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E-GOVERNMENT
(GROUP-1)

INSTITUTE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCEs

UNIVERSITY OF THE PUNJAB
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Table of Contents
Introduction: .................................................................................................................................... 6
Importance of E-government: ......................................................................................................... 7
Objectives of e-government: ........................................................................................................... 8
PITB (Pakistan Information Technology Board):........................................................................... 8
Overview: .................................................................................................................................... 8

History: ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Sectors of e-government: .............................................................................................................. 10

Government-to-Government (G2G): ............................................................................................ 10
Motivating Forces behind the G2G Sector: .............................................................................. 11

Examples of G2G Initiatives:.................................................................................................... 11

Government-to-Business (G2B): .................................................................................................. 12

Motivating Forces behind the G2B Sector: .............................................................................. 12

Examples of G2B Initiatives: .................................................................................................... 13

Government-to-Citizen (G2C): ..................................................................................................... 13

Motivating Forces behind the G2C Sector: .............................................................................. 14

Examples of G2C Initiatives: .................................................................................................... 14

Current status of e-government in Pakistan: ................................................................................. 15

ICT Development: ........................................................................................................................ 15
E-GOVERNMENT DIRECTORATE (EGD): ............................................................................. 16
UNIFIED THEORY OF ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY (UTAUT) MODEL:
....................................................................................................................................................... 17
Future plans:.................................................................................................................................. 17
Essential measures for successful implementation of e-government in Pakistan: ........................ 18
National Information Technology Board (NITB): ........................................................................ 19
Web application development: ................................................................................................. 19

Work in pipeline: ...................................................................................................................... 19

Projects of E-Government: ........................................................................................................... 19

Dengue Activity Tracking System: ........................................................................................... 20
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Drug Testing Laboratory Automation Program:....................................................................... 21

Agriculture e-credit scheme: ..................................................................................................... 21

Onboarding/Tutorial App.......................................................................................................... 21

Weather Alerts: ......................................................................................................................... 22

Crop Calendar: .......................................................................................................................... 22

Video on Demand App: ............................................................................................................ 22

Expert Opinion App: ................................................................................................................. 22

Crop Yield Calculator: .............................................................................................................. 22

Market place: ............................................................................................................................ 22

Supply Chain Tracking: ............................................................................................................ 22

Agriculture Subsidy: ................................................................................................................. 23

Modern Farmer Extension Services through Agrismart: .......................................................... 23

Rasta App: ................................................................................................................................. 23

IT Based Profiling: .................................................................................................................... 24

Waseela-E-Taleem: ................................................................................................................... 24

Kissan Cards: ............................................................................................................................ 25

Advantages of E-Government: ..................................................................................................... 25

Improves efficiency: ................................................................................................................. 25

Enhances transparency and accountability: .............................................................................. 26

Reduces cost of running a government: .................................................................................... 26

Helps build trust between government and citizens: ................................................................ 26

Contributes to Economic Policy objectives: ............................................................................. 26

Other advantages:.......................................................................................................................... 26
Challenges of e-government implementation: .............................................................................. 26
Technical barriers: .................................................................................................................... 27

ICT infrastructure: .................................................................................................................... 27

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Privacy: ..................................................................................................................................... 28

Security: .................................................................................................................................... 28

Organizational barriers: ............................................................................................................ 29

Top management support:......................................................................................................... 29

Resistance to change to electronic ways: .................................................................................. 30

Collaboration: ........................................................................................................................... 30

Lack of qualified personnel and training: ................................................................................. 30

Social barriers: .......................................................................................................................... 30

Digital divide: ........................................................................................................................... 31

Culture: ..................................................................................................................................... 31

Financial barriers: ..................................................................................................................... 31

Strategies for e-government: ......................................................................................................... 32

Human Resource: ...................................................................................................................... 32

Top-level Ownership: ............................................................................................................... 32

Requirement of a Comprehensive Plan: ................................................................................... 32

Priority on High-Impact Application: ....................................................................................... 32

Security of Government Information: ....................................................................................... 32

Software Development: ............................................................................................................ 32

