A Critical Impulse to e-Governance in the Asia Pacific (PDF)

Amita Singh is a Professor of Law and Governance at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance at Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is also the Secretary General of NAPSIPAG (Network of Asia Pacific Schools and Institutes of Public Administration and Governance), a governance research network for the Asia Pacific region. She has written extensively on administrative reforms and the conservation of ecology and ecosystems. Her Australia India Council Fellowship in 2006 and subsequent association with the Government Innovators Network at the Ash Institute of Democratic Governance (Harvard University) have brought her close to technology issues in government reforms. Currently she is involved in studying the nature of partnerships which govern Information and Communication Technology in Asia Pacific countries.

“Everyone who wants to think clearly and productively about how information and communication technology may transform governance, citizenship, and political culture should read this masterful, comprehensive, yet succinct analysis of the big questions and issues involved. Professor Singh cannot tame the Internet but she can and does make the potential impacts of e-governance on democratization, individual privacy, freedom of speech, and law highly intelligible.”

David H. Rosenbloom, Distinguished Professor, School of Public Affairs, American University, Washington DC, USA

“This wide ranging analysis uses concepts from philosophy, sociology, psychology and political economy to help understand how successful adoption of information and communication technology by Asian governments depends on productive coordination among government agencies, business, and civil society. It also requires a foundation of effective institutions, communication infrastructure, inter-operability across platforms,technical skills, and wide accessibility for the potential benefits to be realized.”

Clay Wescott, Director, Asia Pacific Governance Institute, Washington DC, USA

“The book emphasizes the dynamic nature of governance and the realities of its impact on development. It touches the core principles of political economy. Governments looking for answers will able to find them in this book. The chapter on the epistemological and the theoretical discourse highlights some of the fundamental flaws of conceptualising e-governance in isolation from ICT. Whilst the Australian case study highlights the theoretical debate on governance and ICT, it also provides an example of how other actors in the economy can pose a challenge to government efforts.”

DatukDr. Norma Mansor, Director, Social Security Research Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia