, unlike the existing approach, focuses on improving the regulatory, institutional, personnel, motivational, scientific-methodological, information-communication and financial provision for innovative activities in the authorities. The use of the proposed approach to ensuring effective innovation activities in the authorities will allow achieving sustainable development of the national economy in the country. The directions of development of the national economy of the country are proposed, which are based on ensuring effective public management of innovative activities of authorities in Ukraine in the context of reforms: implementation of innovative personnel policy that will allow to form the necessary professional competencies in officials and reduce resistance to innovations on the basis of accelerating their readiness for these innovations; use of modern information-communication technologies to increase the level of professional mobility of officials during innovation activities; introduction of managerial innovations by the authorities to increase the capacity of communities and reduce the deficit of local budgets; activation of project activities on the part of the authorities; strengthening institutional provision for innovation activities in government bodies to increase the efficiency of the process of coordination and support of this activity, thus creating a favorable innovation environment in the country.

Delineating Three Dimensions of E-Government Success

2015 ◽  
pp. 135-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandru V. Roman
Keyword(s):  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Historical Evolution ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
The Public ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Complex Process

This chapter draws upon the historical evolution of e-government and at the extant body of knowledge in order to delineate the dimensions that are critical for the success of the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) for purposes of governance. Evaluating the impacts of technology adoption in the public sector is an intrinsically complex process. However, given that currently governmental spending on ICT projects rivals and at times even surpasses allocations for capital developments, the need for an evaluative framework becomes rather obvious. Based on multiple scholarly accounts and practical examples, this chapter suggests that the success of e-government should be examined along three chief dimensions: security, functionality, and transformation. All three vectors are highly interdependent, and it can be argued that the success of e-government in the long run is not possible if significant shortcomings are observed along any one of the three aspects.

Exploring the Notion of ‘Technology as a Public Good’

2013 ◽  
pp. 1472-1488
Author(s):  
Sunnie Lee Watson ◽  
Thalia Mulvihill
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Asian Context ◽  
Active Policy ◽  
Research Recommendations

This chapter aims to explore the historical, sociological, and economic factors that engender inequities related to digital technologies in the East Asian educational context. By employing critical social theory perspectives, the chapter discusses and argues for the notion of “Technology as a Public Good” by examining the Chinese, Japanese and Korean societies’ digital divide. This chapter examines how East Asian societies are exhibiting similar yet different problems in providing equitable access to information communication technologies to the less advantaged due to previously existing social structures, and discusses the urgency of addressing these issues. Based on the analysis of the digital divide in the East Asian context, this chapter also proposes and argues for the notion of “technology as a public good” in public and educational policies for information communication technologies. Finally, the chapter invites policymakers, researchers and educators to explore a more active policy approach regarding the digital divide solution, and provides specific future research recommendations for ICT policies and policy implementation in digital divide solutions.

scholarly journals Possible, Probable and Preferable Futures of the Digital Divide

10.28945/2651 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Contemporary Problem ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Technology Strategies ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Quantitative Assessments

The digital divide is widely recognized as a contemporary problem between society and technology. Strategies for bridging the digital divide are often informed and guided by quantitative assessments of the deployment of information communication technologies. There are few rigorous qualitative attempts to assess the digital divide from either an ethnographic or a futures-oriented perspective. This paper reports findings from a study that examined the possible, probable and preferable futures of the digital divide from an ethnographic perspective. The contents of this report include background to the problem of the digital divide, a review of literature describing the relationship between society and technology, findings from the data collection, and implications for future strategies to bridge the digital divide.

Consumer Adoption of E-Government in South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 2082-2110
Author(s):  
Richard Shambare
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Extensive Review ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Governance Systems

This chapter examines South African consumers' patterns of adoption of electronic governance systems. Three elements related to e-government adoption are examined. Firstly, the development of e-government in South Africa is explored. Secondly, the chapter investigates the barriers constraining the public's utilisation of e-gov. Thirdly, suggestions on how e-government initiatives could be better aligned to the Principles of Batho Pele, or people-centred governance, are proffered. To achieve the first objective, an extensive review of the literature encapsulating e-government, South African public services, information communication technologies and commerce is conducted. To achieve the second objective, a survey of 349 consumers from two South African provinces was conducted to explore barriers associated with e-gov adoption. Findings show that although the Batho Pele Principles are pronounced in public sector organisations' missions, their implementation within e-gov still remains a challenge. A plethora of challenges were observed to retard e-government adoption.

