The context for more collaborative and integrative service delivery (ISD) stems from two inter-related streams of thought and reform that have now converged: first, a philosophy of citizen-centric governance and service that emphasizes performance over process; and secondly, the emergence of the Internet and new digital technologies that underpin electronic government (e-government) and widen opportunities for electronic service delivery.
Networked Federalism
As a result, governments are rethinking how best to organize and align service offerings and delivery mechanisms from a government-wide perspective. Internal pressures for more efficiency are one set of drivers, but equally important is the opportunity to improve service responsiveness and outcomes for the public. The centrality of collaboration stems from the tremendous opportunities for sharing information and aligning (and at times integrating) service offerings across different public sector providers.
Yet, to what extent this seamless approach should be nurtured through collaborative opportunities between units (i.e. departments and agencies) or more aggressively pursued through a single service provider is a core challenge for e-government's enterprise architecture. Along with the need for an enterprise-wide perspective on information and infrastructure, public sector leaders also understand that in order to achieve better outcomes (i.e. citizen-centric outcomes), frontline flexibility and specialization are paramount.
With much effort remaining within each jurisdiction, why then, is there a need to address cross-jurisdictional issues - most commonly for a country as a whole? The answer lies in the aforementioned evolution from a pre-Internet world of competitive segmentation to an online world emphasizing seamless processes and integrative outcomes. There is no obvious reason why this latter push for more seamless governance would stop at any jurisdictional boundary defined politically by geographic territory.
Yet an irony of the digital age is that countries that are not federations politically may have an easier time embracing the logic of more seamless, multi-layered service models across multiple government levels. The key design question in going forward thus becomes - how to retain the benefits of political federalism while creating additional value for the citizen through more collaborative and integrative service delivery mechanisms across jurisdictions.
Lessons from abroad
In countries with more unitary public sector structures (i.e. a less formal division of powers and authority across government levels), much depends on the attitude and actions of the central government. Singapore's rise to the top of Accenture's global rankings study, for example, reflects an aggressive set of measures undertaken by the national government.
E-government in Denmark began with a formal inter-governmental body to create policy and strategy in an inclusive manner across all government levels. This collaborative dialogue was an important variable in forging agreement in 2006 on a set of major structural changes to the Danish public sector as a whole. Both financing and policy and service responsibilities for each level of government were negotiated in a bottom-up manner, with an eye to strengthening the municipal role in frontline service delivery.
In many respects, then, Denmark is creating a federated service model enjoining all government levels. The model features a multi-channel framework that emphasizes a leading-edge digital infrastructure nationally coupled with a frontline service presence via integrative centres managed by government authorities municipally.
In Belgium, by contrast, an aptly named 'Kafka Plan' was created by the Belgian Government in 2003 (www.kafka.be) to solicit both problems and ideas from inside and outside of the state. Building on such efforts, in 2003 Belgium became the first country to launch a national electronic ID card, an exercise that began with a federally-sponsored pilot in several municipalities before proceeding to national rollout.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Jeffrey Roy and John Langford
Quelle/Source: InterGovWorld, 17.01.2008
