However, by the 1990s, South Korea had turned this situation around and succeeded in becoming an “information society” as well as a major innovator and exporter of communications technology, said Cheung. Today Korea has one of the best-developed e-government infrastructures in the world.
Cheung, a consultant in the department of communications at SA Korea ICT Cooperation, explained that there are four “domains of innovation” that enable a country to achieve a level of e-government services like those of Korea.
First, Cheung argues, come innovations in service delivery, including innovations in the ways government works such as expansion of e-filing and other e-processes, sharing of administrative information and the restructuring of work processes. Innovations in delivery of service to citizens as well as promotion of e-participation will push forward the adoption of e-government, Cheung states.
Innovation is crucial
Cheung told the conference that by innovating information resource management, Korea achieved crucial advantages such as integration and standardisation of information resources and strengthening of information security.
Innovations in the e-government legal system are a third domain that is required, adds Cheung. These require strong government leadership committed to pushing forward the adoption of e-government. He told conference delegates that SA lacks strong leadership in implementing e-government at the moment. There is also a lack of expertise, leading to public sector inefficiency and corruption in the implementation e-government projects, Cheung said.
A key emerging problem is the economic recession. If this results in an insufficient budget for implementing e-government projects SA will fall further behind, he added
A way forward
Cheung suggested that the South African government “realign the implementation” of e-government schemes. “There is a need for a holistic approach,” he noted, pointing out that e-government “is not just IT projects”. According to Cheung, e-government needs to be a part of restructuring and innovation of government services across the board.
He proposed the creation of a “competent agency” responsible for implementing e-government in SA. In Korea, Cheung pointed out, a National Information Agency is responsible for all e-government projects and has the capacity to provide all the necessary technology and policy support to government bodies.”
The Korean e-government expert concluded by pointing out that it is the responsibility of the government to overcome skill shortages, but that this can only be accomplished by close cooperation among academia, the private sector, NGOs, community groups and government.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Jacob Nthoiwa
Quelle/Source: ITWeb, 23.03.2009
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