Consumer Adoption of E-Government in South Africa

2016 ◽  
pp. 190-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Shambare
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Extensive Review ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Governance Systems

This chapter examines South African consumers' patterns of adoption of electronic governance systems. Three elements related to e-government adoption are examined. Firstly, the development of e-government in South Africa is explored. Secondly, the chapter investigates the barriers constraining the public's utilisation of e-gov. Thirdly, suggestions on how e-government initiatives could be better aligned to the Principles of Batho Pele, or people-centred governance, are proffered. To achieve the first objective, an extensive review of the literature encapsulating e-government, South African public services, information communication technologies and commerce is conducted. To achieve the second objective, a survey of 349 consumers from two South African provinces was conducted to explore barriers associated with e-gov adoption. Findings show that although the Batho Pele Principles are pronounced in public sector organisations' missions, their implementation within e-gov still remains a challenge. A plethora of challenges were observed to retard e-government adoption.

Exploring the Notion of ‘Technology as a Public Good’

2011 ◽  
pp. 40-57
Author(s):  
Sunnie Lee Watson ◽  
Thalia Mulvihill
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Asian Context ◽  
Active Policy ◽  
Research Recommendations

This chapter aims to explore the historical, sociological, and economic factors that engender inequities related to digital technologies in the East Asian educational context. By employing critical social theory perspectives, the chapter discusses and argues for the notion of “Technology as a Public Good” by examining the Chinese, Japanese and Korean societies’ digital divide. This chapter examines how East Asian societies are exhibiting similar yet different problems in providing equitable access to information communication technologies to the less advantaged due to previously existing social structures, and discusses the urgency of addressing these issues. Based on the analysis of the digital divide in the East Asian context, this chapter also proposes and argues for the notion of “technology as a public good” in public and educational policies for information communication technologies. Finally, the chapter invites policymakers, researchers and educators to explore a more active policy approach regarding the digital divide solution, and provides specific future research recommendations for ICT policies and policy implementation in digital divide solutions.

Digital Divide and Social Cleavage: Case Studies of ICT Usage among Peasants in Contemporary China

2011 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 580-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhua Guo ◽  
Peng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Structural Transformation ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Contemporary China ◽  
Ict Adoption ◽  
Social Cleavage

AbstractDuring its structural transformation, rural China witnessed the emergence of four types of village: traditional, industrialized, commercial and villages in cities. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), including fixed phones, cell phones, television sets and the internet (with personal computers), are now commonly used in Chinese villages but in ways that differentiate villagers according to variables such as occupation, villager membership and social status. The adoption of ICTs by peasants not only represents but also accelerates growing peasant differentiation; in other words, the function of ICTs could not penetrate the barrier of social structure. Meanwhile, structural transformation in China has been an activator to shaping peasants' diversified ideas about information, and the demand for and usage of ICTs. An analysis of peasants' ICT adoption thus enables us to identify the basic trends and characteristics of social transformation in contemporary China.

Families, Cultural Resources and the Digital Divide: ICTs and Educational (dis)Advantage

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Angus ◽  
Ilana Snyder ◽  
Wendy Sutherland-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Information Communication Technologies ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Critical Elements ◽  
Gain Access

By concentrating on cases of family engagement with information communication technologies at a very local level, this paper tries to illustrate that issues related to ‘access’ and social disadvantage require extremely sophisticated and textured accounts of the multiple ways in which interrelated critical elements and various social, economic and cultural dimensions of disadvantage come into play in different contexts. Indeed, to draw a simple dichotomy between the technology haves and have-nots in local settings is not particularly generative. It may be the case that, even when people from disadvantaged backgrounds manage to gain access to technology, they remain relatively disadvantaged.

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