US e-government ratings stall: User satisfaction ratings for US federal government websites have levelled off after nine months of steady improvement, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The University of Michigan's quarterly survey, co-sponsored by ForeSee Results, shows that government websites achieved an aggregate score of 71.9 points out of 100, down slightly from a score of 72.1 in December 2004. Of the sites measured last quarter, 35 percent showed a drop in user satisfaction, 33 percent were unchanged, and 31 percent displayed an increase in customer satisfaction. "The levelling off of satisfaction growth in the e-government sector is reflected in the private sector websites as well," said Claes Fornell, director of the National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan and founder of the ACSI. "As citizens' standards for evaluating their web experiences rise, government web managers must continue to make improvements." According to ForeSee Results, federal agencies need to focus on specific citizen priorities in order to kick-start growth in satisfaction ratings.
UK seeks to reduce burden on bereaved: The UK government is planning to use IT to reduce the bureaucratic burden on citizens who have suffered a bereavement. A report issued by the Cabinet Office, "Making a difference: Bereavement," outlines a number of recommendations aimed at reducing the administrative burden on both bereaved people and government staff working in that area. The report is the result of a collaborative project involving the Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, Inland Revenue Capital Taxes, the Probate Service and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, working alongside the Home Office and the Office for National Statistics. Among its proposals are the streamlining of the processes associated with probate and inheritance tax issues; the reduction of unnecessary paperwork involved in information-sharing between departments, especially between the Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities; and the forging of closer links between existing information data sources and resources, such as Government Connect, Info4local and Directgov. "This [report] is an important first step in raising awareness of the administrative burdens experienced during bereavement and lays the foundation for further work and debate in this area," said Alan Johnson, secretary of state for Work and Pensions, launching the report.
Greece sets deadline for digital city project: The Greek government has announced that the first phase of its e-Trikala Digital City project is due for completion by mid-2006. The project aims to improve daily life for the residents of Trikala by providing an "integrated electronic environment" for citizens and businesses. Key objectives of the scheme include the simplification of government transactions for citizens, the reduction of telecommunications costs, and the delivery of new e-services. Among the initiatives that are underway as part of the project are the promotion of the use of broadband and the installation of a wireless broadband network, the provision of e-government services over the internet and by phone, the designing of an "intelligent transport" scheme that provides real-time travel information, and the establishment of a Tele-Care Centre to offer support to the elderly and the chronically ill. The ultimate aim of the e-Trikala programme is to help citizens, businesses and public authorities to make the transition to being part of the Information Society.
Qatari agency advances towards 'paperless office': The government of Qatar has signed a deal with Qatar Computer Services (QCS) that will see the software dealer help the Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Reserves (SCENR) achieve its goal of becoming a "paperless office." As part of the Qatari e-government initiative, QCS will provide solutions by Sakhr Software to automate the council's public services and improve communication between council staff and members of the public. "We hope to build a highly advanced portal that fulfils the needs of this era, one which takes into consideration the latest technological global trends and which falls within the spirit of the e-government initiative of Qatar," said Mubarak Khalifa Al Dosari, director of the National Center of Environmental Information at SCENR. The project, which is expected to take around six months to complete, also involves the development and management of an online services network for council staff within the web portal that will deal with all of the activities and services offered by SCENR.
Dubai details e-government goals: The municipal government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is aiming to have 50 percent of customer transactions conducted online by 2007. Representatives of the Dubai eGovernment initiative met with officials recently to outline their strategy for this year. From the beginning of the project in 2001 up until now, the focus has been on the delivery of e-services, said Mahmood Al Bastaki, acting director, eServices. "However, from 2005 to 2007, the focus will increasingly shift to the end-user as, by that date, we envisage the total level of online service use to be at least 50 percent," he said. Dubai eGovernment's overall goal is to offer 90 percent of government services online. Al Bastaki noted that in order for the government to achieve these targets, all departments must "utilise centralised tools that make it easier and simpler to deliver online services." Dubai eGovernment is preparing to roll out a number of new tools to boost the uptake of e-government. These include eDelivery, an electronic process for courier services; eJawaz, electronic authentication and identity verification; and eFeedback, which will enable government departments to carry out public surveys.
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews, 30.03.2005
