Judiciary Changing Gears: January 2006 Issue

Volume II issue 1, January 2006

ISSN 0973-161X

National Panchayat Portal PAGE 29 NCDEX: Bridging information gap PAGE 33 Eyeing Third World leadership PAGE 36 Aiding development, accelerating innovation through ICT PAGE 39 The first Asian monthly on e-Government

www.egovonline.net

Judiciary

Changing gears

Cover Story Ambitious programme for ICTenablement of Indian judiciary takes off!

e-Governance impacts Gujarat Corruption reduced, tax revenues increase at interstate border checkposts

Ariba: Transforming Spend Management Interview: T Sivakumar, Ariba India

PREVIEW

egov Asia 2006 & DL Asia 2006 www.egovasia.net www.DLasia.csdms.in

CONTENTS

The first Asian monthly on e-Government

Cover Story 12

Ambitious programme for ICT-enablement of Indian judiciary takes off!

IT accelerated judicial administration - from fiction to fact Nazia Abidi

Enforcing â&#x20AC;&#x153;rule of justiceâ&#x20AC;? through e-Governance Praveen Dalal

In Practice

Country Focus: Bangladesh

e-Governance impacts Gujarat Corruption reduced, tax revenues increase at interstate border checkposts Prabhat Kumar, Sushil and M. P. Gupta

Eyeing Third World leadership Bangaladesh embraces e-Governance in earnest

Industry Perspective 42

Climbing the e-Governance ladder in Malaysia Interview: Hayati Harudin, Head Malaysia e-Governance Centre of Excellence, Oracle Corp. Malaysia

Ariba: Transforming Spend Management Interview: T Sivakumar, Group Director, Ariba India

National Panchayat Portal Managing content for local governance D C Misra, Rama Hariharan

NCDEX: Bridging information gap Leading farmers towards agricultural growth and benefit Sarah Koshie

Commentary 46

Positioning e-Governance on fast track in India Sudhir Agarwal

| January 2006

Banking 19 Aiding development, accelerating innovation through ICT Inter-American Development Bank Rafael Anta, Danilo Piaggesi

Regular Features

6 News Review 48 egov by numbers 49 About Town 50 Facts and Data 3

EDITORIAL

Vol. II, Issue 1

January 2006

President M P Narayanan Editor-in-Chief Ravi Gupta Sr. Assistant Editor Anuradha Dhar Assistant Editor Dipanjan Banerjee Designed by Bishwajeet Kumar Singh Web www.egovonline.net Editorial and marketing correspondence eGov G-4 Sector 39 NOIDA 201301, India Tel: +91 120 2502181-87 Fax: +91 120 2500060 Email: info@egov.csdms.in Printed by Yashi Media Works Pvt Ltd New Delhi, India egov does not neccesarily subscribe to the views expressed in this publication. All views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors. egov is not responsible or accountable for any loss incurred, directly or indirectly as a result of the information provided.

In-law, outlaw and e-law! Recently, I was talking to a Malaysian, who was proudly explaining me that he can pay his driving overspeeding charges on the net. He might be located anywhere in the world and still could pay these charges online. I just thought of a similar situation in India where for paying a small fine of Rupees 1,000 one has to pay touts something around Rupees 5,000! Finding one’s way out of the complex maze of the Indian Police and legal system can be very painful to a common citizen in India! It is considered a curse in India to be dealing with a lawyer. Dealing with the Indian legal system is a cumbersome process and getting one’s case for hearing itself may take decades. Of course, people with money have their ways of finding through the Indian legal maze, but only at the expense of the poor who have to spend huge money in fighting litigation. If there is one area, in my opinion, which needed e-Governance systems to be implemented yesterday in South Asia, it is the Judiciary. And if there is one area, which is most ignored in e-Governance implementation, it is the Judiciary. The reason for this perhaps maybe because the judicial machinery of government mostly works independent of the majority of the other ministries and there are only few departments, which will dare to make any comment on law department let alone taking up the role of ‘re-engineering’ processes of the judiciary. In this situation, it comes a welcome relief that the starting steps in this regard have been taken up by India. But, having seen the fate of many e-Government projects, which have promised the moon and not even delivered the earth, one can only have a cautious optimism on this initiative. Unless the project is able to find champions at the top levels in the judicial and law-making system of the country, achieving any results will remain a mirage. The situation on judicial nightmares is more or less similar in many South Asian countries and perhaps somewhat better in some South East Asian ones. Let’s hope that we can get inspired from the best practices of our neighbours and implement e-Judiciary systems in the right earnest!

egov is published in technical collaboration with GIS Development (www.GISdevelopment.net)

Ravi Gupta Ravi.Gupta@csdms.in © Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies, 2005 www.csdms.in

| January 2006

NEWS REVIEW

e-Government

INDIA Rs 100 crore BMC investment on eGovernance next fiscal A total investment of Rs 100 crore (USD 23 million) would be pumped in by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Maharashtra to boost e-Governance during the next fiscal. During the current fiscal, BMC would be spending Rs 70 crore on e-Governance projects. The e-Governance sectors to be covered under the plan include Geographical Information System, Global Positioning System, Voice Over Internet Protocol, web-enabled email system, ERP solutions, and Biometric Access Control System (BACS). According to BMC officials, registration of births and deaths, payment of taxes, registration of vehicles and filing of complaints would soon become online. Satish Bhide, Joint Municipal Commissioner, disclosed, “The BMC is working in close coordination with central government authorities, like NIC and Survey of India, for creating a database with the help of a digitising map of Mumbai. GIS will aid in planning and development of the island city.”

Karnataka, Intel introduce “Gyanodaya” for effective e-Governance In order to bridge the digital divide and help employees work more efficiently, the government of Karnataka has joined hands with Intel to introduce “Gyanodaya” – a government assisted PC purchase programme for encouraging PC adoption among State Government employees. 6

Through “Gyanodaya”, the first initiative of its kind in south India, state government employees would avail of a home PC from leading companies such as HP, PCS, HCL, Microsoft etc, under simple financing options duly available from public sector banks and other financial institutions. Customised PCs would be available at an EMI of as low as Rs 399 for four years. It may be recalled that similar projects have been successfully implemented in some 14 countries worldover. Even in India, states like Delhi, West Bengal and Uttaranchal have witnessed similar efforts. Karnataka chief minister Dharam Singh said that the initiative is likely to boost PC penetration in the state giving it a competitive edge, with a skilled and better-informed workforce.

recently. APSWAN – the mail server of the Andhra Pradesh Technology Services (APTS) – links the State Secretariat to all District Collectorates with fibre optic lines. Cyber Crime Police of CID, who is handling the case, suspect the involvement of cyber terrorists in the hacking. According to preliminary inquiries, a dangerous computer virus, spybot, was detected. Attempt by the hackers to steal the information has reportedly failed, the police disclosed.

Tiruchi Corporation’s e-Governance system become more people friendly

US$1bn investment for e-Choupal in 7-10 years India’s leading tobacco company ITC Ltd has announced that its e-Choupal business would witness an investment of US$1bn in 7-10 years. The investment is aimed at creating village level infrastructure through the establishment of business hubs called ‘Choupal Sagars’ in some 25 villages where e-Choupals are already operating. With the establishment of ‘Choupal Sagars’, the farmers would be able to avail of services like health care, credit services, soil testing, education services, agri input supply etc. By mid2007, about 30 ‘Choupal Sagars’ would come into existence. Currently, the e-Choupal movement is spread into seven states and 31,000 villages covering about 3.5 million farmers, and is targeted to spread to 100,000 villages covering 1 million farmers and draw them into the click and mortar channel.

APSWAN attacked by hackers in Andhra Pradesh In an attempt to steal information, hackers unsuccessfully attacked Andhra Pradesh government’s e-Governance project, the AP State Wide Area Network (APSWAN),

Kerala’s Tiruchi Corporation, in an attempt to provide effective and efficient governance, has made its e-Governance system more people friendly by updating its website, extension of online tax collection system for collection of underground drainage charges and facility to pay taxes through credit cards. Until now, the online payment system was only available for payment of property tax and water charges. Tiruchi Corporation, the first urban local body in the State, had launched its own website, which however continued to remain inoperational over the past few months owing to certain technical difficulties. The website has now been relaunched with a changed address www.trichycitycorporation.com, and includes several new features like application downloads, file/ application tracking and online grievance registration. www.egovonline.net |

NEWS REVIEW

MCA 21: 53 India-wide e-Governance centres to facilitate e-filing Companies may now heave a sigh of relief, finally!! Visiting government offices for filing documents and returns may soon become a thing of the past once the MCA21 project of the Ministry of Company Affairs (MCA) is implemented. During a CII-organised conference on ‘Good Corporate Governance Practices’ at Chennai on 20th December 2005, Union Company Affairs Secretary Komal Anand in her inaugural address said, “The government was also entering the era of e-Governance and the implementation of the project was aimed at “transforming” the way of doing business in the country. Once the project was implemented, companies would no more have to visit government offices. This would enable the government also to be more responsive to the need of the corporate sector and take “real-time” appropriate action. The complete process of the initiative would be in place by April 2006.” In order to facilitate e-filing of documents and returns, some 53 stations would function as front offices across India. For a 3-year period Corporate India would be assisted so as enable it to understand the nuances of e-filing. The portal www.mca21. gov.in is expected to be operational in January 2006, which will facilitate e-Filing, inspection of company documents and requisition of certified copies.

...MCA to use DIN for keeping tabs on directors With the Ministry of Company Affairs (MCA)’s e-Governance system taking off this month, its directors will come under the penetrating gaze of an electronic tracking system. All directors on the boards of companies would be issued mandatory identification numbers called | January 2006

the director identification number (DIN) by MCA after a thorough verification of their credentials and antecedents. DIN would enable the government to keep track as to whether a director sits on the boards of more than 15 companies or whether a director on the board of a company, which has defaulted on its statutory obligations, is violating the law by sitting on the board of another company. According to a MCA official, “DIN will be an effective tool in nabbing executives in case the company vanishes after raising money from the public. Such offences will be immediately detected as all the 20 offices of the registrars of companies (RoC) will be networked by April. Introducing DIN will induce a sense of discipline as the threat of penal action will look more real.” Also, MCA would use the e-Governance project to identify and send notices to companies that default in filing statutory documents.

...MCA to digitise RoC’s 6 crore pages of documents on Indian industry Thanks to the e-initiative of the Ministry

of Company Affairs (MCA), any investment banker would not have to undergo the duress of physically visiting a particular office or branch of the Registrar of Companies (RoC) in order to access the records of a registered company. Undoubtedly, the very process of accessing had been a painstaking and tedious one. A whole world of data on Indian industry could now open up, courtesy the MCA’s ongoing e-Governance project, after making the necessary payment for online inspection of RoC’s 6 crore pages of documents that it seeks to digitise. Termed the ‘MCA21’ initiative, the project is expected to become functional by April 2006 and would cover all MCA locations across India. The 6 crore pages of documents would include certificates of incorporation, Form 5, Form 18, Form 21, 23A, Forms 37 and 39, routine mandatory documents such as annual returns, balance sheets, and charge documents. Besides, annual reports of 2003-04 and 2004-05 are also expected to be found into the systems. A note on MCA’s website indicates that the records of any company can be viewed from any where through the Internet on payment of the necessary RoC fees. 7

NEWS REVIEW

ASIA Dubai considering e-Government reappraisal In Dubai, a reappraisal of e-Government is being actively considered owing to poor or negligible participation of citizens in the Emirate. Salem Khamis Al Shair, Dubai government’s eServices Director, disappointingly said, “Currently, we have managed to offer 81% of services online but the number of people using them is not as high as it should be. We are going to re-evaluate all services offered online beginning next year to check the standard and quality of the services and to study what is stopping people from using them.” Al Shair commented, “Dubai eGovernment had seen more success in attracting businesses to use online services than individuals.” At present, Dubai has a population of 1.2 million, only 200,000 being Dubai citizens while the rest of them being expatriate workers mostly from South Asia. However, Dubai government expects that information on 90% of government services would be online by 2007, with half of government transactions being carried out online by the same period.

South Korea exports e-Government technologies worth US$85.2mn In an attempt to help domestic companies venture into overseas e-Government markets, South Korea is actively promoting its e-Government services abroad. Until now, South Korean companies have exported e-Government technologies worth US$85.2mn, while negotiations are already underway for some 42 contracts estimated to be worth US$847mn. A team focused exclusively on helping companies to export e-Government technologies has been set up by South Korea’s Ministry of Public Administration 8

Finally, China’s official website www.gov.cn launched After three months of trial operation, the Chinese government officially launched its website www.gov.con on January 1. The website is organised by the State Council, China’s cabinet, and conducted by Xinhua net. Information about government affairs at the provincial levels across the country as well as online services for net users would be provided by the website. Available in traditional and simplified Chinese versions, the website has four sections which respectively provide information about government affairs, online services for citizens, enterprises and foreigners, interactive communication between governments and citizens, and other applied functions. Besides, the English version of the website also provide commercial and traveling information services for nonChinese speakers.

and Home Affairs. Currently, the importers of Korean e-Government services include a US port administration, a centre for small and medium-sized businesses in Indonesia and the City of Saga in Japan.

Malaysia’s Penang Municipal Council launches eLAMS Malaysia’s Penang Municipal Council has said that it has become the first local authority in the country to use the electronic system for all of its services by launching eLAMS – Local Authority Electronic Management System. Datuk Ahmad Phesal, Penang Municipal Council chairman explained that eLAMS is an integrated processing system based on information and communication technology that contains electronic equipment, data infrastructure and data content to implement the function of the council according to ISO certifications, and has been primarily designed for the public and planning agents such as architects, surveyors and engineers to submit their development plan

The first government website was launched in 1997, and ever since Chinese government departments have developed more than 10,000 websites. Significantly, for the first time the Chinese government has integrated all those websites into one place thus making available more transparent information for any net user.

applications to the council. The eLAMS services comprise e-Enquiry, e-Guide, eSubmission, e-Services, e-Payment and e-Report Card.

Philippines Supreme Court unveils ePayment system As part of a massive computerisation initiative, the Supreme Court (SC) in Philippines has introduced an ePayment System that would enable lawyers and litigants to pay various legal fees online besides enabling the judicial hierarchy to electronically assess and monitor payment transactions. Developed in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines, ePayment System features a “real-time and secured” payment process done via the Internet, allowing the transfer of funds from a Landbank account to the SC account. The ePayment System allows the reviewing of the status of assessment and payment transactions anytime, and also the generation of daily or monthly reports of collected fees. www.egovonline.net |

NEWS REVIEW

WORLD France readies for e-Politics, e-Campaign, e-lection With the French presidential elections yet to take place in 2007, political parties and leaders in the country have started taking initiatives and testing tools that promises to be a major component of the next e-Campaign. Clearly, it seems that e-Politics has taken France in its stride with a vengeance. Famour French newspaper Le Monde in its 4th January edition reported that as per its estimates between 6 and 7 million (one French to ten) people created a weblog in recent months thus placing France at the head of European countries, behind the United Kingdom (900,000 weblogs) and Russia (800,000). The French webzine O 1 Net, which published an article on political parties web-marketing at the end of December 2005, said that some 45,000 net users had signed an e-Petition supporting Nicolas Sarkozy, French Minister of Interior and chairman of the UMP Party, during the suburbs crisis, and that 200,000 people, of which 60% were unknown UMP Party’s databases, had come on the party’s website. Besides, for 2007 elections, UMP has prepared a new website. A webTV broadcasted on mobile phone and an alarm system by SMS tools would also be launched by Front National Party at the beginning of 2006.

