Waiting for Godot: Testing Transparency, Responsiveness and Interactivity of Serbian Local Governments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4335/15.3.513-528%20(2017)Keywords:
transparency, responsiveness, interactivity, local government, SerbiaAbstract
The e-government has been profoundly changing the expectations of citizens towards local governments worldwide. Policyholders in Serbia have been very active proponents of the implementation of novel e-services in local governments. However, the capacities for full implementation of e-governments are still humble. This paper reports on findings from the study on transparency and online visibility, responsiveness to e-mails, and interactivity of local governments, especially with regard to financial inquires. The study used a multi-step methodology to examine the proactive, reactive and interactive transparency of 169 local governments in Serbia. The results indicate that local governments are relatively transparent, but responsiveness and interactivity are far below expectations.
References
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Bonsón, E., Torres, L., Royo, S. & Flores, F. (2012) Local e-government 2.0: Social media and corporate transparency in municipalities, Government Information Quarterly, 29(2), pp. 123-132, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2011.10.001.
Chadwick, A. & May, C. (2003) Interaction between states and citizens in the age of the Internet:“e‐government” in the United States, Britain, and the European Union, Governance, 16(2), pp. 271-300.
Cicvaric Kostic, S., Vukmirovic, J. & Vlastelica Bakic, T. (2013) The potential of e-government development in emerging markets: Perspective of local government, In proceedings of 21st NISPAcee Annual Conference, 16-18 May, 2013.
da Cruz, N. F., Tavares, A. F., Marques, R. C., Jorge, S. & de Sousa, L. (2016) Measuring local government transparency, Public Management Review, 8(6), pp. 866-893, https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2015.1051572.
Finžgar, M. & Oplotnik, Ž. J. (2013) Comparison of fiscal decentralization systems in EU-27 according to selected criteria, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 11(3), pp. 651-672, https://doi.org/10.4335/11.3.651-672(2013).
Frías-Aceituno, J. V., Rodríguez-Ariza, L. & González-Bravo, M. I. (2013) The effect of societal values on local government transparency: Applying Hofstede's cultural dimensions, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 11(4), pp. 829-850, https://doi.org/10.4335/11.4.829-850(2013).
Gant, D. B. & Gant, J. P. (2002) State web portals: Delivering and financing e-service, PwC: Pricewaterhouse Coopers Endowment for the Business of Government, available at: http://classes.maxwell.syr.edu/psc300_103/GantReport.pdf (December 6, 2016).
Gauld, R., Flett, J., McComb, S. & Gray, A. (2016) How responsive are government agencies when contacted by email? Findings from a longitudinal study in Australia and New Zealand, Government Information Quarterly, 33, pp. 283-290, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2016.03.004.
Gauld, R., Gray, A. & McComb, S. (2009) How responsive is e-government? Evidence from Australia and New Zealand, Government Information Quarterly, 26(1), pp. 69–74, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2008.02.002.
Grimmelikhuijsen, S. G. & Welch, E. W. (2012) Developing and testing a theoretical framework for computer‐mediated transparency of local governments, Public Administration Review, 72(4), pp. 562-571, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02532.x.
Grimmelikhuijsen, S. G. (2010) Transparency of public decision‐making: Towards trust in local government?, Policy & Internet, 2(1), pp. 5-35, https://doi.org/10.2202/1944-2866.1024.
IMF (2007) Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency (Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund).
ITU (2015) Measuring the Information Society Report 2015 (Geneva, Switzerland: International Telecommunication Union).
Katchanovski, I. & La Porte, T. (2005) Cyberdemocracy or Potemkin e-villages? Electronic governments in OECD and post-communist countries, International Journal of Public Administration, 28(7-8), pp. 665-681, https://doi.org/10.1081/PAD-200064228.
Kersting, N. (2016) Participatory turn? Comparing citizens' and politicians' perspectives on online and offline local political participation, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government,14(2), pp. 251-263, https://doi.org/10.4335/14.2.249-263(2016).
Kim, P. S., Halligan, J., Cho, N., Oh, C. H. & Eikenberry, A. M. (2005) Toward participatory and transparent governance: report on the Sixth Global Forum on Reinventing Government, Public Administration Review, 65(6), pp. 646-654, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2005.00494.x.
Kim, S. & Lee, J. (2012) E‐participation, transparency, and trust in local government, Public Administration Review, 72(6), pp. 819-828, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02593.x.
