e-government:Open, Approachable Government Websites

By XUE SONGYAN

REFORM of administrative structures and innovation in social management have been integral to Chinas reform and opening-up. At their core has been a transformation of the governments role from administrative bureaucracy to service provider.

The Internet, as a relatively new form of media readily accessible to the public, has given impetus to this transformation process. Especially in governmental realms, websites have encouraged openness and transparency. With the click of a mouse, people can read all about budgets, leave comments and opinions, and participate in the formulation of policy. This has boosted confidence in government itself.

Last February, a Chinese student was detained in Manila Airport in the Philippines. A Chinese man at the scene sent out the news on Weibo – a twitter-like microblogging service. Four hours later,“Diplomatic Smarts,” the official Weibo account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, made its first response:“Upon reading about the detainment on Weibo, Diplomatic Smarts immediately contacted the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, which sent a consular official to the airport. It turned out that the student was denied entrance to the country because of incomplete arrival documentation. The consular official is helping secure his entry.”

Ten minutes later “Diplomatic Smarts” sent out another piece of information – the mobile phone number of the responsible consular official. Travel- ers were advised to call the number in case of emergencies in the Philippines. Other telephone numbers of Chinese institutions in the country were also given. The posting of this information was lauded by netizens as a great example of prompt government response. Microblogs like Weibo in particular have become indispensable in helping the public exercise their rights to supervise, learn about and participate in the administration of public affairs.

In March 2010, the State Council announced that government expenditures on receptions, transportation and overseas travel would be detailed for the first time in the June central financial report to the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress – a document available for anyone to read. By August 2010 almost all 98 departments and ministries of the central government had laid bare their expenditures to the public, the exceptions being those working with state secrets. This release of expenditure data drew considerable public attention and sparked heated debate.

Since the central government launched its government website project in 1999, the web presence of ministries and commissions of the State Council and local governments has rapidly developed. Originally focused on gaining an online presence, by 2010 government websites had set about reinventing themselves as interactive portals through which information and services are shared freely. The goal is the same as always – openness and transparency, but the platform is greatly improved.

Through cloud computing and mobile internet technologies, the authorities are now vastly better equipped to deal with pressing issues, accidents and fact correction. Websites offer a direct line to the people – important government information, when released, goes straight to those it affects.

Immediate and effective

Compared to traditional media, websites are able to respond quickly to incidents and convey information to a large audience immediately and effectively. This affords websites an invaluable role in coping with emergencies.

Information cannot be suppressed, especially if it concerns dangerous or controversial incidents. If information is withheld from the public, the Internet usually plays the role of whistleblower, although the reliability of online sources then comes into question. Wu Heping, press spokesman of the Ministry of Pub- lic Security, summarized the point eloquently: “If the truth is withheld, rumors arise; if a major thoroughfare is blocked, small back roads teem with dangerous amounts of traffic.”

Many government websites have become proficient at coping with situations that require rapid responses from the authorities. A number of examples prove the point.

When SARS was rampant in 2003, local authorities throughout China were forced to carry out extensive quarantine procedures. This had the effect of stifling the flow of information, especially when traditional media coverage of SARS was sparse domestically.

At the time of the outbreak, the Wuhu municipal government in Anhui Province had just launched its website. The authorities quickly recognized the value of their web presence, and began posting regular updates on SARS on their homepage and encouraged citizens to share breaking news on the site. After the SARS panic subsided, the Wuhu municipal government website remained a popular information-sharing forum for residents.

Surveys suggest that falls are the primary cause of death for seniors 65-andover in China. Taking care of the young as well as the aged is regarded as a virtue and a serious responsibility in traditional Chinese culture. The recent “Peng Yu Case,” however, has led to public caution in helping elderly who take falls. The case concerned a senior citizen named Xu Shoulan who fractured her hip after being knocked to the ground at a crowded bus stop. Peng Yu, an innocent bystander, rushed her to the hospital but was later accused of pushing her and ordered to pay compensation for her injury. This case and a number of similar incidents became hot topics in China. To clear up the confusion and encourage people to help elderly in distress, the Ministry of Health released the “Technical Guide to Helping Elderly Who Fall” on September 6, 2009. This document, widely read thanks to its online publication, contributed to the easing of the public morality crisis.

