E-GOVERNMENT AS A PROTAGONIST OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

Abstract

Modern society, as an information society, is based on high efficiency of social, economic, and political relations and organisations as well as those of public administration. Today, the development of countries, individual societies, regions or organisations is measured by the degree of application of information and communication technologies. In the information society, knowledge with timely, complete and reliable information is the fundamental governing resource which ensures socio-economic progress. The technologies of the information society have brought the level of two-way connection of individuals, groups, organisations and all structures of its users, in general to a new dimension that enables higher quality, faster, more reliable, more complete, simpler and significantly cheaper communication and provision of services. In creating the conditions for economic development and raising the quality of life, public administration cannot be bypassed. It is presented with the demand to introduce the concept of e-government which, through the use of information and communication technology provides better access to administrative services, reduces cost, improves the work processes and accelerates the flow of information within the system of public administration. This demand is especially present in the countries of post-socialist transition, one of them being Bosnia and Herzegovina. This study explores the concept of e-government which means far more than introducing modern information and communication technologies to the public administrative bodies and equipping them with it. This concept is, in its essence, more than that. It means continuous innovation, employee education, quality management, introduction and maintenance of high standard of work performance in order to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the administration, user participation, transparency, accountability, timeliness and legal certainty, all the elements and principles of good governance, as defined by the European Principles for Public Administration. At the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a number of documents and laws related to the development of the information society have been adopted. The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted the Policy, Strategy and Action Plan for the Development of the Information Society in Bosnia and Herzegovina, setting out the general policy and strategic guidelines for the establishment of the information society in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the analysis shows that Bosnia and Herzegovina lacks the institutional framework and that the adopted legislation is not accurate to implement e-government. In order to avoid the trap of computerising the existing bad organisational and business solutions while introducing e-government, the implementation of e-government sets the task of continuous improvement, development and innovation of both administrative and information systems. The function of e-government is fulfilled by the integration of information systems. The integrated information system should be operational in a way that allows its functions to be used coherently and easily on both horizontal and vertical levels of the entire public administration system. Quick access to complete and reliable information, coupled with efficient public service is one of the key prerequisites for successful development of government and the progress of society as a whole.