References ..................................................................................................................................... 34
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Introduction:
In the modern information society, innovations in information and communication technology
have influenced citizen’s behavior as well as their desired information requirements by having
fundamentally changed the way how people work and communicate.
Digitalization, networking, and globalization connect individuals and organizations on a
worldwide level and that reduces the importance of geographical boundaries. The consequences
affect both the private and the public sector. Citizens, for instance, demand a more flexible and
more transparent administration as well as an increasing range of services that are provided online
via the Internet.
From a business perspective, a consistent, sustainable implementation of e-government is highly
relevant for the economy since an unrestricted online availability of public services is regarded as
an essential factor in international competitiveness. In this regard, e-government reflects an
important starting point for satisfying these requests. And apart from that, governments aims at
optimizing efficiency and effectiveness through increased administrative productivity with the
help of e-government.
E-government in Pakistan was introduced in the year 2002. E-government is also known as e-
government, electronic government, internet government, digital government, online government,
connected government. In the e-government act of 2002, the 107th congress explained e-
government as “using internet-based information technology to enhance citizen access to
government information and services, and for other purposes”.
E-government is the use of technology to enhance the access and delivery of government services
to benefit citizens, business partners and employees”. The key to e-government is the
establishment of a long-term, organization-wide strategy to constantly improve operations with
view of fulfilling citizen needs.
E-government uses a wide range of networks and mobile computing to transform the government’s
operations for better efficiency, in order to better facilitate its customers. According to Stephen
bar, e-government is the use of internet technology and protocols to transform agency
effectiveness, efficiency, and service quality. According to Gartner group the continuous
optimization of service delivery, constituency participation and Government transforming internal
and external relationships through technology, the internet and new media is e-government. In
particular e-government is the public sector's use of the most innovative information and
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communication technologies, like the internet, to deliver to all citizens improved services, reliable
information and greater knowledge in order to facilitate access as well as encourages deeper citizen
participation.
Ultimately, e-government aims to enhance access to and delivery of government services to benefit
citizens. More important, it aims to help strengthen government's drive toward effective
Government and increased transparency to better manage a country's social and economic
resources for development.
Importance of E-government:
A key reason for the importance of e-government is the tremendous influence of the Internet as a
global networking and communication system. The Internet seems to be an ideal technology to
interact and collaborate with all kinds of public. In the private sector, for example, it allows
companies to develop foreign markets and to conduct international business transactions more
efficiently than ever before.
In light of the enormous importance that the Internet has reached, governments and public
authorities therefore, have to account for an adequate adoption and handling of these technologies
to meet the respective user needs. The globalizing world changes the way how individuals and
organizations communicate, collaborate, and compete.
Companies such as Google, Amazon, or Facebook, which appeared a couple of years ago and have
turned many ways of doing business inside out by creating new markets, new opportunities, and
entirely new business models, as well as professionally delivering innovation and scalable user-
oriented e-services.
In this context, governments, formerly being among the earliest adopters and largest users of
information technologies, could not keep up with the development pace of technology and network
organizations since they are partly stuck in complicated and nowadays outdated mechanization
processes, have difficulties to compete with the private sector in the war for talent, and are bound
to rigid procurement procedures.
This situation becomes even more difficult for governmental decision makers since public
provision of information always carries an additional risk of get over confidentiality or security
issues. Thus, governments and public authorities need to balance legal restrictions, transparency
values, and data privacy.
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Objectives of e-government:
Following are some objectives of the e-government in Pakistan.
 Online paying taxes, utility bills.
 Online shopping, online banking, booking of tickets.
 Online admission for hajj applications.
 Online business.
 Online salary payment for government employees using atm.
 Information sharing among government institutes.
 Keeping all records of the country online.
Pakistan is in its initial stages of development. Large fraction of Pakistani populace to date is still
deprived of digital opportunities for their economic and social development. In 1995 internet
emerged in Pakistan. At that time only few large cities on Pakistan were connected through the
internet and the internet user population was as small as few hundred users. However, in year 2007
the same has been increased more than 10 times of its inception. Pakistan solemnly taking concrete
measures to connect even the remotest areas of the country with the internet access.
PITB (Pakistan Information Technology Board):
Overview:
The Punjab information technology board, an autonomous body set by government of the Punjab,
provides the foundation for Punjab’s innovation economy. The board aims at not only modernizing
the Government techniques through transparency induced methods but also at increasing the
digital literacy of the citizens among many other services. PITB is committed to effectively and
efficiently provide it services and infrastructure to the government and local and international
businesses. PITB has provided systems and solutions that have positively impacted the health,
education and law and order sectors of the province.
Additionally, PITB is striving to promote entrepreneurship culture in the country along with
capacity building of both professionals (public and private sector) and students from across
Pakistan. PITB has laudably achieved success and has effectively worked towards the aims and
objectives under which it was formed.
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History:
It is the fastest growing industry in the world and keeping in view its demand, government of the
Punjab felt the need to create a department that would be only responsible for its prosperity through
information technology. It was further decided that the department shall also monitor global
opportunities, satisfy to the growing needs of it, develop policy alternatives, and plan and rapidly
implement initiatives for building an internationally competitive IT industry in the province.
Resultantly, Punjab information technology board was formed in 1999 as an autonomous body
under the department of industries. An ordinance in this respect was passed by the governor on
March 27th, 1999. PITB was given under the administration of information technology department
on the 15th October 2001. After the dissolution of information technology department in 2011,
PITB was attached to planning and development department of Punjab.
The man whose contributions is more than any one else is Dr. Umar Saif, the incumbent
chairman and a Cambridge PhD, has developed a massive 1,000+ team, including 100+
developers that provide a critical mass for Punjab’s e-government initiatives. Dr. Umar Saif has
extensive experience in academia, management, consulting and entrepreneurship in the IT sector.
Dr. Saif received his academic training from LUMS, Cambridge and MIT. He did his BSc (Hons)
from LUMS (1998), PhD from University of Cambridge (2001) and Post-Doctorate from MIT
(2002).
In 2013, Dr. Saif was appointed the founding Vice-Chancellor of the Information Technology
University (ITU), Punjab, where he is responsible for establishing a new publicly chartered
university with programs in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.
Dr. Saif has received numerous awards for his work. He was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (SI), one of
the highest civil awards by Government of Pakistan, in 2014 in recognition of his services to
Pakistan. He was the first Pakistani to be named as one of the top 35 young innovators in the world
(TR35) in 2011 by MIT Technology Review. He was the first Pakistani to receive the prestigious
Google Faculty Research Award in 2011. Dr. Saif worked as a fulltime faculty member at LUMS
from 2006-2013. In 2009, Dr. Saif became one of the few professors who were awarded permanent
Tenure by LUMS.
Recently, Dr. Saif has worked as Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB),
heading all public-sector IT projects in the Government of Punjab since Nov 2011. During his
tenure as Chairman of the Punjab IT Board, Dr. Saif launched several initiatives aimed at
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improving citizen services for police, high-court, city district government, health and education,
especially using smartphones. He led the development of Punjab Innovation Policy in
collaboration with Google and launched Plan-9, Pakistan’s first and largest public-sector startup
incubator.
E-government is defined as the use of ICT in public sector to deliver high-quality services to
citizens, businesses or government employees. Improved access to ICT is essential to narrow the
digital divide, promote effective Government and advance sustainable development. E-
government initiatives have produced favorable impacts on delivery of public services; however,
in developing countries like Pakistan its overall impact has remained limited, due to a
overabundance of restrictions and slow pace of its implementation. Public sector innovation
through e-government implementation has recently started to gain momentum in the developing
countries, especially in Pakistan. It deals with Government, technology and cultural issues which
are very difficult to resolve.
We should do everything to make our country successful regardless of all the excuses.
“If you really want to do something you will find a way, otherwise you will find an excuse.”
– Jim rohn.
Sectors of e-government:
Although e-government encompasses a wide range of activities and actors, three distinct sectors
can be identified. These include government-to-government (G2G), government-to-business
(G2B), and government-to-citizen (G2C). Some observers also identify a fourth sector,
government-to-employee (G2E). However, since G2E operations are intra-agency activities, they
can be considered a subset of the G2G sector and are not addressed separately in this report. A
separate report focusing specifically on G2E issues is forthcoming
Government-to-Government (G2G):
In many respects, the G2G sector represents the backbone of e-government. Some observers
suggest that governments (federal, state, local) must enhance and update their own internal systems
and procedures before electronic transactions with citizens and businesses can be successful. G2G
e-government involves sharing data and conducting electronic exchanges between governmental
actors. This involves both intra- and inter-agency exchanges at the federal level, as well as
exchanges between the federal, state, and local levels.
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Motivating Forces behind the G2G Sector:

