May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
What is e-government?• Use of information and communications
technologies to radically transform how Govt. delivers services to citizens– transform how Government interacts with
citizens– transform how citizens interact with
Government
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Why e-govt?• Pressure from customers/citizens
• desire to emulate best practice in private sector.
• reduce administrative costs
• better levels of service
• new kinds of services
• attract overseas investors
• control fraud
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen's interactions with Public Service
• Varies by country• but general EU pattern• Dominated by large
service delivery agencies
• Health• Social Security• Tax• Local Authorities• Agriculture• Passport Office• Others
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Health
Social Security
Tax
Local Authority
Agriculture
passport
Other
Citizen Interactions with Public Service
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Access Channels to Public Service
• Mail - application forms, certificates, etc
• Walk-in Offices - face to face contact
• Telephone
• Remote over network– web– kiosk– TV– mobile
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Mediated vs Self Service• Overwhelming majority of transactions are
Mediated or Assisted
• Tiny proportion are Self Service
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Walk-in
Telephone
Self Service
CurrentPublicServiceAccess Channels- Usage
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Choice• Citizens must continue to have a choice of
access channel
• difficult to discontinue old channels
• e-channels to run in parallel as additional option
• e-channels must offer added value to attract “customers”
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
E-Business vs. E-Government
Commercial• inform about products • identify product and
price• agreement to purchase• secure collection of
money• deliver product• learn about customers• encourage loyalty
Government• establish identity• identify appropriate
“product” or service• establish entitlement• collect supporting data• authenticate data• decide entitlement• deliver service.
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions - Typical Features
• Government need to identify and authenticate citizen– need to establish identity of person– need to authenticate “facts” about person– e.g., citizenship, residency
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions - Typical Features
• Government need to establish “entitlement” of citizen to services
• based on qualifying criteria– income level, – presence of qualifying condition, – employment status, etc. – Family situation
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions - Typical Features
• Government need to collect additional information from citizen at point of contact
• citizen must repeat their “story” for each organisation at each point of contact
• supplementary information often needs to be corroborated by third parties
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Share Information to avoid repetition
• Public agencies should share information on citizens to eliminate need for repetition
• share only what is needed and essential for each transaction.
• Capture data once only
• agency at point of contact must act on behalf of the whole
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions - Typical Features
• Government Services specified in legislation– legal requirements of citizens and of service
providers– universal access– standard service levels– non-discretionary
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions - Typical Features
• Complexity of Public Services– major knowledge imbalance between citizen
and Government– citizen needs to know a lot about complex
services in order to avail of them
• Major issues for self service
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions -Issues
• Government Services centred on organisations, Ministries and legislation rather than on the citizen
• Result: non-integrated services– multi-stop shopping– services not grouped around likely needs of
citizen
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Unemployment
Low income
Need assistance
Social Security
Tax Relief
Health Benefits
Local Voluntary Group
HousingAssistance
Where do I start?
