Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
increase the possibilities for e-governance success. In Seoul, for example, based on
International Telecommunication Union data, the percentage of individuals using
the Internet is 84.1%, which is very high in comparison with other countries. Korea
is at the leading edge in using ICTs. High ICT usage brings correspondingly high
e-governance services usage, and better ICT infrastructure serves as an encourag-
ing environment within which the government can develop its e-governance.
Successes in e-governance cannot be achieved without better human resource
management. Professionals need to be recruited to manage information mobil-
ity, data collection and processing, and e-governance affairs. In New York City,
a top municipality in e-governance, for example, a chief technology officer in the
Department of Transportation is appointed to provide technical support and use
technological resources to help the department and the entire municipality achieve
their strategic objectives. That officer, by making better use of information technolo-
gies and resources, improves government performance and services provided. Besides,
rapid development of ICT requires government officials and employees to continually
update their knowledge. Knowledge management, with the ICT help, enables them
to learn in a more collaborative and efficient manner. E-governance success indicates
protecting citizens' privacy and security well, providing information and services con-
veniently, and actively engaging citizens. All of these require better human resource
management to improve government's capacity in achieving e-governance goals.
A contrast between e-governance and e-government is the emphasis on citi-
zen participation: e-governance moves beyond e-government in terms of seeking
opportunities for more active citizen engagement in government decision-making
processes. Seoul serves as a leading example in promoting citizen participation.
Multiple channels offered by ICTs promote citizen-centric governance, motivat-
ing citizens to propose public agenda, express themselves during policy making,
give feedbacks and comments on public policy implementation, and supervise
the government more comprehensively. To better engage citizens and develop
e-governance, technological changes need to be paired with a customer-focused
strategy such as Citizen Relationship Management to facilitate citizen-focused
service (Milakovich, 2012, p. 65). Citizen Relationship Management requires the
government to be citizen-centric, providing information and services that citizens
prefer, strengthening cooperative links between government and citizens, develop-
ing strategies from a 360-degree view of the citizen, and orienting to citizens' needs
(Milakovich, 2012, p. 65). A political environment that emphasizes citizen partici-
pation and social engagement needs to be built, serving as the political foundation
for transforming e-government to e-governance.
Developing e-governance asks for higher levels of government accountability
and performance. This demand brings changes to expectations and challenges for
governments in balancing its administrative values, such as efficiency and profes-
sionalism, with its political values, such as participation and democracy. To achieve
that balance, “public agencies are expected to meet balanced performance standards
with citizens, interests and elected officials to accommodate preferences of diverse
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