There are a number of forces motivating G2G e-government initiatives. One of these involves
legislation. There are a variety of laws and regulations that are contributing to the implementation
of e-government initiatives. For example, the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) reduces the
information collection and reporting requirements of the federal government while also promoting
the coordination of government-wide information management activities. The Computer Security
Act requires federal agencies to develop information security plans, and tasks the National Institute
for Standards and Technology (NIST) with the responsibility to develop federal government
computer security standards. The Clinger-Cohen Act, among other provisions, established a chief
information officer (CIO) in each executive branch agency, decentralized and streamlined
information technology procurement procedures, and assigned information technology capital
planning02; and investment responsibilities to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).The
Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) requires OMB to provide leadership in acquiring
and implementing the technology necessary to substitute electronic documents for paper
documents. GPEA also tasks OMB, in conjunction with the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA), to establish procedures for the use and acceptance of
electronic signature in the executive branch of the federal government.
A second force spurring G2G initiatives is the interest in improved efficiency. One of the expected
benefits of information technology investment solutions often cited by proponents is cost savings
achieved by increasing the speed of transactions, reducing the number of personnel necessary to
complete a task, and improving the consistency of outcomes
Examples of G2G Initiatives:
One example of a G2G e-government initiative is the Northeast Gang Information System
(NEGIS). NEGIS is sponsored by the Department of Justice and serves as a shared resource for
street gang information for states in the northeast, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont,
Massachusetts, and New York. It includes information such as gang related activities, gang
intelligence, and a reference library. NEGIS connects the state police departments of the
participant-states, which, in turn, transmit the information to the states’ other law enforcement
agencies. A second example is the Electronic Contractor Past Performance System maintained by
the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Started in December 1996, this online database contains
past performance scorecards of government contractors, as rated by contract/project officers. It is
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designed to help agencies determine the suitability of potential contractors on the basis of criteria
such as the quality of product or service, cost control, timeliness of performance, and business
practices. Thirteen agencies contribute to the database, including the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the Department of Commerce, and the General Services Administration (GSA).
Government-to-Business (G2B):
Government-to-Business (G2B) initiatives receive a significant amount of attention, in part
because of the high enthusiasm of the business sector and the potential for reducing costs through
improved procurement practices and increased competition. The G2B sector includes both the sale
of surplus government goods to the public, as well as the procurement of goods and services.
Although not all are directly dependent on the use of information technology, several different
procurement methods are used in relation to the G2B sector. Performance-based contracting is a
method in which the payment made to the contractor is based on the actual goals and outcomes of
the job. Share-in-Savings contracts are those in which the contractor pays for the up-front costs of
a project, such as the installation of a new computer system, and receives payment passed on the
savings generated by switching from the previous system. Reverse auctions, on the other hand,
are reliant on the use of information technology and could become a frequently used method for
purchasing products that are standardized and easily evaluated for quality, such as off-the-shelf
technology components or office supplies. Conducted over the Internet, a reverse auction entails
companies openly bidding against each other in real time to win a government contract. The
purpose of reverse auctions is to drive prices down to market levels. Due to the emphasis on price,
reverse auctions are best-suited in cases where quality and expected performance are clear and
easily assessed.
Motivating Forces behind the G2B Sector:
There are two primary forces driving the G2B sector. The first is the business community. In many
industries, the use of electronic means to carry out various activities, such as procurement, sales,
and hiring is commonplace. For example, the auto industry created an electronic business exchange
called Covisint in fall 2000. Covisint provides an online environment for automakers and parts
suppliers to buy and sell goods, share information, and collaborate on new products. In addition,
the software industry is producing an ever-growing number of products focused on moving routine
business activities online. Many companies would like to extend the cost savings realized in their
business-to-business (B2B) transactions to their business with federal, state, and local governments
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(B2G). The second primary force motivating interest in the G2B sector is the growing demand by
policymakers for cost cutting and more efficient procurement. Similar to the interest in efficiency
that is helping propel G2G initiatives, many G2B initiatives are promoted on their potential to
streamline and improve the consistency of personnel-intensive tasks, such as processing license
renewals or employee benefit changes. However, there is some disagreement over whether these
efforts should help centralize or decentralize procurement by agencies. Until the passage of the
Clinger-Cohen Act in 1996, procurement decisions for information technology products and
services were generally centralized, with the General Services Administration (GSA) performing
a significant role. Among its provisions, the Clinger-Cohen Act decentralized some of the
decisions back to the agencies. Some observers suggest that decentralized procurement allows
agencies greater control over their own projects, and reduces the amount of time between when a
product is ordered and when it is delivered. In contrast, other observers promote centralized
procurement on the basis that it will lower costs by aggregating the purchases of similar products
by multiple agencies and enhance accountability by limiting the number of people authorized to
enter into purchase agreements
Examples of G2B Initiatives:
One example of a G2B initiative is GSA Auctions. GSA Auctions is an online auction Web site in
which GSA sells federal surplus property to the highest bidders. Items sold include everything
from hand tools and furniture to industrial machinery and vehicles. Perhaps one of the more well-
known items was the auction of a fifty-year-old Coast Guard cutter, the Tamara, which appeared
in the movie Perfect Storm. A second example of a G2B initiative is Buyers.gov, a business and
auction exchange administered by the GSA Federal Technology Service (FTS). The Buyers.gov
site facilitates the purchase of information technology products by federal government agencies
through the use of reverse auctions and aggregating demand for commonly purchased products.
Government-to-Citizen (G2C):
The third e-government sector is Government-to-Citizen (G2C). G2C initiatives are designed to
facilitate citizen interaction with government, which is what some observers perceive to be the
primary goal of e-government. These initiatives attempt to make transactions, such as renewing
licenses and certifications, paying taxes, and applying for benefits, less time consuming and easier
to carry out. G2C initiatives also often strive to enhance access to public information through the
use of dissemination tools, such as web sites and/or kiosks.
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Some e-government advocates suggest that one of the goals of implementing these initiatives
should be to create a “one-stop shopping” site where citizens can carry out a variety of tasks,
especially those that involve multiple agencies, without requiring the citizen to initiate contacts
with each agency individually. A potential outgrowth of G2C initiatives is that they may facilitate
citizen-to-citizen interaction and increase citizen participation in government by creating more
opportunities that overcome possible time and geographic barriers, thereby connecting citizens
who may not ordinarily come into contact with one another
Motivating Forces behind the G2C Sector:
Interest in G2C initiatives is driven by a combination of several factors. One is citizen demand,
especially by younger citizens and those accustomed to using electronic transactions in other areas
of their lives (e.g., banking). Some observers expect the citizen demand for e-government to
increase significantly over the next ten years as the youth, who are now growing up with personal
computers and the Internet as a routine presence in their lives, become adults. However, studies
illustrating the relatively low political activity of young adults suggest this uptick in citizen
participation may be delayed several years. Citizen demand may also be driven by increased time
pressures. As citizens feel they have increased demands placed on their time, they may look for
ways to reduce time spent standing in lines and taking care of administrative tasks. One way to do
this is to be able to complete routine governmental transactions, such as renewing a license or
applying for a permit online. Similar to G2G and G2B projects, G2C initiatives are also driven by
an interest in “better government” through improved efficiency and more reliable outcomes.
Examples of G2C Initiatives:
Although many examples of G2C initiatives can be found at the local and state level, there are also
examples at the federal level. One of these examples is the establishment of the First Gov. Web
site. First Gov., a public-private partnership, is administered by GSA. Established in September
2000, First Gov. is designed to serve as the online portal29 for 51 million pages of government
information, services, and online transactions. According to the Web site, First Gov. “has the most
comprehensive search of government anywhere on the Internet.” Its creators also hope that First
Gov. will serve as “the catalyst for a growing electronic government.” A second example is the
IRS. In addition to providing all IRS tax forms online for downloading, the IRS Web site also
contains a wealth of information to answer a variety of tax-related questions that citizens might
normally ask during a call to an IRS telephone help line or a visit to one of its centers. The IRS
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also allows citizens and businesses to file and pay their taxes online using an option called e-file.
Depending on one’s tax situation, e-file can enable a filer to submit information, make payments,
and receive refunds electronically.
Current status of e-government in Pakistan:
In the last few years, Ministry of IT and E-Government Directorate have undertaken multiple E-
Government projects and currently have many in the pipeline. This section takes stock of the
current status of E-Government, including the legislation, policies and actions taken. It also
includes a list of projects completed by EGD and Ministry of IT in the Federal Government. Prior
to the formation of the IT Division an IT Commission existed, which had only one paid member
and a small secretariat. All other members, primarily from the private sector and academia, were
honorary. As a concrete follow-up step to the IT Policy, in October 2002, the Federal Cabinet
approved the conversion of the IT Commission into the E-Government Directorate (EGD). EGD
was set up as a cell within the Ministry of IT to focus specifically on E-Government with the
following Terms of References
 Lead the E-Government Effort in Pakistan
 Preparation of standards for software and infrastructure in the field of Electronic
Government
 Plan and Implement projects under E-Government program
 Provide technical support to Federal, Provincial and District agencies
During a press briefing, Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunications,
Anusha Rehman said that e-Government is being adopted as a tool to achieve goals of transparency
and deliver cost-effective public services. She said e-Government Intranet has been fully
established in Ministry of Information Technology. The main purpose of developing an e-filing
module is to reduce the use of paper and promote digital government. Anusha Rahman said present
government has given utmost priority to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
sector, particularly e-government system and that the IT Ministry is emphatically pursing the e-
office suite implementation in federal government.
ICT Development:
Anusha Rehman said e-office suite is being implemented in Federal Ministries and Divisions in
phases and the process is expected to be completed soon. The Minister said in its first phase, E-
office suite is being implemented in 13 Ministries, Divisions and Departments including Ministry
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of Information Technology, PM Office, National Assembly Secretariat, Ministry of Science and

