Public servants in eastern Europe are threatening to become more IT savvy than their western counterparts, according to research funded by the EU. The study, to be published in September 2003, finds that in basic use of IT – in PC access, internet, and email -- eastern Europe is ahead.
It details a difference in emphasis over e-government between various regions of Europe, with civil servants in the east more concerned about "transparency" issues than their western counterparts, while round the clock access to services and "cost efficiency" is more of a priority in the west.
Key findings in the report are:
- Almost all (90%) of public sector employees in the east have internet access, compared to 81% in Northern Europe and 74% in the south
- Public servants in western Europe fear that e-government will bring about increased pressure from users, while those in the East are more concerned that their own performance will become more tightly controlled
- Job cuts as a result of e-government are feared more in the east than in the west or south
- Those in northern and western Europe are more worried about a "loss of human contact" resulting from e-government than public servants in the east
They note that a degree of caution should be exercised in making comparisons between the 15 member states and eastern Europe, however, as research for different regions was carried out at different times (December 2001 to May 2002 for the EU, and November 2002 to January 2003 for the east).
The research will be presented at the e-Forum Summit in Valencia, which takes place on 15-16 September 2003.
Quelle: Kablenet
