[LINK] sustainable eGovernment or pay us to build the new toll roads

[Nicholas English]

A bit press today about some statements from Booz & Co about ways to make
eGovt. "sustainable".

first things that come to mind include:
- nature of cost sharing and questions of efficiency
- need for more than a regulatory framework given the record of large scale
govt IT investment/PM successes (or is this where you summon your handy
consultant?) particularly in a region where there is a dearth of indigenous
technical and program skills
- all the classic data security/integrity/stability concerns

The press statements contained some nice spin about ...
"Booz & Co suggests four ways in which e-government programs can become
self-sustaining.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), where governments partner with a
private vendor that deploys its capabilities and funds to design, build,
maintain, enhance, and market e-government services, can raise revenue by
charging fees for services.
...
Open data platforms, where government data is made available to businesses
so that they can create their own services...
...
Advertising on government channels is an obvious source of revenue...
....
[ couldn't find the fourth reason so I'm guessing it must be the 'grail' of
efficiency dividends]"
Still looking for any substance beyond the PR so far only spotted
http://www.booz.com/media/file/e-government.pdf &
http://www.booz.com/media/file/Customer-Centric_E-Government.pdf

The spin content got some coverage via
http://www.itp.net/593919-egovernment-services-need-to-be-self-funding-says-booz-co
&
recycled in a few other local news aggregators.

Just in case Linkers were unable to tear their eyes away from Circus
Canberrus the background is that this region (GCC) is aggressively pushing
its services onto such platforms. Places such as UAE have done so
reasonably successfully with most portals accessible in Arabic & English
(no mean feat) though sadly often locked into  pre-IE9 browser (ASP/.Net/
etc). Recently the Ruler of Dubai set his government a 2 year deadline to
get their service mobile accessible. (
http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Mohammed_bin_Rashid_launches_Mobile_Government,_ICT_Fund_offers_Dh_200m_in_support_of_the_initiative/55256.htm
)

PS my tone may be just slightly blasé but that is just the expression of
cynical optimist ;)

Nicholas English
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obscure quotes quoth the obscure