Technology, Finance Division and Planning Division, Establishment Division, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs etc.
Secretary IT Azmat Ali Ranjha, Chairman of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Dr.
Ismail Shah, Joint Secretary Minister Syed Khalid Gardezi, a representative of National
Information Technology Board (NITB) and other dignitaries attended the briefing.
Subsequently, it will be implemented in all other Federal Ministries and Divisions in a phased
manner. She said Ministry of Information Technology has taken a step forward for not only
designing and deploying e-Office application but to also set an example by replacing the
conventional manual system with an electronic system.
The vision of the senior management of Ministry of IT is to bring change in working environment
of the Ministry. It is expected that the entire Federal Government will be adopting the e-Office in
their respective Ministries within short span of time. She said the e-office will be a phenomenal
achievement of the Ministry as this would ensure efficiency, accuracy, effectiveness and good
Government.
E-GOVERNMENT DIRECTORATE (EGD):
The E-government Directorate has the principal responsibility for bringing about the e-government
conversion within the Federal Government, with strong cooperation and promise, necessarily,
from the various Federal Government organizations. Subsequently, EGD was further strengthened
with the sanction of 4 Business Analysts, a Director (Training), and an Executive Director.
Legislation is a key component in the overall IT Program. The introduction of online transactions
and the reengineering of processes require legislation and changes to the rules and regulations. The
information society has also created a new set of legal challenges that have to be dealt with by
either bringing new legislation or amending the existing laws.
The most elementary legislation is the recognition of electronic transactions. The Government of
Pakistan has promulgated the Electronic Transaction Ordinance (ETO) in the year 2002. With
the cover of this ordinance the legal system recognizes electronic transactions and information
stored in electronic form. The Ministry of IT has also completed broad based consultations on the
draft of the Electronic Crimes Act, which is to be submitted to the Cabinet later this year. Work
is also underway on the Data Protection Act and Electronic Signature Law.
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Under the ETO the government has already established an Accreditation Council to accredit the
certification authorities that provide security authentication services. For example those authorities
that issue Digital Certificates. This Accreditation Council has been notified and the Secretariat has
been formed under the National Telecommunication Corporation. The Accreditation Council is in
the process of framing its rules and other modalities of operation
UNIFIED THEORY OF ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY
(UTAUT) MODEL:
Technology Acceptance Model such as Unified Theory of Acceptance Use of Technology
(UTAUT) try to explain the degree of acceptance of the use of information technology. These
theories assess whether the user will be able to accept the new technologies and user’s ability to
deal with it. The Technology Acceptance Model helps managers and decision makers to assess the
success of the introduction of technology to the organization, and motivate users to accept the
systems.
UTAUT has been used and applied by many educational institutions and research to answer one
of the most critical questions: What are the user's attitudes towards accepting ICT solution?
Regardless of the level of available infrastructures and support administrations, there is a concern
as to whether teachers are prepared to integrate available technology into effective lessons for their
students.
Future plans:
Subsequently, it will be implemented in all other Federal Ministries and Divisions in a phased
manner. She said Ministry of Information Technology has taken a step forward for not only
designing and deploying e-Office application but to also set an example by replacing the
conventional manual system with an electronic system.
The vision of the senior management of Ministry of IT is to bring change in working environment
of the Ministry. It is expected that the entire Federal Government will be adopting the e-Office in
their respective Ministries within short span of time. She said the e-office will be a phenomenal
achievement of the Ministry as this would ensure efficiency, accuracy, effectiveness and good
Government.
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Essential measures for successful implementation of e-government in Pakistan:

