e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu

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freedom of choice and availability, using measures such as the delegation of decision-making powers to service production levels, introduction of service charters and electronic government. The importance of egovernment was strongly stressed as it was seen as a facilitator of joint and more advanced services (from one-way to interactive electronic services). 488. The need for electronic identification in order to develop electronic transaction services was again emphasised. The resolution showed that legislative action, in addition to the decision on electronic transactions, was necessary, as it called for an examination of the legislative status of digital signatures, electronic authentication and encryption for data transfer. Following the resolution, a Government Decision on Methods for Authentication, Digital Signature and Encryption was announced. 489. Apart from the issues concerning electronic identification, the resolution also raised awareness of the challenge of information management. It stated that “the government will strengthen the resources for information management and its steering. The ministries will have stronger control over the development of information management and data services in their administrative fields.” 71 This statement can be seen in connection with the general aim of the resolution to develop the ministries into policy planning units with strengthened political leadership and decision-making power by the use of steering reforms. 72 490. As with other decisions and guidelines concerning public management reforms, it is difficult to say how and to what extent these guidelines have been interpreted and implemented by the different ministries, as the model of strong autonomy leaves room for variation. This was probably accentuated in the highly complex areas of information management and e-government. 491. In 1999, the programme of the second Lipponen government provided a broad vision for the role and purpose of e-government. It stated that: x “The Government will seek to activate experimentation to introduce new technology, a new type of expertise and new working methods in companies and public services output. The government will in particular seek to promote social and technological innovations as part of the modernisation of the service culture in the public sector. x “The operational processes of the public sector, conducting business electronically and the transparency of decision making must be developed by exploiting the opportunities offered by information and communication technology. x “Exclusion of citizens and regions will be prevented by providing the services of the information society to all on an equal basis. Information and communication technology will be used to improve the cost efficiency and smooth operation of public services while at the same time ensuring the protection of data. “Transacting business electronically will improve the public administration’s ability to provide services and enhance their effectiveness. In the central administration, and as widely as possible in municipal administration, a single common electronic identity card will be introduced which will enable people to do business with the different sectors of the civil service reliably and safely.” 71 p. 16. 72 p. 11. 154
7.3.6 Integrating e-government with the public administration at all levels: JUNA 492. On the basis of the government programme, it was decided to create a project to co-ordinate and support the planning and implementation of e-government covering all sectors of the public administration from the local to the state level. The aim of the JUNA project, which ran from 1999 to 2001, was to promote a broad and coherent move by the public authorities towards the active production and use of electronic services and wide-ranging co-operation. 73 Co-ordination of co-operation, particularly on regional and local levels, was seen as necessary to promote a customer orientation and the availability of quality public services throughout the country. 493. In 2000, JUNA carried out a survey aimed at viewing the current development of e-government services. It sent a questionnaire to leading Finnish civil servants in state and local administrations and information management experts. The answers indicated that existing electronic services were not very advanced, consisting mainly of provision of information rather than interactive services. Internal factors, such as insufficient financial resources for data management, were the obstacle most frequently mentioned. Many also pointed to the lack of a common online service strategy and vision as well as the detachment of the development of electronic services from the general planning activities of each organisation. 494. These findings are interesting in that the JUNA project had no funds for agency-specific projects and no remit to develop or implement an e-government strategy. The JUNA project’s mandate was to issue guidelines and rules to support the co-ordinated development of electronic services by monitoring and evaluating existing work. 495. On the basis of the survey, JUNA set up four key projects: i) four pilot projects on the public administration’s strategic ability in the area of information society; ii) customer surveys, usability and accessibility testing and analyses of information security concerning public access terminals that provide public electronic services; iii) a project to determine the possibilities, preconditions and limitations of XML techniques for the development of electronic services; and iv) a project to determine the possibilities, preconditions and limitations of making services available on mobile channels. In 2001, JUNA published reports on each of these projects with recommendations and guidelines. 496. The JUNA project terminated at the end of 2001. Some of its general work on electronic services, however, was incorporated into the action programme 2002-03 for e-government (see below). 7.3.7 ICT for citizen participation and greater openness 497. In 1999, the Ministry of Finance launched several projects on e-engagement of citizens. A project, New Information Technology and Citizen’s Possibilities to Influence Decision Making, had three aspects: i) a survey on how the administration’s Web pages could better serve citizens and what best practices could be found; ii) a pilot project to build a portal for the Finnish public sector; iii) a discussion forum where citizens could comment and give their views. Both the citizen portal and the discussion forum are now well established and there are plans to integrate the two (see Part 6.3). 498. A new project, Hear the Citizens, will look at how connections between ministries and citizens can be strengthened, including one focus (among others) on the use of ICT. This activity was part of the extensive plan to reform the Finnish central government following an international expert group report commissioned by the Ministry of Finance in 1999. 73 Ministry of the Interior. Development Project for e-government JUNA: www.intermin.fi/suom/juna/english/presentation/index.html 155
