The best way to illustrate the value of e-Government is with actual implementations. A few examples at this point will illustrate the range of economic and democratic benefits that can flow from well-planned and well-managed e-Government projects:

• E-Government can make available to citizens services of value to their daily lives. For example, the e-Seva project of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India provides citizens with a wide spectrum of services ranging from the payment of utility bills to registration of motor vehicles.
• Online government procurement has been successfully implemented in several countries, with a range of benefits. Chile’s e-Procurement system is credited by one study with lowering businesses’ transaction costs and reducing opportunities for corruption.
• Land and property registration matters can be complex and contentious in developing countries, but governments can use ICTs to streamline issuance of land and property titles and make them more reliable and less susceptible to manipulation. For example, the Government of Mozambique has worked with the Government of Italy and the Development Gateway Foundation to digitize land records through the e-Land Registry and the Land Information Management System (LIMS).
• e-Democracy and e-Participation features can promote civic trust by ensuring that citizens’ views and interests are better represented in government programs or processes. For example, Mexico has an on-line forum that allows citizens to engage their government. Similarly, Singapore has an online feedback system. The Philippine Civil Service Commission implemented an e-Government system that enables citizens to text messaging to lodge corruption charges or other complaints against government officials.
• Mobile phones, which outnumber fixed-lines (and far outnumber personal computers) in many developing countries, are increasingly being used as channels for e-Government. In Hong Kong, for example, “m-Government” initiatives allow citizens to book appointments with government agencies. Malta offers m-Government services that include acknowledgement and status of citizen complaints; notice of court hearings and exam results; license renewals; and direct payments from the Department of Social Security. Japan offers m-government services through its portal.

Next: Planning e-Government Programs and Projects

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