The myth of "E"
Before electronic government, comes effective and efficient governance, writes Hisham El-Sherif*
Electronic government (e-government) is an evolving concept that can help accelerate both economic and social development, but there are several myths surrounding this notion in the Arab world. The prevalence of these myths is in inverse proportion to any given country's level of readiness for e- government. Today, there are many different levels of e-government in the world, starting with the non-existent, and moving towards emerging, "enhanced", "interactive", "transactional" and seamless e- government. Indeed, many myths and realities have been uncovered while researching e-government.
The first myth is that Arabs have strong e- government institutions. The truth is that institutional weakness, insufficient planning and unclear objectives are prevalent, resulting in inadequately designed systems which are also expensive. The second myth is that we have the necessary human resources. However, there are shortages in qualified personnel, particularly world-class management, as well as a deficiency in relevant professional training. These usually result in insufficient support for, or the non- implementation of, e-government projects.
Another illusion is that we have allocated the required funding, but in reality, funding for e-government projects is usually underestimated in relation to project costs and/or operating cost. The fourth myth is that there is a free market. In fact, local market barriers exist in many countries in our region. Other challenges include problems associated with technology transfer, competitive industry, local technology companies, vendor representatives and political intervention.
A fifth fiction is related to sustainable technology trends. But since technology changes so quickly, incompatibility, non- proven technology and robustness all represent concerns for Arab institutions. Another myth is that the readiness and motivation of Arab governments to implement such a project; we find that while some of them are ready, the majority are not. It is not enough to produce a document with a vision or a plan. It is more important to look at what is implemented in reality.
Another illusion is related to data readiness and availability. The reality is that most archives remain manual and if institutional databases and information systems do exist, they are not network ready. An additional myth is society's readiness for e-government. An e-government requires an e-society and that requirement has not yet been fulfilled. A culture of educated, trained, skilled individuals and institutions needs to be in place to form both e-society and e-government. Universities, schools, governorates, businesses, the media and NGOs need to help make our human capital and institutions e-ready.
A ninth delusion is that businesses are ready for e-government. In fact, many governments have supplanted the role of the private sector in implementing e-initiatives. The results are not encouraging, and as time passes the window of opportunity is narrowing. Clear private sector empowerment strategies should be explicitly applied.
The final myth is that many believe that e- government is the solution to all our problems. Well, it is not. E-government is not a solution for failed development, bloated bureaucracies, red tape and non-democratic governance. In fact, it increases the urgency of redressing the same micro and macro barriers -- such as poor education systems, the high cost of telecommunications, unreliable transportation networks, low investments in small- and medium-sized enterprises and the general lack of entrepreneurship.
E-government also imposes new challenges and requirements to issues such as intellectual property rights, privacy, security, data networks, and competition between Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
Unfortunately, the "e-trend" is mostly driven by hardware, communication and software companies, which are more concerned with boosting sales. I believe we should first be in the business of development, the derivatives of which are both improved e-institutions and good governance. Most countries today are focusing on developing telecoms and Internet infrastructure, thus improving access and networking the society.
There are six fundamental components in e-government. Namely, the people, the state, institutions, systems, data and technology. Governments should closely examine these components and play a distinct role in building a national information society. They must also articulate a vision, define the policy and regulatory structure, deliver programmes and services to citizens, and use existing information infrastructure to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government. Governments must also encourage good governance via a democratic process, mould services around citizens' choices, protect the poorest in society, use government resources efficiently and effectively, help accelerate the "digitisation" of Arab institutions and train human capital in areas that make a difference.
All hope is not lost. The only reality that does exist is that we can, in fact, build an e- government and an e-society. With the right vision, strategy and serious implementation, an Arab Information Society can be realised. We just need to compete in real time.
* The writer is the founder of the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Centre and a pioneer of IT in Egypt and the developing world.
