Tilburg University iGovernment Prins, J.E.J.; Broeders, D.; Griffioen, H.; Keijzer, A.G.; Keymolen, E. Publication date: 2011 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in Tilburg University Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): Prins, J. E. J., Broeders, D., Griffioen, H., Keijzer, A. G., & Keymolen, E. (2011). iGovernment. Amsterdam University Press. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 25. sep. 2021 iGovernment “This book contributes powerfully to the understanding and evaluation of the development – beyond ‘eGovernment’ – of ‘information Government’, centred on highly complex flows and uses of information for public services, care and control, rather than technology itself. Sound empirical research and a concern to create better governance of iGovernment enable the authors to bring a sharply critical eye to their call for greater awareness by policy-makers, and for a strategic, reasoned and institutionalised relationship among the principles involved. These include ones that are often neglected: privacy, freedom of choice, accountability and iGovernment transparency. Their recommendations are important, not only for the Netherlands”. Charles D. Raab, Professor Emeritus and Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Edinburgh Corien Prins, Dennis Broeders, “This book will be a valuable resource for researchers and scholars seeking to understand Henk Griffioen, Anne-Greet Keizer the possibilities, dilemmas and challenges of bringing the Internet and related technologies to centre stage in government and public services. It offers a fascinating case study of & Esther Keymolen electronic government and ‘information government’ in the Netherlands, with examples from local, national and eu government, a wide-ranging literature review and a number of recommendations as to how iGovernment should develop”. Helen Margetts, Professor of Society and the Internet and director of the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford i “Not only does this book offer an insightful analysis of the problems that ongoing digitization Government poses for citizens and the government itself (such as creeping loss of data quality), it also places highly valuable markers for the decisions that must be taken on the challenging path that lies ahead for iGovernment, in providing a new model for weighing up the various fundamental interests at stake”. Alex Brenninkmeijer, National Ombudsman, The Netherlands How does the use of ict affect the relationship between government and its citizens? This book analyses the developments of networking information and concludes that in everyday practice an iGovernment has gradually come into existence, overtaking the old paradigm of the eGoverment. The iGoverment, effectively running at full speed on information flows and networks, is however seriously out of step with the self-image of the digital government, and the existing structure and division of responsibilities. This book is based on the report on iGovernment that the Scientific Council for Government Policy (wrr) presented to the Dutch Government in March 2011. ISBN 978 90 8964 394 0 Amsterdam University Press • www.aup.nl AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY PRESS iGovernment This book is based on a report that was published by The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (wrr). According to the Act of Establishment, it is the Council’s task to supply, on behalf of government policy, scientifically sound information on developments which may affect society in the long term, and to draw timely attention to likely anomalies and obstacles, to define major policy problems and to indicate policy alternatives. The Council draws up its own programme of work, after consultation with the Prime Minister, who also takes cognisance of the cabinet’s view on the proposed programme. The Council (2008-2012) has the following composition: prof. dr. J.A. Knottnerus (chairman) prof. dr. ir. M.B.A. van Asselt prof. dr. P.A.H. van Lieshout prof. dr. H.M. Prast prof. mr. J.E.J. Prins prof. dr. ir. G.H. de Vries prof. dr. P. Winsemius Executive director: dr. W. Asbeek Brusse Lange Vijverberg 4-5 P.O. Box 20004 2500 EA ’s-Gravenhage Tel. +31 70 356 46 00 Fax +31 70 356 46 85 