Governance
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Governance is what a government does. It is the science and art of creating security, wealth and wellbeing for its citizens. Governance is about process and accountability, about formulating ideas and bringing them to fruition. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is revolutionizing the way in which governments govern. It is changing how governments interact with their citizens, and keep themselves accountable. This revolution is both a challenge and an opportunity for emerging nations. Carefully and creatively implemented, it can improve both the chances for and quality of development. UNU-IIST is in the vanguard of organizations working with developing countries to design electronic governance systems that will work for them. UNU-IIST has learned that, for emerging countries, the development of an e-governance model is as much about training and collaboration as it is about software and implementation. It is about building trust with nation clients and designing systems that meet particular needs, not forcing countries to reshape themselves to fit pre-existing models or preconceived notions. UNU-IIST has been collaborating with government on e-governance programs since 2004, when the U.S. and Canada counted for almost a third of all internet use. Since then the number of Internet users in developing countries has skyrocketed, up from 5 million to 63 million in the Middle East and from 6.3 million to 111 million in Africa (Internet Usage and World Population Statistics, June 2010), making the promise of e-governance in the developing world far more tangible. |
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