e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu
e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu
e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu
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Figure 4.10. Reported impact of ICT on citizen engagement: comparison of ministries and central<br />
agencies<br />
4.4 Portals<br />
Possibilities for active<br />
participation in policy-<br />
making<br />
Opportunities for<br />
consultation during policy-<br />
making<br />
Access to timely, objective<br />
and complete information<br />
Source: OECD<br />
251. Delivering citizen-centred services and consultation demands that both electronic and traditional<br />
activities should be organised around citizens’ needs and not bureaucratic structures. Since agency Web<br />
sites tend to focus on the services offered by a specific agency, however, governments either have to create<br />
incentives for agencies to co-operate or link together agency Web sites, for example through a national<br />
portal, in order to create a seamless interface for citizens and business.<br />
252. Finland has developed its official government portal, the citizen portal, as an e-enabler to<br />
facilitate access to services and e-engagement activities. The portal provide a common entry point and a<br />
user-friendly first contact with the administration.<br />
4.4.1 The citizen portal<br />
Agencies<br />
Ministries<br />
Agencies<br />
Ministries<br />
Agencies<br />
Ministries<br />
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%<br />
253. In 1997, the Ministry of Finance launched the Citizen Guide, which aimed to bring online the<br />
Citizen’s Handbook, an informational publication for citizens which had been available in printed form<br />
since the early 1990s. When the Citizen Guide first appeared in 1997, it was simply an online version of<br />
the handbook. In April 2002, the Citizen Portal (www.suomi.fi) was launched with the intention to provide<br />
information on the central issues on which a citizen needs information in different situations during his/her<br />
lifetime.<br />
254. The citizen portal provides access to all public authorities, but it has also begun to be used by<br />
businesses and trade unions, which were not originally addressed. While the portal was financed by the<br />
MoF, other ministries and the association of municipalities and regions were all involved in its<br />
development. The portal has an editorial board drawn from agencies to monitor decisions regarding<br />
content, upgrades, etc. The project, as a whole, is based on mutually agreed metadata and quality<br />
standards. Until 2002, the MoF was in charge of updating the portal, but in the future this task will be<br />
transferred to a contact person in each organisation who will be responsible for updating that organisation’s<br />
pages.<br />
93<br />
increase no impact