The concept and principal elements of electronic government

Electronic government (e-Government) is a government that interacts with public authorities, citizens and organisations in an electronic format with minimal personal (physical) interaction.

In recent years governments around the world have begun making intensive use of information and communication technologies in order
to improve the efficiency and quality of their services. These initiatives and programmes have come to be known as "Electronic Government" (e-Government). The term "e-government" — the electronic state or electronic government — is generally understood to mean a system of public administration based on the automation of the entire body of administrative processes on a national scale using modern information technologies, intended to raise substantially the effectiveness of public administration and to reduce the costs of social communication for every member of society. Electronic government may also be defined as "a form of organising the activity of public authorities that, through the extensive application of
information and communication technologies, secures a qualitatively new level of interaction and performance of their functional duties, as well as the promptness and convenience with which organisations, citizens and other natural persons obtain public services and information about the activity of state bodies".

The principal purpose of creating electronic government is to provide information and to deliver a certain set of public services to citizens, entrepreneurs and state officials, while personal interaction between the state and consumers is minimised. Transferring public services into electronic form is one of the foremost priorities of the state programme "Information Society 2011—2020" and concerns the development of the electronic government infrastructure of the Russian Federation. It is worth noting that, given its priority status and significance, this activity is regulated by a considerable number of federal legal instruments — and this is a distinctive contribution of the Russian state: in no other country is there such close state direction
of the creation and development of electronic government, extending as far as the review and approval of its concepts, architectures and roadmaps —
nowhere at all.

The application of information technology in public administration ("electronic government", e-Government) is a new trend in the use of the Internet and could potentially prove to be a key means of promoting and disseminating the ideas of the information society to the wider public. Moreover, "electronic government" as a developed system for informing citizens about politics undoubtedly contributes to increasing the stock of public trust that is necessary for the effective functioning of government. It is also important that the Internet offers the possibility of establishing sustained feedback and interactive engagement between the authorities and the population. Not only do citizens gain access to reasonably complete information about the government's activity, but the government also acquires an additional channel for obtaining information voluntarily supplied by citizens.

Electronic government (e-Government) is a system of interactive engagement between the state and citizens by means of the Internet, a new model of public administration that transforms the traditional relationship between citizens and the structures of power. Work on creating "electronic governments" in various states is conducted under the banner of greater openness and accountability of governments to citizens. The electronic handling of citizens' tax payments, for example, is merely a technological and by no means central task within this movement. Accountability, in turn, is not reducible to providing citizens with some information they need; it is secured by the open specification of sets of performance indicators for particular state bodies and by the creation of publicly accessible means of monitoring those indicators. Building such a system will allow citizens to judge for themselves the effectiveness of government institutions, rather than relying solely on statements by their heads or by higher officials and on media reports. Principles for organising "electronic government". A government equipped with an electronic interface (online
government, government on-line, GOL) should be distinguished from electronic government.

Clearly, electronic government is always connected to citizens through an online interface. But online government is not always electronic government. The latter requires a deeper restructuring of traditional forms of activity. Researchers identify the following principles for organising "electronic government":

• Citizen orientation. Citizens (taxpayers), as the owners of the government and not merely consumers of its services, determine the policy and the direction in which the project develops.
• Convenience and ease of use. All the electronic applications employed in "digital government" pursue the aim of making the system easier for citizens to use, increasing the speed at which requests are serviced
and reducing waiting times.
• Business transformation. All the software, architecture and infrastructure, as well as the policy of "electronic government", are directed towards giving the governmental system the efficiency of a business model, with its corresponding value chain.
• Cost and complexity. These must be kept to a minimum so that working with the system presents no difficulty for either individual or corporate users.
• Service. The effectiveness of "electronic government" should be manifested in its capacity to serve the greatest number of citizens quickly and at the lowest cost, while ensuring
the highest quality of service.
• Conformity. Electronic applications must conform fully to the overall architecture of the systems of security, identification and electronic payments, as well as to the general design of the system's user
interface.
• Scalability of solutions. Applications must ensure interaction between the various structures and bodies that make up the system, and full mutual interoperability.
• Performance. Applications must serve the aim of improving transactions by reducing the duration and complexity of service and the effort required.
• Reporting. Applications must increase the accuracy of data and the capacity to archive it, as well as to audit transactions.
• Speed of realisation. The period for refining and deploying applications should be from three to nine months.
• Readiness to act. Government bodies must demonstrate a readiness to join the system and to adapt their work to it

The principal elements of electronic government include the following components:

1. Information portals and systems. The central element of electronic government is the state web portals through which citizens can access information about public services, legislation and current events. These portals also serve as a platform for carrying out electronic transactions, such as filing tax returns or paying fines.

2. Electronic services (e-services). These are services provided by state bodies in digital form. They include business registration, the issuing of documents, the processing of social benefits, access to medical services and many others. Electronic services substantially reduce the time and costs borne by citizens and business by removing the need to visit state institutions in person.

3. ICT infrastructure. Electronic government cannot function without a modern information and communication technology infrastructure. This includes high-speed internet, data processing centres, cybersecurity systems and software for managing electronic processes.

4. Identification and authentication systems. For secure interaction with electronic government, technologies for identifying citizens are used, such as electronic signatures, biometric data and identification cards. These systems ensure data protection and the personal security of users.

5. Feedback and citizen participation. E-government provides feedback platforms such as forums, surveys, and electronic petitions. This enables citizens to take an active part in discussing government initiatives and policies, as well as to voice their opinions and proposals.

6. Interagency coordination. E-government provides for the automation and coordination of the work of various government bodies. This is achieved through the integration of databases, information sharing, and the joint performance of tasks, which makes it possible to minimize bureaucratic obstacles and the duplication of functions.

The introduction of e-government plays a key role in the modernization of public administration. It helps to increase citizens' trust in government institutions, improves the quality of services, and contributes to socio-economic development. However, for e-government to function successfully, such factors as the digital literacy of the population, the accessibility of technology, data protection, and the effective management of digitalization projects must be taken into account.

• Digital economy
• Electronic state
• Electronic money
• One-stop shop
• Information society