In its 2005 Global E-government Readiness Report, the UN said its survey assessed more than 50,000 features of the e-government Web sites of 191 UN member states to ascertain how ready the governments around the world are in employing the opportunities offered by information and communication technology (ICT) to improve the access to, and the use of technology to provide basic social services.
The Philippines, gaining seven points since the last survey, placed 41st overall with an index of 0.5721, and was the fourth best among Asian countries.
The Republic of Korea (0.8727) ranked 5th overall, followed by Singapore (0.8503) at 7th, and Japan (0.7801) at 14th.
Malaysia (0.5706) ranked 43rd overall while Thailand (0.5518) came in at 46th.
The UN report highlighted the national government portal (www.gov.ph) as a model “on par with the best in the world.”
“Among the many notable features, the dedicated E-Services section illustrates that one can simply but effectively integrate information across departments and provide a single place for users to find them,” the report said.
The report also noted advanced tools such as a multitopic discussion forum and a recent feature that allows citizens to comment directly on news items posted on the site.
“In addition, it is one of the few national sites that offer a wireless access alternative (to PC access),” the report said, noting that the site does this in three ways — through short message service (SMS) or text, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) or through a PocketPC session.
The UN report also gave high marks to the site for inviting users to participate in policy-making by providing feedback on government issuances.
Outside of the national portal, the UN also extolled the Department of Finance Web site, which “offers everything from e-services and e-bidding to basic participatory features.”
The newly redesigned site, the UN added, sets the standard for other departments in the country and contributed to the Philippines’ overall rise in ranking in 2005.
“The Philippines has developed a solid presence across all stages of e-government,” the UN said. “It has covered most of the basic functions and features while simultaneously developing transactional facilities.”
Autor: Joyce Pangco Pañares
Quelle: Manila Standard Today, 14.01.2006