The following measures have been identified as essential to successfully implement the Strategy
and 5-Year Plan for E-Government.
 It is recommended that the Strategy and 5-Year Plan be approved by the Federal Cabinet
as an overall framework for the implementation of E-Government in the Federal
Government.
 Setup a committee to submit on a biannual basis recommendations on required revision of
Secretariat Instructions, Rules and Regulations.
 Ensure integration and interoperability by making compliance to EGD Framework
standards mandatory for all large IT projects within the Federal Government.
 Basic IT Training should be made compulsory for all federal government employees of
Grade BPS-5 and above.
 Compliance should be ensured within 12 months while giving cash incentives to successful
participants.
The Divisions should be given the following targets:
 A focal point for E-Government at the level of Joint Secretary should be appointed in every
Division for the dedicated coordination, program management and ownership of the E-
Government program of the respective agency.
 Every Division is to identify with the help of EGD, within 3 months, 3 high impact
processes / e-services for citizens for e-enablement.
 Ownership is to be established with the focal point to accelerate the Implementation within
24 months for:
 Federal Government budget application
 PSDP management application.
 Human Resource Management
 Electronic Hiring
 Electronic Procurement
 Increase retention of IT professionals on contracts in the Federal Government through
lifting time period constraints for contractual employees
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 Change the status of EGD to one of an attached department of the Ministry of IT to give
EGD organizational and financial autonomy while retaining the patronage of the Ministry
of IT.
National Information Technology Board (NITB):
The mission is to Improve Pakistanis Citizen’s quality of life and economic well-being by ensuring
availability of accessible, affordable, reliable, universal and high quality ICT services. Its vision
is to become a strategic enabler, by making the full use of ICT, for an accelerated digitization eco
system, aiming to expand knowledge based economy and spur socio economic growth.
Web application development:
 work visa online application for board of investment
 Meetings Management Dashboard for PM Office
 HR Profile Management System for MoITT
 Islamabad City App for CDA and NITB
 Online web-based Case Tracking System for Attorney General for Pakistan (published for
end user testing)
 Mobile App Development for Attorney General for Pakistan (published for end user
testing)
 Metro Bus Schedule for Islamabad City App in collaboration with CDA
 Online Telephone Directory for Cabinet Division
 Trainee Registration Module for NITB
 Development of PC-I Tracking System for Planning Commission
Work in pipeline:
 Dashboard Development for Work Visa Online Application System for Board of
Investment.
 Case Tracking System for MoIT’s Legal Wing
 Orthopedic Application for PIMS
Projects of E-Government:
E-government has started many projects in the field of heath, transport, agriculture, livestock,
services and education. The projects of E-government are as follow:
 20

Dengue Activity Tracking System:

Dengue Fever, a hitherto unknown disease, struck Pakistan in the last quarter of 2011. The
province of the Punjab was the worst affected. The epidemic affected more than 21,000 people
and resulted in over 300 deaths. To prevent another outbreak, the PITB developed an android
mobile application for real-time information on larvae prevention, detection and public hygiene
activities. With these applications, field officials could take geo-tagged photographs of designated
areas for dengue surveillance. They were asked to identify larvae breeding hotspots and remove
them. They were asked to submit two photographs as part of this process, showing the situation
“before” and “after” action was taken.
The data stream submitted through the android based mobile application would be plotted on
Google maps in real time as the mobile application captured latitude and longitude along with the
photographs. An alert generating solution that looked at key variables like positive larvae presence,
humidity and temperature was developed to generate warnings proactively and disseminate vital
information to all stakeholders. Patient tagging was also carried out through the mobile application.
The system has been operational in more than 25 government departments and across 36 districts
as well as the ICT and CDA (Federal Government) since 2012.
Biometric attendance system:
This initiative sought improvement in public healthcare services by ensuring presence and
punctuality of doctors and other staff during duty hours. A biometric attendance system was
needed to ensure that all employees in health facilities mark their attendance on a daily basis,
promoting a culture of health workers checking-in on time across the province. The PITB initiative
was introduced in 27 district headquarters hospitals (DHQs) and 101 tehsil headquarters hospitals
(THQs) across the Punjab by July 2015. CCTV cameras were also installed for surveillance
purposes. Biometric-enabled tablets were also distributed among 2,667 basic health units (BHUs)
and rural health centers (RHCs) by August 2016. All staff members now have to mark their daily
attendance through these devices. Clinical and non-clinical attendance has improved significantly,
from 58% in August 2016 to 90% in July 2017, across the Punjab. The system provides real-time
data about attendance of all categories of government staff. It has improved services and
strengthened the health delivery network. There are now 37,000 daily check-ins at all BHUs and
RHUs and over 22,000 daily check-ins at DHQ and THQ hospitals. District coordination officers
and district health authorities are also able to monitor the attendance of each healthcare facility.
 21

Drug Testing Laboratory Automation Program:

The Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) automation program is an initiative taken by the government
of the Punjab to improve authenticity of tests performed on various drugs. Before the automation
of this process, there was no transparency in manual drug testing.
A secure web application has been developed to digitize all processes related to drug testing. The
application has customized dashboards and provides statistical analysis. Transparency is
maintained through use of barcodes, photographs and biometrics. A barcoding technique has been
introduced to maintain anonymity of the drug source so as to eliminate the possibility of any
tampering in the results. The reports are available online.
The system is now operational in all DTLs of Punjab including Lahore, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi,
Faisalabad, and Multan.
Agriculture e-credit scheme:
Punjab’s economy is primarily driven by agriculture. More than 55 million households are directly
or indirectly tied to this sector. Profit margins of farmers have declined over the time because of
high cost of borrowing and high rates of agricultural inputs. The Agriculture Department has
initiated an interest-free loan scheme for small farmers. The scheme provides loans to farmers
possessing land less than 12.5 acres and has a flexible repayment option. The PITB has developed
a centralized system for managing the database, helping raise efficiency and accountability of the
scheme. All stakeholders can access the database of over 350,000 registered farmers. All processes
involved in loan allocation have been automated. In the conventional method for loan processing,
an applicant would have needed to visit the PLRA and bank more than 10 times to secure the loan,
but with the help of this system, the number of visits was reduced to only three. The Agriculture
e-Credit Scheme has improved liquidity in the agriculture sector, timely availability of crop inputs,
an increase in yield and higher profit margins.
As many as 110,000 farmers will be given mobile phones with 10 applications to enhance their
capacity. Each farmer will have a mobile wallet through which the loan would be disbursed. The
most interesting aspect of the initiative is that mobile phones given to farmers will have 10
agriculture-related applications. These include:
Onboarding/Tutorial App
The Onboarding/Tutorial app will be used to welcome the newly-registered farmers and verify
their credentials. They will receive an audio/video based welcome message from the chief minister
 22

