Tallinn, Estonia, April 22, 2005 — Growing demand from residents and businesses has led many European cities to deliver their services electronically, according to the "eCitizenship for All 2004" survey, a joint initiative of EUROCITIES and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu’s public sector group. Results of the second annual European benchmark survey were released at the EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum — TeleCities spring conference in Tallinn, Estonia. Learn more about the survey background and mission.

The survey investigated the status of eCitizenship and eGovernment in European cities, over 50% of which had populations of more than 250,000 people. A total of 102 cities from 23 European countries, including 18 cities in new EU member states, participated in the survey, conducted in late 2004.

The survey revealed that eGovernment is now a permanent agenda item of local councils. Some 80% of participating cities have developed an eGovernment policy, including the delivery of services electronically. Participating cities recognize the need to focus on cost reduction and efficiency by analysing the real needs of citizens and businesses and computerising simple and frequently used services. The current survey shows that the demands of citizens and businesses represent the most important drivers for improvement of electronic services. Across Europe, 86% of participating cities offer daily updates on their Web sites targeted at citizens, trade and industry and tourism.

Key findings: Meeting citizens demands
In the 2003 eCitizenship survey, the primary reasons for implementing eGovernment were cost reduction and response to legislation. Now, cities are focusing on meeting demands of citizens and businesses, with 79% of survey participants citing this as their most important driver of change. Most cities have programmes, projects or taskforces defined or in place, and some had even created specific senior positions for eGovernment. 

The increasing focus of cities on the demands of their citizens demonstrates that cities are adopting a more "outside-in" approach to eGovernment, as opposed to focusing only on issues such as cost reduction and responding to legislative requirements. Other key findings include:

• Drivers of change: eGovernment could reduce external (user) costs by simplifying complicated procedures, typically involving the business community, such as licence and planning applications and tax reporting. Following the satisfaction of the demands of citizens and businesses, the streamlining of internal processes (61%), the increase of productivity (59%), the improvement of performance (59%) and cost reduction (50%) are seen as the most important drivers of change.
• Outsourcing: Outsourcing did not appear to be popular among participants, despite some of their stated objectives. Cities outsourcing eServices or considering outsourcing them were mostly those respondents whose services were at an advanced level.
• Re-engineering of Local Public Administration: The survey showed that the implementation of eGovernment was being driven by citizens’ demands, internal efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. The response to citizens' demands is a positive shift. It indicates that cities are adopting a more responsive "outside-in" approach towards eGovernment.
• eLearning and Inclusion: Life-long learning remained a political issue. In most respondent cities (70%) this was a topic on the political agenda with involvement from a wide constituency of interested and motivated parties. Different approaches have been adopted, with a third of cities having a written eLearning strategy. The initiatives to provide life-long learning opportunities concentrated more on promoting eLearning (67%) than providing it in the homes (37%) or to the community (50%).
• eSecurity: Analysis of the eSecurity survey data indicates certain security precautions are in place, with  88% of participants deployed anti-virus software and in excess of 70% using firewalls.
• eDemocracy and Community Building: More than 90% of respondents were in agreement with elected representatives being contactable by e-mail; citizens receiving electronic communications on policy matters and elected representatives to modernise their working practices. However, 57% of participants didn’t expect on-line consultation to raise public expectations and could lead to frustration. 43% had no view on whether all European citizens should be able to vote on-line and 53% suggested that elected representatives couldn’t cope with the number of e-mails they receive.

Chris Newby, Chair of the EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum — TeleCities, and Councillor, Liverpool City Council, called the survey, "a clear example of the unprecedented efforts that cities are undertaking to achieve good governance within the context of public sector modernisation." He said, "The survey shows that eCitizenship is becoming a meaningful agent of transformation embedded in the culture of the public sector. Its potential goes far beyond early achievements."

Richard Drewes, Deloitte's European survey leader, added: "The knowledge base created through this process represents a valuable and unique tool for European cities to benchmark themselves against each other and provide scope for bilateral learning and knowledge sharing in the light of the European Commission's new and comprehensive Information & Communication Technology (ICT) strategy." 

Tõnis Palts, Mayor of Tallinn and host of the event, said "Our success story is based on technology, talent and tolerance. Tallinn is a multi-cultural city of thousands of enterprising and forward-thinking people who have worked hard to make us one of Europe’s most innovative centres. People can listen to the city council's sittings in real-time through the internet and obtain information on every item in process. It helps improve the quality and transparency of the public services."

Summing up, Hans Bossert, Chairman of Deloitte's Global Public Sector group, commented: "In recognition of the importance of eGovernment in raising the efficiency of the public sector, we support the aims of the European Commission. To achieve this, governments must apply principles of good governance, strive for continuous improvement of performance and deliver maximum value for citizens and communities."

About EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum — TeleCities
EUROCITIES represents more than 100 major cities in some 32 European countries. EUROCITIES works with the European institutions on behalf of cities on a wide range of issues affecting local authorities and enables the exchange of best practices in local governance among its members. The EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum — TeleCities provides a platform for EUROCITIES members and their partners to work on leadership in the information and knowledge society through sharing experience and developing practical solutions to achieve inclusion, both at European and local levels. Its aim is to promote eGovernment and eCitizenship at the local level to ensure that all citizens can equally gain from the benefits.

About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more members of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, its firms and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is an organisation of member firms around the world devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice, focused on client service through a global strategy executed locally in nearly 150 countries. With access to the deep intellectual capital of 120,000 people worldwide, Deloitte delivers services in four professional areas — audit, tax, consulting and financial advisory services — and serves more than one-half of the world‘s largest companies, as well as large national enterprises, public institutions, locally important clients, and successful, fast-growing global growth companies. Services are not provided by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein, and, for regulatory and other reasons, certain member firms do not provide services in all four professional areas.

As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names "Deloitte," "Deloitte & Touche," "Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu" or other related names.