The process of globalization may very well entail both a reduction of income disparities among countries, andincreasing income inequalities within countries. If this is so, for many countries, addressing the Digital Divideissue will be as much an external as an internal battle. On both fronts, e-government will be a powerful tool tohelp all types of economies (developed, developing and in transition) to bring the benefits of the emerging globalinformation society to the largest possible part of their respective populations.Direct effects of e-government include cost effectiveness in government and public operations, significant savingsin areas such as public procurement, tax collection and customs operations, with better and continuous contacts with citizens, especially those living in remote or less densely populated areas.Indirect effects are no less important, and include greater transparency and accountability in public decisions,powerful ways to fight corruption, the ability to stimulate the emergence of local e-cultures, and the strengtheningof democracy.These are among the reasons why e-government, after spreading through developed market economies, hasnow become a priority in an increasing number of developing countries. Around the world, significant resourcesare being mobilized, as well as additional human resources and energies, to develop, implement and promote theuse of e-government. However, since such resources remain scarce in regard to the immense tasks of socio-economic development and poverty alleviation, it is essential that they be used wisely and with a maximum chanceof success. Benefiting from other countries’ experiences, understanding their successes and failures, and adaptingthat knowledge to the characteristics of one’s socio-economic environment will be vital to the future of e-government in many parts of the world.This is why
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Dev is proud to have contributed to the production of the present Handbook. There is noe-government textbook and no e-government theory; knowledge comes from practice; excellence comes frombest practices. This handbook is a first attempt to bring together key resources and examples of best practicesfrom around the world and to provide an operational tool to help e-government practitioners move as swiftly andefficiently as possible through the three stages described here, namely: publishing, interacting, and transacting. As was once said, in e-business, e-commerce, and e-government, the most important letter may very well not be the‘e’, but the ‘r’ … which allows participants to move from ‘contacts’ to ‘contracts’.The e-government Handbook is one of the products which best illustrates the new strategy of
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Dev, basedon exchange of best practices and knowledge dissemination. This handbook, its companion CD-ROM and itsassociated website follow in the track of the
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Dev Telecom Regulatory Handbook, and the ‘regulateonline’ website; it constitutes a vital tool for those countries, governments and societies who choose to adopt e-government as a pillar of their e-strategies. We congratulate the Center for Democracy and Technology for having been able tocarry out the assignment of putting this product together, and have no doubt that the e-government Handbook isgoing to become a worldwide reference in the years to come.BRUNO LANVIN
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Dev Program ManagerTHE WORLD BANK
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