Building the Knowledge Society - Department of Communications ...

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Building the Knowledge Society Information Society Commission 53The volume of e-government initiatives is also growing significantly and will be characterisedby increasing cross-departmental complexity and enhanced impact in terms of service provision.The e-government process is evolving to a mature stage where there is a need for a governancestructure that ensures:• The delivery of value for the investment made• A development of and adherence to approved standards, both technically and processwide (project management, etc.)• The integration and alignment of e-government programmes with the wider public sectormodernisation process• A single point of focus that aligns all relevant stakeholders with input and opportunitiesconcerning e-government in Ireland (unions, technology companies, social interest groups, etc.).Recommendation 24:The potential of e-government developments to support a transformation in traditionalbusiness processes has important implications that must be addressed as a key elementof the overall process of public sector modernisation and reform.Recommendation 25:There is a need for the establishment of a clear governance structure to support thedevelopment of e-government in the context of the wider modernisation process.Development of Value CaseseGovernment programmes will absorb significant investment over the years in terms of capitaland current expenditure. This investment should enable significant increases in service levels,both reactive and proactive, to citizens over the more traditional channels and as electronicuptake of services increases, so will the breadth and range of services continue to evolve.However the return on investment for e-government programmes should have many facets,including internal efficiencies and savings, external improvements in customer service, andsupporting national competitiveness. The Commission feels that there should be an overalltemplate for e-government programmes to ensure the return on investment is measured inboth tangible and intangible elements.Recommendation 26:Government needs to develop appropriate arrangements to ensure that the assessmentof the return on e-government investments captures both tangible and intangible benefits.
54 Building the Knowledge Society Information Society Commission4.4\ Legal and Regulatory IssuesA robust regulatory framework is particularly crucial in inspiring confidence and trust and inencouraging people at all levels to engage with the Information Society. Users of ICTs need tobe assured that the necessary laws are in place, that these laws can and will be enforced andthat appropriate redress is available and accessible.In tandem with this report, the Commission is publishing a separate report on legal andregulatory issues prepared by its Legal Affairs Working Group. The key recommendations aresummarised here.AwarenessThe steady progress of the Information Society has many implications for all groups in society.However, while larger commercial organisations have the resources to become familiar withand benefit from these advances, ordinary citizens and SMEs are often at a serious disadvantage.The Commission recognises that in the past there have been excellent awareness campaignsconducted by Government, business and non-Governmental organizations to promote awarenessof the opportunities in the use of ICT. Since building trust and confidence is essential to theachievement of the vision of the Information Society, there is a need to maintain suitable andtargeted awareness programmes.Recommendation 27:Government should maximise the benefit of awareness programmes by addressing areasof trust and confidence as experienced by the citizen and the SME sector.Data Protection and PrivacyOne of the greatest challenges facing regulators dealing with the Information Society is thatof balancing the concerns of law enforcement with personal privacy rights and the freedomsnecessary to enable electronic commerce to flourish. Security concerns have been heightenedconsiderably as a result of the events of 11 September 2001 in the US.The Commission welcomes the Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, which is intended to giveeffect to the outstanding provisions of the Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC). However, theCommission believes that consideration should be given to additional measures necessary tostrengthen the legal framework for data protection. These are described in detail in the reportof the Legal Affairs Working Group.Recommendation 28:Legislative proposals regarding Data Protection should be subject to public debateand clarification.
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