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Can ICT improve public service delivery in Burkina Faso?
Introduction
| Initiative Name: | E-government strategy |
| Author: | Ramata Soré |
| Implemented by: | DELGI |
| Country: | Burkina Faso [BF] |
| Theme: | Governance |
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The Story
Background and context: In Burkina Faso, a country with very low ICT penetration, some government services have been put online, but the lack of access by the majority of the population means that e-government must be balanced with traditional means of disseminating public information. “I applied for the job of health agent, and saw the results while searching on the civil service website before these results were broadcast on national radio,” said Marion, an aspiring civil servant, illustrating the two-tier strategy that is a necessity in Burkina Faso.
The development problem/obstacle addressed: Access to advanced ICTs in Burkina Faso is very low due to infrastructure limitations and a lack of training and financing for such tools. In less developed countries like Burkina, traditional media such as print, radio and TV are still indispensable for reaching the public and must be part of the government’s information and communication strategy. Otherwise, e-government will result in “two-tier” government, with a large part of the population left with less access to government information, not more.
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ICTs and problem solving: DELGI is responsible for putting in place a programme of modernisation of government services. It is installing a public service intranet/extranet and rolling out a national network to respond to the communication and information needs of a public administration that is undergoing a decentralisation process and that therefore requires good information links between the capital and the regions.
The Ouagadougou infrastructure consists of an Internet server allowing 32 phone connections and a dedicated line with a capacity of 512 Kb/s. This permits Internet access, hosting of the government websites, and connections between local networks. Eleven public institutions now have Internet access. The more this resource is used to deliver better quality public services, the more ICTs will be appreciated by the Burkinabè public.
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Impact Assesment
Awareness: ICTs can make it possible to carry out participatory consultation processes with citizens and business regarding administrative and political decisions. For this to happen, Burkinabès would have to undergo a change in mentality. Representative democracy needs ICTs in order to enable a fluid public discourse. “ICTs can enable elected officials, to better fulfil their role as representatives of local constituencies by allowing them to monitor legislative processes from a distance,” says Professor Augustin Loada, executive secretary of the Centre pour la bonne gouvernance (CGD).
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Empowerment: In November 2005 there will be elections in Burkina Faso. Only four out of 136 political parties have websites. The information on these sites is similar: history of the party, an account of current activities… After the elections, parliamentary websites will be able to publish information about the winning candidates, including biographical and contact information. This objective information is not to be confused with the political websites posted by individual candidates and elected officials, which are designed to sell his or her message to voters.
ICTs are a tool for public participation. By nature the technology is immediate and facilitates a rapid, almost instantaneous public reaction to current events. “Discussion forums can have an impact on the evolution of legislation or public policy in general,” says Professor Loada. Public commissions can use the online forum to monitor public opinion. Minorities and dissenting groups can use the Internet to make their opinion known and to lobby for change. ICTs do not create such freedoms, but they can bring about greater expression of diversity and difference of opinion in society. What’s new about ICTs is their interactive nature, which enables each citizen to publish his or her opinion instantaneously and throughout the world.
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Quote(s): “ICTs can enable elected officials to better fulfil their role as representatives of local constituencies,” says Professor Augustin Loada of the Centre for Good Governance.
Lessons Learned
General: ICTs are a goldmine of unexplored potential to improve the economic productivity and quality of life of Burkina Faso’s citizens. They can transform government into governance and change the relationship between government and citizen from one of master and servant to one of service provider and client. This process is still proceeding slowly in our country. The State still has problems of capacity, content, management and regulation to overcome before it can fully adopt ICT into its operations.