2005 Digital Cities Survey names top 10 digital cities The Centre for Digital Government has named the most technology-advanced cities in the United States as per its 2005 Digital Cities Survey. The first-place cities in their respective population categories are Corpus Christi, Texas; Madison, Wisc.; Roanoke, Va.; and Delray Beach, Fla. The annual study examined the utilisation of digital technologies by city governments in order to better serve their citizens and streamline operations. | January 2006

More than 600 city mayors, managers and chief information officers were invited to participate in the survey, which was developed by the Centre and the National League of Cities. The survey grouped cities into four population categories: 250,000 or more, 125,000-249,999, 75,000124,999, and 30,000-74,999. A set of 22 questions was provided to the officials for responding. Survey questions focused on implementation and adoption of online service delivery; planning and governance; and the infrastructure and architecture that make the transformation to digital government possible.

Botswana to formulate e-Government strategy Even though the Government of Botswana has its official website www.gov.bw, it still does not have a proper e-Government in place. The government is in the early stages of moving towards e-Government and the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology has initiated the process of establishing an e-Government framework. Various ministries and departments in the country already have scores of programme specific information

communication technology (ICT) applications awaiting implementation.

FAO, EC unveil Online Export Helpdesk for developing countries UN’s FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) and the European Commission (EC) jointly launched the EC’s Online Export Helpdesk for developing countries to FAO member countries at Rome. The Export Helpdesk has several sections like Requirements and taxes section; Import tariffs, Customs documents and Rules of origin section; Statistics section; Market Place section; Links section; and Contact section. Initially launched in 2004, the Export Helpdesk was primarily launched aiming at enhancing the economic growth of developing countries by facilitating the access of their exporters to the European Union (EU) market. Ever since, the online service has been providing free and comprehensive information to exporters from developing countries on how to export a product into the EU.

Microsoft partners with Mozambique and Macedonia governments Computer giant Microsoft and the government of Mozambique signed a plan of action that would enable the Mozambican government to implement its computerisation programme. Implementation of the Plan of Action for the 2006-07 period is likely to incur an estimated cost of US$500,000, and covers the areas of education, electronic government, and the computer industry. Microsoft would fund and provide computer products to the government. As part of a two-year-old partnership agreement for giving IT a boost in the Eastern European country, Macedonia and Microsoft (Profile, Products, Articles) Corp. recently announced the launching

of several e-Government websites. Microsoft would also provide free training and donate software licenses besides providing Macedonian language support for Windows XP and Office XP among other commitments. Among several of the e-Government websites include a portal that allows users to search for government information and services, while another helps small and medium-size businesses start eCommerce websites. Again, another website is an intranet portal for government officials to keep track of decisions at government sessions and queries between ministries and parliament. 9

NEWS REVIEW

ICT for Development

Courtesy Grasso, West Bengal villages get connected Grameen Sanchar Society (Grasso), an NGO run by Rajya Sabha MP and CPM leader Nilotpal Basu, has worked wonders for the state of West Bengal. An ambitious pilot project to introduce rural mobile services called the Grameen Sanchar Sewak (GSS) scheme, kickstarted in 2002 by BSNL and the Department of Posts, is now ready to be regularised and implemented nationwide. An elated Basu said, “Ninety per cent of the GSS scheme is in West Bengal, and 90 per cent of that is being run by Grasso. The results have been spectacular. Grasso — subsidized by BSNL for the GSS scheme — has provided mobile reach to 93 per cent of West Bengal’s 34 Blocks, 46 per cent of its Gram Panchayats and 14 per cent of its villages. The only limitation is that BSNL’s network does not work in certain shadow areas, which has stopped Block coverage from being 100 per cent.” Initially, the GSS scheme began with the idea of employing rural postmen to carry mobile phones from door-to-door in 12,001 villages but eventually became a logistical nightmare for the BSNL regarding billing and collection. Later, Grasso engaged 7,000 self-employed people to carry phones to far-flung locations and finally succeeded. Now, Basu has different new plans for Grasso. He said, “Grasso is in talks with Microsoft, IBM, Wipro and TCS to support the common service centres (CSCs) in the state’s 3,357 gram panchayats. The plan is to have 3 GSS phones in each panchayat, totalling 12,000 phones, resulting in 100 per cent telephone coverage. The CSCs are to be a hub for about 20 services, ranging from electricity bill payment, tea and coffee to commodity trading, warehousing and cold storage. Each centre will cost Rs 1,000 to run every month and Rs 35,000 for all people manning them. West Bengal plans 500 such centres by 2007.” 10

ICICI Bank developing low cost ATMs for villages

ICICI Bank CEO KV Kamath recently said that the time has come when ATMs should be taken into villages for handling soil cash and acting as cash dispensing machines. Kamath said, “The Bank is in the process of developing an ATM that may cost less than Rs 1 lakh as aginst the conventional cost of Rs 6-7 lakh for an ATM to cater to the villages in the country. The effort is to develop a village delivery model taking into account micro-credit initiatives, corporations and self-help groups together.” “As part of its e-Governance initiative, ICICI Bank has also undertaken a pilot project at Guntoor in Andhra Pradesh. The e-Governnace initiative will subsequently be adopted in 600 districts across the country in six months to a year’s time. The Bank is also developing smart cards, which would act as one stop shop for all financial information about an individual,” Kamath said, and added, “ICICI Bank is also into talks with the National Informatics Centre for developing e-bidding for tendering through a transparent manner. Efforts are on to make all tax payments online to avoid delay.”

Community PC to be launched by Intel Intel India intends to launch its community PC, which is currently in prototype stage. The community PC is being developed keeping in view the prevailing condition of Indian villages, and that it is able to withstand the ruggedness and erratic power supply. The pilot projects are being implemented in 10 locations across the country. The PC is designed to

provide wireless Internet access to village communities and rural areas. R K Amar Babu, Director, (S Asia) Sales & Marketing group, said, “The pilot project in 20 villages to see how the system works is already underway. By the yearend, ODMs would be sent to Taiwan for designing the box. The system would then be handed over to our national and local PC partners like HCL and Zenith for further assembling and manufacturing of the PCs. The PC will have the option to use car battery in case of a power failure.”

“Free up airwaves,” urges President Kalam Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, while addressing ‘The India Empowered Conclave’ recently organised by Indian Express at New Delhi, made an impassioned appeal and urged, “It is bandwidth, we need more of it, and it has to be free. It is the demolisher of imbalances, the source of all freedom and a great leveler of the knowledge society,” and added, “We need connectivity. The technology to provide connectivity is already there, but on this technology we need high speeds.” Dwelling upon his prized theme of PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) extensively, President Kalam said if the fruits of technological advancement is to reach the rural poor in order to make their lives easier then bandwidth has to be made free at all costs so as to make this happen. Kalam said, “Bandwidth is like a road. Just like anyone can use a road, everyone should be able to use bandwidth too.” Talking about e-Governance, President Kalam commented, “Where do all our problems start? There is a need for transparency, which is why e-Governance is such a great tool. It is a myth that eGovernance – delivered through phone lines, computers and the Internet – is not taking off. My own (President’s) website has a ‘hit rate’ of 250,000 on an average day. The number goes up to 1 million a day on special occasions like August 15 and January 26.” *In collaboration with i4d (www.i4d.csdms.in)

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NEWS REVIEW

Geo-Informatics

Census Bureau in US updates geospatial data The Census Bureau in US awarded Avineon Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia, US a $3 million contract through the vendor’s partnership with Harris Corporation to provide GIS support to improve the accuracy of the bureau’s address database. The end dataset will be more spatially accurate, which will let Census Bureau field personnel better locate streets and addresses to conduct the 2010 census. Avineon will update data for 266 counties in 2006; last year, it delivered data for 242 counties.

GPS to monitor kerosene tankers The movement of kerosene tankers from storage tanks to wholesalers in subdivisions in India will now be monitored through GPS to avoid any pilferage or diversion of fuel to the black market. It has been observed that maximum diversion and adulteration of kerosene takes place during transportation, and if it is monitored through GPS the driver would be answerable for any unnecessary stops or diversion from the designated route. By March this year, the supply of kerosene to over 500 sub-divisions would be monitored through GPS to keep a check on the movement of tankers and avoid any diversion from the specified route to retail outlets. On completion of the pilot project, the NCAER (National Council for Applied Economic Research) would conduct a feasibility study and the project could subsequently spread to almost all 6,000 sub-divisions.

Getmapping launches software for urban planning Getmapping.com, a supplier of aerial photography in UK has recently announced the launch of SIMurban, a 3D World Simulator that promises to | January 2006

revolutionise the future of sustainable planning and development. Getmapping business partner Simmersion Holdings Ltd has developed the SIMurban World Simulator, which is a suite of software designed for 3D visualisation and real time interaction with any real world built environment. Organisations and businesses using digital map information are today placing increasing importance on the use of aerial geographic imagery to better manage activities and assets associated with land-use, people, transport and communications. By combining Getmapping’s ultra-detailed aerial photography and height data to create a visual context ‘wallpaper’, SIMurban enables users to place 3D objects into an authentic ‘on screen’ terrain to generate a photorealistic 3D world from anywhere in the UK – all at accelerated speed on standard desktop hardware.

Village Resource Centers in India to use satellite technology As many as 250 Village Resource Centres (VRCs) in India aimed at providing locale specific information to rural population by effectively using satellite technology will be set up in the country by March end this year. The focus of Research and Development in ISRO would be to use advances in the field of space technology for the benefit of masses. The launch of Edusat had thrown open a wide scope for rural education and by the end of 2006, as many as 10,000 virtual classrooms would be set up across the country.

Mapping project to be developed for Ahmedabad The National Informatics Centre in India will design, develop and implement a utility mapping project for six cities beginning with Ahmedabad. The project will then be replicated in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. Very soon a map based on the GIS will show Ahmedabad city. The map would cover 510 sq kilometres, including

the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation area and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority area. It would be a three dimensional map. This map will also display all water connections, drainage connections, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) telephone lines and Ahmedabad Electricity Company (AEC) connections. The inputs will come from various sources like satellite imagery, aerial photography, digital photogrammetry, GPS, field survey equipment, existing databases, census and administrative records. The data, both graphic and non-graphic, will be stored in a specific database where the relations between entities could also be stored.

Online satellite maps to be launched in Thailand A system has been developed to conduct satellite mapping specifically for Thailand. Starting from next month, Digital Thailand would begin distributing satellite maps in the form of compact discs to interested public and students on request. The online version of the map also being launched next month, would also be made available to the various organisations. Both services would be free of charge for maps taken of the general terrains. The map distribution involves a cooperation between Chulalongkorn University and the Office of Space Technology Development and Geographical Information Technology which supplies the maps. Digital Thailand would work similarly to Google Earth, only that the maps are more customised to the needs of local users. The CDs are designed for target group such as the grassroot users and schools in the remote areas with limited or restricted access to the internet. The maps displayed in the internet service would have a much finer resolution than those contained in the CDs. Digital Thailand would block out securitysensitive areas. The system is currently being experimented before its official launch next month. *In collaboration with GIS@development (www.gisdevelopment.net)

COVER STORY

Ambitious programme for ICTenablement of Indian judiciary takes off!

rime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated an ambitious Rs. 854 crore five-year project for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enablement of Indian judiciary at New Delhi on 5th October 2005. The programme was attended among others by Justice RC Lahoti, the then Chief justice of India, HR Bhardwaj, Union Minister for Law and Justice, Dayanidhi Maran, Union Minister for Telecommunication and Information Technology, and Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission. The Prime Minister underlined the need for an expeditious disposal of cases while ensuring that justice becomes easier, faster and cheaper. “A stable and sound legal system which dispensed effective justice was an essential pre-requisite for the sustained economic growth,” Dr. Singh said. Speaking on the occasion, Justice Lahoti said, “The computerisation of the courts across the country will help in providing speedy, qualitative and cost The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh giving away a laptop to chairman eCommittee G C Baruka at function, “Five Years National Programme for effective justice reducing harassment and corruption Computerisation of Judiciary” in New Delhi on October 5, 2005. besides enhancing transparency and accountability,” and hoped, “The day will not be far off when paperless court cover the use of advanced ICT tools, intensive training, rooms functioning with the help of electronic devices and warehousing and mining tool customization to crystallize change computers with superfast speed in the country would become a management, Biometric facilities, Gateway interface with other reality if this nationwide drive to computerise courts persist.” agencies; upgradation of centralised facility and Digital Archive The Ministry of Law and Justice constituted the of record room and Digital Library Management System. e-Committee in December 2004 under the chairmanship of Justice Expressing his happiness and optimism, former Chief justice GC Bharuka (a retired judge of the Karnataka High Court) for the of India Justice AM Ahmadi, said that the judiciary would in due implementation of the project. course of time accept technology as a friendly tool. While The project would be implemented within a period of five replying to the question whether Indian courts find themselves years in three phases – first two phases of two years each while well equipped and adept in the use of Information and the third phase being of one year. During the first phase all the Communication Technologies, Justice Ahmadi remarked, “During judges in India would be provided with laptops; awareness and my tenure as Chief Justice of India, all the High Courts and even introduction of ICT and computer based environment in the a few District Courts were equipped with computers. With the judicial system; video conferencing between court and prison aid of technology the caseload in the Supreme Court would be at 100 locations; a fully developed and highly informative website drastically reduced. Unfortunately the High Courts, barring a www.indianjudiciary.in; creation of National Judicial Data Grid; few, were slow to replicate. To my mind through the use of creation of Committees and High Court level Committees to technology it would be possible to solve our biggest drawback, monitor and guide the ICT implementation of Wi-Fi at Supreme namely, delays in the dispensation of justice.” Court and High Court premises and creation of Computer Room Justice Ahmadi further said, “A note of caution; in the justice at court complexes. The second phase will include coordination delivery system, it would need careful planning to make effective of ICT infrastructure for judicial system; implementation of and proper use of technology. I can say with some amount of software for judicial processes at all levels; creation of Reliable confidence that we can soon ease-up the filing system, reduce Critical Infrastructure and continuation of IT Training activities delays in the service of process and hasten up the process by and extension of training programme, while the third phase will reducing avoidable paper work.” 12

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COVER STORY

IT accelerated judicial administration – from fiction to fact Nazia Abidi The use of a suitable Information Technology Architecture in keeping with excellent e-Governance practices has the potential to transform the functioning of judicial system in many developing countries. In particular, streamlining of judicial processes that are routine, or time critical, coupled with a citizen-centric interface would contribute immensely to bring about greater levels of transparency and information dissemination to litigants. The system would be an “Integrated Case-filing and Monitoring System”, allowing litigants to check the status of cases, schedule of next hearing, etc

eveloping countries have witnessed rapid changes in the last few decades, with technology increasingly becoming an integral part of daily life. This is evident with the increased penetration of mobile phones and computers in rural areas. Governments, which usually deal with large populations, are beginning to realise the potential offered by various technologies for delivering improved citizen services, while offering increased transparency and convenience. Though various Government departments like the Police, Health, Municipalities, etc. desperately need to incorporate e-Governance for their improved functioning, even the “Judicial Systems” in developing countries need to prioritise on the e-Governance ‘must have’ list. Until now, judicial systems in most of the developing countries have been working manually for filing and | January 2006

monitoring of cases thus leaving scope for corruption at various stages besides keeping petitioners on tenterhooks while tending to make the entire process painstakingly lengthy and tedious. As such, countries like India have already initiated the process of replacing existing manual operations with computerassisted functions in order that back office processing be effectively streamlined thereby increasing the efficiency and functioning of the overall system.

