Information Society Watch

May 2005, Kris Snijkers, Public Management Institute, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

In this paper the authors argue that the present e-Government approach is a technology-driven one. They point out the difference between a technology-driven approach and an approach in which classic values of public administration are the leading principles. These values cover economic values (e.g. effectiveness and efficiency), democratic values (e.g. accountability, equity) and legal values (e.g. rule of law, privacy). On the one hand, these values are contradictory; on the other hand, ICTs are an instrument that gives us new possibilities to find a balance between them. This theoretical framework is further explored and illustrated by a Belgian case in which ICTs successfully were used to improve public administration in all its aspects (Adapted from authors).

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