e-Governance: Bangladesh is on the right track
Interestingly, Bangladesh government has also embraced this formula, which is indeed a positive and optimistic orientation and it is very likely to put things in proper perspective in governmental actions. Where there is ‘e’ as prefix, the suffix (actual activity) must be given priority so that ‘e’ does not become more prominent than the actual task intended to be done or delivered through the electronic means.
This is in no way intended to belittle the importance of ‘e’, but to remain focused so that we do not get lost in the sparkle of the electronic means and the intended objective gets displaced in the process. An analogy is ‘displacement of objectives’, a common bureaupathology. In many governmental activities, the flurry and exaggeration of rules and procedures give the officials undue opportunities to manipulate things and the very goals and targets of the organization get lost in the hullabaloo of processes.Citizens of the globalized and networked world aspire to be governed well with collaboration with them and care for them. e-Governance, with its principles and portfolios, has heralded the era of digital governance, the core of which is digitization and informatization. In the advanced world, the race for tapping ICT boons for quality governance is being constantly intensified; the developing world is not ready to lag behind.
Bangladesh, despite being a minnow, has not opted out of the game and taken initiatives with making the grade as its aim. Seemingly, recent development in the domain of e-Governance has had due and desired impact on the policy and execution level people of our country and they have duly engaged themselves in getting attuned and adapted to the global needs and trends. Despite infrastructural as well as economic constraints, Bangladesh’s progress in the direction of e-Governance is not meager.The ICT sector of Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing sectors of its economy. The government led by Sheikh Hasina has indeed given a firm and definitive shape to this sector. Though Bangladesh has many other problems of overriding importance, its journey with emphasis on e-Governance can be said to be on the right track. A comprehensive ICT Policy is in place and a National ICT Task Force, Support to ICT (SICT) program and Access to Information (a2i) program, currently in place, have propelled Bangladesh’s e-Governance endeavors.
There is a kind of consensus among the political leadership of all complexions as to building a knowledge-based society within a stipulated time frame. In view of this, a country-wide ICT-infrastructure is being developed to ensure access to information by every citizen so as to facilitate empowerment of people and to enhance democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, governance, e-Commerce, banking, public utility services and all sorts of on-line ICT-enabled services.A good number of e-Governance initiatives are on foot in Bangladesh. And, National e-Service System (NESS) has been in place to work as the coordinating mechanism with link with the National Portal Framework (NPF). Though the projects are still at an immature stage to be evaluated for sustained impact, the readiness of the responsible people is discernible. Among the ongoing projects, District e-Service Centre (DESC) and Union Information and Service Centre (UISC) have their closer proximity with the governed and, of course, with governance.
Availability and accessibility of services are still the key issues at DESCs and UISCs. It has to be recognized that there is a symbiotic relationship between governance and e-Governance so that we do not get lost in the craze and maze of electronics. If the electronic facilities fail to bring about qualitative changes in the mode of public service delivery, the changes bolstered by ICTs will be treated as mere cosmetic changes. Thus, the issue of good governance via e-Governance is a must to remove the label of window dressing from the whole scheme of things.In Bangladesh, it is being increasingly sensed that the appeal of ICT-enabled governance or e-Governance has been able to create an enabling ambience for the government and the people alike. An aura of genuine zeal is very much noticeable in the country across the board. The recent info-government project comes as reinforcement. If the desire of the government, the determination of the civil servants and the demand of the citizens mesh together, marked improvement in the realm of governance is a must.
The writer is Associate Professor and ex-Chair, Dept. of Public Administration, University of Chittagong - See more at: https://www.daily-sun.com/details_e-Governance:-Bangladesh-is-on-the-right-track_845_2_5_1_0.html#sthash.fzlrydfF.dpufAs far as the debate is concerned, it is and it should be e-Governance, not E-governance or E-Governance. ‘e’ (electronic means or ICTs) is there to enable ‘Governance’, that is why it is called ICT-enabled governance. ‘e’ is the means to achieve the all important end, that is, Governance, that’s why it is and it must be e-Governance, not E-governance or E-Governance. Same formula applies to e-Government, e-Service, e-Participation and so on.Interestingly, Bangladesh government has also embraced this formula, which is indeed a positive and optimistic orientation and it is very likely to put things in proper perspective in governmental actions. Where there is ‘e’ as prefix, the suffix (actual activity) must be given priority so that ‘e’ does not become more prominent than the actual task intended to be done or delivered through the electronic means.