A critical glance of the Manual system The manual system (Figure 1) generally adopted by courts for filing, registration and listing of case is open to exploitation. Since the entire listing and registration process is done manually, quite often, due to human errors, information related to a case is either not correct or may not be processed because of illegible

handwriting etc. The cases filed incorrectly could be found gathering dust in court offices. Even cases running in the court could not be followed up due to insufficient information about the petitioners and respondents.

The Suggested IT-Roadmap a) Functional The system should be jointly designed and implemented by the Apex Court, IT-consultants and the implementing body. The computerisation of an Apex Court would envisage a centralised filing counter for streamlining the entire filing process. As soon as a case is filed at the filing counter, it should automatically be available at the registration counter for About the author: Nazia Abidi is Technical Leader at Oracle – HP E-Governance Center of Excellence, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

COVER STORY

registry of the case with the apex court, and a receipt should be provided to the litigant/advocate. After registration of the case, the system should determine when to post the case and assign it to a judge based on the existing procedure. At the end of each day the system should generate a list of cases filed for that day in a format similar to the one maintained in the manual register system. To avoid litigants dealing with a multitude of sections in order to establish their case status, a query counter should be opened at the apex court. The preliminary details entered in the computer system should be made available immediately at the computer terminal provided in each courtroom. The judge should have a list of cases posted by the computer on that date to his/her court. As the computer system would be storing the orders of the court, any further modification suggested by the judge, could be easily carried out within a short time. The staff of the court should update the database by feeding the operative part of the judgment on the system. In case a notice is to be served, the system should automatically generate the notice and be immediately available at the query counter terminal.

Figure 1: Analysis of Manual System

thousands) have to be updated in case of a new release. This can be very expensive, complicated, time consuming and prone to error. In case of 3-tier architecture, if bottlenecks in terms of performance occur, the server processes can be moved to other servers at runtime. Because of the advantages of 3-tier architecture in complex development environment, it is suggested to use 3-tier architecture. An important point to note here is that the system should be neatly

The computerisation of an Apex Court would envisage a centralised filing counter for streamlining the entire filing process. As soon as a case is filed at the filing counter, it should automatically be available at the registration counter for registry of the case with the apex court, and a receipt should be provided to the litigant/advocate. b) Technical A 3-tier architecture is proposed for such a system, which would save a lot of usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s processing time. In the proposed 3-tier architecture (Figure 2), it is essential to note that boundaries between the tiers are logical. It is technically feasible to run all the three tiers on one and the same (physical) machine. In 2-tier architecture all of the application logic is executed on the personal computer, and all those machines (maybe 14

structured, and that there should be a well planned definition of the software boundaries between the different tiers. In the technical setup, it is proposed to choose a database, which supports full parallelism without any restriction over DML (Data Manipulation Language). The system should run on portable, compatible and powerful RDBMS (Relational Data Base Management System). The RDBMS should be high performance, fault tolerant, and especially designed for

online transaction processing for large database applications. The system should be highly secure owing to the fact that it would support the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apex court.

Prototype of the automation Based on the roadmap, following is the prototype of the new system: a) Workflow of case filing in the apex court As shown in Figure 3, a case in the apex court may be filed either through an advocate on record, or by petitioner in person. The case would be then presented at the filing counter for its filing. The user at the counter would check the fulfillment of the mandatory requirements. A computer generated case number would be assigned to the filed case. A receipt on pre-printed stationary would be generated. All relevant details can be recorded and the entire data can be scrutinised for all the defects by various users. The case (after rectification of defects if any) would be then sent to the registration counter for getting registered in the proper category. If it is still found defective it may be sent back for re-processing under existing system. b) Registration of cases in the apex court After successful filing, (Figure 4) the case would automatically be available on the registration counter. After entering the relevant details like category, case type etc., a computer-generated registration number (type wise) is assigned to the case www.egovonline.net |

COVER STORY

files would be recorded in the system on day-today basis. The c o m p u t e r generated reports would indicate the cases ready for their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weeding Outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Figure 3 Logical Modeling of Case Filing

and gets recorded in the data file. Thereafter, the case would be identified by its registration number. The lower court particulars, if any, would be fed in the system at this point. It would check the similarity of cases on the basis of certain attributes, and would connect all the fresh cases automatically by relating specified keys. The case would then automatically be recorded into the fresh data pool for its allocation before the appropriate bench. The case file then proceeds to the judicial section concerned. c) Updation of cases in the apex court The judicial section that maintains the file would also be responsible for updation till the file is disposed. When a case is heard in the court, the section can generate various types of notices and subsequently send the dismissal letters to the respective lower courts for the information. After disposing a case, the section would be responsible for sending the case file into the record room for its consignment. d) Allocation of cases in the apex court In the listing section, the system would allocate the cases for a date and would prepare the cause list (Cause list is the list that contains cases to be heard by different courts on a particular listing date). Further, the cases would be automatically allocated to the Coram concerned on the basis of their listed categories. e) Record room This section would maintain all the disposed-off files arriving from all the judicial sections. The movement of the | January 2006

f) Query The Information Search on the cases would be extremely simplified. The information about a case may be accessed by putting just one or more parameters. Some of the parameters may include Case number, Registration number, Title (petitioner/respondent), Advocate, and Case category. Any updation made by judge would be available at the query counter immediately.

program of the apex court would benefit the management, the judges, the advocates and the litigants. The advantages include monitoring of case flow would be easy; case related information would be available to the litigants, advocates at one place; posting of cases to the various courts would be transparent; litigants would get certified copies instantaneously; accurate statistical information would be generated; cause lists for each court would be generated automatically; caveat matching would take place at the filing stage itself; all required notices would be generated automatically; preparation of orders/judgments would become simpler; and introduction of IT (Information Technology) tools would bring a better work culture in the apex court.

g) Statistical Report A system would be developed for generation of statistical reports on institution, disposal and pendency of various types Figure 4. Logical Modeling of registration activity of cases in the apex court. These reports would be generated on The proposed system would monthly and yearly basis. It would help incorporate the best e-Governance in working out strategies for fast disposal practices, while adopting the optimal of cases in any particular court. IT-Architecture in order to aid overburdened judicial systems existing in h) Cause List Generation developing countries, such as India. The The cause lists of the apex court include primary goal of the systems should be to daily, weekly and supplementary lists and automate trivial or procedural tasks, can be made available on the Internet. allowing courts to focus their efforts With the help of this application, the in resolution and disposal of cases. advocates may immediately access cause Besides this, the system would also help lists on computers. The important feature to change existing mindsets regarding of this application is to enable the the role of government and delivery of advocates to generate their own cause list services to citizens. Such systems in case they have their cases in the main would not only be hugely successful cause list. By using the query facility one but popular as well. Success of such may access the cause list by partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name e-Governance Application would be (full or part), case number, judge sitting in an example for other countries as well a bench, court number, advocate etc. It as increase the demand for similar would be facilitated by downloading or systems in other spheres of governance. printing of the entire cause list. This is particularly relevant in the Indian context, where Governments provide a large number of services to Advantages of the System This computerisation and networking its citizens. 15

COVER STORY

Enforcing “rule of justice” through e-Governance Praveen Dalal Understanding the benefits of the use of ICTs in the larger interest of the public, the Indian Apex Court has also become conscious to make it judicially applicable for the deliverance of justice appropriately. The judiciary in India is not only aware of the advantages of information technology but is actively and positively using it in the administration of justice, particularly the criminal justice.

The justice delivery system The first duty of a court is to do justice. If the “rule of law” has been declared to be a “basic feature” of the Constitution, which cannot be taken away even by exercising the constitutional power of amendment, then “rule of justice” is definitely above it and deserves the status of the basic feature of the Constitution. This is so because the concept of justice is wider and is of greater importance than the rule of law. The very concept of the “rule of justice” may therefore be judged as stated hereunder. It may be accordingly noted that the express incorporation of Article 142 in the Constitution of India assures this guarantee. The Supreme Court in exercise of its jurisdiction can pass such decree or make such order as is necessary “for doing complete justice” in any cause or matter pending before it. Also, there may not be any law governing any particular 16

situation, but the justice may require taking of an immediate and inevitable action.Thus, the courts in India to do complete justice invoke the concept of “rule of justice”. This does not mean that one can ignore the concept of rule of law. It must be appreciated that both rule of law and rule of justice must go hand in hand to make the justice system just, fair and reasonable. A decision based on an old law, which does not satisfy the requirements of the present situation and environment should be avoided. In such a situation the efforts of the courts should be to give the law a “purposive, updating and an ongoing interpretation”. This position makes the interface of justice delivery system with the information technology inevitable and unavoidable. Law cannot stand still; it must change with the changing social concepts and values. It must be clearly understood that if the law fails to respond

to the needs of changing society, then it will both stifle the growth of the society and hinder its progress, or if the society is vigorous enough, it will cast away the law, which stands in the way of its growth. Law must therefore constantly keep on adapting itself to the fast changing society and not lag behind[1]. Thus, the justice delivery system cannot therefore afford to take the information technology revolution lightly.

Legislative efforts to bring technology revolution To meet the challenges posed by the information technology, the Parliament has enacted the Information Technology Act, 2000. The aim of the Act is to provide About the author: Praveen Dalal is an Abitrator, Consultant and Advocate in Supreme Court of India

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COVER STORY

a sound base for e-Governance and e-Commerce. It must be noted that the e-Governance base can be effectively utilised for maintaining a sound justice delivery system. The various requirements, which are inevitable for the smooth functioning of the justice system, are adequately, economically and safely taken care of by the e-Governance. There are several provisions in the Act that reflect Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s determination to utilise the benefits of e-governance for judicial purposes. For instance, electronic records are legally recognised, digital signatures have been given the status of signature in writing, a notification in electronic gazette is considered to be a valid notification, etc. Legal Recognition of E-Records: Section 4 provides that where any law requires that information or any other matter shall be in writing or type written or in printed form. Such requirement shall be deemed to have been satisfied if such information or matter is rendered or made available in an e-form and accessible so as to be usable for a subsequent reference. The term e-record means data, record or data generated, image or sound stored, received or sent in an e-form or microfilm or computer generated microfiche [2]. The term e-form, with reference to information, means any information generated, sent, received or stored in media, magnetic, optical, computer memory, microfilm, computer generated microfiche or similar device[3]. Thus as an alternative to paper based record, e-record has been recognised as a medium of communication and storage of information. Further, if an e-record is authenticated by digital signature, it can be produced as evidence for the inspection of the courts. This arrangement is definitely hassle free and more transparent as compared to traditional methods of record keeping. Further, it is not prone to tampering unlike paperbased record, which is difficult to maintain and has its own limitations. Legal Recognition of Digital Signatures: Section 5 of the Act mandates that if any information or any other matter is required by law to be authenticated by affixing the signature, then such requirement shall be deemed to have been satisfied if such information | January 2006

There are several provisions in the IT Act 2000 that reflect Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s determination to utilise the benefits of e-governance for judicial purposes. For instance, electronic records are legally recognised, digital signatures have been given the status of signature in writing, a notification in electronic gazette is considered to be a valid notification, etc. or matter is authenticated by means of digital signature affixed in the prescribed manner. The type of digital signature that shall be used to authenticate an e-record shall be as per the rules that may be framed by the Central Government. The rule may prescribe the manner or procedure to facilitate identification of the person affixing the digital signature. It may also prescribe the safeguards to ensure integrity, authenticity and confidentiality of e-records. Further the rule may provide any other matter, which is necessary to give legal effect to digital signatures[4]. Use in Government and its Agencies: Section 6 of the Act recognises use of erecords and digital signatures in government and its agencies for filing, issue, grant, receipt or payment of money as an acceptable mode. The Central Government as well as the State Governments is empowered to prescribe the manner and format in which the erecords shall be filed, created, retained or issued. They may prescribe the manner or method of payment of any fee or charges for filing, creation or issue of any e-record. Retention of E-Records: Section 7 is an enabling section, which provides that

if any law mandates that documents, records or information are required to be retained for any specific period, then, that requirement shall be deemed to have been satisfied if the same is retained in e-form. Electronic-Gazette: Section 8 of the Act permits publication of official gazette in e-form. Accordingly, where any law requires publication of rule, regulation, order, byelaw, notification or other matter in the gazette, publication thereof in eform is permitted. If such publication is made in the e-form, the requirement of publication in the official gazette is deemed to have been fulfilled. When an official gazette is published in printed form as well as electronic gazette, the date of publication shall be the date on which the gazette was first published in any form. Non-Absolute Right: The provisions of Section 9 mandates that e-Governance, as envisaged in the Information Technology Act, does not confer a right upon any person to insist any Ministry or Department of the Central or State Government or any authority or body to accept, issue, create, retain or preserve any document in the form of e-records or to participate in any monetary transaction in the e-form. Thus, sufficient safeguards 17

COVER STORY

Section 4 of IT Act 2000 provides that where any law requires that information or any other matter shall be in writing or type written or in printed form. Such requirement shall be deemed to have been satisfied if such information or matter is rendered or made available in an e-form and accessible so as to be usable for a subsequent reference. Supreme Court of India

have been taken to establish a proper and timely e-Governance base.

