e-Governance for Development:

UNDP’s Strategic Approach

Harnessing ICT to foster

Democratic Governance

April 2005
Contents

• ICTD Background
• Emerging Governance Issues
• ICT and Governance
• UNDP on E-Governance for Development
• Mapping of UNDP e-governance activities
• challenges for e-governance progrmames
 ICTD Background

• Early 1990s: UNDP - a pioneer on ICT for Development

(ICTD) through a variety of global, regional and national
programmes (SDNP, APDIP, etc.)
• Mid/Late 1990s: Initial focus on innovative ICTD
programmes and pilot projects, then a shift to policy and
upstream processes to strengthen the former
• Complemented by a multi-stakeholder approach in policy
dialogue and programme implementation
• Early 2000s: ICTD mainstreamed into the Governance and
Poverty Practices with dedicated MYFF service lines (e-
governance and ICT for the Poor, respectively)
 Emerging Governance Issues
• Globalization (greatly fostered by ICT):

new global issues at stake (trade, environment, etc.)

emergence of supra-national, inter-state entities and
private governance practices

emergence of bottom-up CSO transnational networks
(via ICT)

raise of ¨governance without governments¨
• New Public Management strategies:

privatization of public services and industries

introduction of business practices and management into
the public sector

¨hollowing out of the state¨; new role vis-a-vis citizens
(from provider to facilitator?)
 ICT and Governance

• ICT: more than just PCs and/or the Internet; rather a wide
set of converging technologies (computers,
telecommunications and media)
• ICT as a catalyst for both globalization and the new role of
governments
• ICT core impact on governance: networks and networking
at the local, global levels, including grass-root efforts
• Differentiate between ICT to promote democratic
governance (¨e-governance¨) and governance of the new
ICT (ICT governance)
• But ICT governance will determine the extent to which
stakeholders can access ICT to promote democratic
processes
 Focusing on e-governance

• The ¨Digital Divide¨ should not be main focus of ICTD

interventions.
• There are also educational, health and governance
¨divides¨ among many others
• The issue at stake is the role that the new ICT can play
in closing such divides
• Early evidence suggests that ICT can not only make
governments more transparent, accountable and
efficient but also can enhance the participation of
citizens in governance/democratic processes
• Key to distinguish e-government from e-governance
(similar to government vs. governance)
 UNDP Strategic
Approach to e-governance

• Although a new dedicated sub-practice, UNDP has

extensively supported e-governance programmes and
projects for many years
• Perhaps the best example is the Sustainable Development
Networking Programme (SDNP,
http;//www.sdnp.undp.org) which aimed at networking
CSOs and governments on sustainable development
• In addition, many CO have embarked in related projects
• UNDP´s approach to e-governance builds on these
experiences and proposes an integrated approach to the use
of ICT to promote democratic governance
 e-governance for Development:
UNDP Focus
• The strategic use of ICT can increase the transparency and
accountability of development processes and institutions,
strengthen the engagement and participation of citizens in
national decision-making, enhance access to key
information and knowledge resources, and improve the
delivery of basic services to the overall population
• Furthermore, ICT can provide the networking tools for
public and civil society actors to liaise around critical
local or global issues to openly voice their opinions and
development needs
• UNDP thus promotes the use of ICT to foster democratic
governance via the involvement of citizens, specially
youth and women, in social and development issues
 e-governance for Development:
A Comprehensive Approach

• The use of ICT will not automatically generate any of the

above goals
• Instead, an integrated policy framework with four layers
has been developed:

✔ Access and Connectivity

✔
e-government (strategies/applications)
✔ Access to information via ICT
✔ Networks and networking
 e-governance for Development:
Access and Connectivity

• Connectivity:
➔
stakeholders require ¨physical¨ access to ICT and its
networks (not only PCs or the Internet)
➔
focus is on ¨last mile¨ solutions not large telecom
infrastructure/backbones
➔
new technologies such as wireless networks and cell phones
are facilitating connectivity at a rapid pace
• Access:
➔
stakeholders require the human skills and resources to use
ICT
➔
capacity development as key component
➔
connectivity as necessary but not sufficient
 e-governance for Development:
e-government strategies/applications
• e-government: infostructure
➔
deployment of ICT tools and solutions in government
institutions to promote efficiency of government, and its
transparency and accountability to citizens
➔
enhancing the delivery of public services and fostering
efficiency in both the public and private sectors
➔
providing access to public information and knowledge
resources
• national e-government strategies focused on citizens with
multi-stakeholder involvement and linked to development
agendas and goals are required
• linked to public administration reform, civil servant
capacity building and local government and
decentralization strategies
 e-governance for Development:
Access to Information via ICT

• Cost of producing and reproducing information via ICT is

minimal vis-a-vis traditional media (includes voice and
video in addition to printing)
• ICT interactivity allows any citizen with access to also be
a publisher of information - and not only a passive
recipient, the ¨democratization of media¨
• ICT allow for quick and easy sharing of relevant
information resources in real time
• Key issues on privacy, security and Intellectual Property
rights have emerged
• Public domain information being ¨privatized¨
 e-governance for Development:
Networks and Networking Applications

• ICT has helped create new networks while enhancing the

scope and reach of existing ones
• Emergence of truly national and transnational networks as
one of the key features of the new Information Society
• Networking fosters increased dialog and collaboration
between public and private actors, promotes locally driven
and community-oriented development
• Networking applications such as e-parliament, e-elections
and e-participation further enhance local and national
governance processes and issues
 e-governance for Development:
Recap

• The four layers are closely related and interact with each
other
• For example, an e-government strategy focused on citizen
participation and information sharing can increase both
connectivity and access, and access to information which
in turn will promote networks and networking with
spillover effects for additional ICT access, better service
delivery (public and private) and increased citizen
participation in development processes
 Mapping UNDP e-governance
for Development Programmes:
Overview
• By the end of 2004, UNDP was supporting 198 e-
governance projects in over 100 country offices,
distributed as follows:
 Mapping UNDP e-governance
for Development Programmes:
RBAP
• By the beginning of 2004, UNDP was supporting 38 e-
governance project in the Asia and Pacific region with a
focus on e-government and Access to Information via ICT
 Mapping UNDP e-governance
for Development Programmes:
RBAP Country Examples
●
Access to Information in Samoa: established island information
centers for citizens living in different islands. The aim of the
project is to involve the communities in the national planning
process for the achievement of the MDGs
●
e-government in Cambodia: aims at implementing an e-gov
administrative information system (GAIS) which will serve as a
one-stop service system for information administration and
electronic approval of various processes
●
Governance Forum in the Philippines: developed an electronic
venue for key stakeholders, organizations and individuals to
network and interact on policy issues related to budget advocacy
policy research, political culture in the Philippines and good
governance
 Challenges for e-governance programmes in
Developing Countries

• Lack of adequate infrastructure/infostructure

• Limited local capacities, educational resources
• Access to ICT restricted to very few (usually local elites)
• Political instability and politically closed regimes
• Corruption and lack of political will to change
• Lack of trust in civil society and/or the private sector
• Existence of multiple languages/prevalence of oral
traditions in local communities
• Lack of adequate regulatory frameworks, legislation amd
institutional capacity