Expert Group Meeting 26 February :30 17:00 Measurement and Assessment of e-government at the Local Level

Transcription

1 Expert Group Meeting 26 February :30 17:00 Measurement and Assessment of e-government at the Local Level Centro Cultural Vila Flor (Room S2 Sala S2) Avenida D. Afonso Henriques 701, Guimarães, Portugal 1. Sponsorship This Expert Group Meeting (EGM) is organised by the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV). It gathers a group of e-government experts, leading researchers and policymakers from multiple nationalities and different government levels (local, regional, central) to debate the measurement and assessment of e-government at the local level. 2. Purpose The purpose of the EGM is to contribute to the discussion and reflection about e-government measurement and assessment at the local/municipal/city level. Specifically, it aims to examine the Local Online Service Index (LOSI), an index developed by UNU-EGOV in articulation with the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of UNDESA to assess e-government development at the municipal level. The applicability of the LOSI to cities worldwide will also be analysed based on a pilot study that has been conducted in 40 cities. 3. Objectives The main objectives of the EGM are: To discuss the necessity, scope and aim of e-government measurement and assessment at the local/municipal/city level. o What do we try to achieve with e-government assessment at the local level? o e-government assessment at the local level in the ecosystem of existing benchmarks, assessments, and evaluations. To discuss the focus, approach, and methodology of the Local Online Service Index (LOSI). o Which are the assessment criteria and indicators and why they have been selected? o Are there any suggestions for improvements? o Should criteria and indicators have weights?

2 To analyse the LOSI pilot exercise. o Is the methodology easily and reliably applicable? o Is the methodology strong enough to understand the complexity of the local government and the differences among municipalities? To foster a discussion about how the emergence of new technologies could be incorporated in the LOSI. o How can we capture relevant innovation components for assessing a municipality? o Smart cities assessment as part of this equation: the importance of a smart city assessment concerning local EGOV assessment and the LOSI (as part of it and with which weight, if weights are considered relevant). To reflect on how LOSI and the Survey may be aligned and reflect the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). o Can we suggest specific indicators aligned with the SDGs? Which ones? o Can we suggest specific indicators to improve inclusivity and support vulnerable groups? 4. Background A need emerges to move the focus of assessment of e-government development to different levels of public administration. It is expected that local level e-government assessment will improve public services, citizen engagement and authorities transparency and accountability. Local e-government could also be used as a tool to propel resiliency and sustainability goals and align local government operation with national digital strategy plans. Assessment results could produce useful benchmarks, which can lead to further improvement and application of best practices. For the first time in the United Nations e-government Survey 2018, the assessment of sub-national or local delivery of e-government services has been carried out through a pilot exercise (covering 40 cities worldwide) by using a subset of cities/municipalities from each region. The methodology, called Local Online Service Index (LOSI), has been developed and applied by UNU EGOV in articulation with the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). This study has been reported in Chapter 7 of the United Nations e-government Survey The LOSI is a multi-criteria index that captures e-government development at the local level by assessing information and services provided by municipalities to citizens through their official websites. The LOSI is composed of 60 indicators organised into four criteria: (i) technology, (ii) content provision, (iii) services provision, and (iv) participation and engagement.

3 The technology criterion focuses on the content and services assembled and made available in a municipality/city website. It addresses issues related to ease of navigation, website quality, visual appeal, functionality and reliability. The focus of the content provision criterion is on the relevance of information provided to the citizens. It assesses the quality, availability, relevance, and concise presentation of specific information contained on a given municipality website. This criterion also evaluates issues such as access to contact information about the organisational structure of the municipal government; access to public documents; access to sectorial information, such as those on health, education, social security, economy. The presence of website privacy policies is also analysed since it has the potential to improve public perception, trust in government, and enable greater citizen engagement with government. In the services provision criterion, the focus is on the delivery of fundamental electronic services. This criterion includes aspects of electronic service delivery such as online application and delivery of certificates and licenses, employment search/offer, electronic payments, and the ability for users to apply or register for municipal events or services online. There is also the possibility to submit forms and reports, register for services, participate in tenders and e-procurement. Issues related to electronic authentication are likewise addressed in this criterion. This criterion also covers topics related to different aspects regarding how municipalities reply to citizen s with requests for information. The participation and engagement criterion assesses the existence of relevant online participation and engagement mechanisms and initiatives such as forums, complaint forms, and online surveys. Other features considered in this criterion includes the availability of social media features and the possibility to send comments/suggestions/complaints to the concerned local government. It also includes more advanced participatory initiatives such as participatory budget, citizen engagement in online deliberations regarding public policies and services, and citizen empowerment through co-designing of policy options and coproduction of service components and delivery modalities. Each of the 60 indicators is ascribed a value 1 if it is found in a city/municipality website, value 0 if it is absent and nothing if it is not applicable. The LOSI value of a municipality is the sum of the values of all the 60 indicators for that municipality. 5. Meeting 5.1. Structure of the meeting The meeting will be organised over one day, starting with introductory and contextualising sessions and followed by one main plenary discussion session, during which experts will be invited to share their knowledge and views about main topics related with Measurement and Assessment of e-government in Local Level. A rapporteur will be assigned to take notes of the discussion and ideas conveyed during the discussion.

