*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** This is a longer two section post. First, below is the Lieberman/Burn press release and links on new U.S. E-Government legislation. Having chatted with Kevin Landy, Senate committee staff, about this a few times, a lot of work, even the first U.S. Senate online consultation <http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/egov/> went into developing this legislation. However, introducing legislation is really a starting point. This is a significant opportunity to build in reasonable Federal support for the "e-democracy" aspects of e-government, university research, and support for non-partisan online civic education and election information efforts. How about 10 percent of e-government spending geared to e-democracy aspects? I have yet to review the full bill as introduced. It is important that we ask "How will this legislation specifically promote a more accountable, transparent, and trustworthy government? How will it help ensure access to decision-making and representative processes?" Check out page 22 (PDF file) in the recent "Blueprint" report from the Center for Excellence in Government <http://www.excelgov.org/techcon/egovex/index.htm>: When people are asked to choose the most important of four possible benefits of e-government, the results are quite instructive, as the following list shows. - Government that is more accountable to its citizens - 36% - Greater public access to information - 23% - More efficient and cost-effective government - 23% - More convenient government services - 13% The truth might actually be that people really want convenient accountability and information access as well as complete service transactions. Inconvenient, poorly designed online information access is almost as bad as no access. In the end, we must close the e-democracy deficit caused by a over a decade of services-first-speak from the administrative side of government across the United States. In short we need to catch up with government-sponsored e-democracy momentum in other wired democracies. To help illustrate this point ... Second, enclosed is the full text of the speech by UK Parliamentary Secretary Graham Stringer (MP) to the Global Forum conference in Naples. It received great reviews at the conference because it made a clear point, that "delivering accessible, convenient and joined up government services is not enough. The government also needs to take advantage of new technologies' potential in promoting democracy." Thank you Peter Livesey with the e-Democracy Team, Office of the e- Envoy, UK Cabinet Office for getting us the full text at my request. Yes, the UK Cabinet Office has an "e-Democracy Team." I don't personally know of any other government executive branch agency that has a point person or team assign to specifically to "e-Democracy." Excellent. (Let me know of others: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) Cheers, Steven Clift Democracies Online http://www.e-democracy.org/do P.S. More e-government resource links <http://www.egov.it>, <http://www.globalforum.it/htm/frame/inglese/linkinglese.html>, <http://www.di.unipi.it/parete/NelMondo.html> and the Naples conference recommendations (no, I don't read all this :-)) <http://www.globalforum.it/htm/frame/inglese/frset_inglese.htm>. [PART ONE] From: http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/050101_press.htm Lieberman, Burns Unveil "Next Generation Government" E-Government Bill Would Improve Access of Citizens to Government Services and Information WASHINGTON - In a step intended to usher in "next generation government," Senators Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Conrad Burns, R- Mont., introduced legislation Tuesday designed to bring government more fully into the Electronic Age by improving citizen access to government information and services. The E-Government Act of 2001 is a bipartisan effort to maximize the organization, efficiency, accessibility and quantity of the federal government’s online resources, while reducing overall cost. "The private sector has benefitted tremendously from the application of information technology," Lieberman said. "Now it’s government’s turn. We can and must take full advantage of the Internet and other technologies to overcome arbitrary boundaries between agencies, so government can provide the public with seamless, secure online services." "The U.S. government has been a sometimes unwilling participant in the technological revolution of recent years," Burns said. "The legislation we are introducing today will change that by creating online services to make government more efficient, accessible and accountable to the citizens it represents." The e-government legislation would: 4 establish a federal Chief Information Officer, within the Office of Management and Budget, to promote e-government and implement government wide information policy. - authorize $200 million a year for an e-government fund to support interagency projects and innovative uses of IT. - improve upon the centralized online portal; establish an online directory of Federal web sites and indexes of resources - institute an online national library - require federal courts to post opinions online - fund a federal training center to recruit and train information technology professionals The bill contains a variety of other provisions that would promote the use of the Internet in the regulatory process, encourage compatibility of electronic signatures and provide strong new privacy protections. "A functional approach to e-government focuses on delivering services to the citizen, organized according to the citizens' needs, without regard to agency jurisdictions," Lieberman said. "The greatest challenge we face is to get a handle on how new technologies have created new opportunities, and to reconfigure government accordingly." The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Conrad Burns, R-Mont., Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., Thomas Daschle, D- S.D., John McCain, R-Ariz., Thomas Carper D-Del., Richard Durbin, D- Ill., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., John Kerry, D-Mass., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Carl Levin, D-Mich. [More links] Senator Joe Lieberman press statement http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/050101_press-statement.htm Talking Points and Brief Summary for "E-Government Act of 2001" http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/050101_press-summary.htm Outline of "E-Government Act of 2001" http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/050101_press-outline.htm Click