and given an introduction on how they could benefit from the program and its features. Moreover,
they will also be access tutorials for all applications provided under the program
Weather Alerts:
The weather app will show the forecasts based on the latitude and longitude of the farmer’s location
for 5 days. ‘Today’s Weather’ will include wind speed, temperature and chances of rain. Farmers
will be able to add multiple locations to receive alerts.
Crop Calendar:
This app will provide crop specific advisories. These are provided primarily in audio and video
format for the benefit of less educated farmers but also available in text. This app will also educate
farmers about new technologies, methods and techniques related to various crops.
Video on Demand App:
This will primarily serve the needs of farmers whose mobile literacy is low. By accessing this app,
farmers will be able to see the latest video advisory on sowing, growing and harvesting stages of
various crops. Pest and disease alerts will also be issued through this.
Expert Opinion App:
If a farmer requires expert advice, he can use this as a chat app to talk to an expert. It will support
audio, as well as photo sharing. Farmers can send messages to agriculture experts nominated by
the client and get quick advice on various issues.
Crop Yield Calculator:
This app will allow farmers to calculate the approximate cost of seeding, fertilizer and pesticide
usage and crop yield based on their land size and crop type. The algorithms will be designed using
the data provided by relevant government departments.
Market place:
The Mandi app will connect farmers with potential buyers. Buyers can also contact farmers using
this app. For payment, they will use Easy Paisa Mobile Wallets.
Supply Chain Tracking:
The farm supplies app will allow farmers to browse, compare and buy various farm supplies such
as fertilizers, seeds and pesticide from their mobile phones. The complete inventory and product
transactions will be made visible for the client’s stakeholders. For transactions on this app, farmers
will use Mobile Wallets.
 23

Agriculture Subsidy:
This will enable farmers to redeem subsidies given through various types of tokens (e.g. Potash
Fertilizer Subsidy) through this app. additionally; token redemption is available through USSD
menu as well for Telenor SIM users.
Modern Farmer Extension Services through Agrismart:
The Agri Smart application has been developed for the Punjab Public Management Reform
Program (PPMRP) to help streamline tasks of agriculture extension workers of the provincial
government. The application has been used to create a digital database of:
 Farmer advisory services
 Plant clinics
 Crop reporting
 Pest scouting and warnings
 Farmer trainings
 Monitoring of agricultural inputs
 Soil sampling and testing
 Fertilizers monitoring and testing
 Research trials
The digitization of agricultural data has facilitated farmers and made advisory services easily
available to them. The database of reported activities is being used to plan interventions to improve
yields and maximize land use. Before this application was introduced, there was no accurate record
of field staff. As much as 67% of their time was spent in departmental tasks instead of fieldwork.
With the help of the application, the field staff’s time taken in departmental tasks has been brought
down to only 15%. From April 2015 to July 2017, the application has marked 2.2 million entries.
As many as 2,724 field workers equipped with smartphones carrying the AgriSmart app have sent
details of extension activities daily. The application also has a feedback option to enable farmers
to share ideas with the government.
Rasta App:
To facilitate general public’s traffic related queries and issues, a smart solution is in place today.
The ‘Rasta App (Google Play Store/App Store)’ facilitates the citizens with some of the below
mentioned features:
 Traffic Advisory
 24

 Route Planner
 Challan Payment
 E-License
 E-Driving Test Scheduling
 Traffic Feedback/Complaints
 My License Info
 My Car Info
 My Challans
IT Based Profiling:
In this day and age, manual processes have become an uphill task, especially when dealing with
large volumes of data. The Government of Punjab employs thousands of workers across 36
districts of the province. ICT based solutions have become a standard approach for governments
worldwide, for record keeping, transferring, timely data analysis, and automatic alert generation
based upon pre-defined thresholds. The Establishment Division Islamabad is maintaining the
history card of PAS, PSP, SECTT and OMG officers with their complete consecutive accurate
record of dates of assumptions / relinquishment, posting /EX transfer, joining / not joining and
cancellation of Federal / Provincial Governments, attached departments / organization’s internal
posting / transfer orders enabling us to assess the actual duration of working for the stipulated
periods of awaiting PERs under specified reporting / counter signing officers for promotion
through HPSB, CSB, DPC and other purposes of the Federal Government. The initiative will help
maintain digitized information of government employees (profiles, skillset, postings, and
performance records) through a centralized HR system - subsequently leading to better
management of such a large workforce.
Waseela-E-Taleem:
Irregularities in stipend disbursement process of Waseela-e-Tealeem program were a major
challenge for the Management of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). This program provides
a quarterly stipend to deserving students based on attendance. BISP required a reliable system to
eliminate these anomalies and streamline the overall process. They were looking for an accurate
data collection model (that could geo tag the surveyor location for removing fake data).They
required a system that would handle huge amount of data without any data loss and its integrity.
To solve these issues and to evolve an accurate data collection model that could geotag surveyors’
 25

location, PITB has developed a reliable system that includes an Android application for collection
of data on attendance and distribution of stipends.
The system also helps BISP perform real-time monitoring with following features:
 Geotagging location of surveyors
 Photos of school and their head teachers for authenticity of data
 Change of class levels in case of promotion/demotion of student
Using the PITB-powered system, attendance of a total of 1.2 million students has been marked
only in the first quarter of 2017. The BISP now has a working model which can be implemented
in other field activities. It is planning to implement this model in a project called Micro Supply
Capacity Assessment (MSCA).
Kissan Cards:
Kissan card are issued to farmers benefiting from various government programs. It aims to
consolidate recipients’ information for transparent and efficient implementation of these
interventions. The PITB has developed a digital platform and has provided all district
administrations with user logins to enter details of farmers in their jurisdictions. The information
added to the system pertains to demographics, contact details, crops and landholding patterns,
livestock, irrigation system and mechanization.
This initiative has resulted in appropriate allocation of schemes to the right farmers, ease in
broadcasting message to the larger mass and the creation of a centralized database.
Advantages of E-Government:
Government in a democratic setting is an administration that uses public resources to work for and
satisfy the needs of the citizens. Government needs proper management resources for the good of
citizens. To achieve that, many governments have come up with e-government system. This e-
government system has a whole lot of benefits. Some of the benefits of e-Government are as
follows:
Improves efficiency:
What matters a lot to citizens is the efficiency of the services being provided. The effectiveness of
government is measured by the quality of its interactions with citizens. The processing of
paperwork in a traditional government system is a difficult task which consumes a lot of resources
and time spent on paperwork does not create much value for citizens. This issue becomes even
more relevant when we consider the fact that citizens are demanding more from public services.
 26

