There are at least two approaches among donors to supporting the use of ICTs to improve government services. Some donors believe that increased access to information will empower citizens to make better decisions about public policy and the political process. They believe that this gain in knowledge and citizen input may, in turn, increase demands for government accountability. Donors operating with this mindset would tend to fund e-Government programs under initiatives variously titled as “Public Sector Reform” or “Democracy and Governance.”
Other donors identify e-Government projects as potential drivers of economic growth. This approach is based on the view that improving the efficiency of government processes and access to government information will boost the productivity of individuals and businesses. Gains in public sector effectiveness may lead to the expansion of private sector employment and citizen welfare. Specifically, improved delivery of government services could promote the development of the small and medium sized companies that are the engines of economic growth. Donors operating with this viewpoint would tend to fund e-Government programs under “Economic Growth” initiatives.
One area of e-Government that could fall into either category are programs that seek to address and remediate corruption. One example is government procurement. Governments are major purchasers of products and services. Donors with a known interest in Democracy and Governance could be approached for e-Procurement projects from a transparency and anti-corruption viewpoint. Donors with a known interest in Economic Growth could be approached from the perspective of enhancing competition and supporting local business development. Effective programs in e-Procurement may deliver results on all of these fronts.
In summary, developing countries that tie their e-Government proposals to specific donor priorities stand better chances of getting funded than those that do not take note of donor interests.
In general, all donors can be expected to seek detailed proposals reflecting sound and realistic planning. Most donors will examine the expected benefits of the proposed e-Government program to citizens and the business community. Finally, donors will seek to fit new programs into the list of current priorities and the framework specified by their headquarters to guide funding decisions.
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