Citizens needs are driven by events
Events and Needs
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
E-Government facilitates Integration of Public Services
Gateway
Health
Social Security
Taxation
Housing
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions -Issues
• Access to internet/networked devices– most frequent users of public services are the
often most disadvantaged in terms of :• income
• education
• self confidence
• computer literacy
• Result: major access issue
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions -Issues
• Public Service legacy IT systems– once off custom built applications– limited sharing of data– old technology– scarce IT skills– legacy = mission critical services
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions -Issues
• Fears of Public Service Staff– “turf wars” - loss of work /status– range of knowledge required
• demands of 24x7 operations
• Ability of Public Service to realise savings
• ability to achieve radical transformation in business practices
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Citizen to Government Interactions -Issues
• Privacy vs. Efficiency
• Government as “Big Brother”
• Data Protection Legislation
• Public Trust a major issue
• Citizen control over personal data can build trust
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Essential ID related data which must be shared
Super-registered data under citizen’s control
“Entitlement” data which can be shared under specific rules
Digital photo
Credit card
passport
PPS Nonamedate of birth
Income
property value
Public and Private Personal data
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
E-Government - some conclusions
• may be more difficult than we might think
• complexity of Government and knowledge imbalance major problems for citizens
• citizens’ access to e-services is a problem
• public trust is a major issue
• current/traditional channels likely to predominate for many years
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
E-government - some principles• Simplify services
• help citizens to navigate complexity
• build virtual “one stop shops”
• group services around events/life episodes
• cater for traditional/current channels as well as e-channels
• help citizens to access e-services
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
E-government - some principles• build public trust
• focus on realising benefits
• choice of channels
• e-channels must add value for citizens, Government and public service staff
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Developments in Ireland • Information Society Commission
• Public Service Information Society Action Plan
• E-Commerce legislation
• Public service VPN
• IT Access for All
• REACH Initiative
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
REACH• Cross- Departmental Unit set up by
Government
• Mandate:– develop framework to integrate public services– specify and establish single gateway to
Government - E-Broker
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Historical• ISSS Report - August 1996
– use of RSI No.– Social Services card– data sharing (identity data and means)
• Social Welfare Act 1998– legal base for PPSN/PSC/data sharing– wider application
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
REACH Objectives• Improved services to citizens
• infrastructure for e-government (citizen and the public service)
• improved efficiency in public administration
• greater effectiveness of social policies
• better control of fraud & abuse of publicly funded services
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Common Data Platform• Personal Public Services Number
– unique personal identifier– use across public service
(except police and defence forces)– assigned and managed by Client identity
Services of DSCFA (Social Security Ministry)– assigned at time of registration for Child
Benefit– supported by Public Services card
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Common Data Platform• PPS Number compulsory in transactions
with public service
• can be used as internal identifier
• public service agencies can share/update basic identity data set for individual citizens
• information needed to assess entitlement to “means” or income tested services can also be shared - within strict limits
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Public Services Card• Build on existing Social Services Card
• to act as key to citizens’ personal data
• access to services
• aid in establishing identity
• “family” of cards to suit needs of different groups
• security features to be agreed
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
E-Broker• Single gateway to public services
• caters for all access channels
• offer common services, e.g., authentication of identity, to citizen and public agencies
• transaction management centred on life episodes
• personal data vaults and pigeon holes
• mediates between citizen and public service
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
eBroker agencyI/A TV Kiosk Web
WAPdevice
PostServiceCentre
Education RevenueLocal
AuthoritiesAgriculture Health CRO DSCFA
Forms/Codes/Help
Episodeknowledgerepository
Contactdirectories
Pigeon hole
Data vault
Pigeon hole
Data vault
Certificatedatabases
Transaction Manager
Access ManagerClient
AuthenticationService
Search engine(s)Client storage
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Life Episodes• Examples: birth, starting work, setting up a
new business, buying a house, etc.
• current practice: citizen must find and contact each service separately
• future practice: episode gateway will offer and initiate groups of services relevant to each episode.
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
Current ‘birth episode’
Parent Hospital
Registers
GRO
Regist
ers
Health Board
Informs
DSCFA
Claims Child Benefit
Health Board
Public Health Nurse
Schedulesvisits
CB : Register CB Claim
Scheme X : Add child dep
CIS : Allocate PPS number
GMS
DPS notificat
ion
Issues DPS card
Housing Agency
Revenue/Tax
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
“Managed” birth episode
I/A TV Kiosk WebWAPdevice
Post
Forms/Codes/Help
Contactdirectories
Pigeon hole
Data vault
Pigeon hole
Data vault
ClientAuthentication
ServiceSearch engine(s)
Client storage
Episodeknowledgerepository
BIRTH : GRO,HB, GMSDSCFA,
VHI?
Transaction Manager
Access Manager
HospitalRegistrar
GRO
GRO
Address
Registrar ID
Parent ID
Health Board
HB
GMS
GMS
DSCFA
DSCFA
VHI
VHI
May 25 IDA eEurope Workshop
EU Context• All MS attempting similar initiatives
• scope for cooperation on common issues.
• E.g., interoperable PKI systems for digital signatures, e-identities.
• Build on existing work - TESS, etc.