The eaGov blog

I’m back at the office at ITU, doing some reading, working on my NPM assignment, having spend exciting 5 days in Prag speaking at the East European eGovernment conference. IBM, where I work, and with who I have been co-written a paper titled “How Government Can Benefit From Web2.0”, sponsored the trip. 

Doing a bit of reflecting on what I have learned on the trip, which experiences I have had, these are my thoughts:

- The countries in the east, are getting out of the plan-economics, and getting around to a new paradigm, where the Internet and the current revolution (or evolution?) is Web2.0, Enterprise architecture is the way forward to getting IT and business goals aligned (am I missing anything here?). 

- Some (many) of the contribution on the conference, by the east (central maybe) European countries, missed the fact, that the web is a platform where we can learn many great things about user inclusion, transparence etc. They seem to have their mind set on the phenomenon web2.0 as yet another technology like any other, with really nothing to give. Of course this is a provocation towards my article on “How Government Can Benefit From Web2.0″, hence I have to give my opinion on this topic. The explanation is probably centrated around the fact, that the governments of the east, are focused on the back-office systems to work, hence postpone the “technology” of the teenagers room – and of course letting others do the bleeding (Carr).

- Enterprise architecture was hardly mentioned approximately one or two times during a four days conference. Striking I think, as we in Denmark seems to believe firmly in this paradigm as a motor to create it-systems of the future. There is undoubtedly some work there, for consultants feeling keen on going east, preaching the good word..  

- The EU is far in supporting projects, preaching the word of tomorrow. My “meeting” with Davis Osimo was a pleasure, and was able to qualify the keynote of the first day. Ill be adding his blog to my Bloglines.

Well thats it for now, more thoughts to come..

Next week Ill be attending the 6th Eastern European eGovernment Days: 23 – 25 April 2008 in Prague with my boss.  We will be presenting our paper “How web2.0 can benefit government”. This is my first conference presenting a scientific paper, and I anticipate to do a bit of networking with some of the people who have been in the business of making government more efficient, effective and user centric. From the list of participants I can see that there will be attending some exciting people from alle over the world – so Ill be taking notes and discussing eGovernment for en interesting week. Also Ill try to do a bit of blogging form there – filling the gaps with some reflective work about the subject.. and doing a bit of sightseeing of Prag.

Also Im still curious to know if you have some experiences or knowledge about New Public Management or (as I see it) the new paradigme / optics of doing eGovernment, namely, Digital Era Governance, as proposed by Patrick Dunleavy et.al.