Electronic Government - Efficiency, Service Quality and Democracy

Abstract

eGov concerns both internal and external use of IT, for internal administration as well as for external services. It is about more IT use, better use and more strategic use. In this chapter, we shall focus on the external use, that is contacts between government and citizens and civil sector organizations, government and business, and among government organizations. The reason for this include the fact that this is the novel kind of IT use–internal IT use has been going on for decades, even if the amount and sophistication is now reaching new heights–and the kind that is seen as the most interesting component, and incentive, in restructuring government operations, for instance by increasing cooperation among government agencies and providing self-service facilities to citizens.