The document discusses the opportunities and challenges of implementing e-governance through information and communication technologies (ICT). It emphasizes the need to develop necessary infrastructure and human resources, as well as provide adequate funding. While ICT offers opportunities to transform government services and democracy, there are also risks associated with strategy, context, and operations. The government's role is to transform digital convergence into creative divergence by creating knowledge communities that empower individuals, communities, and civil society through participation in the information society.

1. 1 & 0 The Digital Maya: Connecting the Countless e-Governance

2. Effective Governance Taking the initiative Good Governance should, among other things, be participatory, transparent and accountable in characteristic. Good Governance has major implications for equity, poverty and quality of life. ICT Human Capacity Policy Infra-structure Content Enter-prise

3. ICT & e-Governance Immediate concern Putting in place the necessary state information infrastructure; Developing and nurturing the necessary human resource to operate the information infrastructure; and Providing adequate financial resources to implement both the infrastructural and human resource requirements.

4. ICT & e-Governance Opportunities & Challenges The application of information and communication technologies can also be risky and is, therefore, not without attendant problems Problems of strategy, Problems of context and Problems of operation Opportunities offered by the new and emerging information and communication technologies to transform government, democracy, government-related transactions as well as the embedding society, both economically and socially.

5. Knowledge Communities Government Role in Transforming Digital Convergence into Creative Divergence The key responsibilities is in transforming the emerging digital convergence into creative divergence through initiatives aimed to create knowledge communities. Knowledge communities may be perceived as societies that are able to exploit knowledge, limited only by their imagination (creative divergence), to derive comparative as well as competitive advantage using the opportunities rendered possible by the emergence of digital convergence.

6. Knowledge Communities Empowerment of Individuals, Communities and Civil Society The objective is to create the conditions for the empowerment of individuals, communities and the civil society Enabling participation in the information society; Creating the infrastructure for the information society; Fostering a sense of citizenship and cultural identity using ICTs.

7. Knowledge Communities Information Networks Knowledge Networks Communities Of Practice Trust How safe do you feel here? Usefulness To what extent does the network, Gives info you need? Identification How personal is the topic for you? Commonality Of Purpose To what extent are you in a similar discipline or face a similar obstacle?

8. Knowledge Communities Knowledge Hub aamagaon.com Civil Society

9. Digital Governance Digital Governance will ensure that citizens are no longer passive consumers of services offered to them and would transform them to play a decisive role in deciding the kind of services they want and the structure which could best provide the same. Perceived levels of diffusion in society Global Village Knowledge Economy Wired Nation Empowered Community Learning Organisation Informatised Individual

10. Aspects e-Democracy - broadly, Electronic Democracy refers to the processes and structures that encompass all forms of electronic communication between Government and the Citizen. e-Government - refers to the processes and structures pertinent to the electronic delivery of government services to the public. e-Business - refers to a broader definition of (e-Commerce), not just buying and selling but also servicing customers.

11. Perspectives Factors of making the transition to a digital epoch and a Knowledge Economy Applications Architecture Content & Services; Standards; Communications Architecture Communications Infrastructure; Standards; Technology Architecture System Platforms; Standards; Human Resource Competency Competencies for the Digital & Knowledge Economy Change Management

12. e-Government Initiative Making it a reality e-Strategies should distinguish and recognize the importance of e-Government for internal efficiency and effectiveness within government, as well as of e-Governance for institutional capacity building, transparency, accountability and its ability to enhance democratic governance;