Gartner highlights key e-government challenges for Malaysia: Malaysia must improve the core government applications it offers to citizens, as well as offering more integrated services that cut across agency boundaries, a Gartner analyst has said. The Malaysian National News Agency Bernama reports that Senior Analyst Bob Hayward was in Malaysia at the invitation of Oracle, and said in a statement that other key areas needing attention are the marketing of existing e-government services and monitoring progress. "A common mistake by government is not promoting and informing the citizens of the impressive things they have done," Hayward said in a statement.
US e-government soars, but citizens still prefer telephone contact: A telling new report from the Pew Internet Project reveals that the proportion of adult Americans using e-government services soared from 50 percent in 2002 to 77 percent in 2003. This means that more than three out of four adults used some kind of on-line government services, ranging from visiting a government Web site to e-mailing an official. The report also showed that Internet users are three times more likely to contact the government than non-users. One intriguing finding from the report was that, while on-line interaction with the government is growing, 53 percent of users say they prefer the telephone or in-person visits over the Web and e-mail. In urgent matters, for instance, users are far more likely to use the telephone. Senior Researcher John B. Horrigan said the results underscore the fact that citizens want and need different ways of contacting the government, depending on their needs.
PA Consulting wins identity card deal in UK: PA Consulting has won the contract to help the UK Home Office with the design, business case, feasibility testing and procurement of the new citizen identity card. The cards are due to be issued in 2007 or 2008, and Home Secretary David Blunkett has emphasised that the implementation will be conducted in a number of stages, with an emphasis on feasibility work and testing, to help maximise its chances for success. PA beat out Deloitte and Capgemini for the 18-month contract, which is worth STG18 million to the company. The entire ID card scheme is expected to cost around STG3 billion.
UK establishes e-Government office, appoints Accenture boss: Ian Watmore, the managing director of Accenture in the UK, has be appointed as head of the UK's new e-Government Unit, which is to be part of the Cabinet Office. A big part of the Unit's role will be to work with agencies to deliver efficiency savings and to help ensure joined-up government. The Unit effectively takes on much of the work that formerly belonged to the e-Envoy, whose remit was about getting UK government on-line; the Cabinet Office said that 71 percent of government services now are on-line. The new Unit, which officially opens in June but which Watmore won't join until September, is to focus chiefly on the efficient use of ICTs across government. Working with the OGC, the Unit will also manage the government's relationships with strategic suppliers to the government. The new site for the Unit goes live on 2 June at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/e-government.
Lebanon links with Microsoft for e-government: Microsoft is set to build a new on-line taxation system for Lebanon, after signing a letter of intent with the country. No rollout date was given for the service, which is meant to act as the first part of a wider framework to deliver other e-government services. In a separate deal, Microsoft said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Economy and Trade. Under that agreement, Microsoft will help Lebanon with an awareness raising campaign for ICTs, and for the need for public-private partnerships to build ICT abilities in the country. Microsoft said it will also help IT-enable "selected internal processes" of the Ministry, based on its experience in other countries.
Quelle: Electrinc News Net, 26.05.2004
