DSG E-Government Conference participants call for better information flows in Arab e-government initiatives

The conference, organized by the leading Dubai School of Government in partnership with renowned Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, has united an elite audience of Arab and international academics, policy makers, and senior government officials to discuss the need for a paradigm shift in e-Government strategies.

"It is of paramount importance to re-conceptualize the benefits of e-Government projects, as the strong focus on technology infrastructures rather than information development and delivery had derailed governments from the principal rationale of e-Government," said Mohammad Al Gergawi, Dubai School of Government Executive President.

"The resources deployed to develop e-Government infrastructure will be justified if e-Government enhances public administration and improves delivery of public value by providing transparent, accurate, and updated information to the public. Our goal is to achieve an e-Government that fosters genuine public participation through an interactive information sharing mechanism," added Al Gergawi.

The two-day conference offers an insight into how e-Government projects can go beyond the realm of technology and infrastructure. The aim is to develop public-centered strategies that improve the flow of information and enhance public engagement in policy making. The Information Government (i-Government) concept introduces a new dynamic dimension of e-Government. It calls for more focus on the quality of information flows with a view to creating a strongly interactive public sector.

"As the leading and dedicated regional public sector management school, DSG, in cooperation with world-class institutions, organizes conferences and develops programs with a view to enhance public sector administration regionally. This conference is part of our efforts to shed light on the importance of e-Government as a venue for government-public dialogue. This can support the creation of transparent and useful policies and procedures," said Nabil Ali Al Yousuf, Dubai School of Government Executive Director.

The first day of the conference addressed "e-Government in the 21st century". Professors Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and David Lazer of Harvard University made a presentation entitled "e-Government and the coming revolution of i-Government", which was followed by a case study on the foundations of effective e-Government through the experience of Singapore, delivered by Dr. Chong Yoke Sin of NCS SingTel (Singapore).

"At the end of the day, e-government is not about technical innovation: it's about government reform," said Ghazi Atallah of Cisco Systems General Manager Middle East, which is a sponsor partner in this event. "Technology is the key enabler, but those delivering public services through new channels also have to work differently, breaking down inter-departmental silos and working seamlessly across interoperable networks. This way, they can deliver information and services that are easy to use, cost effective and, above all, relevant to people's everyday needs and interests."