Judicial reception of information technology The judicial response vis-à-vis information technology is positive and technology friendly. In Basavaraj R. Patil vs State of Karnataka[5] the question was whether an accused need to be physically present in court to answer the questions put to him by the court whilst recording his statement under section 313. The majority held that the section had to be considered in the light of the revolutionary changes in technology of communication and transmission and the marked improvement in the facilities of legal aid in the country. It was held that it was not necessary that in all cases the accused must answer by personally remaining present in the court. It can also be done through “video conferencing”. Once again, the importance of information technology is apparent. Similarly in another case it was observed that the requirement of a written notice will be satisfied if the same is given in the form of a fax, e-mail etc, using the information technology. In State of Maharashtra vs Dr.Praful.B.Desai[6] the Supreme Court observed: “The evidence can be both oral and documentary and electronic records can be produced as evidence. This means that evidence, even in criminal matters, can also be by way of electronic records. This would include video conferencing, which permits one to see, hear and talk with someone far away, with the same facility and ease as if he is present before you i.e. in your presence. Thus, it is clear 18

that so long as the accused and/or his pleader are present when evidence is recorded by video conferencing that evidence is recorded in the “presence” of the accused and would thus fully meet the requirements of section 273, Criminal Procedure Code. Recording of such evidence would be as per “procedure established by law”. In that case evidence would be recorded by the magistrate or under his dictation in the open court. To this method there is however a drawback. As the witness is not in the court there may be difficulties if commits contempt of court or perjures himself. Therefore as a matter of prudence evidence by video conferencing in open court should be only if the witness is in a country which has an extradition treaty with India and under whose laws contempt of court and perjury are also punishable”. This judgment of the Supreme Court is a landmark judgment as it has the potential to seek help of those witnesses who are crucial for rendering the complete justice but who cannot come due to “territorial distances” or even due to fear, expenses, old age, etc. The Courts in India have the power to maintain anonymity of the witnesses to protect them from threats and harm and the use of information technology is the safest bet for the same. The safety of victims and the witnesses through the use of information technology was recognised by the Supreme Court in Sakshi vs U.O.I [7]. Here, the Supreme Court also upheld that the recording of evidence by way of video conferencing vis-à-vis Section 273 Cr.P.C. was permissible. With the help of information technology, the daily matters can be

effectively taken care of irrespective of the field covered by it. For instance, the Delhi Police Headquarter has launched a website, which can be used for lodging a First Information Report (FIR). Similarly, the Patna High Court has taken a bold step of granting bail on the basis of an online bail application. It must be noted that to give effect to these provisions appropriate amendments have been made in the I.P.C, 1860, the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891, and the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. These amendments have made these statutes compatible with the “e-justice system”. The above discussion shows that the judiciary in India is not only aware of the advantages of information technology but is actively and positively using it in the administration of justice, particularly the criminal justice. The attempt of the court should be to expand the reach and ambit of the fundamental rights by process of judicial interpretation. This is being properly appreciated and adequately applied by the Indian judiciary in the context of information technology. Footnotes: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Justice Bhagwati in National Textile Worker’s Union v P.R.Ramakrishnan, (1983) 1 SCC 228, at p. 256. Sec.2 (1) (t) of IT Act, 2000 Sec.2 (1) (r) of IT Act, 2000 Sec.10 of IT Act, 2000 (2000) 8 SCC 740. 2003 (3) SCALE 554. (2004) 5 SCC 519.

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Inter-American Development Bank

Aiding development, accelerating innovation through ICT Rafael Anta, Danilo Piaggesi In many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean where the public sector plays a decisive role in their economy leading to improved productivity and increased

competitiveness,

the

development of e-Government is a must. Considering this all the more important aspect, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has expanded its role to provide support to the region’s countries in disseminating ICT by incorporating ICT programs and components into projects in various priority sectors for development. Information and knowledge are fundamental resources for economic and social development. Information and communication technologies (ICT) foster the development process by creating new opportunities in the creation, transformation, and distribution of information and knowledge, reducing transaction costs, and contributing to the possible acceleration of innovation processes. The ICT revolution has given rise to the so-called information and knowledge society, where technology develops as a result of economic, social, institutional, and cultural contexts, skills, and incentives. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the information and knowledge society is less developed than in other regions of the world—especially in comparison with the countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)—and there are huge differences between the countries in the region as well as within each country. The development of e-Government is | January 2006

particularly important in many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean where the public sector plays a decisive role in the country’s economy thus leading to an improved productivity and an increased competitiveness.

ICT in economic and social development For economic and social development, Information and knowledge are a prerequisite. As such, Information and communication technologies (ICT) aid the development process thereby creating new opportunities in the generation, transformation and distribution of information and knowledge, lowering transaction costs and accelerating the process of innovation. So to speak, the ICT revolution has created the Information and Knowledge Society, where technology develops in function of economic, social, institutional and cultural contexts, capabilities and incentives. However, when compared to the OECD nations the Information and

Knowledge Society is less developed in Latin America and the Caribbean than in other regions of the world thus presenting extensively differing patterns of development within the Region, and within each country. There exists a positive relationship between ICT investment and the increase in productivity and competitiveness according to several research studies that have come up with the following conclusions: (a) the relationship between ICT and growth is obvious in developed economies that have already reached a threshold in its distribution and use; (b) there is a time gap from the start of investment and the resulting increases in productivity and growth due to the process of assimilation and adaptation of ICT; and (c) education, human capital and About the authors: Rafael Anta is ICT for Development Specialist at Inter-American Development Bank. Danilo Piaggesi is ICT Division Chief at InterAmerican Development Bank.

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The penetration of the Internet in the Latin America and Caribbean region increased 211% between 2000 and 2005, and the penetration of home computers increased 170% between 1999 and 2003. However, despite this progress the levels of ICT penetration in the region and its absorption capacity continue to fall far short of those in industrialised countries. the economic environment are keys to exploiting the potential offered by ICT. More importantly, the conclusions of research studies point to one essential aspect: access to information can transform production processes, increase the learning ability of the population, and improve the living conditions of the poor.

Dissemination and usage of ICT in Latin American and the Caribbean The latest indicators confirm that countries in Latin American and the Caribbean have experienced significant progress in the penetration of ICT in recent years, much more so than in other regions of the world, starting from low or very low levels. For example, the penetration of the Internet in the region increased 211% between 2000 and 2005, and the penetration of home computers increased 170% between 1999 and 2003. However, despite this progress the levels of ICT penetration in the region and its absorption capacity continue to fall far short of those in industrialised countries. Only 10.3% of the people in the region have Internet access (compared to 67.8% in the United States), and 6.6% of the population has a home computer (compared to 65.98% in the United States). Unfortunately though, in Latin America and the Caribbean the spread and appropriate usage of ICT has been affected owing to various factors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (a) the limited institutional ability to articulate and promote public policies for the distribution and use of ICT; (b) the limited network coverage and the high costs of access to ICT; and (c) the lack of digital education enabling interaction with 20

ICT and the scarcity of content that is of interest to the local population. Nonetheless, there are several successful experiences as well in ICT for development in the Region. Generally, the factors characterising these experiences are political support, an integrated and longterm vision, institutional and technical capability, the participation of the private sector, a favourable environment (infrastructure, regulatory framework), and projected levels of investment.

The IDB strategy: disseminating ICT for development Covering 2006-2010, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has developed a strategy with a primary focus to increase the effectiveness of the Bank in advancing ICT for the economic and social development of the countries in the Region. Keeping in view the challenges faced by the countries of the Region in spreading ICT for development, the strategy incorporates the integral dimension of ICT in various sectors, with priorities in the following areas: (i) Creation of a favourable environment for the distribution and use of ICT, (ii) Modernisation of the State, (iii) Competitiveness, (iv) Social Development, (v) Regional Integration, and (vi) Environment and Natural Disasters. With these priorities, the strategy incorporates the comprehensive dimension of ICT in the various sectors as a means of contributing to development in the countries of the region. Creation of a favourable environment for the distribution and use of ICT: Contributing to development through ICT requires an environment that facilitates its spread and use in institutional, business,

and social contexts. The strategy would support the development of initiatives that contribute to complete the process of liberalization of the telecommunications market, increase the use of ICT, combine regulatory measures with public-private initiatives to extend connectivity and adapt tariffs, and create assurance and confidence in the public, social and commercial use of ICT through the formulation and application of norms, edicts and/or laws, among others. ICT in support of Modernization of the State: ICT is a key tool in modernising and transforming the State in order to achieve a modern, professional, and transparent public administration in such a way as to improve the efficiency and transparency of the management of expenditures, promote the participation of society in the formulation of public policies, improve and extend the coverage of public services, especially to the excluded sectors, increase fiscal responsibility, and decrease fraud. ICT in support of competitiveness: Innovation, technology transfer, and the use of ICT are essential skills for making companies more productive and more competitive, and therefore are decisive factors in strengthening the economy. This strategy seeks to promote initiatives to promote and support innovation, transfer, and implementation of ICT for purposes of production, competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth, while according priority to SMEs, micro-firms, and rural producers, as well as to sectors showing a high potential for economic development and job creation such as the ICT sector, which is helped by its inherent technological advantages in competing in a global market. www.egovonline.net |

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ICT in support of social development: Social development is a fundamental part of the Bank’s commitment to reduce poverty, promote social equity, and improve well-being in the region. As part of its Social Development Strategy (GN2241-1), and in line with the Millennium Development Objectives, the Bank intends to help countries accelerate social progress through actions in the health care, education, and housing sectors. The dissemination and appropriate use of ICT can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of efforts promoted by the Bank to accelerate social development and expand its impact. ICT in support of regional integration: Regional integration is a tool to achieve a strong position vis-à-vis the forces of globalisation through the creation of regional public goods (RPGs) designed to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty while providing the economies with a better position to face the forces of globalisation. ICT can contribute to the regional integration process, specifically in the promotion of regional infrastructure, the consolidation of regional markets, and institutional strengthening. ICT in support of the environment and in responding to natural disasters: Environmental protection and natural resource management are increasingly important in achieving sustainable development and helping to improve the overall quality of life. The strategy seeks to incorporate ICT into the determination of priorities related to the environment and the protection of natural resources, and in the prevention, mitigation, and management of natural disasters.

Mobilisation of resources for ICT for development The IDB strategy in ICT for development aims at building up the capability of the Bank to effectively mobilise financial resources to the borrowing member countries of the Region, through solid loan and technical assistance programs, which leverage the utilization of ICT as means to enhance the sustainable social | January 2006

in its various development programmes. These include, among others, innovation loans, multi-phased loans, sectoral facilities, project preparation and execution facilities, and emergency loans. On one hand, these instruments present expedited credit evaluation and approval processes and, on the other hand, allow for the gradual incorporation of new technologies in the investment programmes in the Region. Moreover, as means to coordinate the national efforts and leveraging the technical resources from various donors and multilateral agencies, the Bank recently approved the “Sectorwide Approach” (SWAp), which is aimed at pooling resources from

and economic development of the Latin American and Caribbean Region. First, the strategy aims at assisting the countries through quick response financial facilities including technical cooperation funds (CT/Funds) and regional technical cooperation resources (RTC/FSO) to support base studies, preinvestment activities, project preparation activities and demonstrative ICT for development projects. Second, the strategy represents a driver to strengthen and more fully utilise the Bank’s lending framework through both, its Fund for Special Operations (FSO) and Ordinary Capital (OC) fund. In particular, with respect to facilitating the access of the Region to flexible lending instruments to more effectively tap the potential of these rapidly emerging and changing technologies as part of the development projects of the Governments of the Region, while at the same time setting the The IDB strategy in ICT for stage and incentives for further and development aims at building up complementary private sector investment in the capability of the Bank to connectivity and ICT for effectively mobilise financial development in general. The Bank has resources to the borrowing made available to its borrowing member member countries of the Region, countries a new financing framework through solid loan and technical aimed at facilitating the design and execution of assistance programs... primary investments, and to accelerate, among others, their access to ICT and other different organizations into sectoral technologies within their social and lending/inter-institutional financing economic development processes. This is structures. in response to the Bank’s experiences Moreover, with the objective of regarding such a framework that is identifying, offering and facilitating consistent with the sustained growth in access to new technology solutions, and the demand for the incorporation of ICT setting the stage for solid loan operations

BANKING

of a wider scale, the Bank has been continuously offering an increasing array of technical cooperation resources through a number of financial facilities which include, among others: (a) the Italian Trust Fund for Information and Communication Technology for Development, a US$7.5mn facility which finances a series of individual technical cooperation activities for the design and implementation of eGovernment applications aimed at improving the efficiency and transparency of the public administration and expanding the reach and impact of public social and other services. The Fund provides non-reimbursable resources to undertake a series of diagnostic studies and activities which allow to further identifying the situation, real needs and demand for ICT systems and infrastructure and e-Government solutions, with special emphasis in their application to, among others, public sector administration and the social sectors in the countries of the Region. It also finances a series of investment activities including project preparation and the execution of small, innovative and demonstrative pilot projects in e government; (b.) the “ICT Innovation Program for E-Business and SME Development” (ICT4BUS), a US$15 million facility financed with resources from the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), and whose objective is to contribute to the improvement of the competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Latin America and Caribbean Region by expanding their access to new ICT solutions and services. The Program comprises the provision of non-reimbursable funding to non-forprofit business/umbrella organisations for the implementation of pilot projects, and the dissemination of new knowledge and lessons learned. Projects mainly test innovative ICT services and solutions for SMEs, in the areas of value chain integration, workplace productivity and efficiency, and market penetration; and (c.) the recently established “Knowledge Partnership Korea Fund for Technology and Innovation”, a US$25 million facility which, among others, seeks to set the stage for the implementation of 22

The Bank is increasingly incorporating ICT components into programs and projects, while placing increased importance on the framework of each operation. technical cooperation operations aimed at the promotion and development of institutional capacity, innovation and new productive technologies with highimpact in social development, poverty reduction and institutional strengthening process, through the deployment of ICT solutions in the countries of the Region. In particular, the new “Korea-IDB” partnership has made new resources available for knowledge and technological innovation towards the development process of the Region. Also, the Bank is currently working on the identification and establishment of a number of individual bilateral agreements with it donor countries to expand the stated “Trust Fund for Information and Communication Technology for Development” into a “multi-donor financing facility” with reach to all borrowing member countries of the Region, and aimed at increasing the number, scope and impact of technical cooperation operations in the following strategic areas of intervention: “ICT for governance and modernization of the state”, “ICT for social development and poverty reduction”, “ICT for business development and economic growth”. As such, the Bank’s ICT for development strategy seeks to create the necessary conditions to facilitate the mobilisation of private sector resources in ICT for development in direct collaboration with the Bank, and with public and civil society sectors in the countries of the Region. This with the aim of stimulating and encouraging an expanded private sector role in ICT for development, and in direct contribution

to the Bank’s efforts of, among others, promoting social development, competitiveness, modernisation of the state and regional integration. In particular, with the premise that an expanded private sector role should balance market processes with increased corporate social responsibility and strengthened partnerships in Bank-led processes, as part of a “blended strategy”. In this context, the Bank is currently working on the identification and design of the institutional, legal and technical mechanisms for the establishment of a “multi-donor financing facility with private sector participation”, which will allow for the effective participation of leading ICT companies in technical cooperation projects led by the Bank in the Region, and which require modern technical concepts and models, leading and innovative technologies, and, overall, technical and financial leverage. The Bank would also soon initiate the design of a financial programme to support community development through ICT, with an implementation scheme similar to the ICT4BUS Program, and aimed at community leaders, entrepreneurs and local-base organisations that seek support in the deployment of ICT for social development purposes and, in particular, in alphabetisation, education and training, health, culture, gender and equitable sustainable local development, among others. Finally, it may also be noted that the platform of the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) represents a unique opportunity for the Bank to continue consolidating its interinstitutional partnerships while, at the same time, strengthening its role and commitment to its borrowing member countries of the Region to work in the design and implementation of the most effective financial instruments to attend their rapidly changing and growing demand for ICT solutions and applications, under a sustainable and dedicated development financing framework. Precisely, the Bank will lead during 2006 a number of regional activities and events in ICT financing and consistent with the resulting Declaration of WSIS-Tunis 2006. www.egovonline.net |

IN PRACTICE

e-Governance impacts Gujarat Corruption reduced, tax revenues increase at interstate border checkposts Prabhat Kumar, Sushil and M.P.Gupta

n Gujarat, e-Governance has definitely come in handy insofar as reduction of corruption and significant increase in the state’s tax revenue is concerned. A team of techno-savvy bureaucrats have finally succeeded in bringing corruption under check and consequently increasing state’s tax revenues through the effective usage of computers and other electronic devices at some 10 remote interstate border checkposts. Significantly, Gujarat has an extensive road network, which carries a large volume of commercial traffic. Nearly 25,000 transport vehicles enter daily through these checkposts. Until now in Gujarat, inspection of 100% of commercial vehicles had been impossible with checkpost inspectors being notoriously corrupt. The drive to curb the number of overloaded vehicles has only proved to be ineffective. In order to maximise their earnings from each vehicle, Trucking companies have prompted transporters to load their trucks beyond permissible axle load thus creating a serious safety hazard. In Gujarat’s traditional checkpost system, a suspect vehicle is flagged to a stop, and then weighed on a weighbridge located away from traffic. The legal penalty for overload is Rs 2,000 per tonne.

