e-Governance – It’s All About Leadership

What does e-Governance look like in the simplest way, without diving into theory or definitions? It’s straightforward: citizens receive the services they need quickly, at less cost, in less time, and with lessr visits. This concept is popularly known as TCV reduction (Time, Cost, and Visit reduction) in Bangladesh, defining public service innovation. It has now been fully institutionalized by the Cabinet Division as a key measure of innovation.

However, if there’s a massive, automated system with various digital tools in place but no citizens using it, there’s no e-Governance. Likewise, if citizens are present but the system and tools are unresponsive, then e-Governance isn’t happening. You might have digital interventions, but if they don’t truly benefit the citizens, they don’t contribute to e-Governance.

Four Key Steps in Public Sector e-Governance

1. e-Administration – This is about service providers, meaning government officials, adopting a digital mindset. They don’t need deep technical expertise right away, but they must be pro-digital and committed to delivering e-Services. Mindset is leadership—knowledge and skills follow quickly when officials are proactive and accountable to citizens. Without this mindset, e-Governance fails. In fact, individuals without a leadership mindset are practically useless for a country’s transformation; in some cases, they even become barriers to progress. Senior government officials must take responsibility for improving processes and fostering innovation.
   
2. e-Services – A core part of e-Governance is making services available online. If services aren’t digital, the system and tools are useless. Again, leadership plays a crucial role in ensuring services are digitized, made faster, and designed based on citizen demand. If services exist online but aren’t user-friendly or responsive to public needs, the entire system breaks down. Strong leadership at various levels must drive continuous digital innovation.
3. e-Customers – Are citizens ready to use online services? In Bangladesh, urban populations are more digitally literate, but in rural areas, digital literacy is low, and there is a fear of technology, reinforced by colonial-era mindsets among both citizens and service providers. How can large rural populations be encouraged to engage with online services? Again, policymakers and service providers must lead efforts to raise awareness, generate interest, and break down psychological barriers. Without leadership from both citizens and officials, progress stalls. In advanced discussions, co-creation—where citizens and government collaborate on service innovation—is key. This won’t happen automatically; strong and proactive leadership is essential.
4. e-Society – This includes the private sector, businesses, and NGOs. Are they fully prepared? In Bangladesh, the answer is no—not yet. While private enterprises face fewer bureaucratic hurdles and have greater opportunities to adopt technology, there’s still a lack of strong public-private collaboration. The private sector can generate evidence-based use cases that the government can scale, but such partnerships are rare. Again, leadership is needed—from private sector actors willing to take initiative and from government leaders willing to foster connections and drive cooperation. When both sectors align, real e-Governance can take shape.

This is just an introductory discussion. Your experiences and insights can help enrich it further. Let’s keep the conversation going!