A third of citizens unaware of digital government services
Between the problems with the census and the media coverage around My Health Record, you’d be forgiven for thinking Australia was doing a terrible job at digital transformation.
But the United Nations thinks we’re doing well — or at least everyone else is doing worse.
Australia has been ranked number two in the world for delivery of online services in this year’s UN E-Government Survey, just behind global leader Denmark.
The United Kingdom, which previously sat at number one, has slipped to fourth place.
Scores for the E-Government Development Index are based on “a holistic view of e-government” that incorporates three important dimensions allowing people to benefit from online services and information: the adequacy of telecommunications infrastructure, the ability of human resources to promote and use technologies, and the availability of online services and content.
The top ten on the E-Government Development Index are:
- Denmark
- Australia
- South Korea
- United Kingdom
- Sweden
- Finland
- Singapore
- New Zealand
- France
- Japan
Australia didn’t score quite as highly on the E-Participation Index, however — a measure of how well governments digitally engage citizens in policy, decision making, service design and service delivery so as to make them participatory, inclusive, and deliberative.
Digital Transformation Minister Dan Tehan said the result reflected his government’s commitment to transforming Australia’s digital landscape.
“The world is undergoing a digital revolution and the Coalition government is determined that Australia remain at the forefront of the curve to ensure we maximise the enormous benefits on offer for both our citizens and our economy,” Tehan said.
“Technology enables us to make life easier for busy people by bringing the services they need to their doorstep, rather than requiring them to stand in queues or wait on the phone to do business with government.
“Measures like the new consumer data right outlined in this year’s budget will also harness the power of data to enable consumers to find better deals on services like banking, communications and energy.”
The UN report cites the government’s Digital Transformation Agency and the National Broadband Network. Efforts to improve data sharing within government such as the signing of the Open Data Charter last year were also highlighted, as were Australia’s efforts in cyber security.