Gujarat has an extensive road network, which carries a large volume of commercial traffic. Nearly 25,000 transport vehicles enter daily through these checkposts. Before computerisation, inspection of 100%

A new approach

of commercial vehicles had been

The State Transport department firstly introduced SMART card drivers’ licenses. The next IT project included the use of computers and communication networks to collect fines from overloaded vehicles. In the computerised process, all the checkposts are monitored at a central location using video cameras installed at every checkpost cabin. The video camera captures the registration number of all trucks approaching the checkpost (There are floodlights and traffic lights which make the checkposts appear like a runway at night.). Software converts the video image of the registration number to a digital form and the details of the truck are accessed from a central database. An electronic weighbridge captures the weight and the computer automatically issues a demand note for fine. Drivers can use a stored value card for payment. Future plans include integrating payment of sales tax on the goods carried by the vehicles.

impossible with checkpost inspectors

Implementation Challenges The new system has teething problems. Currently, the central database is being created, and for many vehicles it still does not hold the requisite details. Hence, the operator uses his judgment and, depending on the make of the vehicle, selects the permissible weight from a drop-down selection box. | January 2006

being notoriously corrupt. The leased line (64 KBPS) connectivity is currently available at only 2 checkposts (Shamlaji and Bhilad, the two largest one). The centralised video monitoring is therefore not working properly. In some checkposts, inspectors may still harass the drivers to extort bribes. The writing and pattern of license plates is often nonstandard and not in compliance with the law. Hence, the license tracking software has not worked properly (only about 35 out of 5,000 numbers were read accurately). Now, trucks with nonstandard number plates are required to replace them at the checkpost. Initially, the system issued manual receipts with limited information since the automatic receipt generated by the computer, without a signature of the officer, was not legally About the authors: Prabhat Kumar, Sushil and M.P.Gupta Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India

IN PRACTICE

Factors New Value Proposition

Innovative use of Webbased technology

Efficiency Factors

Saving Factors

Design of Projects

Functionality

Participation

Factual Details

Specific Factor

Assessment

Full automation through use of Computers and multi-media to automate the checking of Trucks at the Border Check Post was a revolutionary idea to reduce corruption and maximise revenue.

New Paradigm

Very High

New Relationship

Very High

New kind of services

High

Use of Computers and multimedia by creating a data base at a central location was a novel idea.

New Technology used

High

User friendliness and flexibility in technology

High

Ease of upgradation

High

Management at the CheckPost could be centrally monitored. However, the entire operations could not be managed from the central location.

Online information

High

Time saved

High

The project is self-funded by the government, and no private funding from any source was tapped.

PP Partnership

Nil

Use of innovative funding

Nil

Savings

Low

There was a vision in the mind of the planners and clarity in what the project wanted to achieve.

Vision document

Very High

Strategy and clarity in goals and objectives

Very High

Choice of projects

Very High

Nature of portal and kinds of services

High

Navigation and access

Average

Use of local language

Low

Help Desk

Low

Ability to affect government policy

Nil

Attractiveness for users

Very High

Participation in online government

Low

The project was limited to operations at the check-post and integrating the database for the check-posts.

The system produced good results for most and checked the misuse.

valid. With passage of the IT Act 2000, the RTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature has been digitally incorporated on the receipt. Data on the number of vehicles crossing the checkpost suggests that some vehicles have begun to divert through longer routes in adjoining states to avoid the penalty. Implementing similar systems in other states could plug the loophole.

Whether online can handled

Average

continues, abetted by the problems with the video monitoring system. The large and medium transport owners are happy with the system because they can come to know the exact date and time their driver passed the checkpost. The pre-paid card means that the driver does not have to carry much money.

Critical Success Factors Benefits and Costs The new system has produced three-fold increase in tax collection over 2 years. Revenue increased from US$12mn to US$35mn, paying back the total project cost of US$4mn in just 6 months. On average, vehicles are cleared in 2 minutes instead of 30 in the manual system. Harassment of truckers 24

The success of the project depends on several factors that include role of top political leadership i.e. the Chief Minister, skilful management of special interest by bureaucrats, reducing discretion to the minimum, education of clients (drivers and transporters), and intergration with other departments such as Sales Tax etc. www.egovonline.net |

The Asian conference on e-Government

The Asian conference on ICT and Education

April 25 - 28, 2006 Rama Gardens Hotels and Resorts Bangkok,Thailand

Organisers

Co-organiser

Media partners

Supporting partners

Institutional partner

Technical Sessions •

e-Government Country Plans

•

Policy and Technology Framework in e-Government

•

Funding and Financing Mechanisms in e-Government projects

April 25 - 28, 2006 Introduction

•

Content Management, Data Standardisation and GUI

•

Public-Private Partnerships and Service Level Agreement

•

Emerging trends in Mobile Government

•

Government Process Re-engineering and Change Management

Asian countries are witnessing a dramatic change in their

•

Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Mechanisms

economy. So is the scene of e-Governance! Some countries are

•

e-Democracy through e-Government

already topping the international charts of e-Governance, some

•

e-Security and Cyber Laws for efficient Governance

have just begun their journey, while there are a few others

•

ICTs and Rural e-Governance

who are yet to step into the e-Governance arena. The scope for these countries to learn from their advanced Asian

Exhibition

neighbours is immense and opportunities are unbound.

egov Asia 2006 will have an elaborate exhibition of latest e-

The present need is to create a common ground of equitable

Government products, solutions suites, services, initiatives and

learning which facilitates a process of overall development of

case studies from all across Asia and beyond. Professional service

the region.

providers, IT vendors, consulting firms, government agencies

The Event egov Asia 2006 - the international conference on e-Government,

and national/international development organisations involved in the e-Government domain are encouraged to participate in the exhibition.

aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform and a forum for policymakers, practitioners, industry sleaders and

Call for Papers

academicians of Asia-Pacific nations to carry forward the

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

e-Government vision of the region and consolidate them into

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

actionable programme, through collaborative learning and

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

partnerships.

Keynote Sessions Eminent experts and senior government officers from various parts of Asia and outside Asia will discuss the e-Government developments in their respective countries. The discussion will include but not limit to the following topics: •

e-Government trends in Asia

•

e-Government strategies of Asian countries

•

Leadership reflections in e-Government

www.egovasia.net

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@egovasia.net

Papers:

papers@egovasia.net

For Sponsorship:

sponsorship@egovasia.net

For Exhibition:

exhibition@egovasia.net

For General Information:

info@egovasia.net

Submit abstract online at www.egovasia.net/abstractonline.asp

Keynote sessions Eminent experts from the education system and senior government officials from various part of Asia and outside will discuss debate the current policies and trends in ICT in education in their respective countries. This discussion will include the following broad themes National ICT and Education strategies ICT in Education trends in Asian countries Best Practices in ICT in Education in Asia

Sessions The conference will focus on the following board thematic sessions Public private partnership in ICT in education Technologies for education and training Education of informatics and communication technologies Online teaching and learning

April 25 - 28, 2006 Education and training are the foundation of global competitiveness. There is increasing evidence that education and skill levels of human resource are significant determinants of success or failure of human resource-led strategy of a knowledge society in a globalised world. In recent years, several countries in East and Southeast Asia have embarked on creation of globally competetive human resource through national education strategies with a focus on integrating ICT in education at all levels. However countries are still in different stages of this integration, coping with challenges of infrastructure and implementation.

The conference Digital Learning Asia aims to take stock of the progress of the South and East Asian countries in utilising Information and Communication Technologies to enhance the quality and reach of education with a focus on building a human capital that responds to the needs of a globalised world. The conference will provide a platform for policymakers, practitioners, industry leaders and academicians to showcase best practices, share experience, knowledge and perspective and learn from exploring solutions to meet challenges of integrating technologies in all level of education as well as introducing technology education at all level. The conference will provide a forum for showcasing and learning from best practices, explore solutions to meet challenges and discuss issues and strategies for best utilising the potential of ICT in education.

Exhibition Digital Learning Asia 2006 will have an exhibition of latest e-solutions, services, initiatives and case studies from across Asia and beyond. Professional service providers, IT vendors, consulting firms, government agencies and national/international development organisations involved in the ICT in Education domain are encouraged to participate in the exhibition.

Distance education/learning e-learning in classrooms

Call for Papers

Instructional design and elearning content

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

Monitoring and evaluation of ICT in education Quality standards in e-content Future trends in e-learning We welcome new themes/session ideas.

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@DLasia.csdms.in

Papers:

papers@DLasia.csdms.in

Sponsorship:

sponsorship@DLasia.csdms.in

Exhibition:

exhibition@DLasia.csdms.in

General Information:

info@DLasia.csdms.in

Submit abstract online at www.DLasia.csdms.in/abstractonline.asp

www.DLasia.csdms.in

Organizers’ profile Organisers

The Centre for Good Governance

Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS) is a leading Asian nongovernmental institution engaged in advocacy, research and community building in e-government, ICT for Development and knowledge management issues through capacity building and media initiatives. www.csdms.in.

GIS Development Pvt. Ltd. GIS Development strives to promote and propagate the usage of geospatial technologies in various areas of development for the community at large. It remains dedicated to foster the growing network of those interested in geo-informatics worldwide and Asia in particular. www.GISdevelopment.net.

Co-Organisers Danish Technological Institute (DTI), Denmark The Danish Technological Institute (DTI) is one of the oldest technological institutes in the world. DTI has successfully carried out a projects like BEEP (Best e-Europe Practices), PRISMA (Providing innovative service models and assessment). www.danishtechnology.dk.

Supporting partners SEAMEO The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) was established on 30 November 1965 as a chartered international organization whose purpose is to promote cooperation in education, science and culture in the Southeast Asian region. The vision is to have a dynamic, self reliant, strategic, policy-driven and internationally recognized regional organization for strengthening regional understanding and cooperation in education, science and culture for a better quality of life. www.seameo.org

The Centre for Good Governance (CGG) was established by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) in October, 2001 to help it achieve the State’s goal of transforming governance. CGG undertakes action research, provides professional advice to, and conducts change management programmes for government departments and agencies to help them implement their reform agenda successfully. CGG works closely with policy-makers like Ministers, senior officials, management experts, institutions and other stakeholders, especially citizens towards ushering in a caring government centered on the people. http://www.cgg.gov.in

The University of Malaya, Faculty of Economics and Administration UNIVERSITI MALAYA, the first University of the country, was established on 8 October 1949 as a national institution to serve the higher education needs of the Federation of Malaya and Singapore. The University of Malaya grew out of a tradition of service to the society - to help lay the foundations of a new nation by producing a generation of skilled and educated men. The University motto, “Ilmu Punca Kemajuan” (Knowledge is the Key to Success) reflects the philosophy of the University in its constant endeavour to seek knowledge in all fields to produce successful graduates and a successful nation. http://www.um.edu.my/

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA MARA College was officially renamed Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) on 14 Oktober 1967. Its establishment came as a response to a crucial need in the country of Malaysia for trained manpower in the professional and semiprofessional levels. In August 1999, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad announced the change of name of ITM to Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). With this acknowledgement from the government, a major restructuring exercise was carried out in order to consolidate the University’s resources for optimum productivity. http://www.uitm.edu.my

egov Asia 2006 & DL Asia 2006 Secretariat Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS) G - 4, Sector-39, NOIDA - 201 301, India Tel: +91-120-2502180 to 87, Fax: +91-120-2500060 URL: www.egovasia.net, www.DLasia.csdms.in E-mail: info@egovasia,net, info@DLasia.csdms.in

The Asian conference on e-Government

The Asian conference on ICT and Education

April 25 - 28, 2006 Rama Gardens Hotels and Resorts Bangkok,Thailand

Organisers

Co-organiser

Media partners

Supporting partners

Institutional partner

Technical Sessions •

e-Government Country Plans

•

Policy and Technology Framework in e-Government

•

Funding and Financing Mechanisms in e-Government projects

April 25 - 28, 2006 Introduction

•

Content Management, Data Standardisation and GUI

•

Public-Private Partnerships and Service Level Agreement

•

Emerging trends in Mobile Government

•

Government Process Re-engineering and Change Management

Asian countries are witnessing a dramatic change in their

•

Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Mechanisms

economy. So is the scene of e-Governance! Some countries are

•

e-Democracy through e-Government

already topping the international charts of e-Governance, some

•

e-Security and Cyber Laws for efficient Governance

have just begun their journey, while there are a few others

•

ICTs and Rural e-Governance

who are yet to step into the e-Governance arena. The scope for these countries to learn from their advanced Asian

Exhibition

neighbours is immense and opportunities are unbound.

egov Asia 2006 will have an elaborate exhibition of latest e-

The present need is to create a common ground of equitable

Government products, solutions suites, services, initiatives and

learning which facilitates a process of overall development of

case studies from all across Asia and beyond. Professional service

the region.

providers, IT vendors, consulting firms, government agencies

The Event egov Asia 2006 - the international conference on e-Government,

and national/international development organisations involved in the e-Government domain are encouraged to participate in the exhibition.

aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform and a forum for policymakers, practitioners, industry sleaders and

Call for Papers

academicians of Asia-Pacific nations to carry forward the

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

e-Government vision of the region and consolidate them into

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

actionable programme, through collaborative learning and

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

partnerships.

e-Government trends in Asia

•

e-Government strategies of Asian countries

•

Leadership reflections in e-Government

www.egovasia.net

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@egovasia.net

Papers:

papers@egovasia.net

For Sponsorship:

sponsorship@egovasia.net

For Exhibition:

exhibition@egovasia.net

For General Information:

info@egovasia.net

Submit abstract online at www.egovasia.net/abstractonline.asp

Distance education/learning e-learning in classrooms

Call for Papers

Instructional design and elearning content

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

Monitoring and evaluation of ICT in education Quality standards in e-content Future trends in e-learning We welcome new themes/session ideas.