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.wrr.nl SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL FOR GOVERNMENT POLICY iGovernment over verankering en strategie van Corien Prins, Dennis Broeders, Henk Griffioen, Anne-Greet Keizer & Esther Keymolen Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam 2011 Front cover illustration: Silo – Strategy. Concept. Design Cover design: Studio Daniëls, The Hague Layout: Het Steen Typografie, Maarssen Translation: Balance Amsterdam / Maastricht isbn 978 90 8964 394 0 e-isbn 978 90 4851 298 0 nur 759 / 754 © wrr / Amsterdam University Press, The Hague / Amsterdam 2011 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book. 5 contents Preface 9 Summary 11 part i introduction and context 1 Digitizing the citizen and government 21 1.1 The existential role of digitization 21 1.2 iGovernment 27 1.3 The iSociety 28 1.4 Aim 39 1.5 Methods and structure 41 2 Analytical framework: information, actors and principles 47 2.1 Views on the relationship between technology and its users 48 2.1.1 From instrumentalism to technological determinism 48 2.1.2 The sociotechnological complex as a subject of research 51 2.2 Technology and information 52 2.2.1 From data to information to knowledge 53 2.2.2 It’s all about access, control and knowledge 54 2.3 Focus on the actors 58 2.3.1 The actors 58 2.3.2 ‘Applications’ 59 2.3.3 ‘Citizens’ 60 2.3.4 ‘Government’ 62 2.4 Three groups of principles: an analytical tool 65 2.4.1 Driving principles 67 2.4.2 Underpinning principles 70 2.4.3 Process-based principles 74 2.5 Weighing up the pros and cons 76 2.6 In conclusion 78 part ii empirical analysis 3 Managing eGovernment 83 3.1 The enthusiasm and ‘techno-trust’ of politicians and policymakers 83 3.1.1 Ready and willing 83 3.1.2 From service delivery to care and control 85 3.1.3 Driven by ambition 87 6 igovernment 3.1.4 Accumulating bit by bit 88 3.1.5 A lack of criticism 91 3.1.6 Response to arguments 93 3.1.7 Driving, underpinning and process-based principles 96 3.2 Conclusion 98 4 From policy to reality 103 4.1 Implementation without boundaries 103 4.1.1 So many actors, so many reasons 103 4.1.2 Overlapping policy domains, services and motives 105 4.1.3 The eOperations toolkit 108 4.1.4 A changing administrative reality 110 4.1.5 Beyond effectiveness and efficiency 113 4.2 Local struggles 115 4.2.1 Local authorities 2.0 116 4.3 Information-based policing 121 4.3.1 Strategic orientation and practices 121 4.3.2 Cooperation and coordination, provided that … 123 4.3.3 Forgetting 124 4.4 Design and manifestation 126 4.5 Conclusion 128 5 Exchange without borders 133 5.1 European information databases and information flows 133 5.1.1 International security as the driver 134 5.1.2 Digital Europe 136 5.1.3 Expansionism 137 5.1.4 Scant democratic supervision 139 5.1.5 European interests are leading 141 5.2 Conclusion 143 6 Market masters and mastering the market 147 6.1 eGovernment as economic force 147 6.1.1 Purchasing within eGovernment 147 6.1.2 The ict ‘market’ within government 150 6.2 The ict market as an extension of public administration 151 6.2.1 Problematic commissioning practices 151 6.2.2 The Chief Information Officer (cio) as problem solver 154 6.2.3 Policy as system design 155 6.2.4 Decision-makers 156 6.3 Responsibility for the ict market 156 6.4 Conclusion 158 contents 7 7 Supervisors of eGovernment 163 7.1 Existing supervisory bodies 163 7.1.1 Council of State 163 7.1.2 Data Protection Authority 164 7.1.3 Office of the National Ombudsman 167 7.1.4 Netherlands Court of Audit 168 7.1.5 Judiciary 169 7.1.6 New arrangements 171 7.2 The multifaceted citizen 172 7.2.1 Influencing policy 173 7.2.2 Taking control 173 7.2.3 More transparency 174 7.2.4 Citizens and their guiding principles 175 7.3 Conclusion 176 part iii analysis and recommendations 8iGovernment 181 8.1 eGovernment 182 8.2 From eGovernment to iGovernment 183 8.2.1 Crossing the boundaries of eGovernment 184 8.2.2 iGovernment 187 8.3 The paradox of iGovernment 189 8.3.1 Political choices relating to applications create iGovernment 189 8.3.2 No political awareness of or decision in favour of iGovernment 190 8.4 iGovernment without limits 190 8.5 The implications of iGovernment without limits 192 8.5.1 Distorted image 192 8.5.2 Necessary organisational and