The promotion of e-governance in developing countries : reflections on e-government in two Asia-Pacific countries

The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has turned the spotlight onto wider goals than that of economic growth, even though this remains the basic tenet of the development effort. It is now recognised that equitable growth, poverty reduction, universal access to health and education, peace and stability are also key targets. The public sector management function is one of the main vehicles through which the relationship between the state, civil society and the private sector is realised. It is therefore a vital means towards achieving these higher-order development goals. This paper is constructed on the premise that good governance is important. Improving efficiency in public sector management, by reducing costs and eradicating corruption, releases resources that can be directed towards the MDGs and ensures that scare resources are not misdirected away. Increasing transparency and accountability in public sector institutions closes the democratic and political gaps highlighted in the Millennium Declaration and improving responsiveness to citizens’ needs promotes the sustainability of MDG achievements.Any public administration reform programme will typically include ICTs as being central to the performance improvement effort. E-government impacts on governance and e-governance can indeed contribute to the achievement of the MDGs – but this need not necessarily be the case. Good governance is not just about the way the executive branch of government (the public administration) goes about the business of governing. It is about political parties, parliament, the judiciary, the media, the private sector and civil society – and, in developing countries, the way that international financing institutions relate to national government. Government, in terms of its overall responsibility for national development, is dependent on the governance qualities of the other institutional actors as well as on its own integrity.There is no universally acknowledged governance policy for public sector management. Each country needs to decide on its own economic and social priorities and the best people to hold government to account are those who live in the country and are most affected by its decisions. Government agendas that include the MDGs’ focus on reducing inequalities and ensuring that support reaches those who need it most must be judged with the relevant information to hand. The means by which these governance processes are being managed and how these are being supported by ICT are examined with reference to two countries in the Asia-Pacific region with which the authors have some familiarity.