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@DLasia.csdms.in

Papers:

papers@DLasia.csdms.in

Sponsorship:

sponsorship@DLasia.csdms.in

Exhibition:

exhibition@DLasia.csdms.in

General Information:

info@DLasia.csdms.in

Submit abstract online at www.DLasia.csdms.in/abstractonline.asp

www.DLasia.csdms.in

Organizers’ profile Organisers

The Centre for Good Governance

The Asian conference on e-Government

The Asian conference on ICT and Education

April 25 - 28, 2006 Rama Gardens Hotels and Resorts Bangkok,Thailand

Organisers

Co-organiser

Media partners

Supporting partners

Institutional partner

Technical Sessions •

e-Government Country Plans

•

Policy and Technology Framework in e-Government

•

Funding and Financing Mechanisms in e-Government projects

April 25 - 28, 2006 Introduction

•

Content Management, Data Standardisation and GUI

•

Public-Private Partnerships and Service Level Agreement

•

Emerging trends in Mobile Government

•

Government Process Re-engineering and Change Management

Asian countries are witnessing a dramatic change in their

•

Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Mechanisms

economy. So is the scene of e-Governance! Some countries are

•

e-Democracy through e-Government

already topping the international charts of e-Governance, some

•

e-Security and Cyber Laws for efficient Governance

have just begun their journey, while there are a few others

•

ICTs and Rural e-Governance

who are yet to step into the e-Governance arena. The scope for these countries to learn from their advanced Asian

Exhibition

neighbours is immense and opportunities are unbound.

egov Asia 2006 will have an elaborate exhibition of latest e-

The present need is to create a common ground of equitable

Government products, solutions suites, services, initiatives and

learning which facilitates a process of overall development of

case studies from all across Asia and beyond. Professional service

the region.

providers, IT vendors, consulting firms, government agencies

The Event egov Asia 2006 - the international conference on e-Government,

and national/international development organisations involved in the e-Government domain are encouraged to participate in the exhibition.

aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform and a forum for policymakers, practitioners, industry sleaders and

Call for Papers

academicians of Asia-Pacific nations to carry forward the

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

e-Government vision of the region and consolidate them into

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

actionable programme, through collaborative learning and

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

partnerships.

e-Government trends in Asia

•

e-Government strategies of Asian countries

•

Leadership reflections in e-Government

www.egovasia.net

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@egovasia.net

Papers:

papers@egovasia.net

For Sponsorship:

sponsorship@egovasia.net

For Exhibition:

exhibition@egovasia.net

For General Information:

info@egovasia.net

Submit abstract online at www.egovasia.net/abstractonline.asp

Distance education/learning e-learning in classrooms

Call for Papers

Instructional design and elearning content

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

Monitoring and evaluation of ICT in education Quality standards in e-content Future trends in e-learning We welcome new themes/session ideas.

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@DLasia.csdms.in

Papers:

papers@DLasia.csdms.in

Sponsorship:

sponsorship@DLasia.csdms.in

Exhibition:

exhibition@DLasia.csdms.in

General Information:

info@DLasia.csdms.in

Submit abstract online at www.DLasia.csdms.in/abstractonline.asp

www.DLasia.csdms.in

Organizers’ profile Organisers

The Centre for Good Governance

The Asian conference on e-Government

The Asian conference on ICT and Education

April 25 - 28, 2006 Rama Gardens Hotels and Resorts Bangkok,Thailand

Organisers

Co-organiser

Media partners

Supporting partners

Institutional partner

Technical Sessions •

e-Government Country Plans

•

Policy and Technology Framework in e-Government

•

Funding and Financing Mechanisms in e-Government projects

April 25 - 28, 2006 Introduction

•

Content Management, Data Standardisation and GUI

•

Public-Private Partnerships and Service Level Agreement

•

Emerging trends in Mobile Government

•

Government Process Re-engineering and Change Management

Asian countries are witnessing a dramatic change in their

•

Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Mechanisms

economy. So is the scene of e-Governance! Some countries are

•

e-Democracy through e-Government

already topping the international charts of e-Governance, some

•

e-Security and Cyber Laws for efficient Governance

have just begun their journey, while there are a few others

•

ICTs and Rural e-Governance

who are yet to step into the e-Governance arena. The scope for these countries to learn from their advanced Asian

Exhibition

neighbours is immense and opportunities are unbound.

egov Asia 2006 will have an elaborate exhibition of latest e-

The present need is to create a common ground of equitable

Government products, solutions suites, services, initiatives and

learning which facilitates a process of overall development of

case studies from all across Asia and beyond. Professional service

the region.

providers, IT vendors, consulting firms, government agencies

The Event egov Asia 2006 - the international conference on e-Government,

and national/international development organisations involved in the e-Government domain are encouraged to participate in the exhibition.

aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform and a forum for policymakers, practitioners, industry sleaders and

Call for Papers

academicians of Asia-Pacific nations to carry forward the

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

e-Government vision of the region and consolidate them into

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

actionable programme, through collaborative learning and

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

partnerships.

e-Government trends in Asia

•

e-Government strategies of Asian countries

•

Leadership reflections in e-Government

www.egovasia.net

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@egovasia.net

Papers:

papers@egovasia.net

For Sponsorship:

sponsorship@egovasia.net

For Exhibition:

exhibition@egovasia.net

For General Information:

info@egovasia.net

Submit abstract online at www.egovasia.net/abstractonline.asp

Distance education/learning e-learning in classrooms

Call for Papers

Instructional design and elearning content

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

Monitoring and evaluation of ICT in education Quality standards in e-content Future trends in e-learning We welcome new themes/session ideas.

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@DLasia.csdms.in

Papers:

papers@DLasia.csdms.in

Sponsorship:

sponsorship@DLasia.csdms.in

Exhibition:

exhibition@DLasia.csdms.in

General Information:

info@DLasia.csdms.in

Submit abstract online at www.DLasia.csdms.in/abstractonline.asp

www.DLasia.csdms.in

Organizers’ profile Organisers

The Centre for Good Governance

The Asian conference on e-Government

The Asian conference on ICT and Education

April 25 - 28, 2006 Rama Gardens Hotels and Resorts Bangkok,Thailand

Organisers

Co-organiser

Media partners

Supporting partners

Institutional partner

Technical Sessions •

e-Government Country Plans

•

Policy and Technology Framework in e-Government

•

Funding and Financing Mechanisms in e-Government projects

April 25 - 28, 2006 Introduction

•

Content Management, Data Standardisation and GUI

•

Public-Private Partnerships and Service Level Agreement

•

Emerging trends in Mobile Government

•

Government Process Re-engineering and Change Management

Asian countries are witnessing a dramatic change in their

•

Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Mechanisms

economy. So is the scene of e-Governance! Some countries are

•

e-Democracy through e-Government

already topping the international charts of e-Governance, some

•

e-Security and Cyber Laws for efficient Governance

have just begun their journey, while there are a few others

•

ICTs and Rural e-Governance

who are yet to step into the e-Governance arena. The scope for these countries to learn from their advanced Asian

Exhibition

neighbours is immense and opportunities are unbound.

egov Asia 2006 will have an elaborate exhibition of latest e-

The present need is to create a common ground of equitable

Government products, solutions suites, services, initiatives and

learning which facilitates a process of overall development of

case studies from all across Asia and beyond. Professional service

the region.

providers, IT vendors, consulting firms, government agencies

The Event egov Asia 2006 - the international conference on e-Government,

and national/international development organisations involved in the e-Government domain are encouraged to participate in the exhibition.

aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform and a forum for policymakers, practitioners, industry sleaders and

Call for Papers

academicians of Asia-Pacific nations to carry forward the

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

e-Government vision of the region and consolidate them into

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

actionable programme, through collaborative learning and

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

partnerships.

e-Government trends in Asia

•

e-Government strategies of Asian countries

•

Leadership reflections in e-Government

www.egovasia.net

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@egovasia.net

Papers:

papers@egovasia.net

For Sponsorship:

sponsorship@egovasia.net

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Distance education/learning e-learning in classrooms

Call for Papers

Instructional design and elearning content

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

Monitoring and evaluation of ICT in education Quality standards in e-content Future trends in e-learning We welcome new themes/session ideas.

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

Important Contacts Registration:

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Organizers’ profile Organisers

The Centre for Good Governance

The Asian conference on e-Government

The Asian conference on ICT and Education

April 25 - 28, 2006 Rama Gardens Hotels and Resorts Bangkok,Thailand

Organisers

Co-organiser

Media partners

Supporting partners

Institutional partner

Technical Sessions •

e-Government Country Plans

•

Policy and Technology Framework in e-Government

•

Funding and Financing Mechanisms in e-Government projects

April 25 - 28, 2006 Introduction

•

Content Management, Data Standardisation and GUI

•

Public-Private Partnerships and Service Level Agreement

•

Emerging trends in Mobile Government

•

Government Process Re-engineering and Change Management

Asian countries are witnessing a dramatic change in their

•

Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Mechanisms

economy. So is the scene of e-Governance! Some countries are

•

e-Democracy through e-Government

already topping the international charts of e-Governance, some

•

e-Security and Cyber Laws for efficient Governance

have just begun their journey, while there are a few others

•

ICTs and Rural e-Governance

who are yet to step into the e-Governance arena. The scope for these countries to learn from their advanced Asian

Exhibition

neighbours is immense and opportunities are unbound.

egov Asia 2006 will have an elaborate exhibition of latest e-

The present need is to create a common ground of equitable

Government products, solutions suites, services, initiatives and

learning which facilitates a process of overall development of

case studies from all across Asia and beyond. Professional service

the region.

providers, IT vendors, consulting firms, government agencies

The Event egov Asia 2006 - the international conference on e-Government,

and national/international development organisations involved in the e-Government domain are encouraged to participate in the exhibition.

aims to provide a knowledge-sharing platform and a forum for policymakers, practitioners, industry sleaders and

Call for Papers

academicians of Asia-Pacific nations to carry forward the

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

e-Government vision of the region and consolidate them into

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

actionable programme, through collaborative learning and

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

partnerships.

e-Government trends in Asia

•

e-Government strategies of Asian countries

•

Leadership reflections in e-Government

www.egovasia.net

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@egovasia.net

Papers:

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For Sponsorship:

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exhibition@egovasia.net

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info@egovasia.net

Submit abstract online at www.egovasia.net/abstractonline.asp

Distance education/learning e-learning in classrooms

Call for Papers

Instructional design and elearning content

Abstract Acceptance:

March 05 , 2006

Full Paper Submission:

March 30, 2006

Monitoring and evaluation of ICT in education Quality standards in e-content Future trends in e-learning We welcome new themes/session ideas.

Abstract Submission:

February 28 , 2006

Important Contacts Registration:

registration@DLasia.csdms.in

Papers:

papers@DLasia.csdms.in

Sponsorship:

sponsorship@DLasia.csdms.in

Exhibition:

exhibition@DLasia.csdms.in

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Organizers’ profile Organisers

The Centre for Good Governance

COUNTRY FOCUS BANGLADESH

Eyeing Third World leadership Bangladesh embraces e-Governance in earnest Bangladesh, as a developing Third World nation, has understood the crucial importance of e-Governance and the strong prospects that it holds in steering the country on the path of progress if successfully implemented. Cooperation from government officials and staff would be crucial in realising the goals of modernising Bangladesh through e-Governance.

angladesh is one of the poorest, most densely populated, least developed countries in the world. Apart from its lowly economic status, major impediments to growth have included frequent cyclones and floods, as well as the inefficiency of its state-owned enterprises and the slow implementation of much-needed economic reforms. However, despite its numerous difficulties Bangladesh is determined to make strides particularly in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The country is putting in extensive effort towards building the ICT infrastructure and the regulatory reforms in the sector. The ICT industry in Bangladesh has come a long way in last several decades. An exponential growth is being

experienced by the industry in recent years, and its presence being strongly felt both in the public and private sector in the country. Some of the major driving force of the industry include increasing availability of computers (PC import in the country has been growing by more than 35% during last five years; current number of PCs stands at 1.5 million), widespread Internet availability (nearly 1 million Internet users) and the recent explosion of telecommunication network across the country (number of mobile connection projected to reach 10 million from the current 3 million in next three years; more than 20 PSTN license issued to private sector Telecommunication companies in recent months and average growth of number of connections is also projected

more than 200% for next years). But, perhaps the most important factor in the continuing development of the sector is the presence of a large number of good quality software application development houses (more than 350 companies with 15,000+ programmers & technical staffs). Notably, the ICT industry in Bangladesh is thriving in a positive business environment. The legal and policy framework for the industry is already in place. A very high level Task Force for ICT sector has been constituted under the leadership of the Prime Minister for monitoring its development and formulating of action plans. Different Ministries and agencies of the Government have already initiated eGovernance projects. The existing www.egovonline.net |

COUNTRY FOCUS BANGLADESH

government policy of allocating minimum 2% of the Annual Development Budget for ICT procurement is a big encouragement for the industry. During recent times, the private sector organisational buyers are also increasingly emphasising on using ICT for tapping competitiveness in business, both at domestic and international market level. Increasing ICT use at both the public and private sector has initiated good demand situation for software and ICT services industry in the country. However, there are a number of problems confronting the ICT industry. These include very low telephone density, high charge of internet service providers, access of insignificant number of people to internet, the present low speed and efficiency of the communication system in the country, low pace of computerisation in various offices and sectors, and absence of cyber laws significantly.

Bangladesh ICT Policy The ICT Policy in Bangladesh aims at building an ICT-driven nation comprising of knowledge based society by the year 2006. In view of this, a country wide ICTinfrastructure will be developed to ensure access to information by every citizen to facilitate empowerment of people and enhance democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, e-Governance, e-Commerce, banking, public utility services and all sorts of online ICTenabled services. The Ministry of Science, and Information & Communication Technology have formulated the policy.

Conceptualisation of e-Governance With the onset of information revolution, many developing countries have looked at Information Technology (IT) as a possible new tool to solve age-old problems of poverty, bad governance, and sluggish economic growth. While the developed countries have been able to benefit greatly from the wide use of IT, many developing countries are still grasping to make sense of how IT fits into their scheme of things or solving their problems. The trend is true in the case of | January 2006

e-Governance also. In Bangladesh, for the past some years there has been much talk going about e-Governance. Even some government offices have taken innovative steps towards certain e-Government projects. However, e-Governance, being a new concept for government officials, is being met with resistance and fear apart from having other infrastructure problems. Until now, the Government officials were used to the traditional bureaucratic works. But the good news is that the government is taking e-Governance very seriously. The national ICT Task Force headed by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia herself has put great emphasis on identifying challenges in the implementation of nationwide eGovernance and on initiating pilot projects in various sectors of the government through a project called the Support to ICT Task Force (SICT), which is being implemented under the Ministry of Planning. Also, the Government of Bangladesh is getting substantial foreign cooperation in terms of financial assistance and technical collaboration for realisation of e-Governance at a national scale.

