The presentation took place within the framework of the Finnish presidency’s summit whose subject matter was the “impact of e-gov on Europe”. The summit’s goal was to record the progress made in the member states with regard to the practical results of national and regional activities from the implementation of eGov Action Plan, and also to trace any possible synergies with enterprises of the IT industry.

The role of eGep

The eGep has been originally implemented by the LUISS Management & RSO association (Italy) for the Information Society Directorate General in the EU, within the framework of MODINIS programme. The project’s scope is to produce a comprehensive measuring framework for the assessment of the impact and results of eGovernment actions on the economies of the EU member states, as well as its usage as a future benchmarking tool among European states.

Within this framework and on its own initiative, the Observatory for the Information Society proceeded in the composition of the individual deliverables of eGEP and their adaptation to the Greek reality, with the aim to introduce the proposed Measurement Framework to Greek Public Administration, policy-makers and academic community.

The relevant study has been completed in April 2006 and the Observatory for the IS has commenced since then a number of supportive actions that will contribute to the future implementation of eGep in Greece. These actions include:

• internal study on the “Impact of electronic provision of financial services on Greek society” with collaboration with the General Secretariat of Information Systems (GSIS),
• measurement study of indicators encompassed in the 2007-2013 public administration modernization programme of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Public Administration & Decentralization,
• recording the use of ICT in Greece focused on specific groups of citizens (children, people with disabilities, immigrants, elderly people, etc.), as well as
• study on the benefits from the increase of investments in ICT in the public sector, by using specific indicators based on the eGep.

Finally, the Observatory has evaluated the Kafka Project of Belgian origin, whose objective is the management of complaints submitted by enterprises and citizens in conjunction with the restriction of bureaucracy.

The future goals

The future plans of the Observatory encompass the implementation of studies that will contribute to the attempt of transferring the eGep into the Greek reality, such as:

• detection of the causes that did not allow the development of eGovernment electronic services in our country (only 5 out of the 20 basic online services are currently available),
• evaluation of governmental portals as assessed by the citizens,
• assessment of the lack of ICT skills among civil servants and subsequent impact of this lack on the delay in the development of eGovernment services,
• exchange of know-how between the GSIS and equivalent institutions from other member states, especially with regard to the issue of indicators, as well as
• use of the eGep’s potential for the prioritization process relating to electronic governance actions, during the 2007 – 2013 period.

Find more information on the event by clicking the addresses below:
http://www.egov-goodpractice.org/event_details.php?&eventid=125 and
www.observatory.gr.