here for "Bill Text" http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/050101_press-bill%20text.pdf [PART TWO] Full text of the speech by UK government Minister Graham Stringer, MP (Parlimentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office) See <http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/index/min-org.htm> and <http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/> to the Global Forum <http://www.globalforum.it> conference in Naples, Italy on March 15, 2001. "Putting government online, bringing citizens online" First of all, I would like to thank the Italian Prime Minister and Minister Bassanini for their invitation to attend and make a speech at this 3rd Global Forum. It is a privilege for me to lead the UK delegation to such an important forum and to address such a distinguished audience. *** We are at the beginning of the information age revolution, which is changing societies all over the world. It changes the manufacturing and service industries. It changes the way companies do business. It changes the way people communicate and access information. It is also changing government itself: the organisation of government, its relationships with its citizens and the international co-operation between governments. Information and communication technologies are the driving force in this process. And it is not an overstatement to say that information and communication technologies are becoming one of our most important tools for raising the quality of life, strengthening democracy and fostering economic growth. Today there are 400 million people around the world who have access to the Internet. By 2005 there will be more than 1 billion. We can all imagine the expectations and demands this will impose on government, but also the possibilities it will bring for improving services and revitalising democracy. We, as government leaders, have a responsibility to make sure that we take advantage of the opportunities that these new technologies provide. And that by closing the digital divide, everyone can reap the benefits of living in an information age society. Today, I would like to take the opportunity to share with you the challenges we have to face in realising the vision of a government that takes full advantage of new technologies, a so called e- government, and the UK strategy to meet these challenges. *** My vision of e-government is a government that puts citizens at the centre of everything it does, and which makes its citizens its very purpose. E-government can serve the citizens by - Providing easier access to public information and services. New technologies will enable people to receive information and make government transactions when and where it suits them: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From home, at work or on the move. - It can also serve the citizens by offering them wider choice of service channels, more personal service and by providing services around the citizen's needs. - It has an important role not only in serving the citizens, but also businesses, by providing quicker and faster interactions and reducing transaction costs. But, delivering accessible, convenient and joined up government services is not enough. The government also needs to take advantage of new technologies' potential in promoting democracy. A challenge that the UK along with other countries within the European Union and the OECD is facing is the trend towards declining citizen's participation in the democratic process. We can notice it in low election turnouts and declining membership in political parties. Sadly enough I can tell you that in the UK, the televised "Big Brother" produced higher voting rates than the election to the European Parliament. We must face that traditional democratic channels have lost much of their ability to engage people. Politics has become an issue of interest for fewer and fewer people. Addressing this democratic deficit represents a huge challenge for us as government leaders. We must open up new democratic channels, through which government can relate to its citizens. We must make citizens feel democratically empowered beyond their few seconds in the polling booth. In the light of this, it is time we put e-democracy on the information age agenda and begin to explore the role new technologies may play in revitalising democracy. As I see it, new technologies can serve democracy in three ways. They can facilitate the citizen's participation in the democratic process, by opening up government to people. New technologies makes it easier for citizens to access public information, discuss issues with each other, follow the political process and scrutinise government. They can broaden the participation by involving people that may have felt under-represented in the past. People who would never attend a town hall meeting or join a political party can use new technologies to make their voices heard. In the UK, The Hansard Society has run some interesting online consultations on behalf of parliamentary committees, where specific groups of citizens have been involved in policy making. One example is an online consultation in which survivors of domestic violence gave direct evidence to Parliament. We will have the opportunity to hear more about "real" e-democracy from Dr Stephen Coleman, who has run such projects, and who will speak at one of the sessions tomorrow. These new technologies also have the potential of deepening democracy by creating a closer link between citizens and their representatives. This may turn the negative trend of decreasing political communications, by enabling citizens to communicate with their elected representatives between elections on issues that really concern them. *** E-government offers great opportunities for the development of our societies and for enriching democracy. However, it will only succeed if new technology is widely used by people. The citizens must want and be able to use new technologies. In order to achieve that, there are three strategic challenges that we must face: · Listening to the people · Providing equality of access; and · Winning the trust of the people The first challenge. In order to attract people to get involved in online consultations, governments must prove that there is a relationship between the citizen's engagement and policy outcome. Democracy is not about symbolic or cosmetic consulting - but to actually use the peoples' voices in the decision-making. Government must also provide all citizens with equal access to the Internet and other communication channels and ensure they have the skills to use it. If we are to develop the Internet