This is in no way intended to belittle the importance of ‘e’, but to remain focused so that we do not get lost in the sparkle of the electronic means and the intended objective gets displaced in the process. An analogy is ‘displacement of objectives’, a common bureaupathology. In many governmental activities, the flurry and exaggeration of rules and procedures give the officials undue opportunities to manipulate things and the very goals and targets of the organization get lost in the hullabaloo of processes.Citizens of the globalized and networked world aspire to be governed well with collaboration with them and care for them. e-Governance, with its principles and portfolios, has heralded the era of digital governance, the core of which is digitization and informatization. In the advanced world, the race for tapping ICT boons for quality governance is being constantly intensified; the developing world is not ready to lag behind.
Bangladesh, despite being a minnow, has not opted out of the game and taken initiatives with making the grade as its aim. Seemingly, recent development in the domain of e-Governance has had due and desired impact on the policy and execution level people of our country and they have duly engaged themselves in getting attuned and adapted to the global needs and trends. Despite infrastructural as well as economic constraints, Bangladesh’s progress in the direction of e-Governance is not meager.The ICT sector of Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing sectors of its economy. The government led by Sheikh Hasina has indeed given a firm and definitive shape to this sector. Though Bangladesh has many other problems of overriding importance, its journey with emphasis on e-Governance can be said to be on the right track. A comprehensive ICT Policy is in place and a National ICT Task Force, Support to ICT (SICT) program and Access to Information (a2i) program, currently in place, have propelled Bangladesh’s e-Governance endeavors.
There is a kind of consensus among the political leadership of all complexions as to building a knowledge-based society within a stipulated time frame. In view of this, a country-wide ICT-infrastructure is being developed to ensure access to information by every citizen so as to facilitate empowerment of people and to enhance democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, governance, e-Commerce, banking, public utility services and all sorts of on-line ICT-enabled services.A good number of e-Governance initiatives are on foot in Bangladesh. And, National e-Service System (NESS) has been in place to work as the coordinating mechanism with link with the National Portal Framework (NPF). Though the projects are still at an immature stage to be evaluated for sustained impact, the readiness of the responsible people is discernible. Among the ongoing projects, District e-Service Centre (DESC) and Union Information and Service Centre (UISC) have their closer proximity with the governed and, of course, with governance.
Availability and accessibility of services are still the key issues at DESCs and UISCs. It has to be recognized that there is a symbiotic relationship between governance and e-Governance so that we do not get lost in the craze and maze of electronics. If the electronic facilities fail to bring about qualitative changes in the mode of public service delivery, the changes bolstered by ICTs will be treated as mere cosmetic changes. Thus, the issue of good governance via e-Governance is a must to remove the label of window dressing from the whole scheme of things.In Bangladesh, it is being increasingly sensed that the appeal of ICT-enabled governance or e-Governance has been able to create an enabling ambience for the government and the people alike. An aura of genuine zeal is very much noticeable in the country across the board. The recent info-government project comes as reinforcement. If the desire of the government, the determination of the civil servants and the demand of the citizens mesh together, marked improvement in the realm of governance is a must.
The writer is Associate Professor and ex-Chair, Dept. of Public Administration, University of Chittagong As far as the debate is concerned, it is and it should be e-Governance, not E-governance or E-Governance. ‘e’ (electronic means or ICTs) is there to enable ‘Governance’, that is why it is called ICT-enabled governance. ‘e’ is the means to achieve the all important end, that is, Governance, that’s why it is and it must be e-Governance, not E-governance or E-Governance. Same formula applies to e-Government, e-Service, e-Participation and so on.Interestingly, Bangladesh government has also embraced this formula, which is indeed a positive and optimistic orientation and it is very likely to put things in proper perspective in governmental actions. Where there is ‘e’ as prefix, the suffix (actual activity) must be given priority so that ‘e’ does not become more prominent than the actual task intended to be done or delivered through the electronic means.
This is in no way intended to belittle the importance of ‘e’, but to remain focused so that we do not get lost in the sparkle of the electronic means and the intended objective gets displaced in the process. An analogy is ‘displacement of objectives’, a common bureaupathology. In many governmental activities, the flurry and exaggeration of rules and procedures give the officials undue opportunities to manipulate things and the very goals and targets of the organization get lost in the hullabaloo of processes.Citizens of the globalized and networked world aspire to be governed well with collaboration with them and care for them. e-Governance, with its principles and portfolios, has heralded the era of digital governance, the core of which is digitization and informatization. In the advanced world, the race for tapping ICT boons for quality governance is being constantly intensified; the developing world is not ready to lag behind.
