Local Governance And Icts In Africa

Integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) into governance processes can greatly enhance the delivery of public services to all citizens. ICT integration will not only improve the performance of governance systems, it will also transform relationships amongst stakeholders, thereby influencing policymaking processes and regulatory frameworks. In the developing world, however, the potential of ICTs for effective governance remains largely unexplored and unexploited. This book presents the context, theory, and current thinking on the interaction between ICTs and local governance, particularly in Africa. It discusses the shift from OC governmentOCO to OC e-governance, OCO describes the role of local-level authorities, and presents the benefits and limitations of introducing ICTs in government operations. Case studies from Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda describe local governance/ICTs projects executed by civil society organizations, academic institutions, and government authorities. Drawing from the findings in these case studies and from the introductory research and original conceptual framework, the book presents a series of conclusions and recommendation on the future of effective ICTs use for better governance and improved economic development at the local level. This book will be of interest to professionals, practitioners, and policy advisors at local and national government levels in developing countries (particularly in Africa); international organizations staff, bilateral aid agencies, international financial institutions, civil society organizations, and private sector; researchers, academics, students, and professors of public administration and governance in Africa and throughout the world."

With case studies from nine African countries this book provides a rich understanding of the status of e-governance in Africa, assesses the effects of information and communications technologies (ICTs) on local governance, and offers a roadmap for policymakers, decision-makers, and practitioners to implement and evaluate their own e-local governance projects. With governance high on the agenda in Africa, many governments are using ICTs to introduce innovations in their structure, practices, and capacities as well as in the ways they use human capital and deliver services to citizens. However, the potential for e-governance in Africa remains largely unexploited. Progress requires infrastructure improvement, the enactment of appropriate laws and policies, and capacity and content development. This book addresses the lack of evidence on ICTs in local governance in Africa and provides an important collection of studies and analyses on the transformative potential of ICT.

An exploration of why some decentralization reforms have led to viable systems of local governance in Africa, while others have failed. It outlines the key issues involved, provides historical context, and identifies the factors that have encouraged or discouraged success.

Since the late 1990s, city councils have become increasingly aware of the potential for information technologies (ICTs) to improve the management of cities and as an instrument for economic and social policy. This has resulted in a wave of urban ICT strategies and policies, such as the adoption of ICTs within the city administration itself, projects that facilitate access to ICTs by weaker social groups and policies to improve the urban electronic infrastructure. By comparing eight cities - Barcelona, Cape Town, Eindhoven, Johnnesburg, Manchester, Tampere, the Hague and Venice - this book examines a range of innovative urban e-governance strategies and develops a framework of analysis that permits a common approach. Throughout the book, a distinction is made between access policies (aimed at improving access to ICTs for all citizens), content policies (directed to improve the use of ICTs in the city administration and semi-public domains) and infrastructure policies (to improve the provision of broadband infrastructure). For each of the cities, e-strategies and policies are critically reviewed and compared. The book reveals that urban e-strategies have evolved from an internal and technology-centred orientation to a more outward-looking approach.

"This book provides relevant theoretical perspectives on the use of ICT in Urban Planning as well as an updated account of the most recent developments in the practice of e-planning in different regions of the world"--Provided by publisher.

"This book provides research, analytical methods, techniques, and development policies in ICT adoption and diffusion in Africa and around the globe, highlighting the major trends in ICT applications and rural development"--Provided by publisher.