for Local Governments

3.1 ICT Strategy of Municipality
3. ICT Strategy
In theory, the ICT strategy should be developed according to the general development
strategy of the municipality and not vice versa. Bigger municipalities often have some
general strategy papers, while smaller ones sometimes do not have any strategic plan
at all. In most cases, the strategy is built by combining bottom-up planning (development
needs proposed by the different units of the municipality according to their everyday
needs) and top-down planning (from some strategic considerations of development,
including tasks set by the national Information Society Strategy). The strategy
development is a collective work of all of the municipal staff and especially the ICT
department. The time horizon of a typical ICT strategy is often 4 to 5 years and this is
the base for operative plans – annual action plans.
The following goals are often found in the Municipality ICT strategy:
� To increase efficiency in administration, benefiting both the business sector
and the citizens of the municipality in everyday life – the activity directed to
the external dimension;
� To increase efficiency and transparency (questions about anticorruption etc.)
of the business of the municipality itself – the activity focused on the internal
dimension, aimed to improve back-office processes of the municipality;
� To support democratic processes through the tools of e-democracy – the activity
focused on the external processes;
� To increase access to internet and public information. Questions about e-inclusion,
broadband strategy – the activity focused on the external processes.
It is utmost important that this strategic development is managed by the top leaders of
the municipality. There are several reasons:
� The implementation of the ICT systems causes changes in the organization
and processes. These changes cannot be managed by ICT managers. These
are general top management questions;
� ICT development is derived from general development plans of the municipality.
This is the issue of top management of the municipality;
� Efficiently functioning ICT systems establish an environment for economic
development, increase foreign investments, transparency of local government
etc. Personal leadership in these developments will give political credibility
and reliability;
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