E-Government in Hungary

E-Government in Hungary
Strategy
and the
Central System project

The principal objective of e-Governance in 2005 was to develo
a higher quality and more efficient governance using modern
info-communication technologies
On-line
Efficient
Knowledgebased
Client-oriented Social Democratic
EU
compatib
• The e-Government Strategy is a set of transparent political objectives and also a straightforward
implementation plan, supported by the Government’s commitment to reforming the public
administration system and creating a client-focused state that provides services to its citizens.
• The objectives aim to develop seven governing skills essential for the new type of governance.
• Due to their novelty these abilities represent a great challenge to all organisations of the
Hungarian public administration. Their implementation requires considerable commitment to
innovation on the Government’s part, and they may result in a more efficient national governance
in harmony with the pan-European services of the EU.

The implementation of the strategy affects all fields of
government operations and triggers a comprehensive
transition in governance
• In accordance with the objectives of the e-
Government Strategy, the EKK encourages
and coordinates the development of
individual IT strategies for the various
institutions, and prepares standards and
recommendations to support institutional
developments.
• At the same time, the institutions themselves
are primarily responsible for creating their
own official procedures and services.
• The implementation of the strategy results in
significant changes in a number of areas of
governance from regulation to infrastructural
elements to cooperation within the
institutional framework.
Regulation and
procedures
Info-communication
infrastructure
Content and services
Culture and individual
knowledge
Institutional framework
and cooperation

The implementation of the strategy has commenced in six
framework programs
FIELDS
Regulation and
procedures
Info-communication
infrastructure
Content and
services
Culture and
individual
knowledge
Institutional
framework and
cooperation
E-GOVERNING ABILITIES
On-line Efficient Knowledge-basedClient-oriented Social Democratic
e-Regulation
Basic e-Infrastructure
e-Efficiency
e-Service
e-Culture
EU
compatible
EU Integration
• All framework programs of the e-Governance Strategy aim to develop the governance competencies
that are required for a state to provide services and to facilitate online operation. The key objective of the
strategy is to manage the governance transition process that will create the framework for modern
governance through e-government services.

The first priority program of the e-Governance Strategy aims to
create the infrastructural basis of online governance in Hunga
Justification
• When the e-Governance Strategy was
developed, there was no countrywide
broadband telecommunication network
facilitating government agencies to
communicate securely on the internet.
• The isolated development efforts of the various
government agencies would not have resulted
in a consistent basic infrastructure suitable for
e-governance.
Objective
• The objective of the Basic e-Infrastructure is to
provide the conditions and the environment for
electronic operation of online governance in
Hungary, to create a consistent telematic
government network as part of the Central
System (KR) and a central basic infrastructure
facilitating the use of e-governance information
and transaction services.
Info-communication
infrastructure
Content and services
Culture and individual
knowledge
Institutional framework
and cooperation
Online
Basic e-Infrastructure

The elements of the Central System: the EKG, the Client
Gateway, the Client Hotline and the Government Portal were
completed by early 2006, and thus the technical framework of
online governance was in place
Results
• The EKG (Hungarian Government Backbone
Network), the Government Portal, the Client
Gateway and the Client Hotline forming part
of the Central System were completed
• The EKG is the most secure government
network in the region
• In 2006 all government agencies will be
connected
• It connects to TESTA and H-Sec-Net
• It provides basic and premium services
• The Government Portal and the Client
Gateway provide access to standard
government online information and
transactional services
• The Client Hotline (189) makes process
descriptions available by phone, ensuring
equal opportunities
• Regulation issues concerning the
implementation of e-payment and e-signature
to produce fully online administrative
procedures have been resolved
Development of the Hungarian Government
Backbone Network (HGBN)
• Increased number of EKG end points
• Security, internet protection system
Standard government online and electronic
information service
• Government Portal (www.magyarorszag.hu)
• Standardisation of central public administration
portals
• Client Hotline
Standard government online transaction
services
• Client Gateway
• E-signature
• E-payment

