E-Government Challenges in European Countries

E-Government Challenges in European Countries

Carlotta del Sordo, Rebecca Levy Orelli, Emanuele Padovani
Copyright: © 2012 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-0324-0.ch036
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Abstract

To what extent and in which direction does the recent so-called “shift from e-Government to e-Governance systems” take place in European governments? Much has been claimed and written about the influence of e-Government on the modernization and growth of public sector initiatives in Europe. Little is known, however, about how the shift from e-Government to e-Governance takes place in European governments. In particular, in this chapter, an overview of both challenges and advantages of implementing e-Governance strategies is presented, by examining how closely and critically intertwined e-Government and e-Governance are in European countries, with particular reference to the emerging ones. In fact, according to the European Commission indexes, European countries have been split in two groups: Pioneers (P) that are the “best-in-class” EU members, and Followers (F) that have only recently undertaken their path towards the ICT and e-government implementation and still have to foster the e-governance development. The authors judge this comparison as particular instructive in order to draw out some lessons that can be learnt by emerging countries about how to face these challenges.
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2. Context And Theoretical Framework For E-Government And E-Governance In Europe

Although previous studies focused on and described the implementation of e-Government in European countries under different perspectives (Dunleavy et al. 2006; EIPA 2003; Hood 1983; OECD 1997, 2003; Santos & Heeks 2003, Heeks 1999, 2006), there seems to be a missing link: to what extent does the recent so-called “shift from e-Government to e-Governance systems” take place in European governments? Research has delved into the factors that inhibit or promote the adoption of IT systems and e-Government in general in the public sector. However, the relationship between e-Government and e-Governance is not clearly outlined. E-Government has an impact on accountability and performance (Orelli et. al. 2010; Reddick & Frank 2007) that still remain the scope of any public management reform in the Western world (Bouckaert & Pollitt 2004); thus there might be a strong connection between e-Government and the ultimate goal of any e-Governance initiative.

Key Terms in this Chapter

User Centricity (UC): Provides a measure of the users’ confidence in e-services in terms of security and convenience, of the possibility to choose a multi-channel access, and of site’s compliance with international standards of accessibility.

New Public Governance (NPG): Has emerged as a new regime trend which focuses on the relationship with the external environment and inter-organizational relations (between governments and, especially for service provision, between public- and private-sector organizations).

Overall On Line Sophistication (OOS): Provides an indication regarding the extent to which the online provision of services is based on new models of front and back-offices integration, the reuse of available data and the degree to which the idea of pro-active service delivery is embedded.

Full On Line Availability (FOA): Measures the number of public services fully available online.

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