Generating citizen trust in e-government using a trust verification agent: A research note

Generating Citizen Trust in e-Government using a Trust Verification AgentThis is an eGISE network paper. It is motivated by a concern about the extent to which trust issues inhibit a citizen’s take-up of online public sector services or engagement with public decision and policy making. A citizen’s decision to use online systems is influenced by their willingness to trust the environment and agency involved. This project addresses one aspect of individual “trust” decisions by providing support for citizens trying to evaluate the implications of the security infrastructure provided by the agency. Based on studies of the way both groups (citizens and agencies) express their concerns and concepts in the security area, the project will develop a software tool – a trust verification agent (TVA) - that can take an agency’s security statements (or security audit) and infer how effectively this meets the security concerns of a particular citizen. This will enable citizens to state their concerns and obtain an evaluation of the agency’s provision in appropriate “citizen friendly” language. Further, by employing rule-based expert systems techniques the TVA will also be able to explain its evaluation.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK (grant GR/T27020/01

Generating citizen trust in e-government using a trust verification agent: A research note

Generating Citizen Trust in e-Government using a Trust Verification AgentThis is an eGISE network paper. It is motivated by a concern about the extent to which trust issues inhibit a citizen’s take-up of online public sector services or engagement with public decision and policy making. A citizen’s decision to use online systems is influenced by their willingness to trust the environment and agency involved. This project addresses one aspect of individual “trust” decisions by providing support for citizens trying to evaluate the implications of the security infrastructure provided by the agency. Based on studies of the way both groups (citizens and agencies) express their concerns and concepts in the security area, the project will develop a software tool – a trust verification agent (TVA) - that can take an agency’s security statements (or security audit) and infer how effectively this meets the security concerns of a particular citizen. This will enable citizens to state their concerns and obtain an evaluation of the agency’s provision in appropriate “citizen friendly” language. Further, by employing rule-based expert systems techniques the TVA will also be able to explain its evaluation.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council-UK (grant GR/T27020/01

New models for digital government: the role of service brokers in driving innovation

Executive summary Digital Government strategies are being rolled out in many Australian and international jurisdictions, ushering in a fundamentally different approach to the design and delivery of public sector services. Digital Government makes digital services (usually delivered through internet and mobile channels) the default delivery channels for the majority of services, and places them at the centre of innovating, designing and operating government services. Public sector or independent service brokers are increasingly important to delivering and designing these services. Service brokers are organisations or businesses that enable customers to interact with other organisations through easy-to-use and seamless interfaces. In the digital realm, a public sector service brokers example is one that provides a customer-focussed portal, such as the Federal Department of Human Services’ MyGov website. Independent service brokers from the private or community sectors can also provide greater service choice and innovation in how people interact with governments. Models for independent service brokers include Digital Mailboxes and Personal Safeboxes (eg Australia Post); public transport information service brokers (eg TripView, Tripgo and Google Transit), taxation service brokers (eg Xero and MYOB Online), community service brokers (eg HubCare) and access brokers for government services (eg public libraries, online access centres, etc) to assist those unable to access digital services. It is likely that the ambitious goals for large-scale adoption of digital government will only be achieved if governments encourage the involvement of independent service brokers to complement the role of public sector service brokers. However, there is currently little guidance on best practice models for agencies seeking to collaborate with independent service brokers or the other way around. This report addresses this critical knowledge gap by providing a practical guide to the service broker model. It explains the different roles of public sector and independent service brokers and provides case studies of service broker models. This will help to inform digital government strategies and policies to encourage the development of public sector and independent service brokers. It also considers how the emergence of a marketplace of service brokers will raise important issues such as how customer data is managed and protected, identity assured and how research and analysis of the data generated by these digital services can help inform better public policies and service improvement

Towards an integrated model for citizen adoption of E-government services in developing countries: A Saudi Arabia case study

This paper considers the challenges that face the widespread adoption of E-government in developing countries, using Saudi Arabian our case study. E-government can be defined based on an existing set of requirements. In this paper we define E-government as a matrix of stakeholders; governments to governments, governments to business and governments to citizens using information and communications technology to deliver and consume services. E-government has been implemented for a considerable time in developed countries. However E-government services still faces many challenges their implemented and general adoption in developing countries. Therefore, this paper presents an integrated model for ascertaining the intention to adopt E-government services and thereby aid governments in accessing what is required to increase adoption

Studying eGovernment Trust in Developing Nations: A Case of University and Colleges Admissions and Services in Egypt

eGovernment is one of the most important ICT projects in providing opportunities for citizens to engage with their communities and engage with government. Many nations have introduced eGovernment projects, which have been implemented with mixed success. This paper reports on a study concerning the impact of citizens’ trust on using eGovernment services in developing nations. In this context, trust in the technology and eGovernment are identified as essential factors to citizen uptake. The findings of the research show that Internet security and credibility of eGovernment services are significant factors that contribute to citizens’ trust towards eGovernment projects, and in consequence their use of them

Government of the People, By the People: A Look at Trust in eGovernment

Many factors contribute to the willingness of individual citizens to adopt eGovernment systems for filing taxes online, for voting on the Internet, for online licensing, and other digital processes. The growing interest in eGovernment has brought some attention to the concept of eVoting. Various dimensions of trust, along with usability and system ease-of-use, play key roles in influencing citizen intentions to adopt to eVoting system. The present study indicates that, among other factors, citizens’ perceptions that they share the same values as the individual people who are affiliated with providing eGovernment (and eVoting) services are especially instrumental. This study shows that the perception that the agency is made of “people like me” is associated with increased trust in the agency, which in turn is associated with increased levels of other factors that contribute to the intention to vote electronically over the Internet

Understanding Net Benefits: A Citizen-Based Perspective on eGovernment Success

eGovernment promises more efficient services and a more responsive government. Despite substantial investment, increasing failure rates have prompted critics to argue that policy makers are not achieving this vision. Surprisingly, there is very little research on what citizens define as important in eGovernment services and how aspects of government web sites affect that perception. The inclusion of the citizen perspective has largely been absent, denying a deeper understanding of the factors that drive usage. This research proposes an important and unique development of the D&M IS Success Model. By combining elements from public administration research and eGovernment success, this study constructs a comprehensive model of Net Benefits centred on the perspective of the citizen. The novel paradigm of Public Value is used to create a balanced success model, tailored for the public sector and is situated within the D&M IS Success Model. This research therefore aims to understand what citizens regard as important in the success of eGovernment services and what aspects of IT Quality affect eGovernment success