National Information Policy developments worldwide I: electronic government

A review of recent Government initiatives in the area of e-Government based upon a review of the literature is presented. The desk research covered the period 1997 to 2001, and covered a number of major countries, including Canada, USA, Member States of the European Union, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. The UK was not included in the survey. The targets set by Government are often vague, and few governments seem to have addressed in any thoughtful manner the problems citizens might have with use of technology. An approach along the lines of ‘this is bound to happen’ rather than ‘what sort of society do we really want?’ is a common feature amongst all the approaches examined. The risks of enhancing the digital divide are also rarely explicitly addressed. Comments regarding good initiatives that offer models for other countries to adopt are made. The emergence of government portals is without doubt the most significant development. These provide the facility for personalization by the user. The New Zealand Government’s efforts to ensure that its web sites are useful for citizens who have difficulty spelling and the Canadian Government’s use of minority languages are also noteworthy. The leading countries are Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. The Australian Government’s e-procurement strategy is a role model for the future.