Today there is a global trend to digitize government services, and African countries are no exception. But what does a successful digitization effort look like? Should we measure it by the number of services available online? Or by the ease, speed and simplicity with which a citizen or business can access services?
Our most recent policy brief on the E-government index reviews the experiences of Africa’s top performers in e-government, based on secondary research, interviews and the analysis of data from global e-governance indexes. The article deconstructs the data from those indexes to consider specific functions and levels of e-government. It also identifies sub-indicators that governments can use to track their progress as it relates to the practical, operational and tangible objectives and results associated with high-performing e-government systems.
Four African countries score above the global average in the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI): Mauritius, South Africa, Seychelles and Tunisia. Mauritius and Seychelles score extremely high on the human capital and telecommunications infrastructure dimensions of the index, as they boast a high volume of Internet users and, especially, mobile cellular subscriptions. For its part, South Africa leads the four countries on overall EGDI scoring but not in specific sub-indices within it, suggesting a balanced performance. Although Tunisia lags slightly behind the other three countries, it earns its place due to a robust institutional framework and high level of skills.
The article’s operational focus is in contrast to much of the literature, which argues the merits of a whole-of-government approach and the need for long-term investments in foundational conditions (i.e., skills, infrastructure and the regulatory framework). While these elements are necessary, the authors argue that offering a better user experience for government administrative transactions is feasible and affordable in the short term, and can help build credibility and raise funds for more ambitious undertakings.
The ‘Levels of e-government’ framework utilized in the policy brief allows a comparison of the four countries’ performance across an objective set of critical service functions, stripping away more normative elements. Policymakers interested in achieving better user experience for their citizens and businesses can use the framework as a guide, starting from the top down. This is also referred to in e-government circles as working “from the outside in,” given that the front-office interface serves as the point of contact between outside constituents and the government.
Find out more in the policy brief: What African countries can learn from its top performers in e-government.
APRI does not take institutional positions on public policy issues. The views expressed in publications are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of APRI, its staff, or its board.
