Dear Colleagues,

In light of the current discussion, GKD Members may find it useful to
review the recommendations that came out of a workshop held in Macedonia
last year, that considered strategies for implementing e-Government at
both the national and local levels.

*********************************************************************

                 E-GOVERNMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT IN MACEDONIA
                RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WORKSHOP, 3/15-16, 2004


INTRODUCTION

In cooperation with the Macedonian Commission for Information Technology
(CIT) and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of the Government of
Italy (I-MIT), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Mission in Skopje sponsored a workshop on e-government Strategies March
15-16, 2004 at the Continental Hotel in Skopje Macedonia. Co-chairing
the workshop were Jani Makraduli, CIT President; Claudia Oglialoro,
Director Multilateral Affairs and Digital Divide, I- MIT; and Edward
Malloy of the IT Team in the USAID Economic Growth Bureau. About sixty
representatives of the Macedonian public and private sectors
participated in the workshop

Among the foreign experts making presentations were two other I-MIT
officials: Michele Morciano and Roberto Pizziocannella as well as three
experts provided by the USAID partner, Dot Gov: Ari Schwartz of the
Center for Democracy and Technology; John Adams of Booz, Allen and
Hamilton; and Jerker Torngren of Dot Gov Romania. The agenda, and
powerpoint presentations as well as a list of participants are available
on the CIT website (WWW.kit.gov.mk).

The purpose of the workshop was to produce recommendations (below) for
introducing e-government in Macedonia in a way that is systematic,
interoperable, secure, efficient, EU- and WTO-compatible, and of benefit
to all Macedonian stakeholders. E-Government is defined as the
systematic incorporation and use of information and communication
technology (ICT) in central and local government to promote defined
developmental objectives including improving efficiency and
effectiveness, increasing transparency and responsiveness, and improving
the delivery of government services to citizens, business and other
stakeholders.

This emphasis on developmental objectives and inclusiveness
distinguishes "e-government" from "enterprise architecture" (or the
systematic incorporation of ICT in government. As became evident in the
presentations by Macedonian officials at the workshop, the Macedonian
government already has shown itself capable of deploying ICT in
government ministries.

As defined at the workshop in the opening remarks by the
co-chairpersons, the challenge then in formulating an e-government
implementation strategy is to involve not only the central government
but also local governments, the business community and the citizenry in
defining objectives benefiting all stakeholders.


RECOMMENDATIONS 

1- All-Stakeholders Consultation: The Government of Macedonia should
launch a national consultation to engage the citizenry, the business
community, local governments and other stakeholders in formulating
objectives and building support for implementing an e-government for
development program. The Commission on Information Technology (CIT)
could provide a framework for conducting the consultation.

2- Implementing Strategy: Based on the results of this consultation, the
CIT should prepare a strategy, or master-plan, for implementing 
e-government at the central and local levels.

3- E-government Coordination: An interministerial committee under the
leadership of the Prime Minister would assist the work of the committee
and be responsible for directing the implementation of the national
strategy for e-government. The Prime Minister may wish to create an
e-Government Coordinator and/or Coordinating Office to oversee the
implementation of the national e-government strategy and coordinate an
annual report to the Parliament.

4- Policy/Legal/Regulatory Reform: Among the early actions by the
e-government interministerial committee would be to conduct surveys to
determine how the legal, policy and regulatory environment should be
modified in order to support e-government for development. It is
critical for e-government and e-commerce that policy/legal/ regulatory
barriers be removed.

5- Cross-Ministerial Fund: Consideration should be given to establishing
a interministerial fund to support cross-ministerial activities and
provide incentives for ministries to use their own funds to support
e-government.

6- EU Good Practices: In formulating the national e-government strategy,
the CIT would refer to good practices identified by the EU and
neighboring countries.

7- E-Government Training: Ministries would be encouraged to sponsor
training in re-government, especially professional courses and study
tours for middle and senior managers.

8- Donor Coordination: The World Bank, UNDP, and other international
developmental organizations as well as bilateral donor countries would
be encouraged to assist in the formulation of the strategy and to
support specific e-government projects.

9- e-Procurement: Government should establish a transparent and
efficient national web-based clearing house for buyers and sellers
that can be used by business at the central and local government levels,
as well as establishing a legal and regulatory environment necessary to
streamline procedures and reduce distortions in the bid process.

10- Security and Standards:  
* establish a standards body to publish standards and best practices for
  IT networking and e-government in coordination with the private
  sector;
* review laws on protecting privacy of personal data to ensure EU
  compliance;
* ensure that the digital signature law is implemented to use the best
  practices in e-authentication; and
* harmonize legal framework to prevent cybercrime, including
  implementation of the Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention.

11- Telecommunications Connectivity and access: The opening of the
telecommunications market to competition to full competition in 2005
must be managed and implemented in accordance with international norms
and regional commitments to ensure the availability of high quality and
affordable communication services. This will entail instituting legal
and policy reform and strengthening regulatory capacity.

12- Information Services: make government information more readily
available by:
* establishing information centers at the local level for business data,
market research, employment data, government information;
* establishing sharing mechanism, a central portal, within the
government for databases (data warehouse) for one-stop shopping by
buiness and citizens;
* make the on-line content of the Official Gazette cost-free and open.

13- Citizen Participation:   
* consider establishing Internet kiosks to facilitate citizen
participation in e-government at cost;
* alternatively allow private sector owned Internet cafes to bid on
providing e-government services to citizens (forms, digital signatures,
etc.)
* consider using computer/Internet centers at schools and libraries to
provide government information and services.
* aim new e-government services at the mobile phone market.



------------
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