[ASPA] Submission of Project Proposal

[Susan Epiepang]

THE ROLE AND BENEFIT OF E-GOVERNMENT IN PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY, ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY AND CURBING CORRUPTION IN CAMEROON.
 
Background (Cause of Study)
 
Public management reform has been on the agendas of many countries long before electronic government emerged, though both of them are mutually dependent for one has to enable the other to deliver.  ELECTRONIC-GOVERNMENT is new in Cameroon. 
 
This project chapter will go all the way to raise awareness to Cameroonians who are already being introduced to differing roles, which stem from advisory and information sharing, to policy development and implementation oversight. Information and communication Technology (ICT) will shoulder the registration, vote counting, and results analytical processes of the upcoming 2011 Presidential Elections in Cameroon, as most aspects of the electoral activities will be carried out electronically. 
 
The government, through its expanding e-governance structure and in order to further the application of information technology in Cameroon, has as focus, the technical, managerial organizational and human aspects of technology to be used in the public sector. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was introduced in Cameroon some 10 years ago but this wonderful idea of Electronic Government was introduced, a year ago In Cameroon under the auspices of the Prime Ministry of the Country.
 
So far not so good. Since the structure cannot embrace all the aspects of e-government at the same time, it has decided to start from some where. There is the PKI project which embraces e-campus, e-health, e-language registration certificate, e-passport. So what I am going to gather from the field during this research will go a long way, to add in the fast programming of e-governance in Cameroon.
 
Project overview
 
This project proposal will have as title: THE ROLE AND BENEFIT OF E-GOVERNMENT IN PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY, ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY AND CURBING CORRUPTION IN CAMEROON.
 
The work will be divided into five main parts:
 
1-     Concepts - (How e-government came about);
2-     Reasons for e-government in Cameroon - (efficiency, policy outcomes, economic objectives, public reform, ‘with special focus on it’s role and benefit on promoting transparency, accountability and corrupt practices’ citizen engagement in government trust building and reform, facilitate engagements between government and other nations, e-commerce);
3-     Challenges – Barriers to its good practices. (legislative, financing of e-governance projects, data collection, technology for better structuring)
4-     Front and Back office encounters – (on-line services, organizational changes, leadership, coordination, government agencies collaboration, data sharing, citizen engagement is imminent, public-private partnership);
5-     Summary – e-government in other countries which have succeeded (USA, UK, Hong-kong etc… including some African countries). 
 
The objective of this piece of work will be nothing less than to sensitize and to demystify Cameroonians from heard-of words like Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Information Technology (IT), On-line Services (Internet) and E-Government. 
 
Administrative Information
 
I shall have the main responsibility for the technical and administrative coordination of this project. This notwithstanding, I shall be working with some field members, who are based in the e-government office here in Cameroon, international organisations with branches, scholars, Ministries, Stakeholders and Researchers.
 
 Problems and Justification
 
To provide you with a brief overview of the literature and research done in the  field  related  to the subject matter in question, I would  say e-government is new  in my country, and  people of all classes are itching to know exactly its  concern, its benefit to both  the highly classed citizen and  the common man, its role in promoting  transparency proper stock taking and curbing corruption which has eaten deep into the whole system, until Cameroon was classified three (03) times world’s most corrupt country by the “African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and Related Offences (Transparency International)”. 
 
I will also like to look at e-government in other countries which have succeded and also look at what others have said concerning e-government in Africa, with focus on institutions financing it. The United Nations Development Programe (UNDP), United Nations and other financial institutions, plays a wonderful role in financing e-government.
 
Objectives
 
The general objectives of this research is to look at the government’s efforts aimed at archiving the  millennium goal, by  applying  the policy of e-governance which will enhance good governance for  the  wellbeing of its citizens.
 
 The specific objective is creating public awareness on the importance of e-government. This will be done by the use of theoretical and case study examples, with the aim of touching all classes of people since 70% of Africans and 98% of Cameroonians are ignorant of the Concept, Role and Benefit of e-government. On the other hand, those who are aware are not finding it easy through to have access to information due to the fact that:
- very few enterprises are making proper use of the ICTs in carrying out their activities;
-  many Ministerial websites only exist in principle, as they usually read “This page is not available”;
-  when available, such websites carry the logo of the Ministry and the images of Senior Officials of the Ministry, but without any further information.
 
 I also  intend to produce a 30 pages pamphlet which will serve as  hand outs for sensitization purposes, including  short sketches on T.V and  Radio talks to actually sensitize even  the illiterate who cannot  have  the time to read, but listen and watch.
 
 
Methodology
 
This research topic is very important to Cameroonians, Africans and to the World at large. The following methods will be used to come out with the best results;
 
 
 
 Conceptual and Theoritical Framework: 
 
This research will be exploratory and highly structured, giving its quantitative and qualitative conceptual framework as well as the theoretical frame of reference that will guide the research. The research topic is selected, given that it is what is making news in Cameroon at moment, as many anti-corruption institutions have been formed. 
- I shall have to meet the Directors of these organisations and collect data.
* For instance the Anti Corruption Commission (CONAC), Anti Corruption Units in Ministries, Ministry of Justice (incharge of questioning and locking up Senior Government Officials accused of embezzling States funds), Human Rights Centres, Good Governance Programme in Cameroon, Transparency international.
 
-         The production of a questionnaire of about 2 pages asking Cameroonians who have tried practicing e-governance, what has been their experience so far.
-         Investigate inter-agency collaborations in running major government services.
 
-         The gender issue will be taken into consideration, with special emphasis on “the role of women in elections” which is one of the major concerns as far as e-government is concerned. 
 
-         Since  some  of the  information is also  found  on the  internet, I shall be using  net search machines to carryout  some of  the  research work.
 
 Results and dissemination of Information
 
If accepted and well financed, I shall organise workshops, conferences, radio and television talks.
Research inevitably leads to the creation of intellectual property. Due to the fact that this is a proposed project the intellectual property right will depend on the organisers.
 
Evaluation
 
If e-governance becomes good governance in Cameroon, then this will motivate government:
-         to develop software infrastructure all over the Republic; that will support the general exchange of information among agencies, facilitate collaboration between them, and provide organizational and semantic support for such collaboration in selected public sector domains such as social welfare, health services, disaster management, identification centres, campuses and tourism;
-         to carry out legal reform, disseminate information and facilitate voter registration and other stages of the electoral process;
-         to encourage the use of internet in schools whereby students can receive lectures.
 
--- On Wed, 3/24/10, Lyris ListManager <lyris-noreply at lyris.unisg.ch> wrote:


From: Lyris ListManager <lyris-noreply at lyris.unisg.ch>
Subject: Dateianhangversand nicht moeglich/No Attachment allowed
To: sepiepang at yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 7:42 AM



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