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OECD e-GOVERNMENT STUDIES e-GOVERNM
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Secretariat wo
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4.2.5 Managing multiple service cha
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This report provides a first compre
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Finland could reinforce citizen sup
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Technical issues have been recognis
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The central government, however, la
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E-government has helped improve pla
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OVERALL ASSESSMENT The first phase
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6. The constitutional independence
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6. As the first OECD report of its
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Box 1.1. E-government co-ordination
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x The central administration does n
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2 THE CASE FOR E-GOVERNMENT 25. The
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Key Points - 4 x Public administrat
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40. As a result of these earlier go
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is illustrative. An online transact
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Health care 50 29 21 Unemployment 8
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3 BARRIERS TO E-GOVERNMENT 61. E-go
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action unclear. In interviews, IT o
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80. As noted in Chapter 2, the Stat
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equired to provide e-government str
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most important way to fund e-govern
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obtain (38%), followed by funds for
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Figure 3.4. E-government technologi
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113. Not surprisingly, the OECD sur
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3.3.2 Types of barriers 119. Respon
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x Technology neutrality in legislat
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“backbone” of the government ne
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egional authorities is decisive, ev
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Box 3.5. The development of mobile
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x Improving the public administrati
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political leaders to impress upon t
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showed that top management commitme
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levels of government. In particular
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home and school, every business and
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E-government Imperative (2003) list
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Key Points - 31 x The proportion of
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Key Points - 32 x Basic online info
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Key Points - 33 x Interactive infor
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of using more efficient electronic
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Key Points - 35 x The proportion of
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233. The Finnish Vehicle Administra
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citizens’ access to information i
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4.3.2 E-engagement at the ministry
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Key Points - 38 x E-engagement init
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255. At the end of 2002, the curren
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Themes portal (e.g. environmental,
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partnerships”). The most signific
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job satisfaction enquiry and models
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Key Points - 42 x Structural impact
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Page 126 and 127: 372. The OECD report on the Finnish
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Page 130 and 131: 5 NEXT STEPS 385. In May 2003, the
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Page 136 and 137: 409. In 1998, the government agreed
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Page 142 and 143: 6.3 Case study 3: The citizen porta
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Page 150 and 151: x Public Management in Finland (200
Page 152 and 153: ought together government, civil so
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Page 160 and 161: 522. Contrary to former reports by
Page 162 and 163: x By comparison, the term Web site
Page 164 and 165: 7.4.2 List of acronyms AFLRA: The A
Page 166 and 167: 7.5 Appendix 5: Methodology 7.5.1 D
Page 168 and 169: 2. Responses are not included in ov
Page 170 and 171: 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY ACCENTURE (2001),
Page 172 and 173: JUSSILAINEN, M. (2003), “Knowledg
Page 174 and 175: OECD (1992), “ICCP Reviews of Inf
Page 176 and 177: “GOVERNMENT RESOLUTION ON HIGH-QU
Page 178: VISTI, S. (1998), “Electronic Ide
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