The document discusses several key questions regarding eGovernment frameworks: 1) Whether eGovernment policy should be the driving force or develop in response to technological developments. 2) The optimal organizational setup for coordinating eGovernment initiatives, whether through a strong centralized unit or decentralized approach. 3) The different models for coordinating implementation and policymaking, ranging from fully decentralized to fully centralized. The document then outlines some of the factors that can drive successful eGovernment development, including stable coordination structures, leadership, legal/fiscal frameworks, and interoperable technical architectures.

1. Tallinn
2011
eGovernment – coordination
or management, centralization
or decentralization.
Arvo Ott, PhD,
arvo.ott@ega.ee
e-Governance Academy
www.ega.ee
Legal
framework Fiscal Technical
Organization
framework architecture
eGovernment Policy / Strategy
1

2. eGovernment frameworks- main
questions
• Policy/strategy as driving force
– eGov is new phenomenon, no long traditions in horizontal
management and policy implementation
– New countries without long experiences in strategic planning
– Policy driven developments or development driven policy?
• Organizational setup and coordination
– Strong centralized unit and management? CIO-s belong to
the central organization sharing the fields of governance
– Small unit for coordination without strong influence to
sectoral development
– Some critical fields are centralized but otherwise
decentralized
Top management is influencing...
• eGovernment is the topic for IT guys
• This is about Internet… and perhaps SW
development… to make computer programmes
• I have nothing to do with it – everything is
described in legislation
• We have low Internet penetration, we have to
wait
• ICT policy is approved, now everything OK
• eGovernment is the project which will be
completed by… for example 1 January 2012 ☺
2

3. Models of coordination (WB survey)
• Model 1 – decentralized implementation,
decentralized policy making
• Model 2 – centralized implementation, centralized
policy making
• Model 3 – decentralized implementation,
centralized policy making
• Model 4 – centralized implementation,
decentralized policy making
Driving forces of eGov
o Stable and functioning organizational
setup for coordination.
o Leadership and political will.
o Fixed info-political principles.
o PPP, good telecom infrastructure and
high level of eBanking
o Supporting legal and fiscal frameworks.
o Interoperable ICT architecture.
3

4. Government
County Local
Ministries governments governments
IT managers Representative
Management
representatives &
IT managers of Local government
Subordinate IT councils
ministries
agencies of counties associations
IT managers
Council Representative
representative
IT councils of
ministries Councils
directors
Informatics IC secretariat
Council
ICT work groups
ICT work groups IT manager of counties
of ministries Department of MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC
State Information AFFAIRS AND
COMMUNICATIONS
Systems (RISO)
Informatics
Centre
PRIME MINISTER
Adviser to the PM
on ICT
COUNCIL OF Committee on Policies for
MINISTERS Information Society
(CPIS)
NATIONAL AGENCY OF INFORMATION SOCIETY
ICT Units in Ministries ICT Units in central
institutions
ICT units in local ICT Private Sector Center for research
government and development of
ICT
4

5. STATE CHANCELLERY
ICT work group eGov Center ICT work group
of ministries (CIO office) of regional
development
•Regulation initiatives
Local
•eGov budget planning
•monitoring of implementation governments
Representative
Ministries
Reform initiatives
Local government
ICT Budget associations
CIO-s project eGov imple-
procurement,
supervision, menting institution
implementation Representative
systems
maintenance
end user training
Tools for coordination:
• Rights and responsibilities in legislation development
• Influence on planning and use of budget
Lessons learned:
• Most important in policy/strategy planning is the
process not the result on paper
• Good access to high decisionmakers in government
but not too close to “party politics”
• Sustainability of planning and running of eGov
systems is wideley depending on sustainable budget
planning
• Development of CIO institution and knowledge level of
CIO-s is crucial
• Good support from private sector and academia
5

6. Thank you for your
attention!
Arvo Ott, PhD
Director
eGovernance Academy
arvo.ott@ega.ee
www.ega.ee
6