One of the most important tasks in 2006 will be to expand the
service portfolio in line with the EU’s pan-European services,
and to increase the relative weight of fully online services.
Future tasks
• One of the most important tasks in 2006
will be to develop efficient cooperation
between government agencies so that
the government portal can offer high
quality contents;
Portal
HGBN
Central
System
(KR)
Client Gateway
• A comprehensive payment service will
have to be added to the existing central
infrastructure to ensure that the Central
System will be able to meet the highest
electronic service level.
Client Hotline
E-payment

The Central System and the Transport Engine
Control and Coordination
Interface
Security,
Payment
Construction initiatives
for Portal, best
practice, etc.
Magyarorszag.hu
Governmental Portal,
Information Centre
Authentication, Payment
e- and m-
Gov’tal Portal
Citizen’s Gateway
Institutional provider system 1
Institutional provider system 2
Gov’t to Client
Information Centre
G2C, G2B, G2G
systems and
applications
Central Governmental Service
Provider System,
Central Databases,
Address Register,
Mailing System
Institutional provider system ..n
Local Gov’t Provider Serv. System ..1
Local Gov’t Provider Serv. System..n
Business Service Provider System 1
Business Service Provider System ..n
Basic
infrastructure
Government Backbone Network
(HGBN), Internet access
HGBN

The simultaneous use of electronic and traditional services
doubles administrative costs, thus it is particularly important
that online governance be extended as fully as possible
across all operations
Future tasks
• The first step towards online governance is to
have all institutions develop their internal e-
operations comprising the following elements:
• Intranet
• Web presence
• Public servant card
• Process descriptions
• Electronic records
• Electronic rules of procedures
• The next step is to ensure that the various
institutions provide their online services
through the Central System (KR).
• Institutional systems can be connected to the
KR at four levels:
• Level 1: Connection to the HGBN using basic
services
• Level 2: Connection to the HGBN using premium
services
• Level 3: Connection to the government portal
through the electronic information system of the
relevant institution
• Level 4: Connection to the Client Gateway
through the electronic service system of the
institution
CG
Link to
government
portal
Link to the HGBN
using premium
services
Link to the HGBN
Using basic services

Content

The success of the new type of client-focused public
administration depends on the ability of the institutional
framework to provide services built on the citizens’
requirements
Future tasks
Level 1
• The number one priority of the coming period is
to further modernise the 20 services required
by the EU, and to develop fully electronic
administrative procedures.
Level 2
• One of the most important tasks for the coming
years is to expand the service portfolio in line
with the EU’s pan-European services.
Level 3
• The success of online governance depends on
the extent to which citizens wish to take
advantage of the possibility of electronic
administration, thus it is particularly important
that, in addition to traditional administration, a
client-friendly service portfolio is developed in
response to clients’ needs.
Online operations
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Number of services

The EU accession has been a big challenge for the
institutional framework; complying with the obligations and
exploiting the benefits require a lot of inputs
Justification
• The tasks arising from the EU accession involving
building cooperation at central and institutional
level have represented a great challenge to the
institutional framework. Exploiting the benefits
originating from our full EU membership, taking
advantage of the knowledge base and the
financial resources and their integration into
Hungarian developments have been similarly
important.
Objective
• The objective of the program is to prepare the
Hungarian institutional framework to join those of
the EU and subsequently to improve
infrastructural and institutional cooperation.
• The program has to ensure that the Hungarian
institutional framework is connected to the EU
networks and that institutions are involved in the
e-governance programs of the EU at both central
and sectoral levels.
Regulation and
procedures
Info-communication
infrastructure
Content and services
Culture and
individual knowledge
Institutional framework
and cooperation
EU
compatible
EU Integration

The central electronic government has been successfully
connected to the infrastructural systems of the EU and
cooperation between institutional frameworks has expanded
Results
• The Hungarian institutional framework was
among the first to be connected to TESTA
through the EKG (H-Sec-Net was launched)
• The EKK and the IHM are involved in the
creative work associated with the EU i2010
strategy
• The EKK is participating in the management of
the IDABC program launched to realise pan-
European e-government services
• Hungarian institutions are participating in the
sectoral programs of the IDABC, coordinated by
the IDASZB Committee
• Developments underway make use of EU
knowledge bases and its free software (eLink,
CIRCA, IPM)
• From the EU funds
• pre-accession funds were used by the central
institutions, and
• NFT (National Development Plan) funds were used
by local governments.
• The government has not yet been able to take
advantage of the possibilities offered by
Community programs
Infrastructural developments
• H-SEC-NET
• TESTA
Cooperation between institutional frameworks
• Program management
• Horizontal areas
• CIRCA
• IPM
• eLink
Knowledge management
Exploring EU development funds
• Pre-accession funds
• Hungarian NDP
• Community Programs

