Singapur es un país cuya cultura innovadora ya no me sorprende. Desde la calidad y el servicio ultra eficiente de Singapore Airlines hasta la implementación del ambicioso plan iGov2010, la innovación práctica no distingue barreras entre lo público y lo privado. Bien haría nuestro gobierno en adoptar iniciativas costo-eficientes y de enorme valor agregado como CitizenConnect, programa creado para incorporar a las comunidades menos favorecidas de ese país en la construcción de su Estado-Nación. Lograr una versión chola no es tarea tan compleja; con un poco de criterio y mucha voluntad política, bajo la dirección de nuestra desconocida pero entusiasta ONGEI, se podrían incorporar elementos de "Transparencia", Plan Huascarán y cabinas públicas (entre otros afines) para diseñar, implementar y difundir este valioso servicio en todo el Perú.
The CitizenConnect Programme offers free use of computer and Internet facilities, as well as friendly assistance at strategic community locations, which allows all Singapore residents to have access to government online services near their workplace and home, irrespective of any barriers posed by a lack of access to Internet, low Internet literacy or low English literacy.
One of the strategic thrust of Singapore’s iGov2010 masterplan is to “Increase the Reach and Richness of e-Services”. The CitizenConnect Programme is part of this strategic thrust to extend the reach of e-services to our citizens, especially those who are less Internet-savvy. With more than 1,600 government e-services online, it is important to bridge the digital divide and bring the benefits of these e-services to those who may not have Internet access or who need help with these services.
Through the CitizenConnect Programme, every citizen, especially those who are less privileged, not infocomm savvy or non-English speaking, can now reap the benefits of government e-services. Rather than having to visit various government customer service counters, citizens can now access government e-services at no cost at a convenient CitizenConnect Centre near them.
With more citizens increasingly carrying out their transactions at the CitizenConnect locations, the programme may also bring about a reduction of service counters at government agencies.
The proposal for the implementation of the CitizenConnect Programme was first submitted on 16 Jun 2005, which recommended the establishment of CitizenConnect Centres in five community clubs as a pilot project, so as to better assess the feasibility for more Centres to be set up.
The first five Centres for the pilot project were progressively set up and opened between October 2005 and January 2006, and were strategically located in neighbourhood Community Clubs owned by the People’s Association. These Centres are equipped with two computer terminals and peripherals for online transactions. Citizens can also seek assistance from the customer service officers at the Centres.
During the pilot period, the government received strong positive feedback on the usefulness of the Centres. This led to 22 other Centres being added, extending the reach of government online services to more customers. These Centres include an additional 20 Community Clubs and Community Centres, one at the Central Provident Fund Board’s Jurong Service Centre and another at the premises to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. All 27 centres were fully operational by November 2006, and the 28th centre was setup in May 2007 at the Bukit Batok Civil Service College. All these centres are located near/within residential areas.
Yearly reviews are conducted on whether the intended objectives are met and whether the current network of Centres is adequate to meet the needs of our citizens. The operations will be continually fine-tuned to ensure that the centres remain relevant to our citizens. More CitizenConnect Centres will also be set up if there is user demand.
The CitizenConnect Programme was conceived and implemented following the objectives outlined by the iGov2010 masterplan, which charts the future of infocomm and government e-services for Singapore. One of the thrusts of iGov2010 is to increase the reach and richness of government e-services, with the long-term goal of bridging the digital divide.
The use of ICT means that citizens can transact with the government anytime and anywhere. The use of ICT has made it possible for us to replicate and extend e-services into the heartlands and homes at minimal costs. This is true for the CitizenConnect Programme because those who need help in accessing government e-services no longer need to travel to the Central Business District. They can have access to government online services near their homes and workplace.
According to the “2007 e-Government Customer Perception Survey”, the percentage of Singapore citizens who transacted with the government using non-electronic means dropped to 11%, which is a significant improvement from the 26% figure in 2004.
The CitizenConnect Programme is a central initiative that aims to bring government e-services to citizens who do not have access to the Internet or need help with government e-services. Trusted agencies which have the knowledge on government e-services would be able to replicate the CitizenConnect Centres.
Among the 28 Centres currently available, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, the Central Provident Fund Board and the Bukit Batok Civil Service College have successfully replicated CitizenConnect Centres in their offices.
There are now 28 CitizenConnect Centres, 25 of which operate beyond regular working hours. These Centres are strategically located and are readily accessible throughout Singapore, near to where citizens live or work. Citizens can seek personalised assistance at any of the Centres.
Each centre is equipped with two personal computers with Internet access and online payment peripherals such as cashcard readers. Citizens can visit the Centres to transact with the government online. Customer service officers are available to offer help and guidance if necessary. At the same time, the officers will help the citizens seek the necessary coordinated responses from multiple agencies pertaining to their online transactions, thereby assisting citizens with the complexity involved in having to interact with different agencies all at once.
Though the CitizenConnect Programme does not involve building of complex IT infrastructure or applications, it has effectively bridged the digital divide and revolutionised the options available to the Singapore government by breaking down the language and education barriers traditionally associated with online services.
Fuente: Stockholm Challenge
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