Bangladesh, despite being a minnow, has not opted out of the game and taken initiatives with making the grade as its aim. Seemingly, recent development in the domain of e-Governance has had due and desired impact on the policy and execution level people of our country and they have duly engaged themselves in getting attuned and adapted to the global needs and trends. Despite infrastructural as well as economic constraints, Bangladesh’s progress in the direction of e-Governance is not meager.The ICT sector of Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing sectors of its economy. The government led by Sheikh Hasina has indeed given a firm and definitive shape to this sector. Though Bangladesh has many other problems of overriding importance, its journey with emphasis on e-Governance can be said to be on the right track. A comprehensive ICT Policy is in place and a National ICT Task Force, Support to ICT (SICT) program and Access to Information (a2i) program, currently in place, have propelled Bangladesh’s e-Governance endeavors.
There is a kind of consensus among the political leadership of all complexions as to building a knowledge-based society within a stipulated time frame. In view of this, a country-wide ICT-infrastructure is being developed to ensure access to information by every citizen so as to facilitate empowerment of people and to enhance democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, governance, e-Commerce, banking, public utility services and all sorts of on-line ICT-enabled services.A good number of e-Governance initiatives are on foot in Bangladesh. And, National e-Service System (NESS) has been in place to work as the coordinating mechanism with link with the National Portal Framework (NPF). Though the projects are still at an immature stage to be evaluated for sustained impact, the readiness of the responsible people is discernible. Among the ongoing projects, District e-Service Centre (DESC) and Union Information and Service Centre (UISC) have their closer proximity with the governed and, of course, with governance.
Availability and accessibility of services are still the key issues at DESCs and UISCs. It has to be recognized that there is a symbiotic relationship between governance and e-Governance so that we do not get lost in the craze and maze of electronics. If the electronic facilities fail to bring about qualitative changes in the mode of public service delivery, the changes bolstered by ICTs will be treated as mere cosmetic changes. Thus, the issue of good governance via e-Governance is a must to remove the label of window dressing from the whole scheme of things.In Bangladesh, it is being increasingly sensed that the appeal of ICT-enabled governance or e-Governance has been able to create an enabling ambience for the government and the people alike. An aura of genuine zeal is very much noticeable in the country across the board. The recent info-government project comes as reinforcement. If the desire of the government, the determination of the civil servants and the demand of the citizens mesh together, marked improvement in the realm of governance is a must.
The writer is Associate Professor and ex-Chair, Dept. of Public Administration, University of Chittagong - See more at: https://www.daily-sun.com/details_e-Governance:-Bangladesh-is-on-the-right-track_845_2_5_1_0.html#sthash.fzlrydfF.dpufAs far as the debate is concerned, it is and it should be e-Governance, not E-governance or E-Governance. ‘e’ (electronic means or ICTs) is there to enable ‘Governance’, that is why it is called ICT-enabled governance. ‘e’ is the means to achieve the all important end, that is, Governance, that’s why it is and it must be e-Governance, not E-governance or E-Governance. Same formula applies to e-Government, e-Service, e-Participation and so on.Interestingly, Bangladesh government has also embraced this formula, which is indeed a positive and optimistic orientation and it is very likely to put things in proper perspective in governmental actions. Where there is ‘e’ as prefix, the suffix (actual activity) must be given priority so that ‘e’ does not become more prominent than the actual task intended to be done or delivered through the electronic means.
This is in no way intended to belittle the importance of ‘e’, but to remain focused so that we do not get lost in the sparkle of the electronic means and the intended objective gets displaced in the process. An analogy is ‘displacement of objectives’, a common bureaupathology. In many governmental activities, the flurry and exaggeration of rules and procedures give the officials undue opportunities to manipulate things and the very goals and targets of the organization get lost in the hullabaloo of processes.
Citizens of the globalized and networked world aspire to be governed well with collaboration with them and care for them. e-Governance, with its principles and portfolios, has heralded the era of digital governance, the core of which is digitization and informatization. In the advanced world, the race for tapping ICT boons for quality governance is being constantly intensified; the developing world is not ready to lag behind.
Bangladesh, despite being a minnow, has not opted out of the game and taken initiatives with making the grade as its aim. Seemingly, recent development in the domain of e-Governance has had due and desired impact on the policy and execution level people of our country and they have duly engaged themselves in getting attuned and adapted to the global needs and trends. Despite infrastructural as well as economic constraints, Bangladesh’s progress in the direction of e-Governance is not meager.
The ICT sector of Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing sectors of its economy. The government led by Sheikh Hasina has indeed given a firm and definitive shape to this sector. Though Bangladesh has many other problems of overriding importance, its journey with emphasis on e-Governance can be said to be on the right track. A comprehensive ICT Policy is in place and a National ICT Task Force, Support to ICT (SICT) program and Access to Information (a2i) program, currently in place, have propelled Bangladesh’s e-Governance endeavors.
