The Working Group studies Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications in the area of public administration and analyzes their impact on the relationships between government (administration) and business, government and citizens, and government departments between each other. The special geographical focus of the studies and analyses are in the Central and East European (CEE) countries. The public administrations in these countries share some common problems related mostly to the transition from very rigid bureaucratic administrative practices, commonly used in the past, to modern, more flexible, governance policies and approaches. Thus, the special interest of the workgroup is to evaluate the contribution of ICT applications to the transition process and its success. Apart from the transition problems, most CEE countries are also concerned with the readiness, i.e., the level of technological development that allows for implementation and proper use of ICT solutions in public administration, as well as the sophistication of the developed ICT applications, which usually lag behind the similar indicators in other EU countries. Papers presented by WG members contribute mostly to the exchange of best practices and experiences between CEE countries and provide valuable materials for education at a higher vocational and academic level. WG objective is to establish a common framework for facilitating a more formal exchange of best practices, where the transfer of knowledge can be monitored, documented, and evaluated, or facilitate comparative analysis of good practices that would go beyond single country borders.

Paper: TOM (Today I decide) portal: A case study of estonia
Author(s):
Kristina Reinsalu, e-Governance Academy, Tallinn, Estonia
Presenter(s):