1. e-gov and public sector reform: what role for gov in e-gov? 3 rd ICEGOV Conference Bogotá, November 10-13 th 2009 Matthias Finger, Professor, EPFL It is an academic perspective, but I draw my thoughts from the observation of practices, worldwide, thanks to our global executive master in e-governance)

5. How does e-gov fit into public sector reform? Managerialism Privatization Deregulation Decentralization Participation The efficiency problem The financial problem The legitimation problem e-government (“the systematic use of the ICTs to provide government services in more efficient and more customer-friendly ways”

8. Deconstructing current e-government into 3 layers e-government services , such as e-permits, digital documents, e-participation services, e-health services, e-education services, e-payment services, and others more offered to citizens and firms These services are only possible because corresponding software solutions and (software and hardware) platforms , so-called middleware have been developed in parallel (e.g., data repository platforms, data management platforms, archiving platforms, e-health solutions) And both are only possible because of a fixed and wireless telecommunications infrastructure , which allows citizens to access the internet

9. Reassessing the role of government in these 3 layers Middleware Services Infrastructures What will be left for government in e-government? Telecommunications is already mostly done by (global) private or privatized operators Middleware has been developed and continues to be developed by private software and hardware firms (convergence, globalization) Services could, in theory, be offered by private operators in a competitive fashion; only the public monopoly protects these services Which roles will government really have to play for e-government to work?

11. What role for government in e-government? Managerialism Privatization Deregulation The efficiency problem The financial problem The managerial state The regulatory state Government still has an important role to play in e-government, but it is mainly a regulatory role : - accessibility, equity - interoperability, interconnection - privacy, security  choosing the right partners (by way of accrediting firms) In some rare areas, government keeps a facilitating, incentivizing role (e.g., developing the infrastructures by incentivizing demand) But, if government wants to remain relevant and thus legitimate, it has to go much further  create the conditions for its own relevance

12. What role for government beyond e-government? Managerialism Privatization Deregulation Decentralization Participation The efficiency problem The financial problem The legitimation problem The managerial state The regulatory state The participatory state e-government e-governance (1) e-government will be replaced (by privates and peoples) (2) A role for regulation (of privates) will remain (3) But the future and most important role for government will be to empower citizens and communities to use the ICTs for decentralized and innovative collective problem solving