There is a kind of consensus among the political leadership of all complexions as to building a knowledge-based society within a stipulated time frame. In view of this, a country-wide ICT-infrastructure is being developed to ensure access to information by every citizen so as to facilitate empowerment of people and to enhance democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, governance, e-Commerce, banking, public utility services and all sorts of on-line ICT-enabled services.
A good number of e-Governance initiatives are on foot in Bangladesh. And, National e-Service System (NESS) has been in place to work as the coordinating mechanism with link with the National Portal Framework (NPF). Though the projects are still at an immature stage to be evaluated for sustained impact, the readiness of the responsible people is discernible. Among the ongoing projects, District e-Service Centre (DESC) and Union Information and Service Centre (UISC) have their closer proximity with the governed and, of course, with governance.
Availability and accessibility of services are still the key issues at DESCs and UISCs. It has to be recognized that there is a symbiotic relationship between governance and e-Governance so that we do not get lost in the craze and maze of electronics. If the electronic facilities fail to bring about qualitative changes in the mode of public service delivery, the changes bolstered by ICTs will be treated as mere cosmetic changes. Thus, the issue of good governance via e-Governance is a must to remove the label of window dressing from the whole scheme of things.
In Bangladesh, it is being increasingly sensed that the appeal of ICT-enabled governance or e-Governance has been able to create an enabling ambience for the government and the people alike. An aura of genuine zeal is very much noticeable in the country across the board. The recent info-government project comes as reinforcement. If the desire of the government, the determination of the civil servants and the demand of the citizens mesh together, marked improvement in the realm of governance is a must.
The writer is Associate Professor and ex-Chair, Dept. of Public Administration, University of Chittagong - See more at: https://www.daily-sun.com/details_e-Governance:-Bangladesh-is-on-the-right-track_845_2_5_1_0.html#sthash.fzlrydfF.dpuf
Interestingly, Bangladesh government has also embraced this formula, which is indeed a positive and optimistic orientation and it is very likely to put things in proper perspective in governmental actions. Where there is ‘e’ as prefix, the suffix (actual activity) must be given priority so that ‘e’ does not become more prominent than the actual task intended to be done or delivered through the electronic means.
This is in no way intended to belittle the importance of ‘e’, but to remain focused so that we do not get lost in the sparkle of the electronic means and the intended objective gets displaced in the process. An analogy is ‘displacement of objectives’, a common bureaupathology. In many governmental activities, the flurry and exaggeration of rules and procedures give the officials undue opportunities to manipulate things and the very goals and targets of the organization get lost in the hullabaloo of processes.
Citizens of the globalized and networked world aspire to be governed well with collaboration with them and care for them. e-Governance, with its principles and portfolios, has heralded the era of digital governance, the core of which is digitization and informatization. In the advanced world, the race for tapping ICT boons for quality governance is being constantly intensified; the developing world is not ready to lag behind.
Bangladesh, despite being a minnow, has not opted out of the game and taken initiatives with making the grade as its aim. Seemingly, recent development in the domain of e-Governance has had due and desired impact on the policy and execution level people of our country and they have duly engaged themselves in getting attuned and adapted to the global needs and trends. Despite infrastructural as well as economic constraints, Bangladesh’s progress in the direction of e-Governance is not meager.
The ICT sector of Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing sectors of its economy. The government led by Sheikh Hasina has indeed given a firm and definitive shape to this sector. Though Bangladesh has many other problems of overriding importance, its journey with emphasis on e-Governance can be said to be on the right track. A comprehensive ICT Policy is in place and a National ICT Task Force, Support to ICT (SICT) program and Access to Information (a2i) program, currently in place, have propelled Bangladesh’s e-Governance endeavors.
There is a kind of consensus among the political leadership of all complexions as to building a knowledge-based society within a stipulated time frame. In view of this, a country-wide ICT-infrastructure is being developed to ensure access to information by every citizen so as to facilitate empowerment of people and to enhance democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, governance, e-Commerce, banking, public utility services and all sorts of on-line ICT-enabled services.
A good number of e-Governance initiatives are on foot in Bangladesh. And, National e-Service System (NESS) has been in place to work as the coordinating mechanism with link with the National Portal Framework (NPF). Though the projects are still at an immature stage to be evaluated for sustained impact, the readiness of the responsible people is discernible. Among the ongoing projects, District e-Service Centre (DESC) and Union Information and Service Centre (UISC) have their closer proximity with the governed and, of course, with governance.