Is Bangladesh ready for e-Governance? e-Governance is no longer a matter of choice – it is a prime necessity of the day. ‘Whether e-Governance or Not’ is not the right question to ask any more. The appropriate question is ‘how soon and how smoothly can the transition to

e-Governance take place’. However, Bangladesh is not yet ready for advanced e-Governance services, but it is fully ready for some basic building blocks. Low levels of teledensity, PC penetration and Internet access will be major bottlenecks to allowing citizens across Bangladesh to benefit from e-Governance. But with improved infrastructure facilities, these services can be taken to more and more remote parts of Bangladesh gradually. To assess Bangladesh’s readiness for e-Governance, several dimensions need to be considered. These include ICT Infrastructure readiness, technological readiness, managerial readiness, legal readiness, human resource readiness, financial readiness and political readiness. ICT Infrastructure Readiness: ICT infrastructure in the country is gradually expanding, but not at the rate expected or desired. A national backbone for internal connectivity has not been created yet. Plan for high-speed link to Global Information Superhighway is also stifled with slow progress. For e-Governance to be useful to the public, there has to be enough number of low-cost Internet access centers at public places throughout the country. Technological Readiness: Local capacity is gradually building within the country. Local software companies are gathering experience and expertise to deliver largescale e-Government applications and then providing long-term maintenance and support. 37

COUNTRY FOCUS BANGLADESH

ICT Profile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bangladesh Total population

138.23 million1

Rural population as a percentage of total population

76% (estimated)

Literacy in the national language(s)

56%

Computer ownership per 100 inhabitants

0.782

Telephone lines per 100 inhabitants

4.643

Internet hosts per 10,000 inhabitants

0.015 (estimated)

Internet users per 10,000 inhabitants

19.04

Internet cafĂŠs/telecentres per 10,000 inhabitants

0.19 (estimated)

Internet users per 10,000 inhabitants

19.04

Cell phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants

3.913

Number of websites in the national language(s)

200 (estimated)

Number of websites in English and other language(s)

600 (estimated)4

National bandwidth within the country

68 Mbps (data) (estimated)

National bandwidth to and from the country

112 Mbps (estimated) www.apdip.net/projects/dig-rev/info/bd

1. 2. 3. 4.

Total Population: 138,226,485. Source: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics ITU Estimate, 2003 Number of Telephone: Fixed - 1,007,450, Cell - 5,413,800, Total - 6,421,250 (as on 9 May 2005). Source: Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission The number of website registered with dot bd authority as on 30 April 2005. In Bangladesh, dot bd is not popular. Businesses and government agencies tend to use dot com and dot org domains.

Managerial Readiness: Building internal capacity within government offices to manage and own IT-related projects and coordinate the transition to e-Governance is still a serious challenge. Some government offices have successfully been able to form a process of management of IT systems within the government, but most are still grappling with the problem. There needs to be more coordination point among different ITrelated projects and a central planning unit for e-Governance throughout the country. This central planning unit can be crucial in avoiding duplication of similar projects and ensuring a interoperable platform. 38

Legal Readiness: If e-Governance is to be incorporated fully within activities of the government, electronic documents need to be made acceptable officially and legally. Electronic correspondence also should be regarded as official. For purposes of digital certification and authentication, a Certificate Authority needs to be designated. Human Resource Readiness: Most government offices with IT systems suffer from lack of maintenance due to shortage of skilled manpower. The IT systems generally get developed within the framework of external projects. As soon as the project finishes, the government is

unable to retain much of the technical staff. For sustainability, planning and maintenance of IT systems, a mid-level officer with IT training needs to be officially designated as CIO (Chief Information Officer) who should have official duties to own and manage ITrelated activities of that office in an official capacity. The job description of that particular CIO needs to be revised officially. It is also important to make that CIO not easily transferable so that he can gain ownership and experience in that particular organisation. The government should also take steps to hire a programmer and a system analyst for government offices that use IT systems. There should also be continual training programs for government officials and staff. To provide incentives for training, the government may give preference to IT knowledge for promotion. Financial Readiness: Finding sources of funds for transition to eGovernance are the least of all the problems. The Government of Bangladesh is serious about it despite negative pressure from stakeholders. There are international agencies which are looking for opportunities to provide funding for e-Governance. But due to lack of internal capacity within government offices, in many cases, these funds are under-utilised and sometimes misused. Political Readiness: Political will is perhaps the most important criteria for e-Government readiness. Without leadership, initiative and sometimes direct GO (Government Order) from the top, e-Governance is impossible to implement. There are good indications that the government is currently very serious about implementing e-Governance in various sectors to increase efficiency, increase transparency and reduce corruption. The SICT Programme is representative of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong commitment to e-Governance.

Prospects of e-Governance in Bangladesh Inadequate understanding about the issue of e-Governance is the key barrier to pursue the policy makers as well as to formulate national strategy. However, the potential remains largely untapped to date due to poor human, organisational and www.egovonline.net |

COUNTRY FOCUS BANGLADESH

technological infrastructure and because of the inappropriate approaches taken by donors, vendors and the government. Currently, the emphasis of the private sector and donor initiatives has been basically on e-business and on nongovernmental e-society that has left a large and growing opportunity gap around the other areas of e-Governance. These areas form the priorities for e-Governance initiatives at national level. For e-Governance to succeed in developing countries ‘e-readiness’ must be built. This means strengthening infrastructure inadequacies must reduce the barriers to e-Governance, and the drivers must also be strengthened. The priority, therefore, is to build e-readiness in six key areas: awareness and commitment at a high level; enactment of new laws and regulation for enabling e-Governance; development of national strategy; setting up of key e-Governance institutions to plan and facilitate e-Governance projects; strengthening operational capacities to implement pilot projects in the area of human capacity, technology and data system and setting up of e-Governance pilot projects that focused on ‘net-worked government.’

e-Government Initiatives in Bangladesh Some of the government agencies have already launched their websites. The official website of the Government of Bangladesh, www.bangladeshgov.org, currently contains links to President’s Office, Prime Minister’s Office, 8 ministries and 59 agencies. Some of these contain important documents like Budget, Census Data, Customs and Income Tax regulations etc. Almost all Ministries are currently using email facilities. Bangladesh government has prepared a project “Electronic Governance in Bangladesh: Development of government Administration Information System” for establishing e-Governance system in 38 ministries and Divisions. Major activities under this project are: • Each Ministry will be provided with necessary hardware, software, manpower, necessary broadband connectivity and LAN/WAN will be established among the ministries/ divisions. | January 2006

•

Support to ICT Task Force (SICT) project • 890 million Taka Project entitled “Support to ICT Task Force” (www.sict gov.org) primarily for introducing eGovernance is being implemented by the Planning Commission under the Ministry of Planning. Initially 6 Divisional HQ, PM Office and some key www.bangladeshgov.org ministries e.g. Health, Home Affairs, Land, Information, network through video-conferencing, Labour, Expatriate Welfare, Foreign email, digital library, electronic database Affairs and Planning have been etc., reducing digital divide by taking ICTs chosen to implement some basic outside urban areas, empowering citizens electronic services (i.e. email, File through online utility services and Tracking, Document Sharing, through relevant information, enhancing Internet access) to visualise the part democratic values by making the of a whole picture of e-Government. government more accountable and Some of the major e-Government service-oriented to citizens and projects in Bangladesh are being outlined. businesses, and encouraging sustained Ministry of Finance has customised economic development through more software for budget planning, sensitivity efficient governance. Some of the notable e-Government analysis, impact analysis, financial Projects in the pipeline include National projections and various reports. Much of Trade Portal by Ministry of Commerce/ the activities of National board of EPB, which will act as a trade gateway to Revenue (NBR) has been computerised. Bangladesh for foreign buyers and sellers, NBR is computerising the revenue budget and Online Tender by IMED. procedure. Both Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchange are highly computerised and networked, allowing citizens to trade with much more ease than before. Such as enhanced system of stock trading has contributed greatly to reduce corruption, to save time of businessmen, and to improve market responses. The Ministry of Science and ICT is creating websites containing information about various ministries. The Ministry of Communication provides online searchable database of contractors, tenders. They have also created a Project Monitoring System for tracking progress of projects. They have databases of 9,011 bridge structures and 20,000 km roads. The Bangladesh Planning Commission is creating software for interfacing between development and revenue budget. e-Governance Projects under the SICT Programme includes building ICT infrastructure throughout the country, better intra-governmental communication

Conclusion From the above projects, it is clear that Bangladesh is positioning itself to be seriously moving towards e-Governance in a comprehensive way. This is a change, a transition that cannot be stopped since it is part of a global movement. Cooperation from government officials and staff will contribute to a smoother transition. Given the current high level of political commitment and largely adequate sources of funding, Bangladesh is likely to emerge as a leader in e-Governance soon among the third world countries. PREPARED BY egov team with inputs from SASM Taifur, project director, SICT (Support to National ICT Task Force), Bangladesh; Mridul Chowdhury, Consultant, SICT; Shajel Shah Quereshi, Active member working for Telecom and ICT sector, Bangladesh.

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Climbing the e-Governance ladder Hayati Harudin, Head, Malaysia e-Governance Centre of Excellence, Oracle Corporation Malaysia, in an interview with egov explains the current situation of e-Government applications in Malaysia and how their centre is trying to become a strategic enabler of Malaysia’s Vision 2020.

Hayati Harudin

alaysia’s eGovernance Centre of Excellence (www.egovcoe.com/ malaysia. htm) was launched in August 2005 by Oracle Corporation Malaysia at new hi-tech city of Cyberjaya. The center is the fifth e-Governance Centre of Excellence in the Asia Pacific region that is supported by Oracle. Others are located in India, Philippines, Sri Lanka and China. The centre has been established to support the initiatives of the Government of Malaysia in adopting information technology in governance and society. It aims to accelerate IT projects among government organisations and government-linked companies in the country. According to Hayati Harudin, “The centre was setup because we wanted to become a key enabler for country’s vision for ‘Vision 2020’. It is trying to create an ecosystem of linkages between centre and the government, centre and the education sector, and centre and the community of independent software vendors. We are working with the government in order to help them realise some of the key concepts that can allow for a higher adoption rate in ICT for effective governance. We are trying to accelerate adoption of e-Governance through innovative ideas and thought leadership based on the knowledge and expertise we have in the region through this network of CoEs.” Oracle plans to invest RM 10 million in the Centre of Excellence over a period 42

of three years. In short span of a few months, the Centre has already begun building on the existing knowledge base of the Malaysian Public Sector. It not only plans to drive successful adoption of IT strategies and projects but also share global best practices in the years to come. As Hayati says, “We are working very hard to become a strategic adviser to the government. As the centre is still very new, barely four months old, we have yet to establish its capabilities and gain due recognition in the market to achieve that status. This will be the first and most important challenge for the centre.” Sharing her opinion about the e-Government applications in Malaysia, Hayati added, “They can be divided into two categories. The first category is of eGovernment flagship, and this was the synopsis of realisation of Multimedia Super Corridor. Under the flagship, there are a series of applications. To name a few, they are Electronic Procurement, Project Monitoring System, Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), etc. Now the other category of e-Government applications is agency-led projects. Some of the examples are e-Tanah and e-Courts. e-Tanah for example is spearheaded by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and it is an e-Government application. The e-Government initiatives are to improve internal efficiency and also deliver citizen services. Electronic Procurement and Electronic Services are examples of e-government delivery of services for the public. To deliver best value from these services, their usage have to be aggressively promoted.” A pressing concern of the government at the moment is the huge number of unemployed graduates in the country and, the centre has stepped-up

to assist in addressing this issue. Hayati says, “Universities are producing graduates whose skills and competency do not match the industry requirements, resulting in these unemployed graduates. We have been advising the education sector to consider incorporating curriculum on leading world-class technology and applications, besides providing and better-recognised certifications to help these graduates to become more marketable. We are also forming collaborations with the Universities, so that students can conduct research programmes in collaboration with the COE. With the programs we offer for higher education, graduates are equipped with core Oracle skills, which is very much in demand in the market.” The centre is expected to include a showcase of solutions from Oracle partners. The centre plans to eventually evolve to become an avenue for Malaysian IT vendors to develop their solutions based on Oracle’s technology and application products. As Hayati told, “We recently conducted a workshop in Malaysia around the topic of RFID - on how RFID can be used in e-Governance. In these kind of workshops, our customers seem to be a lot more open in sharing their concerns. By doing so, we can understand their situation better and advise them more effectively.” The centre is also acting as an important stepping-stone for local Oracle Independent Software Vendor (ISV) partners as they prepare to enter into the global software solutions market. The Centre’s future plan is to step into Bio-informatics. Hayati said concluding, “We would like to grow in the area of Bio-informatics. We welcome opportunities to partner and work with some of the established research institutions in India to work with us.” www.egovonline.net |

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Ariba: Transforming Spend Management Ariba, Inc. is the leading Spend Management solutions provider. Ariba helps companies develop and leverage spend management as a core competency to drive significant bottom line results. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intensely cost-conscious environment, choosing the right spend management provider is crucial. Ariba is the pioneer and a proven leader in creating powerful Spend Management solutions for major companies worldwideâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including many of the Fortune 100.

T Sivakumar

In an exclusive interview with egov, T. Sivakumar, Group Director, Ariba India, provides insights about Spend Management solution, difference between the typical e-procurement approach and endto-end approach and where is Ariba placed in this entire sector.

How is the response of Indian government to the Spend Management Solution? Excellent. In fact, I would say it is overwhelming at this point in time. We would be focusing on a couple of forward-looking state governments on this concept. They very clearly understand that this is not just e-tendering system which will give them the benefit they want. They clearly understand that the benefit in the entire approach is to really tackle not only in the tendering and sourcing stage but also right upto the procurement compliance. Till the time the buyers place the order after the contract and pay the supplier and get the services as per the contract, the cycle is not complete and the savings does not really come to the government kitty. And the transparency factor is not established right through the value chain. So, to a large extent they clearly appreciate it. The second aspect in which they clearly appreciate it in this approach is bringing in synergies across different functions in the government. They realize that there should be some synergies across the different government departments such as public health care, public works department or the education and so on, because at the end of this debate, money is going from one particular organization. And therefore, that particular conceptual approach, which we brought in, is really being taken up well by these governments. Is Ariba trying to implement Spend Management with Andhra Pradesh, which is successfully implementing the e-procurement? Andhra Pradesh has started with e-tendering and reverse option as they call it, as their focus, which is not Spend Management. Yes, they have got benefits. I am not denying that they have done a great job. But having said that, the whole idea of implementing Spend Management for any government is to get | January 2006

multitude of those benefits if you are able to attract the end-toend process. So we are not currently talking to them because they are already using something, they have a concept in mind already. Our primary focus is outside those governments that have done reverse auction or e-tendering. And that is where we actually see a huge amount of by-in from them. Here we need to give all the three things to them that they want- savings, transparency and process implementation. This end-to-end process also needs to give the huge advantage to the end customer, supplier or the citizen for that matter. So it is a huge benefit right down to the value chain, actually. And that is why we see a huge buy-in. Spend Management initiative will start showing results within 3-6 months of embarking on it, whereas if you look at any of their e-governance initiatives, it takes at least a year or a two for the system to be up and running before you start seeing discernible benefits out of it. Till now Ariba has been working with the developed nations like the US, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the first time you are into a developing nation like India. What are the challenges you are facing to implement this kind of solution in India? I completely agree to your question. But having said that we are not new in India. We have been here for the last 5 years and we 43

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

What is Spend Management Solution? Spend Management (SM) is a new category of solutions that is designed to enhance companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sourcing and procurement strategy. By allowing companies to combine their analysis, sourcing, contracting, procurement and reconciliation processes into a single, cohesive system, SM provides closer visibility over its spend. Spend management helps companies to efficiently manage their purchasing functions and thereby gain a competitive advantage and improve bottom line results. With the adoption of Spend Management, governments can not only save costs but also increase operational efficiency dramatically. The savings in turn will help the government to invest in other productive areas for improved and tangible returns. Spend management also marks an evolution in egovernance with a government to Business (GtoB) approach that allows e-transaction between government agencies and private businesses. This change actually brings more

are the market leader in Spend Management in the enterprise sector in India, very clearly. We do not know the estimate but we have the market share of 65-70% in that particular area. But the interesting thing is that when we move down to the government, there are new challenges that we faced in the past. One is to break the mind-set that this is not the e-tendering system. This is not a customizable system. There are some best practices, some standard methodologies that people can follow. What we see in India today is most of the governments are not benchmarking themselves across states to Andhra Pradesh, to Karnataka. They want to benchmark themselves with the best in the world. So that really opens up to the global phenomenon here. And though we have not done any work with the government in India so far, which I am sure we will be doing shortly, but the interesting thing is that most of the IT Secretaries and the Chief Secretaries are very much interested to know how they can bench mark to the best in the world. So from that perspective, I think the mindset is changing, people definitely are appreciating it.

