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Revue de l’Institut du Monde et du Développement | 107
The second one is the implementation of an Electronic Journal for Public
Information. The Act on Access to Public Information makes available on
the Internet an official electronic journal for public information of communi-
ties, cities, provinces and central administrations. This information system
has been developed through Gateways in order to offer citizens the possibil-
ity to settle procedures electronically, use data resources and find infor-
mation about events taking place in their region.
B. Local Authorities Confronted with the Digital Gap
Digital technologies have effects on local governance as it has been analyzed
by dealing with the objectives of the modernization of “e-local services”.
However, as it has already been noticed, the financial costs of the implemen-
tation of e-services are heavy – so it is very important to take this criterion
into account in order to analyze the success or the failure of the e-
government reform at local or regional level.
The financial criterion is very important for several reasons. The first one is
that local governments have to find new resources to provide new technolo-
gies. Secondly, employees of local authorities have to be trained not only to
use digital technologies but to make the access easier to users as well. This
aspect highlights that public sector employees both at local and central level
are a significant part of the digital modernization. If they are trained, they
could be the actors of the modernization of e-services. Regarding our topic, it
means that employees of local authorities can become the actors of the local
good governance.
They are an important key of reform but the training of the employees of
local authorities is also a heavy financial cost. From another point of view,
this cost has to be taken into account. Indeed, European subsidies are provid-
ed to help local governments to implement e-government process. But this
situation leads to a paradox: applying for these subsidies is sometimes very
difficult and complicated for local governments because of the lack of train-
ing of the employees of local government…
At the light of this analysis, the success or the failure of the local good gov-
ernance depends on the possibility of local government to finance e-process.
The stake is that local governments who can afford to finance the e-process
will manage to implement and develop it.
On the other hand, small municipalities or regions that cannot finance the
digitalization of local public services may stay dissociated from this modern-
ization. The main problem is then to face the digital gap.
RIMD – n o 3 – 2012
The second one is the implementation of an Electronic Journal for Public
Information. The Act on Access to Public Information makes available on
the Internet an official electronic journal for public information of communi-
ties, cities, provinces and central administrations. This information system
has been developed through Gateways in order to offer citizens the possibil-
ity to settle procedures electronically, use data resources and find infor-
mation about events taking place in their region.
B. Local Authorities Confronted with the Digital Gap
Digital technologies have effects on local governance as it has been analyzed
by dealing with the objectives of the modernization of “e-local services”.
However, as it has already been noticed, the financial costs of the implemen-
tation of e-services are heavy – so it is very important to take this criterion
into account in order to analyze the success or the failure of the e-
government reform at local or regional level.
The financial criterion is very important for several reasons. The first one is
that local governments have to find new resources to provide new technolo-
gies. Secondly, employees of local authorities have to be trained not only to
use digital technologies but to make the access easier to users as well. This
aspect highlights that public sector employees both at local and central level
are a significant part of the digital modernization. If they are trained, they
could be the actors of the modernization of e-services. Regarding our topic, it
means that employees of local authorities can become the actors of the local
good governance.
They are an important key of reform but the training of the employees of
local authorities is also a heavy financial cost. From another point of view,
this cost has to be taken into account. Indeed, European subsidies are provid-
ed to help local governments to implement e-government process. But this
situation leads to a paradox: applying for these subsidies is sometimes very
difficult and complicated for local governments because of the lack of train-
ing of the employees of local government…
At the light of this analysis, the success or the failure of the local good gov-
ernance depends on the possibility of local government to finance e-process.
The stake is that local governments who can afford to finance the e-process
will manage to implement and develop it.
On the other hand, small municipalities or regions that cannot finance the
digitalization of local public services may stay dissociated from this modern-
ization. The main problem is then to face the digital gap.
RIMD – n o 3 – 2012
