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WG 9.4: Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries
13th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries
Track 11: Open Government for Public Service Delivary: Critical Issues,
Emerging Possibilities
Chairs: Ranjini C Raghavendra, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Mila Gascó-Hernández, ESADE, Barcelona, Spain
In recent years, there has been an unprecedented emphasis by public administrations to open up government data and make it
available to the citizens. Access to government held information is regarded as an important aspect of open governance. Public
administrations have started embarking on new initiatives that are redefining their relationship with citizens and government. The
main objective of these initiatives have been on improving transparency, public participation and collaboration. Although this is the
broad objective, implementation of these initiatives, in different departments, for varied citizen groups has taken different directions.
The process of implementation of these open government projects is yet to be critically examined and the real impact of open
government is yet to be analysed.
One of the primary functions of the government is the provision of essential public services to the people. It is imperative that public
services are provided to those in need, since these are not only ends in themselves, but also play a critical role in enhancing
individual capabilities to participate fully in the growth of the economy. However, the biggest challenge citizens face is in accessing
services that they are entitled to, within a certain time frame.
Information is key to ushering in people-centred governance and strengthening participatory democracy. People are entitled to know
what policies and programmes, how and why, are they being framed and followed by the Government. Recognising the need for
transparency in public affairs, many governments have enacted legislations such as Right to Information Act, Right to Public Service
Act, etc. Such legislation has significant bearing on open government and development.
While there is a growing literature on policy issues, potentials and possibilities of Open Government, there are very few empirical or
action-research accounts of OG initiative. It is the intention of the track to include both empirical and theoretical papers. These cases
may be ongoing, successful and less successful open government efforts.
Some recommended topics for this track include, but are not limited to the following: Recent initiatives of open government to improve
public service delivery; analysing the importance of open government efforts for public governance; providing insightful analysis
about those factors that are critical when designing, implementing and evaluating open government initiatives; discussing how
contextual factors affect success and failure of OG initiatives; exploring the existence of theoretical models of open government; issues
around what public data can be opened, how and at what intervals; usefulness of open data for public; evaluation of open government
initiatives; proposing strategies to move forward and to address future challenges in an international context.
For more information, please contact ranjini.cr[at]gmail.com.
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Track 11: Open Government for Public Service Delivery: Critical Issues, Emerging Possibilities
