Worldwide E-Governance: A Longitudinal Assessment of Municipal Websites and the Digital Divide

Abstract

This following chapter highlights the research findings of a digital governance survey conducted in the fall of 2005. The study replicates a 2003 survey of large municipalities worldwide. This longitudinal assessment, based on the Rutgers-SKKU E-Governance Performance Index, focused on the evaluation of current practices in government, with emphasis on the evaluation of each website in terms of digital governance. Specifically, we analyzed security, usability, content of websites, the type of online services currently being offered, and citizen response and participation through websites established by city governments. Based on the 2005 evaluation of 81 cities, Seoul, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Sydney represent the highest performing cities in digital governance. There were only slight changes in the top five cities when compared to the 2003 study. Moreover, there continues to be a divide in terms of digital governance throughout the world among the 30 developed nations belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and non-OECD member nations. This divide is highlighted by the change in average scores among the municipalities when comparing municipalities from OECD and non-OECD member nations.