We believe that a typical Indian state with a spend of Rs 4,000 crore could save Rs 440 to Rs 520 crore. How is the response of other Asian countries compared to India? Have you explored the market there? Absolutely. South Asia has a year and a half advantage over India in this area. For example, there is very large installation of Ariba in South Asia. Ministry of Defence in Singapore is the best example that I can site right now, publicly disclosed example. 44

accountability, transparency, and fairness to all government business transactions.

They are saving tons of money on a monthly basis, so their response is overwhelming. How do you see the market for Spend Management in South Asia and India? What is your plan? See it is an estimate, we believe that at least 20 more states would be going in for massive e-Governance project in the next 2-3 years. This is an estimate from the press reports that we gathered. It is up to Ariba to see how it can really contribute and actually go and grab in this particular market. This is a very fast growing market. The extent of benefit that these governments can get out of the procurement solution and e-governance space is probably the highest in the entire e-governance value chain because these results are very tangible. We are very comfortable to say that if the governments implement the e-governance and Spend Management properly, there is 400-500 crores of the savings up the take. So it is easy to get these numbers in on a year to year basis. We are talking to a lot of opinion leaders apart from the IT Secretariat, the Chief Dignitaries, in the government. Second is that an enhanced focus in this sector, because we can clearly see not just the opportunity but huge value addition that we can do for our governments. In India, the government mindset is still that they do not work on computers, so do you provide specific training on the ground, on these kinds of solutions? I agree absolutely. To the extent of change management, you will have to do a little bit of additional work in India, there is no doubt about it. But there are two broad focused areas for both developed nations and India. For instance they also have a standard procedure for procurement like we have the CVC guidelines in India. So one, is to try and map this process, to that. The second is the extent of training and www.egovonline.net |

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

handholding and more importantly, commitment to ensure that every single spend is managed through this system. To that extent, the extent of training that you require is slightly more for the governments out here. And we are aware of this because currently we have some standard training programs both from the process side as well as in the technology side. Both are equally important. The other interesting thing on the technology side is, if you take any analysis report, Ariba has been declared as the most-user friendly system across the globe, so to that extent, a person can start working on the Ariba template after just an hour of basic training. Do you think the National e-governance Plan is helping these kinds of solutions and the private players to work with the government and will they bring more public and private partnerships in the future? Absolutely. It is a very good step that the government is taking. And some of the guidelines that they have put up are very interesting. They are focusing on quality, on time-bound implementation and they are clearly advising private sector. I think this is the step in the right direction. In India, different states are moving in different directions, there is less of coordination amongst the states so how do you, as a private player, see this scenario in India, where it is heading? See, if you look at e-governance, it is a very broad spectrum. The ‘P’ that we would be focusing in Spend Management, is procurement related, one important part of the entire project. While we clearly see there is some leaders- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu is very closely catching up. Rajasthan, Gujarat, in the north are catching up right now. Very clearly, there is a pack of leaders and a pack of followers right now. That What we see in India today is most of the governments are not benchmarking themselves across states to Andhra Pradesh, to Karnataka. They want to benchmark themselves with the best in the world. So that really opens up to the global phenomenon here. will take some time, but what is noteworthy is that having seen the leaders doing certain things well and certain things not well, the followers are becoming even wiser. Yes they are definitely moving in different directions but that how any country would go about. Even in the US, the situation is the same because it depends upon lot of local factors, support factors, technology adaptation factors and so on and so forth. But what is common in this, I think ‘P’ is broadly common. But yes, different governments are trying to oppose it. Some of the governments are forward looking to say look this is the concept so give me three, four or 5 years old map and take me to the end of the concept. There are some governments, that have a very short term vision, they just comply with some of the regulatory governance that they have, so they just quick-fix the solution. | January 2006

According to estimates South Asian economies can save between USD 3 to 10 billion through Spend Management. And there is also the classic tussle between classic solution and the western class solution. A lot of people still are very comfortable with customizing a package according to their requirement, which is not sustainable. These are some of the conceptual differences, which they still continue to have but I think that will continue to exist. Is there any other player who has moved into the government enterprise sector, and created awareness to this end-to-end solution, apart from Ariba in India? To the best of our knowledge, no. There are a lot of point solution providers. The majority of them are in the e-tendering and reverse option space. There are a plethora of them but to the best of my knowledge, there is none who can bring in an end-to-end concept. Because basically, they need to know Ariba and Ariba is clearly 3-4 years ahead of its competitors elsewhere not only in India but globally in terms of our conceptualization of Spend Management. Do you find the progress slow in India as compared to other countries? Today most of the e-governance projects are going at a brisk pace. And like private players they are working on a tight time plan. To that extent, I would partially agree with you but not totally, because right now, I clearly see a sense of urgency in many of the governments that we are talking about. They also know that this is a clear area where they can immediately get tangible benefits. This particular Spend Management initiative will start showing results within 3-6 months of embarking on it, whereas if you look at any of their e-governance initiatives, it takes at least a year or a two for the system to be up and running before you start seeing discernible benefits out of it. In this case, the service provider hosts most of the technology. It is not actually purchased by the government. So most of the governments are benefited very clearly. So I think the pace is pretty good right now. 45

COMMENTARY

Positioning e-Governance on fast track in India Sudhir Agarwal Presently, e-Governance has become a widely-debated subject attracting all round attention. As such, two key issues regarding e-Governance in India has arisen – penetration of enterprisewide ICT solutions from PC penetration and growing awareness among various stakeholders to a greater extent. Lately, eGovernance projects have attracted massive investment but still have a long way to go. The very purpose of e-Governance in a country like India can be viewed as a process to facilitate change and redefine the lifestyle of people in Government, i.e. a process to break the silos among departments from Citizen perspective, reduce/ kill long queues, and present ‘Government is ONE’. The foremost objective of e-Governance is to ensure free flow of Information and freedom of Information. The information becoming easily and efficiently available to anyone, anytime from anywhere, using modes of access like paper form, Internet, mobile devices etc. However, at the same time it must be ensured that it has to be made available in a secure manner to the people concerned with due authentication. Managing the data and information efficiently and effectively using state-of-the-art technologies shall help streamline and standardise the processes transparently across

Current state of e-Governance in India • • • •

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Department level IT solutions with manual processes being carried out as a parallel activity User mind set to get the quick results, say application software within 3 to 6 months with a very limited perspective Some of the Services are being offered to Citizens using ICT, however comprehension and re-visiting the Governance processes still requires institutionalisation Some people have emerged as e-Governance Champions; however the challenge is to sustain the change while remained focused on functional domain and keep the pace with technology advancements Different departments within the state, different states across the country, various ministries/ departments are busy evolving their respective ICT solutions. Though some National level initiatives have begun Definition and evolution of standards, best practices needs serious attention Active Industry participation is being accepted as one of the critical success factors, however still people have their resistance and apprehension to embrace industry as a trusted partner

departments. It would need to create and manage backend common databases across applications/ departments. In fact, the major goal of e-Governance should be to achieve enhanced accountability and responsiveness of Government around the concept of Service Level Agreements (SLA) transparently thus making its services citizen centric.

Suggested strategies for effective e-Governance Each Government department like Police, Sales Tax, Public Healthcare, Transport, usually work the traditional bureaucratic way across States except some local variations in terms of some parameters, volumes, etc. However, each State wants to have its own IT initiative, which however needs massive funding. The transformation into e-Governance must be seen as an opportunity to streamline the Government functioning by removing the non-value adding processes and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness. It should reduce the cost of running the Government, resulting in self-funding of such projects from long-term perspective and reduce the burden on citizens and businesses. Some of office automation and productivity enhancement tools like File tracking system, e-mail systems, Intranet systems, HR and Administration, and procurement portals would indeed be common for all arms of the Government thus enhancing scope of interoperability and cost-effectiveness. Corporate Sector has experienced a major change of transforming the organisation from end-customer perspective. It might be a worthy idea for the Government to view anything and everything from Citizen perspective and re-look at the current structure and functioning of Government. Enhanced transparency, accountability, efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness, flexibility, scalability, anytime delivery of services from anywhere through multiple mechanism/ devices should be among the key focus for e-Governance solutions. Besides, the Government should make effort to select people as per suitability and not necessarily seniority or availability. Further, the Government should invite active and meaningful Industry participation with a clear objective and intention towards achieving the best. Accordingly, the Industry needs to respond appropriately and responsibly. The Industry players having understanding and experience of ground realities should only participate. Funding has also continuously been a major issue because of the lack of trust and confidence between the Government and the Industry. About the author: Sudhir Agarwal is a Industry Manager – Government (SWG) at IBM India Limited

www.egovonline.net |

Editorial Guidelines egov is a monthly magazine providing a much needed platform to the voices of various stakeholders in the arena of e-Government, apart from being a repository of valuable information and meaningful discussion on issues of e-governance in general, and egovernment in particular – both to the specialist and the generalist. Contributions to egov magazine should be in the form of articles, case studies, book reviews, event report and news related to e-Government project and initiatives, which are of immense value for practitioners, professionals, corporate and academicians. We would like the contributors to follow these guidelines, while submitting their material for publication. • Articles/ Case studies should not

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exceed 2500 words. For book reviews and event report, the word limit is 800. An abstract of the article/case study not exceeding 200 words should be submitted along with the article/case study. All articles/ case studies should provide proper references. Authors should give in writing stating that the work is new and has not been published in any form so far. Book reviews should include details of the book like the title, name of the author(s), publisher, year of publication, price and number of pages and also send the cover photograph of the book in JPEG/ TIFF (resolution 300 dpi). Book reviews of books on e-Governance related themes, published from year 2002 onwards, are preferable. In case of website, provide the URL.

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The manuscripts should be typed in a standard printable font (Times New Roman 12 font size, titles in bold) and submitted either through mail or post. • Relevant figures of adequate quality (300 dpi) should be submitted in JPEG/ TIFF format. • A brief bio-data and passport size photograph(s) of the author(s) must be enclosed. • All contributions are subject to approval by the publisher. Please send in your papers/articles/ comments to: The Editor G-4, Sector 39 NOIDA (UP) 201 301, India Tel +91 120 2502180-87 Fax +91 120 2500060 Email: info@egovonline.net

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| January 2006

ABOUT TOWN

This section lists upcoming e-Government conferences, exhibitions, and other public events for the benefit of our readers. 30 January - 2 Febuary, 2006

5 - 6 April 2006

15 - 19 May 2006

GTC Southwest 2006 Seventeenth Annual Government Technology Conference Austin, TX

local e-gov London EXPO 2006 Docklands London

Government Technology Conference West 2006 Sacramento, CA USA

http://www.govtech.net/gtc/?pg= conference&confid=276

02 – 04 February 2006 9th National Conference on e-Governance Kochi, Kerala, India

http://www.localegovnp.org/ default.asp?sID=1133363230094

10 - 13 April 2006

http://www.govtech.net/gtc/index.php/ GTCWest2006

2nd International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies (WEBIST-2006) Portugal

6 - 9 June 2006

http://www.webist.org/cfp.htm

10 February 2006 e-Government for all Europeans Vienna, Austria http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/ 5122/251

13 - 14 February 2006 Scandinavian Workshop on e-Government Kristiansand http://www.hia.no/oksam/inf-vit/eGov%20Workshop/callforpapers.html

7-8 March 2006 EGov Summit London, UK http://www.egov.worldtradeco.com/

19 - 22 April 2006 Eastern European e|Gov Days 2006 Prague (CZ) http://www.uni-koblenz.de/FB4/ Institutes/IWVI/AGVInf/Conferences/ eeegovdays2006

24 - 28 April 2006 2nd International Conference on Information & Communication Technologies: from Theory to Applications - ICTTA’06 Damascus Syria http://ictta.enst-bretagne.fr/ index.php?PAGE=callforpapers.php

8 - 9 March 2006 2006 Government & Health Technologies Conference and Expo Ottawa, Canada http://gov.wowgao.com/

8 - 11 March 2006 The 4th ACS/IEEE International Conference on Computer Systems and Applications (AICCSA-06) Dubai, UAE http://www.cs.utk.edu/aiccsa06

25 - 28 April 2006 egov Asia 2006 & DL Asia Bangkok Thailand

http://acns2006.i2r.a-star.edu.sg

26 - 27 June 2006 International Conference on Mobile Business (ICMB) 2006 Copenhagen Denmark http://www.cbs.dk/forskning_viden/ fakulteter_institutter_centre/institutter/ oekonomi/inf/h_jreboks/arrangementer/ 1151309100_icmb_conference_2006

26 – 29 June 2006 EEE’06- The 2006 International Conference on e-Business, Enterprise Information Systems, e-Government, and Outsourcing Monte Carlo Resort Las Vegas Nevada, USA http://www.world-academy-of-science.org/ worldcomp06/ws/EEE/index_html

www.egovasia.net www.DLasia.csdms.in

03 - 05 September 2006

27 - 28 April 2006

www.icmg.mgovernment.org

E-Government Evolution 2006 Canberra, Australia

ECEG 2006: 6th European Conference on e-Government Marburg Germany

http://www.iqpc.com/cgi-bin/templates/ singlecell.html?topic=592&event=8611

http://www.academic-conferences.org/eceg/ eceg2006/eceg06-home.htm

28 - 29 March 2006

4th International Conference on Applied Cryptography and Network Security (ACNS’06) Singapore

The EURO mGOV 2006 Sussex University Brighton, UK

4 – 8 September 2006 International EGOV conference 2006 Krakow (Poland) http://www.uni-koblenz.de/FB4/Institutes/ IWVI/AGVInf/Conferences/egov2006

Tell us about your event at info@egovonline.net | January 2006