Door Opener eGovernment: Small Solutions with Great Potential

Simply the access to information – which is so natural in the developed world –  already has an immediate positive impact on development. So it is not always about huge engineering projects. It is often the small solutions originating from local problems which are better accepted. In Kenya, for instance, an electronic system was installed, with which cases of corruption could be reported anonymously. It was a novelty in the region and it was implemented with a minimum cost. Concrete contributions in terms of development policy are already in sight in telemedicine and eLearning – says Professor Dr. Tino Schuppan, Scientific Director of the Institute for eGovernment, an integrated body of the Potsdam University. In the interview for the MDG-Media-Blog Karla Sponar wanted to know from him:

How can eGovernment be of use for development?

Prof. Schuppan: To begin with, eGovernment is not only an online-processing of state benefits, but a transformation of state structures via ICT (information and communication technology), which in the end might lead to a more transparent, effective and efficient administration. eGovernment can contribute to Good Governance, thus to good action of both government and administration. Empirical evidence shows that Good Governance accounts for more private investments. An efficient administration is therefore an essential requirement for any kind of development as well. This can already be observed in many cases. For instance, if a farmer in a remote area gets information on prices for agricultural products via a smart or cell phone – as it has already been put to practice in India or Africa – and thereby can avoid distributors when selling his crop, this can immediately increase the income of the rural population. It is a concrete contribution to poverty policy. Another example: weather information at the right time – it can save a crop. Integrated fiscal systems are another area of interest. They help to supervise cash flows within the state and to make them more transparent in order to better monitor the cash outflow. Prospects for manipulation and corruption can be reduced that way. Taxpayers can be supervised with this method, as well, in order to guarantee higher tax revenue. Because in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa there is the problem of “Failing States”: There are hardly any efficient state structures. The potentials of eGovernment in developing countries need to be seen differently from those in developed countries. eGovernment itself can’t resolve the causes of a failing state, but it can often contribute concretely to an improved governmental action – if the political will is present. Especially in states in Sub-Saharan Africa, the tax revenue is often so low that basic state functions and structures are insufficient or not present at all because they are not fundable. Relating to the tax example: If there is no efficient administrative system for taxes in many African countries south of the Sahara, why not directly establish an electronic one from the beginning?

What do your evaluations show in detail? Are there any direct disadvantages to eGovernment?

Prof. Schuppan: Attention is demanded in terms of an all too easy transfer of eGovernment-solutions from North to South. Long-term experiences with transferring western administrative systems have revealed this already. eGoverment-concepts in particular – like the disjunction into Front and Back Office – originated in the problem context of the Western world. During a one-to-one transfer under a different cultural and organisational framework they could develop entirely different outcomes. Generally a strict separation of various administrative functions is propagated. The danger, though, is that it could result in more centralization, more corruption and less transparency. Or, to stay with the tax example: What is an efficient tax and fiscal system good for if a corruption-prone state helps itself to the additional receipts, which subsequently are not employed for the population and development? Transparency is demanded here; but this is also less a technical question. The focus on expenses alone doesn’t help: The personnel costs of African administrations only amount to a tenth of what western industrial countries spend. To replace staff with ICT could lead to an even less efficient administration in the end due to the comparatively high IT-costs. African administrations in particular have a general performance problem, but also a serious efficiency and legitimization problem which all too easily leaves the field of vision. In many cases it depends on building solid and basic state functions. Often it lacks in the necessary public data and information which are a precondition for intelligent development planning. A state needs qualitative first-class data; these include at least the following so called “E-Data”: earth (geographical data), income (for the purpose of taxation), inhabitants (resident register), and property (proof of ownership). African countries often develop informal settlement areas in urban regions because administration processes and the cadastral data are not well organized or not organized at all, among other reasons. As a consequence people build illegally – not necessarily because they are poor, but simply because they cannot buy the property quickly enough or can’t buy it at all. The consequences in terms of development policy are the following: They can’t take out a loan from a bank because they can’t lend on the property on which they have built their home. The financial sector suffers. In informal settlement areas there is then a higher crime rate. Infrastructures such as sewage and roads don’t comply with the standards. This has social and economic consequences. eGovernment can start precisely at these local problems. Otherwise planning will pass these problems in terms of development policy. In order for eGovernment to display its full potential, existing problems and social structures are to be examined to develop adequate methods of resolution. In conclusion, eGovernment offers a series of potentials which, however, can easily revert into the opposite at an all too early transfer. It depends mainly on management and organizational competence, and less on absolute expertise in computer informatics.

What achievements can you declare from your experiences for Good Governance?

Prof. Schuppan: We notice that in many developing countries, policy makers gladly adopt eGovernment in order to present themselves modern to the outside. They are not necessarily aware of the impact for Good Governance. Egypt, for instance: Years ago, it was still a problem to provide information about administrative productivity to the citizens in pamphlets. Even the authorization of the Secretary of the Interior was required for this purpose. Today this information can naturally be found on government websites there. Information and communication technology sometimes develop a momentum which isn’t assessable beforehand. Altogether, it is lamentable that just too little research is funded in this area. eGovernment is quickly pushed into the technical corner then, though not everything is attached to the technical question. It is not about the adoption of any ICT-solutions, but about establishing new interactions and social structures which can have immense signification in terms of development policy and economy.

How should donor organizations and donor countries handle eGovernment?

Prof. Schuppan: In the discourse related to development policy, eGovernment and ICT have long ago taken up an important position and it is hard to imagine development without them. Canada and the U.S. and some few European states such as Italy have already gained some experience with implementing eGovernment in developing countries. Latterly, Asian countries have gone strongly forward in terms of exporting eGovernment. Within a few years, South Korea has excelled at becoming the major exporter of eGovernment-solutions worldwide. This happened at a rapid speed and with high professionalism. There, eGovernment is seen less as a topic of development, though. Behind it are concrete political and economic interests. Domestic manufacturers of software, hardware and infrastructure will be fostered. A recipient country of South Korean eGovernment solutions is Vietnam, for instance: A data processing center, an eProcurement-solution, and an eGovernment training center were built here. Another example is Rwanda: Next to an integrated data processing center, a national broadband infrastructure and tele-centers were built in rural areas. In addition, solutions for citizen services were adopted in Indonesia. In the German development policy, eGovernment as well as other IT fields of application such as telemedicine and eEducation play a rather marginal role. In fact, there are isolated projects relating loosely to eGovernment like eTaxation in Tanzania or the electronical corruption declaration system in Kenya. However, these came about rather accidentally than as a result of a fundamental alignment. Thereby, eGovernment would go well with the alignment of the German development policy because Good Governance and decentralization have been on its agenda for years. On top of that, eGovernment serves as an excellent “door opener” for Good Governance. Above all there is generally a high IT-affinity in many non-democratic systems. Particularly in the German Department for Economic Cooperation and Development – which is responsible for development policy – the subject is neglected as much as possible, although “ICT4D” (Information and Communication Technology for Development (www.infodev.org)  became international mainstream long ago. Last but not least, there have already been two world summits (WSIS) about this issue – in 2003 in Geneva and 2005 in Tunis, each with participants from 175 countries. However, this attracted little attention in Germany. The hope remains that this will change in the future.

Tino Schuppan

Prof. Dr. Tino Schuppan, Scientific Director of the Institute forr eGovernment at the University of Potsdam; he directed various research and consultig projects in the area of eGovernment for international, European and national organisations. In development cooperation Schuppan analysed the proces of reforms in the Egyptian and African administration.

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