into a new democratic tool, we must ensure that everyone - irrespective of age, gender, profession or geographical location -has access to it and the skills to use it. However, it's not only about access and skills. In order to gain the benefits - we have to earn the people's trust. We have to ensure that people feel confident that data transmitted to government is secure and that personal data will not be misused. If not, there is a risk that a new digital divide will emerge - between those who trust and those who do not. Governments must face up to, and meet, these challenges in order to realise the vision of providing government online to a digitally literate population, which includes all citizens and is built upon trust. *** To meet those challenges and to achieve that vision, the Prime Minister Tony Blair has set two challenging targets for Britain: · By 2005 all government services should be accessible online and · By 2005 all the citizens of the UK should have access to the Internet. In order to meet these targets the Prime Minister has launched a new campaign, "UK online", to get people, businesses and government itself online. A key initiative in this campaign is the launch of the UK Online portal. Its aim is to become the principal entry point for citizens to get information about and from government, and transact with Government online. For the first time, public information and services will be organised around the needs of the citizens. Citizens will be helped through key events in their lives, such as moving house or having a baby, when they may need advice or contact with the government. By creating the Portal, we have also taken a first step towards increased citizen participation in the democratic process. The portal offers citizens an opportunity to participate in online discussions and to comment on policy and legislation proposals. We are currently considering how we can use the Portal as a means to further engage the public. The Portal is not complete, and our strategy is to develop it by incorporating citizen feedback in its development, and work in partnership with private and voluntary sector organisations. Our aim is that the portal will evolve into a place where citizens can interact and transact with government online. And eventually, it may lead to extensive policy consultations. *** Another key part of our government online strategy is to build confidence in online security, both for electronic government and electronic commerce. In order to ensure that data transmitted to government is secure, we are working with industry to develop approval mechanisms for commercial Trust Service Providers. We have developed the Government Gateway, as is the centralised registration and authentication service for Electronic services in the UK. We are also developing a Trust Charter, which will explain to the citizens the measures that will be taken to protect their privacy when they use electronic government services. Assuring people of their privacy is crucial. However, for e- government to operate in an efficient manner there is also a need to share data between government departments. I think that countries like Sweden and Finland have great advantages in this matter, not only through their integrated databases and population registers, but also in having a culture of openness, in which people are used to having personal information in the public sphere. We have a lot to learn from their experiences, but must at the same time accept that countries have different traditions and that a culture of openness isn't something you build in a day. *** Finally, we need to address the so-called digital divide. We think we have made an encouraging start in the UK with over one third of the population now online and nine out of ten of our citizens working in businesses which are connected to the Internet - on a par with the US. But we are not complacent. Research in the UK has shown us that those with low incomes and older people are under represented amongst Internet users, and that two fifths of adults still feel uncomfortable using IT. So we are acting to bridge the digital divide. Everyone in the UK who wants access to the Internet should have it by 2005. Access not only through the PC, but also by way of mobile telephone, digital television, games console or in a friendly atmosphere at a community access centre. And we're committed not just to giving people physical access, but also to help them gain the motivation, skills and confidence to benefit from the opportunities that the Internet offers. To achieve this goal we are investing over £1 billion in e-learning. Firstly, by embedding information and communication technologies in our education curriculum, and by ensuring that every school is connected to the Internet by the end of next year. And secondly by helping our late adopters - particularly our not so well off and our not so young - who deserve a second chance. The government is putting in place a pyramid of learning - from first steps on-line, all the way to getting a qualification in IT. And we are creating a new network of community UK online centres, where people can surf the Net, and get advice and training. The first 600 centres were opened earlier this month. But that's just the beginning. We're also connecting all of our public libraries to the Internet- the single largest investment in the UK's library network since its creation 150 years age. By the end of 2002, we're aiming for over 6,000 UK online centres. Every adult in the UK is able to claim an 80% discount on computer literacy courses. And we're providing free UK online computer training for those out of work, helping them acquire the skills they need for the new economy. *** To sum up, new technologies have a possibility to raise the quality of life, strengthen democracy and foster economic growth. The big challenge lies in ensuring everyone benefits from this advancement. We must close the digital divide by creating a digitally literate population that includes all citizens and is built upon trust. We must also appreciate that e-government isn't the answer to every question or the solution to every problem. We must understand and respect that some people will never want to use new technology. We must therefore ensure that there always are alternative (face to face) services available. If you would like to hear more about the UK's strategy, I recommend you to listen to the other UK speakers during the parallel sessions tomorrow. Thank you and my best wishes for a successful conference. ------- End of forwarded message ------- ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***
