Assessing E-government Readiness

Readiness, in terms of KGRIP objectives, can be defined as the degree to which a Kabupaten community (government offices, citizens, and businesses) is prepared to participate in creating and using e-government services. To gauge this, we must evaluate each Kabupaten’s relative advancement in areas that are critical for the adoption of the ICTs that will support those services. This primarily involves assessing community and leadership attitudes, as well as human resources factors and a few purely technological considerations.

Through assessing a Kabupaten’s readiness we can paint a picture of its unique opportunities and challenges. The answer to the question “Is this Kabupaten prepared?” will never be a simple “yes” or “no.” Instead, what we arrive at is complex map of the community’s potential. A particular Kabupaten may be technically well situated for some applications of ICTs, but unable to use others. Similarly, some quarters of the community may strongly support the move toward e-government, while others view it with apathy, distrust, or even apprehension. Tangibles factors (are computers already being used in this government office?) and more intangible values (will there be adequate enthusiasm for the project to survive?) must be synthesized to answer key questions such as:

  • Is there access to adequate network infrastructure, particularly global communication networks such as the Internet? If so, to what extent is it affordable?
  • Is the public education system prepared to encourage the use of ICT and e-government services?
  • Are there technical programs in the area that can train and prepare an ICT workforce?
  • If the administration of a particular service requires advanced skills, is it feasible to outsource, and for how long?
  • To what extent are individuals using ICTs at work and in their personal lives? Are there local members of the community sufficiently skilled, or who can be trained, to operate ICT systems? Are there opportunities for people with such skills?
  • What e-government services are most needed by a particular segment of the community? Which are technically feasible? Which are economically sustainable? What are the criteria for assessing which technically feasible and sustainable projects gets priority?
  • How are businesses and governments currently using ICTs to interact with the public and with each other?
  • To what extent does governmental policy promote or hinder the growth of ICT adoption and use of e-government services?
  • To what extent do community attitudes promote or hinder the growth of ICT adoption? Are progressive-minded and influential allies available in key sectors of the population?

Clearly, none of these questions exists in isolation; all are linked in some way, each deriving from the others. The task is to pay attention to each, noting where we can capitalize on synergies that exist among them. 

KGRIP E-government Assessment Tools

Since each Kabupaten is unique, assessment tools must be flexible enough to gauge e-government readiness no matter where they are applied. The assessment tools prepared for KGRIP take the form of two questionnaires to be administered by KGRIP field facilitators—one for organizations such as government agencies and community businesses/NGOs, and one for private citizen groups. These questionnaires are geared toward evaluating both technological preparedness for network connectivity and attitudes that contribute to the viability of e-government-related services.

When the results from these questionnaires are tabulated and the relative importance of each factor considered, a picture emerges of where citizen groups, private and civic organizations, and the Kabupaten as a whole stand in regard to their capacity to adopt and use e-government services. They can then be grouped according to their particular “level” of development along the path toward total readiness:

Level 1

Generally defined by the absence or near-absence of services and/or attitudes that make networking possible. Internet access is non-existent for all intents and purposes. Certain elite groups in the community may use computers, but even these are not connected in a Local Area Network. Understanding of, and interest in, ICTs is extremely low. If there are persons with ICT skills, they inevitably seek employment outside the community.

Level 2

Some essential services are available; however, these tend to be of poor quality and high cost, such that the majority of community members cannot enjoy their benefits. There are some Local Area Networks, but these only offer basic services such as file sharing and Internet connection sharing. There is some understanding in the community of the benefits of ICTs, but very few financial or education resources upon which to base action. Employment opportunities for ICT professionals are still limited.

Level 3

A variety of networking services are available, and costs, while high in some areas, are such that a majority of community members are at least partially able to enjoy their benefits. Computers are often networked, and some may even participate in Wide Area Networks. There is increasing understanding in the community of the benefits of ICTs and the Internet, and a number of organizations are taking the lead in this regard. Educational and employment opportunities are available to a limited extent, though highly skilled individuals still tend to seek employment outside the community.

Level 4

Defined by a high-availability of ICT-related services and/or community attitudes that support the adoption and use of such services. A wide range of the population is able to enjoy the benefits of these services. Local Area Networks are extremely common, and many participate in Wide Area Networks. The deployment and use of online, interactive services is increasingly common, and there are numerous educational and employment opportunities in ICT-related fields.

Survey 1: E-Government Readiness Survey For Government Agencies, Businesses, and NGOs

These questions are divided into two groups. Technical Survey questions assess the current state of ICT infrastructure within the organization. Human Resources questions, in contrast, assist in evaluating an organization’s willingness to adopt initiatives that involve ICTs, as well as its ability to support such initiatives through worker education and provision of advancement opportunities for those with ICT skills. While an organization may possess the hardware, network connections and financial resources to implement e-services, leadership and vision are essential for any successful initiative. There must also be opportunities within the organization to offer future ICT workers both first-time and continuing training in essential skills such as software use, network engineering, and World Wide Web design. Such opportunities are fundamental to sustaining e-government projects and support the integration of ICTs into the local economy.

Survey 2: Community Needs & Attitudes E-Readiness Survey

Assessing the e-government needs of a particular community is both a simple and a complex matter. It is simple enough to determine which government services citizens most frequently use and which they currently find difficult to use (and therefore which might benefit most from some form of e-government solution). However, what is more difficult is assessing attitudes toward electronic services, particularly in locales where citizens may have little or no experience of computers or computer-like devices. Understanding attitudes is just as important as understanding how citizens interact with government, since any electronic implementation of government services—no matter how elegant—will fail if citizens feel too intimidated to use it.

Part I of the survey, Information & Communications Technology in the Community, assesses a community’s current understanding and use of ICTs, particularly home computers and the Internet. In this section, a field facilitator simply polls answers to questions such as: Do you own a computer? And, Do you have an internet connection?                    

Part II of the survey relates to assessing e-government needs among a particular cross-section of the community. A field facilitator creates an environment for brainstorming among participants, to answer three key questions:

  • How do citizens currently interact with government (what services do they need to access)?
  • Which of these services do citizens most frequently need to access?
  • Which of these services do citizens find most difficult to access (and therefore would benefit most from some form of e-government solution)?

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