By the end of the decade the EU plans to develop a pan-
European services system connecting all Member States,
which will provide a full range of tools for national
governments to communicate with one another
Future tasks
• The EU integration is an important framework
program of the strategy, but it is also a
significant driving force behind the
development of online services in Hungary;
• According to the plans for European
Interoperability, all EU citizens will enter the
standard EU service platform through a
shared European Client Gateway;
• At the same time, it is important that in the
future years, while the development of online
services in Hungary enables us to become an
active and increasingly involved participant of
the evolving EU e-governance framework
system, we also learn how to secure external
funding to complement the NDP programs
from programs supporting the implementation
of Community Policies for the realisation of
Hungarian e-governance developments.
Member State A
Public
administration
Member State B
Public
administration
EU public administration
EU Citizen

EXTENDING THE STRATEGIC PROGRAMS TO THE
ENTIRE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

Once the central systems and the basic regulation are in place
the principal task of e-government is to extend online
governance to the entire institutional framework
• The basic infrastructure of e-
governance has been created in the
past three years, initiated and
coordinated by the EKK;
service
• The challenge for the coming years is to
extend the program to the entire
institutional framework of the
government;
IT
infrastructure
Regulation
• The various institutions also need to
prepare their own e-governance
strategies and plans specifying:
• the scope and contents,
• the required regulation,
• the information technology background
• the individual and organisational
knowledge management and
• the required EU cooperation
of the e-services to be developed.
Culture and
knowledge
Central
coordination
Efficiency
EU
cooperation

The program extended to the entire institutional framework
needs to be centrally coordinated to ensure that the transition
takes place with uniform standards and that resources are used
efficiently
• In most EU Member States the extension of
e-governance to the entire public
administration is a high-priority central
government task.
• To ensure the efficient use of resources,
generally a central coordinating body is set
up to manage the above process, which is
responsible for a number of tasks, such as:
• standards development
• resource management
• knowledge management
• institutional coordination.
• The first step of extending the e-government
strategy is to determine the tasks and
authority of a central coordinating body in
Hungary.
Development of uniform standards
Resource management
Connection to the central systems
Knowledge management
Coordination of cooperation within
the institutional framework

It is essential to determine and legally establish the scope
and rules of cooperation according to which the central
coordinating body can lead the next steps in the transition of
the institutional framework
• The institutional framework and the central
coordinating body can cooperate successfully
in a number of ways;
Develop the institutional cooperation
model, ”enterprise architecture”
• It is worth looking at examples provided by the
relevant EU Member States, but the operation
model essentially needs to be developed
based on the conditions and characteristics of
public administration in Hungary;
• The model needs to clarify, among others, the
following:
• roles and responsibilities;
• task allocation and
• motivation.
Develop the required regulation
Determine roles and responsibilities
Allocate tasks
Create motivation

In addition to creating and regulating a central coordination
model, it is also very important to identify and correctly allocat
the resources available
• The EKK has achieved significant results
using the funds allocated to the
implementation of the framework programs of
the e-Government Strategy: it has created a
central infrastructure for e-governance.
• In the past three years, in addition to the EKK
coordination, over HUF 140 billion has been
spent on individual governmental information
technology developments. Another HUF 120
billion has been spent on developments
related to the information society.
• In the field of e-governance coordinated
developments are more efficient than
significant investment projects using
fragmented sources of funds.
• The range of funding options must be explored
and funds must be used efficiently, in
accordance with a plan based on central
coordination
NDP II.
E-government developments
Sectoral and individual information
technology developments
Central information technology
developments
Direct Community resources
PPP type cooperations

Thank you for your
attention!
Gábor BÓDI
Head of Department, Government Advisor
Prime Minister’s Office
Electronic Government Centre