By the establishment of e-government, governments are achieving high operational efficiency

because internet-based applications can generate savings on data collection and transmission,
provision of information and communication with customers.
Enhances transparency and accountability:
E-Government helps to increase the transparency of decision-making processes by making
information accessible to everyone i.e. publishing government debates, budgets and expenditure
statements, outcomes and rationales for key decisions, etc.
Reduces cost of running a government:
E-government is very cost effective. Let’s take an example that government wants to seek a public
opinion on an issue, with e-government system it can take a survey and the opinion, very fast and
at extremely low cost. That also applies when government would want to capture some data.
Helps build trust between government and citizens:
For any government to survive or maintain or keep control of power, it must win the trust of the
majority of the citizens. E-government can always afford that for any government that embraces
it. E-Government can help build trust by enabling citizen engagement in the policy process,
promoting open and accountable government and helping to prevent corruption. Furthermore, if
limits and challenges are properly overcome, e-government can help an individual’s voice to be
heard in a broad debate.
Contributes to Economic Policy objectives:
E-Government helps reduce corruption, increases openness and trust in government, and thus
contributes to economic policy objectives. Specific impacts include; reduced government spending
through more effective programs, and efficiencies and improvements in business productivity
through ICT-enabled administrative simplification and enhanced government information.
Other advantages:
 Major contributor to reform
 Easy and quick implementation
 Improves services
Challenges of e-government implementation:
There are different challenges and barriers that can delay progress of e-government
implementation. The variety and complexity of e-government initiatives across the world implies
 27

the existence of a wide range of challenges and barriers to its implementation and management.
This section will briefly introduce the most important and common challenges and barriers based
on a review of extant literature. Challenges can be loosely grouped under the headings: technical
barriers; organizational barriers; social barriers and financial barriers.
Technical barriers:
The implementation of e-government consistently faces some technological difficulties such as
lack of shared standards and compatible infrastructure among departments and agencies. Also,
privacy and security of information are critical barriers in implementation of e-government from
citizen concerns. A guarantee by the government will not suffice unless accompanied by technical
solutions, transparency of procedures and possibly independent auditing.
ICT infrastructure:
Lack or weakness of ICT infrastructure is one of the major challenges for e-government
implementation. Internetworking is required to enable appropriate sharing of information and open
up new channels for communication and delivery of new services. For a transition to electronic
government, there needs to be a technical and operational architecture, i.e., a guiding set of
principles, models and standards. Many developing countries suffer from the digital divide
(referring to the gap in opportunity between those who have access to the internet and those who
do not), and owing to the lack of access to appropriate ICT infrastructure are not able to create an
effective e-government deployment. The comparison of the digital divide between richer countries
and developing ones is stark with high-income economies having 416 personal computers per 1000
people and low-income economies only 6 per 1000 (World Bank, 2010). However, an ICT
infrastructure does not consist simply of telecommunications and computer equipment. E-
readiness and ICT literacy are also necessary in order for people to be able to use and benefit from
e-government applications. Having the education, freedom and desire to access information is
critical to e-government efficacy. Presumably, the higher the level of human development, the
more likely the citizens will be inclined to accept and use e-government services.Therefore,
governments should work closely with the private sector to establish a modern infrastructure that
will provide access opportunities to disconnected groups and individuals. This lack of
infrastructure is cited as one of the primary barriers to government implementation. Certain e-
government applications require considerable investment in national IT infrastructure.
 28

Privacy:
Privacy is a critical issue in the implementation of e-government in both developed and developing
countries. Privacy and confidentiality as critical barriers on the way to e-government
implementation. Privacy refers to the guarantee of an appropriate level of protection regarding
information attributed to an individual. E-government should be approached with an eye towards
the protection of individual privacy. Both technical and policy responses may be required when
addressing the privacy issue in an e-government context. The difficulty of protecting individual
privacy can be an important barrier to e-government implementation. In addition, there is a need
to deal effectively with privacy issues in e-networks to increase citizen confidence in the use of e-
government services. Citizen confidence in the privacy and careful handling of any personal
information shared with governmental organizations is essential to successful e-government
applications. At the center of most e-government projects is the collection and management of
large quantities of citizen data such as names, addresses, phone numbers, employment histories,
medical records and property records. In most western nations, citizens are deeply concerned with
the privacy of their life and confidentiality of the personal data they are providing as part of
obtaining government services. Thus, it has been pointed out that privacy and confidentiality must
remain priorities
When establishing and maintaining websites to ensure the secure collection of data. Since privacy
protections are difficult to interject once an e-system has been built, the planning and design of e-
government systems must include privacy considerations. A comprehensive privacy policy should
specify citizens’ rights to privacy and mandate that personal data be collected and processed only
for legitimate purose. It is important to note that different countries have different legal and
cultural understandings of what constitutes privacy. This highlights the importance of the next
section regarding information security.
Security:
In point of fact, security is one of the most significant challenges for implementing e-government
initiatives. Many studies have found that security is one of the most important obstacles. Security
means protection of all information and systems against any disclosure to unauthorized access, or
unauthorized modifications or devastation. Thus, it refers to protection of the information systems,
assets and the control of access to the information itself... It is a vital component in the trust
relationship between citizens and government. Security issues may present the largest obstacle to
 29

the development of e-government services. Thus, security policies and standards that meet citizen
expectations are an important step towards addressing these concerns. The use of security
solutions, including digital signatures, encryption-government principles: implementation,
advantages and challenges.
User names, passwords, customer unique numbers, bank account numbers, and others being
transmitted over the internet and stored electronically can help in fulfilling security goals in e-
government applications. Furthermore, the Iinformation security, referred to as cyber security or
computer security, is an important e-government challenge. In addition, security involves
continuous vigilance and protection against the increasing danger of internet worms and viruses).
Also, people need to be educated on the importance of security measures, such as private
passwords, to ensure their own protection. A benchmark survey of Australian and US public
managers to point out that security is considered to be a major barrier to the implementation of e-
government by 36.8% of Australian respondents and by 37% of US respondents, with Australian
respondents, ranking it the second most important obstacle to e-government implementationn. A
body of security professionals should be set up to respond to threats and breaches. Also, the need
for authority and an infrastructure encryption system has to be given top-priority.
Organizational barriers:
The implementation of e-government is not a pure technical issue only, but rather an organizational
issue.Organizational challenges include: lack of top management support, resistance to change to
electronic ways, lack of inter-sector and inter-departmental collaboration, and lack of qualified
personnel and training.
Top management support:
The implementation of e-government requires the support from the leaders and top management
of government for successful implementation. Top management support refers to the promise from
leaders to accept, support and adopt the e-government systems and applications. Therefore, it plays
a significant role in the adoption and implementation of e-government. In fact, leadership is one
of the main driving factors in every new and innovative project or initiative, so it is necessary for
the implementation of e-government. The support from high-level executives and operatives is
vital to e-government development, the gaining of required resources and training, the cooperation
and coordination between partners and stakeholders for the success of e-government
implementation.
 30

Resistance to change to electronic ways:

