[WSIS CS-Plenary] DIGITAL PUBLIC INNOVATION FAIR-2010

[Hakikur Rahman]

Pleased to read the email. I hope this Digital 
Public Innovation Fair 2010 will be a milestone 
in accomplishing the visions set for the ´Digital 
Bangladesh´. The government may take this 
opportunity to discuss them elaborately through 
the conferences by making partnership with 
entrepreneurs, research institutes, civil 
societies and development partners. I am certain, 
there are opportunities to collaborate among them 
in reaching out the benefit of the Digital 
Bangladesh to the grass roots communities in the country.

Not without making it a very long email, I would 
like to draw a little attention on reaching out 
to the grass roots communities through the local government initiatives:

Governments throughout the world are in quest of 
finding novel ways to deliver public services 
more efficiently and effectively to reach the 
people at large. Incorporation of electronic form 
of governance (e-governance) in the local 
governments tier is an option widely discussed, 
although the expectations often vary. They vary 
in nature, culture, practice, habits and 
habitations among communities, regions, states 
and nations. For example, some foresee service 
delivery costs to be reduced, many expect for 
equitable stipulation of public services and 
others anticipate better planning across a 
geographical boundary. Various social motivations 
and political commitments motivations may also be 
reasons for the change as well.

Moreover, due to non availability of any accepted 
e-governance framework, some countries and 
agencies of implementation are yet at the stage 
of simulation or at stages of experimentation or 
at state of confusion, even after years of 
successful operation of e-government system in 
many countries. Countries in the developing and 
transitional economies are major victims of this 
situation, as most of the time they just try to 
replicate an established system in a country or 
try to simply manipulate on their own without 
enough researches in this aspect or try to 
popularize a vision without looking into the 
intricacy within it. The consequences are that, 
not only governments, but also, development 
actors are revisiting the concept of e-government 
system as many projects on e-governance have 
failed throughout the globe. Some of the 
international agencies have even shifted their 
focus area of funding. Perhaps, these could be 
due to factors related to design, perception, 
culture, economics, transparency or simple 
failure due to lack of proper attention.

National e-government concepts and strategies 
should lead to develop a concrete e-governance 
framework in a country incorporating; development 
of institutional infrastructure, establishment of 
adequate information infrastructure, formation of 
liberal legal and regulatory infrastructure, and 
creation of business value out of these services.

In this context, to achieve maximum capabilities 
of ICT tools in e-government practice at the 
grass roots, it is necessary to adjust the 
organizational structure and usage leading to: 
actual legal and socioeconomic context in which 
strategic development planning process is to be 
performed; pragmatic demands that managing of 
local development has to be fulfilled; include 
all participants in local management process; and 
strengthen institutional capacities and 
procedures.  However, it has been observed that 
only small percentage of the local governments 
could meet the criteria for effective 
e-government management including: leadership, 
strategic planning, performance measurement and 
market promotion. In order to be successful, 
local e-government objectives require strong 
leadership that champions e-government and works 
to increase acceptance among stakeholders. In 
addition to having a local strategy, individual 
organizations should also include local 
e-government approach in their strategic plans to 
ensure each employee is continuously looking for 
ways to improve processes and service delivery. 
Regular performance measures are also essential 
for evaluating whether the particular 
e-government system ( or segment of the system) 
is cost efficient, properly serving customers, and being used effectively.

As mentioned below (in the announcement), several 
service delivery (Passport, SSC and HSC results, 
automation of recruitment process, and others) 
that have already created enthusiasm and offering 
benefits are of worth mentioning. The government 
need to utilize this momentum to include some 
more pragmatic service deliveries, such as 
e-procurement, e-transactions, and e-application 
processing in various government agencies who offer citizen services.

Aiming at a fully functioning information system, 
the following basic technical preconditions 
should also be met: establishment of a local 
network connecting all the computers in the local 
administration, or at least one computer in each 
organization or office should be in the network; 
configuring a central server to host the content, 
information and supporting software locally; and 
affordable Internet connection according to the 
needs of the local government network and its 
financial capacity. Large municipalities might 
use a dedicated line (broadband, fiber, ISDN or 
other available high speed connectivity), 
providing twenty-four hour connection with the 
Internet. Smaller local governments may afford to 
a more limited connection at an affordable price. 
Central government may subsidize the entire 
operation for a while till the local e-government 
system becomes self sustainable. If the system is 
built around the core aspects of the livelihood 
system, incorporating the people at large has 
every possibility of sustenance in the long run.

However, to implement a pragmatic information 
system at the local government level, the 
following information infrastructure could be 
thought as a pre-requisite: at least one computer 
in each department or office (simple PIII or PIV 
or even clones); one high-end computer (may be a 
Pentium V) functioning as server; personnel with 
minimum working knowledge on computer basics and 
Internet; an user-friendly operating system 
(perhaps, open source) and a operational manual; 
at least a team of experts (preferably local, of 
not periodical central) to conduct the basic 
systemic analysis, install the model, and train 
the officials (train the trainers, instead of training the entire community).