Availability and accessibility of services are still the key issues at DESCs and UISCs. It has to be recognized that there is a symbiotic relationship between governance and e-Governance so that we do not get lost in the craze and maze of electronics. If the electronic facilities fail to bring about qualitative changes in the mode of public service delivery, the changes bolstered by ICTs will be treated as mere cosmetic changes. Thus, the issue of good governance via e-Governance is a must to remove the label of window dressing from the whole scheme of things.
In Bangladesh, it is being increasingly sensed that the appeal of ICT-enabled governance or e-Governance has been able to create an enabling ambience for the government and the people alike. An aura of genuine zeal is very much noticeable in the country across the board. The recent info-government project comes as reinforcement. If the desire of the government, the determination of the civil servants and the demand of the citizens mesh together, marked improvement in the realm of governance is a must.
The writer is Associate Professor and ex-Chair, Dept. of Public Administration, University of Chittagong - See more at: https://www.daily-sun.com/details_e-Governance:-Bangladesh-is-on-the-right-track_845_2_5_1_0.html#sthash.fzlrydfF.dpuf
Interestingly, Bangladesh government has also embraced this formula, which is indeed a positive and optimistic orientation and it is very likely to put things in proper perspective in governmental actions. Where there is ‘e’ as prefix, the suffix (actual activity) must be given priority so that ‘e’ does not become more prominent than the actual task intended to be done or delivered through the electronic means.
This is in no way intended to belittle the importance of ‘e’, but to remain focused so that we do not get lost in the sparkle of the electronic means and the intended objective gets displaced in the process. An analogy is ‘displacement of objectives’, a common bureaupathology. In many governmental activities, the flurry and exaggeration of rules and procedures give the officials undue opportunities to manipulate things and the very goals and targets of the organization get lost in the hullabaloo of processes.
Citizens of the globalized and networked world aspire to be governed well with collaboration with them and care for them. e-Governance, with its principles and portfolios, has heralded the era of digital governance, the core of which is digitization and informatization. In the advanced world, the race for tapping ICT boons for quality governance is being constantly intensified; the developing world is not ready to lag behind.
Bangladesh, despite being a minnow, has not opted out of the game and taken initiatives with making the grade as its aim. Seemingly, recent development in the domain of e-Governance has had due and desired impact on the policy and execution level people of our country and they have duly engaged themselves in getting attuned and adapted to the global needs and trends. Despite infrastructural as well as economic constraints, Bangladesh’s progress in the direction of e-Governance is not meager.
The ICT sector of Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing sectors of its economy. The government led by Sheikh Hasina has indeed given a firm and definitive shape to this sector. Though Bangladesh has many other problems of overriding importance, its journey with emphasis on e-Governance can be said to be on the right track. A comprehensive ICT Policy is in place and a National ICT Task Force, Support to ICT (SICT) program and Access to Information (a2i) program, currently in place, have propelled Bangladesh’s e-Governance endeavors.
There is a kind of consensus among the political leadership of all complexions as to building a knowledge-based society within a stipulated time frame. In view of this, a country-wide ICT-infrastructure is being developed to ensure access to information by every citizen so as to facilitate empowerment of people and to enhance democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, governance, e-Commerce, banking, public utility services and all sorts of on-line ICT-enabled services.
A good number of e-Governance initiatives are on foot in Bangladesh. And, National e-Service System (NESS) has been in place to work as the coordinating mechanism with link with the National Portal Framework (NPF). Though the projects are still at an immature stage to be evaluated for sustained impact, the readiness of the responsible people is discernible. Among the ongoing projects, District e-Service Centre (DESC) and Union Information and Service Centre (UISC) have their closer proximity with the governed and, of course, with governance.
Availability and accessibility of services are still the key issues at DESCs and UISCs. It has to be recognized that there is a symbiotic relationship between governance and e-Governance so that we do not get lost in the craze and maze of electronics. If the electronic facilities fail to bring about qualitative changes in the mode of public service delivery, the changes bolstered by ICTs will be treated as mere cosmetic changes. Thus, the issue of good governance via e-Governance is a must to remove the label of window dressing from the whole scheme of things.
In Bangladesh, it is being increasingly sensed that the appeal of ICT-enabled governance or e-Governance has been able to create an enabling ambience for the government and the people alike. An aura of genuine zeal is very much noticeable in the country across the board. The recent info-government project comes as reinforcement. If the desire of the government, the determination of the civil servants and the demand of the citizens mesh together, marked improvement in the realm of governance is a must.
The writer is Associate Professor and ex-Chair, Dept. of Public Administration, University of Chittagong - See more at: https://www.daily-sun.com/details_e-Governance:-Bangladesh-is-on-the-right-track_845_2_5_1_0.html#sthash.fzlrydfF.dpuf