The website of the Wuwei municipal government in Gansu Province has also become an example of clarifying facts and stopping the spread of rumors. An example is the recent local gossip that the citys civil servant recruitment process was unfair and favored candidates with rich and powerful parents. It resulted from Jiao Sanniu, a graduate in English from Tsinghua University, being selected to serve as vice director of the Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs after passing rigorous examinations. Jiao was born into a peasant family in a village in Shanxi Province, but rumors had it that he was the son of a high-ranking official. The government website posted detailed information on selection criteria, and the rumors quickly dissipated.

Despite these examples of the Internet aiding transparency and accountability, websites can be a two-edged sword. If government websites respond slowly to incidents, they lose credibility. They need to respond quickly as well as accurately to the issues of the day. To play a role in influencing public sentiment, such websites need to be comprehensive and updated in a timely fashion.

Interactions Narrow the Gap

Due to the benefits of easy, real-time interaction, the Internet has radically changed the work methods and practices of many government departments. Nowadays, more and more government websites are changing the one-way approach through which websites publish and citizens read. Interaction is now the norm.

Online consultations, discussions and surveys have become standard on many government websites, which also change the layout and content of their sites according to peoples recommendations. Many government agencies even document their daily workflow online to increase transparency.

Government websites have sought partnerships with commercial websites to initiate far-reaching programs and activities. For example, in 2011, the Ministry of Public Security initiated a drive called “My Favorite Police Heroes.” The ministrys site featured a special page that ran feature stories on outstanding policemen as voted by the public. The stories also ran on popular websites such as cctv.cn, people.com.cn, sina.com.cn and qq.com. The drive had its intended effect of raising awareness among the public of Chinas real heroes.

These changes in the governments approach to the Internet have come in good time. According to Yu Guoming, a professor of media communications at Renmin University, in the age of the Internet and especially with the appearance of microblogging, preacher-style one-way communication has become inefficient. The primary factor determining the effectiveness of communication is emotional judgment, Yu says. Gaining the publics trust is paramount for private and public institutions alike.

As the first microblog account registered by a ministry, “Diplomatic Smarts”doesnt feature standard diplomatese; posts are light and often humorous. For example, in introducing Chinese followers to the country of Mauritius, the microblog quoted Mark Twain: “Mauritius was made first and heaven after: heaven was copied after Mauritius.”

The post gained popularity online, and the blog added 40,000 followers in one week. This is a great example of eliminating the “formality barrier” between citizens and the government and bringing them closer.

service Comes First

For many years, websites at all levels of government in China have attached importance to making government information public knowledge. Openness was further enhanced by the “Regulations of the PRC on Government Information Disclosure,” which was enacted on April 5, 2007. Today, transparency is key.

On the website of the Ministry of Commerce, almost 100 percent of nonsecret documents are available to be viewed. These cover policies, laws and regulations and statistics, as well as data garnered from international organizations. Transparency and openness have become the principle of the website.

The openness principle also applies to basic information about the ministry. The names of its leaders, a schematic diagram of its organizational structure, and the telephone and fax numbers of its departments are all accessible to visitors of the site.

In 2006, the Ministry of Commerce website released a total of 2.7 million pieces of information. With annual views at 7.2 billion, the websites is widely appreciated as an excellent resource for commercial information.

Wang Juan, an official of the Changsha municipal government in Hunan Province, sums up the governments attitude toward websites in the following way: Government websites need to release information faster than TV, radio and print media, and the information should be strictly examined to ensure its accuracy.Government websites should follow the principle of serving society and the people. Also, an evaluation system should be in place to judge sites on their performance.

The Changsha municipal governments website won first place among provincial capitals in the 2011 national evaluation of government website performance, timely disclosure of government information mentioned as one of its strong points. Wangs ideas on website management would seem to be sound.

The increasing openness and transparency of government business has deepened public understanding of state affairs. The increased online availability of information on personnel, finances, policies and regulations has not only helped government departments to provide more services directly to citizens, but also inspired greater trust in the government.