Better implementation of local e-government or 
local e-governance means utilizing the power of 
ICT to assist in transforming the accessibility, 
quality and cost-effectiveness of public service 
and to help revitalize the relationship among 
customers and citizens and the public bodies who 
work for their benefits. Planned e-governance and 
appropriate use of ICT at the local level can 
enhance and support economic and social 
development, particularly in empowering officials 
and municipal representatives by ensuring 
linkages and networking through timely, 
efficient, transparent, responsive, and accountable services.

I hope some of you will find it interesting.

Thanking you,
Hakik
PS. Anyone interested may write me off-line.


Prof. Hakikur Rahman
Post-Doctoral researcher
University of Minho, Portugal and
Adjunct Faculty
BSMRAU, Bangladesh.
Web: www.hakik.org

At 11:27 14-02-2010, AHM Bazlur Rahman wrote:
>[Please note that by using 'REPLY', your 
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>
>Click http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/ to 
>access automatic translation of this message!
>_______________________________________
>
>
>
>DIGITAL PUBLIC INNOVATION FAIR-2010
>
>4-6 March 2010
>
>
>
>[]
>In order to make the government policy, 
>administration and service delivery more 
>efficient, effective, transparent and 
>accountable ,Information and communication 
>technologies have proven to play an increasingly 
>prominent role not only in developed parts of 
>the world but also in developing countries. ICTs 
>such as mobile phones, TV, radio in addition to 
>computers and internet have been able to reach 
>traditionally excluded communities, and allow a 
>much larger participation in national decision 
>making than had hitherto been possible. The Fair 
>will take place during 4-6 March 
>2010<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 
>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>
>The vision Of “Digital Bangladesh” is unique as 
>it proposes ICTs as a pro-poor tool. In regard 
>to this vision, Access to Information Programme 
>is an e-governance umbrella initiative which 
>plans and coordinates the ongoing and future 
>activities across various ministries and 
>agencies of the government to utilize ICTs as a 
>tool to make government services 
>hassle-free,faster,cheaper, more inclusive and at citizens doorsteps.
>
>The ‘DIGITAL PUBLIC INNOVATION FAIR-2010’ is a 
>step towards providing extensive citizen 
>services to citizen . Through this fair citizens 
>will be aware of the extensive e-services at 
>their doorsteps. Also, citizens will be 
>benefited in terms of reduced transaction time.
>
>Some examples from Bangladesh demonstrate the vast potential:
>    * Publishing SSC/HSC results through SMS, 
> electricity bill payment through mobile phone, 
> one-stop passport delivery, downloadable 
> government forms have reduced cost and time for the government and citizens
>    * Automation of primary teacher recruitment 
> process has increased transparency; automation 
> has enabled the Ministry of Religious Affairs 
> to handle over 50,000 hajjis with ease where it 
> had great difficulty in handling 5,000 hajjis earlier.
>    * The Voter/Citizen’s ID card is generating 
> a comprehensive database of citizens that can 
> be used for birth and death registration, 
> marriage registration, school enrolment, 
> vaccination, social safety net programmes, and many others
>
>In its work for the last year or so, the Access 
>to Information Programme of the Prime Minister’s 
>Office has found that sharing success stories of 
>service delivery innovations that are taking 
>place in different organs of the government 
>encourages the innovators and spurs further 
>innovation in others. With this view in mind, an 
>Digital Public Innovation Fair 2010 is being 
>designed to showcase the best practices in 
>public service delivery in a 3-day event open to 
>government officials from around the country.
>
>The objectives of the event are:
>    * To encourage and promote the current best 
> practices in public service delivery
>    * To share and replicate these best 
> practices across government organizations
>    * To set a tone of healthy competition 
> amongst the GoB ministries and agencies
>
>Government participants will benefit from 
>learning about best practices in this respective 
>field of service delivery and administration. 
>Industry participants will benefit from 
>showcasing their most innovation solutions. For 
>more info: 
><http://www.digitalinnovationfair.info/>http://www.digitalinnovationfair.info/
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>Bazlu
>_______________________
>AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
>Chief Executive Officer
>Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication(BNNRC)
>&
>Member, Strategy Council
>UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN GAID)
>
>House: 13/1, Road:2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207
>Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh
>
>Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501
>01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105
>
>E-mail: <mailto:ceo at bnnrc.net>ceo at bnnrc.net, 
><mailto:bnnrc at bd.drik.net>bnnrc at bd.drik.net
><http://www.bnnrc.net>www.bnnrc.net
>
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