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egional authorities is decisive, even though the principle of partnership is widely applied. For example, the Suupohja Information Network Project aims to help small enterprises, schools, municipalities and public organisations and local inhabitants to apply and utilise the opportunities of modern information networks. The project will develop a wide information network infrastructure connecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), schools and colleges, municipalities and libraries to each other and to the Internet. The project is based on the computer network in Kauhajoki, the largest municipality of the area. 139. The 2002 Programme of Action to Promote Online Government stressed the need for plans to augment public access to electronic services by increasing the number of public Internet terminals in libraries, joint service points, major shopping areas and other public spaces. In addition, the plan calls for an extension of the availability of broadband connections (BB for All by 2005). These initiatives target the general public as well as disabled citizens and other marginalised groups. 140. As discussed in Part 3.2.2, “Online transactions”, access is a multi-dimensional concept, concerning not only access to or possession of ICT, but also the knowledge and skills to use ICT effectively regardless of age, physical impairment, education, wealth, geographical area, etc. 23 The digital divide is as much an issue of familiarity with information technology and general ICT skills as it is access to the Internet. On this front, observers of the information society in Finland are also relatively positive. Key Points - 23 x The remoteness of some Finnish regions makes improving access to Internet terminals a key priority for the development of e-enablers. Rural connectivity projects have strengthened collaboration between municipalities and fostered co-operation between public and private actors. x The government’s strategy to overcome the digital divide has sought to develop and reinforce IT knowledge and experience as well as improving access based on an awareness of continued differences in ICT use within Finnish society. 3.4.2 Alternative Internet access channels 141. As advanced technologies have become available to the public at large (i.e. the Internet, SMS, WAP services) and their popularity rises, the use and acceptability of electronic services is likely to increase as well. In particular, Finland’s telecommunications sector offers citizens well-known channels for receiving certain types of services. The use of mobile phones as a channel for service delivery offers the advantages of wireless connection, high penetration and familiarity (see Box 3.5). For example, in 2002 94% of the Finnish population had a mobile phone 142. For the moment, as in most OECD countries, these additional channels are under-utilised. OECD-wide, alternative Internet access routes are expanding but will be used differently from the PC- Internet model in the foreseeable future. Even with a dramatic increase in use of the most common alternative Internet services (i.e. e-mail, entertainment, news, location services), opportunities to access 23 A. Hopkins (2002), Discussion paper on the issue of responsive e-government services from the perspective of service users. OECD E-government Seminar on Vision, Context and Responsiveness, Paris, 11-12 March 2002. 60
more complex services such as on-line education are limited, and such services may not be offered in the near future. 24 143. The OECD survey shows that while all of the surveyed ministries and central agencies reported using Web sites, only one-third reported using voice services and very few provide electronic services through WAP or SMS. The MoF’s survey of IT use in government showed that about 9% of public network services (15 out of 171 services) included mobile phone services in 2001, with another 18 public organisations reporting that mobile services were under preparation. 144. As a study in 2002 on Finnish mobile clusters pointed out, 25 several weaknesses still prevent mobile technology from being effectively implemented in Finland They include a negative attitude towards mobile services by end users, the conservative approach of dominant telecommunications operators and a high level of taxation. Nevertheless, some pilot projects have been launched by public authorities using mobile phones for voice, WAP and SMS services. With the use of SMS, in particular, Finland seems to be an innovator among OECD countries and takes advantage of its popularity (only 10% of Finnish mobile phone users had never sent any text messages, and 17% had used the phone more for SMS than for calling 26 ). Mobile-based innovations include the following initiatives: x Through the JUNA project, the MoI launched a series of pilot projects to better exploit mobile channels to provide public services. The aim of these projects was to test the development of new technology and its effectiveness for delivering public services. x The Ministry of Transport and Communication has developed the Mona programme to improve home-care service through the use of mobile technology in the City of Tampere. This pilot, launched in December 2001, involves the city and private service producers to improve the online booking, controlling and ordering of pharmac<strong>eu</strong>tical products. x The Finnish Meteorological Institute provides a mobile weather service (Weatherproof) for WAP operators. It offers mobile end users global and local weather forecasts and observations. A private-sector partner acts as a service provider for the mobile weather service application and provides the content for the service in close co-operation with national and local weather services worldwide. x The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an SMS service for people travelling abroad. The service, available in Finnish and Swedish, provides the contact details of Finnish missions, allows users to subscribe to information concerning travel and allows them to provide notification of their travel plans. x University libraries have begun to use SMS messaging to notify users when a book is overdue. 145. The OECD survey results indicate that, reflecting their greater service focus, agencies seem to have done more to try new service channels than have ministries. None of the ministries reported using WAP or SMS and agencies were 50% more likely than ministries to report using voice services (38% of agencies, 25% of ministries). 24 OECD (2002), Information Technology Outlook,. p. 226. 25 Läppavuori, L. (2002), The Analysis of the Finnish Mobile Cluster: Any Potential in Finnish Mobile Services. The study analysed the structure of the Finnish mobile cluster, the opinions of the cluster companies, the codes of conducting business in the cluster, the current use of mobile services in companies and the factors of success of Japanese mobile services. 26 Statistics Finland, p. 199. 61
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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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x Horizontal co-ordination: lack of
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Figure 4.22. Government-wide leader
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catalyst as well as formal or infor
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operation of the Ministry of Social
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development of Internet service del
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Box 4.7. Adapting E-Procurement for
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strategies but also the ability to
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361. Moreover, the lack of opportun
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372. The OECD report on the Finnish
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x E-government plans are important
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5 NEXT STEPS 385. In May 2003, the
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completely new architecture for gat
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399. Brokers receive revenue from t
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409. In 1998, the government agreed
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Figure 6.3. Finnish electronic citi
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430. For both municipalities and KE
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6.3 Case study 3: The citizen porta
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tourism, immigration and emigration
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Key Points - 60 x The citizen citiz
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7.2 Appendix 2: Reports, strategies
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x Public Management in Finland (200
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ought together government, civil so
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freedom of choice and availability,
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499. The Ministry of the Interior c
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decision requires it to provide net
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522. Contrary to former reports by
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x By comparison, the term Web site
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7.4.2 List of acronyms AFLRA: The A
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7.5 Appendix 5: Methodology 7.5.1 D
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2. Responses are not included in ov
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8 BIBLIOGRAPHY ACCENTURE (2001),
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JUSSILAINEN, M. (2003), “Knowledg
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OECD (1992), “ICCP Reviews of Inf
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“GOVERNMENT RESOLUTION ON HIGH-QU
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VISTI, S. (1998), “Electronic Ide
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