Public innovation and digital government

ABSTRACT

The potential for digital government has long been recognized, but many governments are only now realizing that simply putting services online is insufficient to reap benefits. Pockets of innovation are occurring all around the world, but they are falling short of revolutionizing government. This is because digital government efforts need to be joined-up in order to achieve crossgovernment efficiencies and a more seamless experience for users. After long focusing on the citizen interface, many governments are also returning to the ADB (automated data processing) roots of digital government in order to explore how reinventing and/or consolidating back office processes can lead to greater efficiency across government and eliminate the need for, rather than just simplify, contact with government in many areas.

Digital government remains a vector for innovation, but it needs to be linked with public sector modernization efforts in order to release benefits, to promote innovation, and to extend the lessons of innovation across government and into other spheres of society. Based on OECD comparative studies on digital governments, Mr. Lau will present examples of innovation from OECD countries, with a focus on:

• Conditions for innovation: what governments need to facilitate public innovation;

• Partnerships for innovation: what kind of partnerships are needed to improve cross boundary collaboration and to present a single government interface to citizens;

• Obstacles to innovation: how to overcome the legal, financial, technological and bureaucratic obstacles to innovation;

• Challenges for innovation: challenges for OECD countries over the next 5--10 years

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  J. Computer Applications
  J.1 ADMINISTRATIVE DATA PROCESSING
      Subjects: Government

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY
      K.4.0 General
      K.4.m Miscellaneous
  K.5 LEGAL ASPECTS OF COMPUTING
      K.5.2 Governmental Issues

General Terms:
Design, Economics, Legal Aspects, Management, Theory