E-government will transform relationship with citizens

By John Griffin
Former Advertiser editorial page editor

•	e-government Web sites State: www.ehawaiigov.org Honolulu: www.co.honolulu.hi.us Big Island: www.hawaii-county.com Maui: www.co.maui.hi.us Kaua'i: www.kauaigov.org Federal: www.firstgov.com

Less is known about e-government. Yet The Economist magazine has labeled it "the next revolution." Its 34-page international survey on the subject last year began:

"Within the next five years it will transform not only the way in which most public services are delivered, but also the fundamental relationship between government and citizen."

For Hawai'i, any revolution may take longer, depending on tight funds, political vision and the difficulty of herding the cats of entrenched government bureaucracies.

After a fast start in online government services in the 1980s, money-short Hawai'i fell behind in the 1990s recession, just as the Internet became the dominant delivery system for such services. We ranked 47th among states in one survey last year.

Now the state and counties are, in their different ways, moving to catch up in a spirit one expert calls "coopertition." Moreover, they are doing so with private business contracts that may forecast a different future in government.

E-government comes in different levels and stages. First is the simple posting of information on individual Web sites by departments and agencies. Next comes two-way communication that allows citizens to provide information (change of address, etc.) via the Web site rather than a telephone.

State and county governments here and elsewhere are moving into the third stage. There, a single Web site portal provides citizens and businesses with enhanced access to information and services. That now includes obtaining some permits and licenses, data on business history and complaints, and a registry of sex offenders.

Filing claims and tax returns is on the horizon. Many envision voting on the Internet. That may be done relatively soon from regular voting sites. But a new study sponsored by the National Science Foundation raises several questions of possible fraud and virus-spreading in allowing online voting soon from homes or offices.

In any event, a fourth stage could mean much closer citizen contact with government agencies and their children's schools, in effect new kinds of governance-cooperation. Everyone may have an access identification number.

Eventually, part of e-government is supposed to be greater efficiency and cooperation between government departments, just as e-commerce has meant cost savings. That, however, has some startup costs, especially for a state bureaucracy with a checkerboard of standards and equipment.

E-government can't and shouldn't take the place of all human contacts. But it should replace trips to government offices and much humdrum waiting. And it has the potential to increase interaction between far-flung residents and government officials.

Moreover, my definition of e-government includes public access TV (such as 'Olelo on O'ahu and Akaku on Maui), which has channels that provide government programs. That, too, can be improved and enhanced.

Governor orders progress

On the state level, Gov. Ben Cayetano has ordered that all government services be on the Internet by June 2002. That may be possible, but it's something else to get everyone linked and working together for maximum efficiency with compatible equipment and operations.

The focal point is a public-private relationship and a state Internet portal, (www.ehawaiigov.org) which was set up last year. It is run by the Hawai'i Information Consortium (HIC) which is a subsidiary of a private mainland firm that performs such services in a dozen other states. A state oversight committee coordinates all activities.

This is designed to be the basic electronic window, not only to all government services (even counties), but also much other basic information about Hawai'i useful to residents and visitors alike.

HIC is responsible for all costs of the basic portal, and has spent more than $2 million on it so far. HIC, with seven staffers here, is supposed to make money eventually from "convenience fees" (akin to ATM charges) for certain transactions, such as renewing licenses electronically, saving trips to offices. Basic statistical or other information on the Web site is free to anyone.

The result is a massive amount of information branching off in convenient links from the central Web site. One goal is to have users no more than three mouse clicks away from what they are seeking. Millions of hits are recorded on the ehawaiigov.org Web site each month, with the most demand for business name searches and related information, and names of neighborhood sex offenders.

A few words should also be said about the state Legislature. It had a good start in providing electronic information and still could lead in providing both audio and video of committee hearings and other proceedings. But three of the major e-government advocates — Sens. David Ige, Les Ihara and Carol Fukunaga — are in the Democratic faction now out of power. So we'll see what emerges.

Counties have their own such Web sites in various stages of development. Honolulu City-County, using a different private partner, is said to be ahead of the state in e-government. Not only is the city more centralized, Mayor Jeremy Harris has been more tech-minded sooner.

The down side

Problems, real and potential, come in several forms:

Privacy needs to be everyone's increasing concern, and those involved here at least talk a good game.

Still, it's notable for me that, after stressing the good news of potential greater government efficiency (maybe even lower taxes) and more responsive services and politics, the Economist in its long survey concluded:

"Vastly more efficient governments will also know vastly more about every one of their citizens. The exponential increase in the ability of e-governments to gather, store and mine data about people will raise well-founded worries about privacy and civil liberties."

• The digital divide, the gap between society's haves and have-nots, was noted by everyone I talked with as something that needs attention. Access for all has to be a continuing goal.

On the positive side, it was also pointed out that Hawai'i is in better shape than many states. For one thing, all our schools and many libraries have computers and free Internet connections. The city is starting a "digital neighborhood" or "PCs in the parks" program that will place computers in recreation centers and other public facilities. New technology allows Internet connections with TV sets and wireless telephones.

• Good e-government will also depend on public employees who are trained (which is part of the process) and willing and able to adapt (which is something else). Officials involved say cooperation by public worker unions has been good. However, some workers have trouble "getting it," just as it took many people years to get used to ATMs, and some still don't use them.

• More government openness is essential for good e-government. But Internet connections don't guarantee increased access with bureaucrats who now use the system to delay or stonewall legitimate requests for public information. Some local critics worry that e-government will be used more for officials to find out about peoples' lives than to provide information on government beyond basic statistics.

Government and business

Finally, business and government are different. It's harder to move government. At the same time, relationships between the two are evolving.

Developments in e-commerce helped point the way for e-government. Private business is involved in e-government and will be a continuing influence on what happens.

Moreover, what progress Hawai'i does or does not make in e-government will become a comment vis-a-vis other states and areas — and especially so as we seek to lure more high tech and other e-commerce activity to these islands. It's a window to the world, a kind of sales tool.

More than ever, then, everything is connected to everything else in the new economy.