E-government is a new phenomenon in many places, which in the work place means the
transformation from manual methods of work to electronic ones. These new changes will create a
new advanced environment completely different to what has been used for many years in
government departments). Many employees see e-government implementation as a threat to their
positions and fear losing their jobs and power. However, to decrease resistance to e-government
systems employees have to understand the importance and significance of e-government and be
assured that their employment is not in danger. Through retraining and ddevelopments, the
employees can be reassigned new roles. Moreover, it is important that e-government leaders
identify the sources of resistance and create a plan for treating them.
Collaboration:
Collaboration and cooperation between all partners or stakeholders is a critical factor in the e-
government implementation process to gain a successful e-government system. The cooperation
between public and private sectors is necessary to provide resources, plans, skills and experiences
that the government may not otherwise have. Government should encourage all sectors to
participate in the e-government implementation and development.
Lack of qualified personnel and training:
Lack of ICT skills is a major challenge to an e-government implementation, especially in
developing countrys. The e-government system can be implemented successfully if qualified
personnel are available to take the role of starting and developing the e-government system. Iin
general, it is vital to focus on training and education programmers to enhance the progress of e-
government projects. However, training is a fundamental prerequisite as the rate of change
increases and new technologies, practices and competitive models appear. The full economic
benefits of ICT depend on a process of training and learning skills, which is still at an important
stage for all governments.
Social barriers:
Social issues are mainly concerned with the usability of e-government systems by a large variety
of people. This implies that the interface must be usable by all kinds of people within the
government and the general populace. Social obstacles include many factors such as digital divide,
culture, education and income. In this area, the first two factors will be illustrated but it should be
noted that public education has been strongly linked to e-government success.
 31

Digital divide:
The digital divide refers to the gap in opportunity between those who have access to the internet
and those who do not. Those who do not have access to the internet will be unable to benefit from
e-government services. Thuus, digital divide is “the gap between those with access to computers
and the internet and those without”
Therefore, not all people have the suitable access to computers and internet, whether owing to a
lack of income, necessary skills, or internet access. Macing computers available in public
locations, such as libraries, post offices and shopping centers, could help in addressing the digital
divide. The lack of internet access among society is considered the most.
Culture:
The main barriers to the adoption of e-government are not just technical, but also hinge on cultural
implications of new technologies. Culture is defined as a set of important assumptions, beliefs and
values that all members of a society share in common.This implies that any change in opposition
to societal norms is more likely to meet resistance. According to Davison and Martin sons, “culture
is difficult to study partially because it is not an easy concept to define”. Cultural differences and
individual behavior patterns play a role in the acceptance and use of new technology. Culateral
issues have negatively affected the acceptance and adoption of e-government system in some
developed countries such as the UK and Japan. However, a cultural issue is not easily tangible, it
must be given more planning so that technical change is implemented. What one can infer is that
e-government acceptance will only start to be realized if it is introduced in a culturally sensitive
manner. Adoption may require persistent but gentle pressure to insert innovation into a culture and
make a population aware of its value.
Financial barriers:
The lack of financial support is considered a significant obstacle to the implementation of e-
government in many countries. It is necessary to ensure the availability of the existing and expected
budgetary resources to achieve the goals. A most serious and significant barrier to the
implementation of e-government is a lack of money; e-government implementation is expensive.
Since every government budget is already overburdened with every possible expense budget
makers can fit into it, the suggestion to expend the considerable sums that an excellent e-
government will cost is a non-starter, in budgetary terms, and in budgetary politics stated that
because of the high cost of implementation and maintenance of the computer systems, many
 32

countries find a dilemma in funding e-government programmers, even when a government entity
has a plan for effective and accessible e-government. A major obstacle to e-government,
particularly in developing countries, is the lack of finance for capital investment in new
technology. The abilities of government offices to place services online and to use technology for
democratic outreach are hampered by budget considerations. Finally, the total cost, including the
high cost of systems hardware and maintenance, software’s, training and education, are always
seen as major barriers inhibiting agencies and governments from using the technologies.
Strategies for e-government:
Following underlying principles have been used in the formulation of Pakistan’s revised E-
government strategy.
Human Resource:
The right quality and quantity of dedicated human resource and their long term retention is the
most critical factor in the implementation of E-Government Program.
Top-level Ownership:
Without it, a fast-paced and successful implementation of E-Government may not be possible.
Requirement of a Comprehensive Plan:
It is required that different areas of E-Government are to be defined along with their priorities and
integration. This is aimed towards implementing projects as part of an integrated approach.
Priority on High-Impact Application:
The E-Government program should focus its resources on high-impact applications which mostly
relate to providing seamless and uninterrupted citizen services.
Security of Government Information:
In view of Pakistan’s strategic location, its participation in war on terror, the threat from hostile
elements, sensitive security situation and considerably weak I.T. security infrastructure and
arrangements, the Government information and data needs to be securely stored in a dedicated
data center at EGD, without any access to the internet. For hosting Government of Pakistan’s Portal
and for providing e-services to citizens over the internet, separate arrangement may be made for
storing the non-sensitive information.
Software Development:
A combination of in-house software development and outsourcing model will be implemented.
 33

On the whole internet Technology has progressed rapidly in the last few years, and the need to
align ourselves strategically about our future course has pressed hard. With the passage of time,
and with the emergence of new technologies at a faster pace, the need arises to adopt a flexible
approach for right and timely response to the technology explosion. Consideration should be paid
to enhance effectiveness of Internet based technologies.
Awareness should be spread that common citizens use internet not only for their private tasks but
should also involve them in public affairs. Immediate measures will be needed to be taken at
Government level before launching the online government. Most of the projects failed to achieve
the objectives due to lack of detail planning and strategies. Nevertheless, it is a sincere hope that
in the future, the government will be able to improve allocation of resources and responsibilities
to promote delivery of services to public sector organizations.
 34

References

Pitb.gov.pk
https://www.pitb.gov.pk/

itu.edu.pk
https://itu.edu.pk/faculty-itu/dr-umar-saif/

E-GOVERNMENT PRACTICES AND MODELS; OPTIONS FOR PAKISTAN (Muhammad

Ilyas), ISSRA Papers 2016

Bernd W. Wirtz and Peter Daiser E-Government Strategy Process Instruments

A Primer on E-Government: Sectors, Stages, Opportunities, and Challenges of Online Government

Updated January 28, 2003 Jeffrey W. Seifert Analyst in Information Science and Technology
Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division

Nitb.edu.pk
http://www.nitb.gov.pk/

https://thesai.org/Downloads/Volume6No6/Paper_9-
Adoption_of_e_Government_in_Pakistan_Supply_Perspective.pdf