4 5.2. Participants Alexandre Barbosa, Head, Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society / The Brazilian Network Information Center (Cetic.br/NIC.br), Brazil António Alberto Valente Tavares, NIC.br Former Counselor, Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society / The Brazilian Network Information Center (Cetic.br/NIC.br), Brazil António Tavares, Associate Professor, University of Minho and Adjunct Associate Professor, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Bruno Oliveira, Head of the Information Systems Division, Municipality of Guimarães, Portugal Carlos Santos, Executive Manager, Núcleo Operacional da Sociedade de Informação (NOSI), Cabo Verde. Catarina Bragança, Visiting Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal (rapporteur). César Pestana, President, The Government Shared Services Entity (espap), Portugal Delfina Soares, Head, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Demetrios Sarantis, Senior Academic Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Diana Mesquita, Research Assistant, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Fábio Senne, Research Coordinator, Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society/ The Brazilian Network Information Center (Cetic.br/NIC.br), Brazil Filipe Ferreira, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa, Portugal Halah Al Zadjali, Government Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Joana Carvalho, Visiting Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal João Martins, Academic Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal João Vasconcelos, Policy Analyst for Digital Government and Open Data, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), France Kerley Pires, Visiting Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Laila Hadhrami, Government Fellow, UNU-EGOV Luis Amaral, Associate Professor, University of Minho, Portugal Luis Barbosa, Associate Professor, University of Minho and Deputy Head, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Manuella Ribeiro, Information Analyst, Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society/ The Brazilian Network Information Center (Cetic.br/NIC.br), Brazil Mariana Lameiras, Senior Academic Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Nele Leosk, Researcher, European University Institute, Estonia Paulo Noronha, Intermunicipal Executive Secretary, Intermunicipal Community of Douro (CIM DOURO), Portugal Sergio Mapsanganhe, Deputy Director-General, National Institute of Electronic Government, Mozambique Soumaya Ben Dhaou, Research Coordinator, UNU-EGOV, Portugal Tito Carlos Vieira, Director, Centro de Gestão da Rede Informática do Governo (CEGER), Portugal Vincenzo Aquaro, Chief of Digital Government, Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), EUA Wagner Araújo, Visiting Fellow, UNU-EGOV, Portugal

5 5.3 Agenda HOUR ITEM SPEAKER(S) 09:30-10:00 Welcome and self-introductions Delfina Soares 10:00-10:30 United Nations E-Government Survey: Overview of its Evolution and Current Methodology Vincenzo Aquaro 10:30-11:30 Main Discussion I: e-government Assessment at Local Level 1. Necessity, scope and aim of e-government measurement and assessment at local/municipal/city level 2. Measurement and assessment practices at the local/municipal/city level Delfina Joana Carvalho Wagner Araújo CPLP experts 11:30-11:45 COFFEE BREAK - 11:45-12:50 Main Discussion II: Local Online Service Index (LOSI) 1. The Local Online Service Index (LOSI). The methodology. Criteria and Indicators Demetrios Sarantis 12:50-13:00 GROUP PHOTO - 13:00-14:00 LUNCH - 14:00-15:30 Main Discussion II: Local Online Service Index (LOSI) 2. The LOSI Pilot study Demetrios Sarantis 3. Assessing innovation and new technologies at the local level Demetrios Sarantis 15:30-15:45 COFFEE BREAK - 15:45-16:30 Main Discussion II: Local Online Service Index (LOSI) 4. Alignment of the LOSI with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Demetrios Sarantis 16:30-16:45 Summing-up Mariana Lameiras 16:45-17:00 Closing

6 6. Acknowledgements The organisers wish to thank all EGM participants for their availability and contribution. This event is organised in the scope of the project SmartEGOV: Harnessing EGOV for Smart Governance (Foundations, methods, Tools) / NORTE FEDER , supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (EFDR).