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Deloitte/Telecities survey shows e-citizenship is becoming embedded in the public sector culture so that all citizens can gain from the benefits of the knowledge and information society

Tallinn (Estonia), 22 April 2005 - At the EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum – TeleCities spring conference in Tallinn, supported by the City of Tallinn, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu’s public sector group presented the findings of its second European benchmark survey into eCitizenship for All 2004, an annual joint initiative of TeleCities and Deloitte.

The survey investigated the status of eCitizenship and eGovernment within European cities focusing on four key challenges: Re-engineering of Local Public Administration, eLearning and Inclusion, eSecurity and eDemocracy and Community Building. A total of 102 European cities from 23 European countries, including 18 cities in new EU member states, participated in the survey.

The survey revealed that eGovernment is now a permanent agenda item of local councils. Some 80 percent of participating cities have developed an eGovernment policy, including the delivery of services electronically. 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. 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 on issues such as cost reduction and responding to legislative requirements only.

Key findings:

• Meeting citizens demands: In 2003, primary reasons for implementing eGovernment were cost reduction and responding to legislation. eGovernment now finds itself increasingly on the agenda of local councils. Most cities have programmes, projects or taskforces defined or in place, and some had even created specific senior positions for eGovernment. The current focus of cities is to meet demands of citizens and businesses, with 79 percent of survey participants citing this as their most important driver of change.
• 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 percent), the increase of productivity (59 percent), the improvement of performance (59 percent) and cost reduction (50 percent) 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 percent) 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, a large number of strategies addressing specific target groups and having a dedicated organisation and resource for eLearning. The initiatives to provide life-long learning opportunities concentrated more on promoting eLearning (67 percent) than providing it in the homes (37 percent) or to the community (50 percent).
• eSecurity: Analysis of the eSecurity survey data indicates certain security precautions are in place with  88 percent of participants deploying anti-virus software and in excess of 70 percent using firewalls.
• eDemocracy and Community Building: More than 90 percent 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 percent of participants didn’t expect on-line consultation to raise public expectations and could lead to frustration. Forty three percent had no view on whether all European citizens should be able to vote on-line and 53 percent suggested that elected representatives couldn’t cope with the number of e-mails they receive.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Chris Newby, Chair EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum – TeleCities and Councillor, Liverpool City Council: “I believe that the eCitizenship for All survey is a clear example of the unprecedented efforts that cities are undertaking to achieve good governance within the context of public sector modernisation. 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 ICT strategy.” 

Tõnis Palts, Mayor of Tallinn and host of the event shared the experience from Tallin: “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, Deloitte Chairman Global Public Sector, 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.”
ENDS
BACKGROUND
Re-engineering - the processes adapting the methods of delivery of local public services – was on all eGovernment city agendas. For successful eGovernment city departments need to cooperate well, and participate in national and EU projects. Readiness amongst citizens and politicians was seen as critical in further development and investments. Reasons for implementing eGovernment included user demands, internal efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. 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. Getting other cities and the ‘right’ people involved and committed. And deploying good project and change-management principles.

eLearning - the use of digital technology to support citizen education - showed minor variation with last year. Life-long learning remains a political objective in most respondent cities. A third had a written eLearning strategy involving specific target groups and a dedicated organisation. Many cities work with external partners. Most cities recognised the use of eLearning in preventing social and cultural disadvantage. ICT has entered the classroom in most primary and secondary schools throughout Europe, giving every student some form of access to PCs, laptops and Internet. However, there remains a need for ICT skills among teachers, especially in East Europe.

eSecurity - the process of data protection in its widest sense – was taken very seriously. Cities generally introduced security precautions like backing-up critical information, programmed controls, network monitoring and deployment of anti-virus software. Many of those offering integrated services were protecting themselves through encryption and SSL technology. However, not many respondents offering transaction-related services had protected themselves against unauthorized access. A critical area considering the sensitive nature of some of the services on offer.

eDemocracy - the use of ICT to promote and support the democratic process – was reported still to be in its infancy and many relevant processes involved need upgrading. Most cities still provided eServices at the one-way information flow level. eDemocracy made a positive contribution in facilitating democratic renewal and improving citizen participation. However, it was also recognised as just one element of participation and needed to be seen within the context of a wider agenda for democratic renewal and citizenship. There was consensus that eServices should have priority over eDemocracy and that the cost of innovation was still an issue.

Some 80 percent of the cities had an eGovernment Policy in place, while 65 percent of East European respondents did not. The use of Internet was popular with most cities, with 86 percent offering daily updates on their websites targeted at citizens, trade and industry and tourism. Half used a server connected to the city’s internal network; 28 percent a separate Internet server for public access; and 21 percent had their Internet services outsourced to Internet service providers (ISPs). Access to Internet varied, most cities putting citizen access at 26 percent to 75 percent. The survey also reports a low rate of access to broadband Internet - between 0 percent and 25 percent - with cities in North-West Europe indicating a significant higher one.

The aims of EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum – TeleCities
eCitizenship for All 2010
By 2010, TeleCities targets playing a critical role in ensuring and promoting eGovernment and eCitizenship for All, with new forms of urban governance in all countries which will then be part of the European Union, at all levels.
This challenge is based on the assumption that full citizenship means granting individuals the right to access public services in the most effective and convenient way, to actively participate in the democratic decision-making process, to equally take advantage of the benefits generated by developments in the information society and to be assured of eSecurity.
The challenge can be divided into several separate but interrelated elements for TeleCities, all within the same time perspective of 2010.
• Re-engineering Services: All relevant cities will have re-engineered their service-rendering processes to improve the cost-benefit ratio and the quality of services they provide to citizens, professionals and businesses.
• eDemocracy: All relevant cities will have implemented eDemocracy, with all the new forms of citizens’ participation and community empowerment.
• eLearning and Inclusion: TeleCities will play a major role in ensuring that all European citizens will be digitally literate and able to benefit from the gains of the Information Society.
• eSecurity: All European citizens will have the right to eSecurity.

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.

FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about the TeleCities-Deloitte eCitizenship for All Initiative, please contact:
EUROCITIES Knowledge Society Forum – TeleCities

Maurice Paulissen

Phone:  +32 2 552 0868
Email:  m.paulissen@eurocities.be
Web site:  www.eurocities.org
Deloitte
Peter Zimmermann
Phone: +31 70 337 2330
Email:  pzimmermann@deloitte.nl
Web site: http://www.deloitte.com