Commercial websites can reach as many citizens in a day as government websites can in a month. Moreover, a private company provides added value to government services by packaging them with their own products and services, making them more market-focused and attractive to individual consumers.
There is also a lot of technical integration required to facilitate e-governance services. A commercial website providing a service at the front end must link with a service provider in the middle that acts as a distribution channel for a public service. This service provider must in turn link at the back end to the systems of the responsible government agencies. Further, to minimise technical incompatibilities, each player must rely on open technical standards and systems for data integration and presentation.
The various public and private players within an online government service network shouldn’t strike exclusive deals. There should be strict terms and conditions guaranteeing quality of service.
CRM becomes important once an online service network is in place where government, service provider and commercial sites are all working together to deliver high-quality value-added public services. The relationship with the customer must be managed end-to-end.
Once these kind of information flows have been achieved, e-government would no longer remain an oxymoron. Public services will be truly provided in the way that people want to receive them. The people are in charge. They can conduct online government transactions without having to deal with the government. Now that’s what I call quite citizen-centric.
Quelle: The Economic Times
