We recently sponsored the Economist Intelligence Unit to write two papers examining the role of collaboration, interoperability and organizational management in the delivery of government services and systems, the end results make for pretty good reading.
The first document is titled “Towards Seamless Administration” and takes a look at the myriad of barriers that governments here in south east Asia will need to overcome to meet integrated service delivery goals.
Although they may drag their feet, there is a major trend occurring that can act as an accelerant to interagency cooperation. And that trend is e-government. Indeed, the advent of information and communication technology has provided governments with an opportunity not only to optimise their existing services, but also to rethink ministerial functions, agency structures and administrative processes. While change often revolves around internal actors, the need for it is driven by the government’s relationship with its customers: citizens, organisations, businesses and social groups.
The second paper looks at some of these same issues from a more global perspective, recognizing that service delivery in today’s environments often involved some level of international cooperation. “Co-operation in a complex world” examines some of these issues and offers some useful pointers that help frame both the debate and the solutions.
In a globalised world, governments increasingly share common goals: safety and security for their citizens, and opportunities for their economies to grow and their constituents to prosper. To achieve these goals, people, information and goods need to flow freely across the globe, and nations need to accept skills, investment and ideas from each other. International co-operation is therefore essential for the wealth (and welfare) of nations.
Because co-operation matters so much, national governments across the spectrum of economic development are motivated to facilitate dialogue and joint activity across a broad agenda. There are many global issues where South-east Asia plays an important role on the world stage, such as food security, fighting terrorism, tackling climate change and preparing for pandemics. Making progress on these issues requires governments from developed countries to engage developing countries in discussion (and, hopefully, action). Emerging economies look to richer countries to assist them in humanitarian aid and public infrastructure projects, and more broadly to provide the technology, expertise, and methodologies that will spur further economic development.