1. E-GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES IN ROMANIA AND BUCHAREST Mirela MINCA Head of International Programs and Cooperation BUCHAREST

2. E-Government Initiatives in Romania Due to the technological breakthroughs in the IT, the e-government initiatives transformed from a visionary trend into reality and even smaller countries such as Romania started to adopt these kind of initiatives.

3. E-Government Initiatives in Romania Such examples include:  the National Electronic System (www.guvernare.ro);www.guvernare.ro  Bucharest City (www.pmb.ro)www.pmb.ro

4. National Electronic System (www.e-guvernare.ro)www.e-guvernare.ro At the national level through Law no. 161/2003 regarding measures to insure transparency for public administration and the business environment and preventing and sanctioning corruption, The National Electronic System was implemented. The main goal for the implementation of such a system was to optimize the administrative activity.

5. National Electronic System (www.e-guvernare.ro)www.e-guvernare.ro The specific objectives for creating the governmental website are: - Reduce public expenditures, bureaucracy and corruption in public institutions; - Increase the transparency when administrating public funds; - Improve the access to information; - Provide quality services through electronic means; - Promote cooperation between various public institutions; - Promote the use of internet and other innovative technologies by public institutions.

6. National Electronic System (www.e-guvernare.ro)www.e-guvernare.ro The web-site is divided in 2 main sections: Quick access; General interest.

7. National Electronic System (www.e-guvernare.ro)www.e-guvernare.ro In the QUICK ACCESS section the citizens can find the following:  Various online services;  Submit declarations area;  The online payment desk;  Transport permits area;  Electronic procurements area;  Various online forms;  So on.

8. National Electronic System (www.e-guvernare.ro)www.e-guvernare.ro In the GENERAL INTEREST section the citizens can find links to:  Various institutions such as: ministers, city halls and other public institutions;  E-government legislation;  A themed catalogue;  Postal codes;  So on.

9. E-government Initiative - Bucharest City Hall BRIEF DESCRIPTION On the website (www.pmb.ro), one can find a series of e-services such as :www.pmb.ro  Online public projects the City Hall wants to implement;  Reports;  Online public debates;  Online viewing of the General Council’s meetings;  Online forms;  Online information about how to request a permit: for instance for constructing a building;  Online petitions and requests;  A tracking application in order for a citizen to find out what is happening to one’s request;  Online payments (a link to www.ghiseul.ro – the online payment portal)www.ghiseul.ro  Online interactive map;  Links to subordinated institutions from cultural to financial and so on.

10. E-government Initiative – Bucharest City Hall DISPLAY

11. E-government Initiative – Bucharest City Hall PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENTS Redesigning the website in a orderly and user friendly manner, including an English version for foreigners; Recognizing the crucial role of the citizens and involving them more by setting up a forum where one can pose questions and receive answers in real time; Setting up a poll where citizens can promote their own initiatives regarding the City, recognizing thus once again the importance of the constituents; Creating a centralized data-base where the citizens can find anything related to the City such as: public properties, infrastructure information (roads, gas lines, sewage system, etc. At present, the main roads are administrated by the General City Hall, the gas lines and sewage system by separate private companies and each of these institutions has its own data-base and the information is not centralized.), taxes and so on - In 2006-2007, a feasibility study to this effect was conducted by an American Company called ARD, but unfortunately, after that, the project was abandoned;

12. E-government Initiative – Bucharest City Hall PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVEMENTS Continuing with the info-kiosk project that was started in 2005, but that was put on hold due to budgetary cuts. In 2005, in order to better inform our constituents, the General Council decided to approve the placement of 100 info-kiosks in Bucharest; Recognizing the traffic problem and creating an integrated traffic management system that includes an application where one can learn if a street is jammed and avoid it; Implementing the parking system via text that is used by Croatia and Hungary; Becoming more involved in WeGO – the World E-Government Organization and other similar organizations; Increasing information and experience exchanges in this area and adopting successful projects from other cities; Training the employees in order to understand the new public management trend and hiring competent IT specialists; Use the social media channels; Involving expert consultants in order to find the appropriate ways to improve the existing situation.

13. E-Government Initiatives in Romania CONCLUSIONS I From the point of view of the users, the e-government platforms that were implemented seem to be easy to use, unfortunately on the websites there were no information about the number of users and their satisfaction with the systems;

14. E-Government Initiatives in Romania CONCLUSIONS II The most difficult challenge that all the institutions that are implementing online services are experiencing is a low rate of internet coverage in Romania;  According to EUROSTAT most recent survey, only 47% of Romanians have access to internet;  Moreover, 54% of the population in Romania have never used a computer;  Romania is on the last place regarding the high-speed connection to internet (31%).

15. E-Government Initiatives in Romania CONCLUSIONS III Another challenge that the Romanian authorities are facing is the lack of trust of the Romanians in the online systems; Also, due to the low salaries and economic crisis, most of the Romanian IT specialists left the country, thus creating a shortage of experts in the public sector;

16. E-Government Initiatives in Romania CONCLUSIONS IV From my point of view, the e-government initiatives are the next step in the development of public administration and Romania has to adapt to the latest trends in New Public Management. By using such systems, the citizens and the institutions are saving costs, time and protect the environment. Romania has to solve the problem of internet coverage and to educate its population in order to understand that the e-government programs are there for their benefit.

17. Bibliography: www.e-guvernare.ro http://www.admpubl.snspa.ro/fisiere/japonia/Dimensiuni%20practice% 20ale%20conceptului%20de%20eguvernare%20in%20Romania%20si %20Japonia%20%20Alexandra%20Cristescu.pdf http://www.admpubl.snspa.ro/fisiere/japonia/Dimensiuni%20practice% 20ale%20conceptului%20de%20eguvernare%20in%20Romania%20si %20Japonia%20%20Alexandra%20Cristescu.pdf www.pmb.ro www.we-gov.org http://www.ziare.com/internet-si-tehnologie/acces-internet/suntem-pe- primul-loc-in-ue-la-lipsa-de-acces-la-internet-1139879 http://www.ziare.com/internet-si-tehnologie/acces-internet/suntem-pe- primul-loc-in-ue-la-lipsa-de-acces-la-internet-1139879

18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!