An interesting article from openDemocracy by Giovanni Navarria which I’ve only just spotted, but I think is worth noting.

In, E-government: who controls the controllers?, Navarria askes whether the promise of e-government as a transparent, accessible, efficient state in a new partnership with its citizens is really an invisible model of political control?

The article should come with a slight health warning, as it is rather academic in its style, however that shouldn’t put anyone off. As well as discussing some of the problems with e-government Navarria gives an inciteful 5 stage model (below) of understanding the transformation of e-government, which could prove useful for those working and thinking about this area:

• basic electronic commitment: rudimentary governmental websites with essential information and documents (description of its work, its duties and the services it offers)
• increased online presence: more dynamic and functional websites with regularly updated news, contacts (few) and inter-agency weblinks easily available; forms and official documents or legislations can be downloaded and printed
• interactive government: the agencies’ websites boost their interaction with citizens providing extensive email contact list, tailored news feeds, specialised and customisable search engines and databases; forms and requests can be submitted online
• transactional government: the website is a single entry portal, which functions as gateway to each and every government agency website; front and back office are fully linked, the intranet is the indispensable backbone for the government staff’s daily working routine (yet, during this stage, agencies are not interoperational)
• a virtual seamless government as the ultimate aim; all government’s agencies and services, information, and transactions are available online and channelled through a single entry-point portal. At anytime and from anywhere in the network, citizens can log on and initiate a process of full interaction with the government as a whole. In this fifth stage, the government and its entire complex structure is “virtually” one click away. Through its new virtual gate, the intricate, hidden and often incomprehensible chaotic net that for citizens once stood for governmental bureaucracy, becomes order, and a synonym of accessibility.

Read article in full >>