HIGH IMPACT, PRO-POOR E-GOVERNANCE APPLICATIONS
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Final Report HIGH IMPACT, PRO-POOR e-GOVERNANCE APPLICATIONS: Identifying “Killer Applications” and Best Practice Models of E-Governance through Community e-Centers in the Philippines by Atty. Jose Gerardo A. Alampay and Joel D. Umali Prepared for Secretary Anthony Roxas Chua Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) Republic of the Philippines Submitted for review to USAID/Philippines OEDG August 2007 Economic Modernization through Efficient Reforms and Governance Enhancement (EMERGE) Unit 2003, 139 Corporate Center, 139 Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227, Philippines Tel. No. (632) 752 0881 Fax No. (632) 752 2225 Preface This report is the result of technical assistance provided by the Economic Modernization through Efficient Reforms and Governance Enhancement (EMERGE) Activity, under contract with the CARANA Corporation, Nathan Associates Inc. and The Peoples Group (TRG) to the United States Agency for International Development, Manila, Philippines (USAID/Philippines) (Contract No. AFP-I-00-03-00020-00, Delivery Order 800). The EMERGE Activity is intended to contribute towards the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) and USAID/Philippines’ Strategic Objective 2, “Investment Climate Less Constrained by Corruption and Poor Governance.” The purpose of the activity is to provide technical assistance to support economic policy reforms that will cause sustainable economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of the Philippine economy by augmenting the efforts of Philippine pro-reform partners and stakeholders. The EMERGE Last Mile Initiative-Philippines (LMIP) team, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program and at the request of former Secretary Ramon P. Sales of the Philippine Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), conducted extensive research and field surveys and interviews in 12 eLGU Community eCenters across the country with 4 CeCs in each major island grouping (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao), which resulted into 2 reference papers that can now be used by the CICT as it pushes forward with efforts to use the CeCs as conduits for e-governance. This is the main report from that effort. The second report, “Setting up Community e-Centers for e-Governance in the Philippines: A Preliminary Assessment of the Community e-Center Program,” is published separately. These papers provide the CICT with a suggested methodology for identifying “killer” e-governance applications for CeCs, and also document initial lessons learned in the course of an evaluation of CeCs set up under the Philippine Government’s Community e-Center Program. The views expressed and opinions contained in this publication are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of USAID, the GRP, EMERGE or the latter’s parent organizations. HIGH IMPACT, PRO-POOR e-GOVERNANCE APPLICATIONS Identifying “Killer Applications” and Best Practice Models of E-Governance through Community e- * Centers in the Philippines By Gigo Alampay & Joel Umali * This study was made possible by support and funding from the United Nations Development Program and the Last Mile Initiative/EMERGE, a USAID-funded program to assist the Philippine Government’s Commission on Information and Communications Technology. The study conclusions expressed herein are solely the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNDP and USAID. HIGH IMPACT, PRO-POOR e-GOVERNANCE APPLICATIONS Identifying “Killer Applications” and Best Practice Models of E-Governance through Community e-Centers in the Philippines By Gigo Alampay & Joel Umali TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 4 I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 6 International Experience in e-Governance .................................................................................................. 6 The need for a methodology to evaluate “killer e-governance applications” and best practices for Community e-Centers in the Philippines ...................................................................................................... 8 A Final Note .................................................................................................................................................. 9 II. COMMUNITY E-CENTERS AND E-GOVERNANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES .......................... 11 Community e-Centers as Conduits for e-Governance in the Philippines .................................................. 12 Other Public-Private Partnerships to Support the Community e-Center Program................................... 15 III. THE CHALLENGE: IDENTIFYING “KILLER E-GOVERNANCE APPLICATIONS” FOR COMMUNITY E-CENTERS.......................................................................... 17 A Proposed Methodology for Identifying and Evaluating Killer Applications and Best Practice Models of e-Governance for CeCs................................................................................................ 18 Government Push: A Top-Down Approach............................................................................................... 19 Community Pull: A Bottom-Up Approach................................................................................................. 22 IV. POTENTIAL E-GOVERNANCE KILLER APPLICATIONS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR COMMUNITY E-CENTERS................................................................................... 26 BASIC CeC APPLICATIONS .................................................................................................................... 26 Basic ICT Services ........................................................................................................................ 26 Internet Access .............................................................................................................................. 27 Basic and Advanced Trainings ..................................................................................................... 27 Internet Telephony ........................................................................................................................ 27 Other CeC Services........................................................................................................................ 28 2 POTENTIAL E-GOVERNANCE KILLER APPLICATIONS FOR CeCs................................................ 28 Education and Human Resource Development ........................................................................... 28 Citizen empowerment .................................................................................................................... 29 Direct Government Services.......................................................................................................... 30 Public Health................................................................................................................................. 31 Agriculture and Livelihood Promotion......................................................................................... 32 E-Commerce and SME Development........................................................................................... 33 Jobs Creation................................................................................................................................. 34 Gender and Development.............................................................................................................. 35 CeCs as Catalysts for Good Governance ...................................................................................... 35 V. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................... 37 REFERENCES ANNEXES Annex A - Innovative E- government Practices from All over the World Annex B – Preliminary Assessment of CeCs in the Philippines Annex 1 – NGA Interview highlights Annex 2 – CeC Manager Survey Annex 3 – CeC Interview Highlights Annex 4 – Client Exit Survey Form Annex 5 – CeC Client exit Survey Results Annex 6 – FGD Questionnaire Annex 7 – FGD Documentation Annex 8 – Profile of Municipalities Annex 9 –CeC Services 3 HIGH IMPACT, PRO-POOR e-GOVERNANCE APPLICATIONS Identifying “Killer Applications” and Best Practice Models of E-Governance through Community e-Centers in the Philippines* By Gigo Alampay & Joel Umali EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The use of killer applications – i.e., applications and services that create such a high and pro-poor developmental impact, and encourage replication – is a prerequisite to the long- term sustainability and viability of community e-centers. These include, particularly, services that residents find relevant enough that they are willing (and able) to pay for their use such as internet access, communications software, and productivity suites. It also covers other services such as photocopying and CD replication that, while not necessarily internet or computer-related, do provide CeCs with additional sources of revenue that help ensure their survival, especially in rural and underserved areas. These basic applications are condition precedents for more advanced CeC uses such as e- governance, and will provide the foundations for the use and appreciation of e- governance applications by community residents. It is the demand for these basic