The US ranks fourth.
AUGUST 28, 2006 – The Center for Public Policy at Brown University studied 1,782 government Web sites in 198 different countries in the summer of 2006 to determine the level of e-government services across the globe. Features assessed included the availability of online information and electronic services, privacy and security, and public access.
South Korea was ranked top among all nations with a score of 60.3 out of a possible 100. This means that the government Web sites analyzed for that nation had more than half of the features important for information availability, citizen access, portal access and service delivery. The United States and Canada came fourth and fifth, respectively.
Other findings included:
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29% of government Web sites surveyed offer services that are fully executable online, up from 19% last year
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94% of government Web sites in 2006 provide access to publications and 72% have links to databases
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26% of government Web sites show privacy policies (up from 18% in 2005), while 14% have security policies (up from 10% in 2005)
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23% of government Web sites have some form access for persons with disabilities, up from 19% in 2005
The report said of South Korea’s e-government systems:
“Korea’s sites feature an impressive level of organization and offer a wealth of information and services. The eGov portal site alone provides users with over 500 services executable online. Other departmental pages offer a wide range of e-services, such as paying taxes, checking bar exam results, or searching for lost relatives in North Korea. All sites contain publications and databases, and nearly all offer audio or video clips. The Korean sites are also highly customizable, with a majority allowing the user to manage his or her own activities. In addition, most sites offer PDA or wireless access, and nearly all allow visitors to sign up for e-mail updates. Also notable are the interactive features available for users � virtually every site contains a prominent guestbook or forum as well as the option to petition the particular department. Furthermore, the Korean pages feature a clever design characterized by colorful drawings and icons which are appealing to the eye and allow for easy navigation. Overall, Korea’s site offers an abundance of features while remaining user-friendly for its visitors.”
The US e-government system also ranked very highly among all categories measured. In an alternative study commissioned by the University of Maryland, the data show that usage of US government Web services, across all levels of government, has grown significantly over the last five years.
But there is still room for improvement, according to data from the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, which showed that consumers are not as satisfied as they could be with US e-government Web sites.
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