Kleinhans, R., Van Ham, M. & Evans-Cowley, J. (2015) Using social media and mobile technologies to foster engagement and self-organization in participatory urban planning and neighborhood governance, Planning Practice & Research, 30(3), pp. 237-247, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2015.1051320.
Komazec, S., Todorović, I., Krivokapić, Đ. & Jaško, O. (2013) Capacities of local self-governments in Serbia for compliance with EU directives on public procurement, Management, 69, pp. 15-24, https://doi.org/10.7595/management.fon.2013.0028.
Kostić, S. C., Okanović, M., Milosavljević, M. & Vukmirović, J. (2013) Antecedents of citizens' satisfaction with local administration in Serbia, Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, 9(40), pp. 22-34.
Kovac, P. (2015) Contemporary challenges of access to information in public governance in South Eastern Europe, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 13(2), pp. 185-204, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.2.185-204(2015).
Livingstone, S., Lunt, P. & Miller, L. (2007) Citizens and consumers: discursive debates during and after the Communications Act 2003, Media, Culture & Society, 29(4), pp. 613-638.
Lord, K.M. (2006) The perils of promise of global transparency (New York: State University Press of New York).
Marinetto, M. (2003) Who wants to be an active citizen? The politics and practice of community involvement, Sociology, 37(1), pp. 103-120.
Merickova, B. M., Nemec, J. & Svidronova, M. (2015) Co-creation in local public services delivery innovation: Slovak experience, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government,13(3), pp. 521-535, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.3.521-535(2015).
Milosavljevic, M., Milanovic, N. & Benkovic, S. (2016) Politics, policies and public procurement efficiency: A quantitative study of 25 European countries, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 14(3), pp. 537-558, https://doi.org/10.4335/14.3.537-558(2016).
Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications (2013) The aims of the Working Group for the infrastructure of the information systems of state bodies (Belgrade: Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications), available at: http://mtt.gov.rs/en/releases-and-announcements/a-working-group-was-formed-in-order-to-consolidate-the-infrastructure-of-the-information-systems-of-state-bodies/ (December 14, 2016).
Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications (2016) Public debate has been held on the Draft Law on Electronic Document, Electronic Identification and Electronic Trust Services, available at: http://mtt.gov.rs/en/releases-and-announcements/public-debate-on-the-draft-law-on-electronic-document-electronic-identification-and-electronic-trust-services/?lang=lat (December 2, 2016).
Moon, M. J. (2003) Can IT help government to restore public trust? Declining public trust and potential prospects of IT in the public sector, In proceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference, https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2003.1174303.
Mossberger, K., Wu, Y. & Crawford, J. (2013) Connecting citizens and local governments? Social media and interactivity in major US cities, Government Information Quarterly, 30(4), pp. 351-358, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2013.05.016.
Muñoz, L. A. & Bolívar, M. P. R. (2015) Determining factors of Transparency and accountability in local governments: A meta-analytic study, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 13(2), pp. 129-160, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.2.129-160(2015).
Park, H. & Blenkinsopp, J. (2016) Transparency is in the eye of the beholder: the effects of identity and negative perceptions on ratings of transparency via surveys, International Review of Administrative Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852315615197.
Pina, V., Torres, L. & Royo, S. (2007) Are ICTs improving transparency and accountability in the EU regional and local governments? An empirical study, Public Administration, 85(2), pp. 449-472, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2007.00654.x.
Pina, V., Torres, L. & Royo, S. (2010) Is e-government leading to more accountable and transparent local governments? An overall view, Financial Accountability & Management, 26(1), pp. 3-20, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0408.2009.00488.x.
Piotrowski, S. J. & Van Ryzin, G. G. (2007) Citizen attitudes toward transparency in local government, The American Review of Public Administration, 37(3), pp. 306-323, https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074006296777.
Roberts, A. (2006) Blacked out: Government secrecy in the information age (Cambridge University Press)
Stefanovic, D., Marjanovic, U., Delić, M., Culibrk, D. & Lalic, B. (2016) Assessing the success of E-Government systems: An employee perspective, Information & Management, 15(3), pp. 717-726, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2016.02.007.
Svidronova, M. M. & Nemec, J. (2016) E-procurement in self-governing regions in Slovakia, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 14(3), pp. 323-337, https://doi.org/10.4335/14.3.321-335(2016).
Tat‐Kei Ho, A. (2002) Reinventing local governments and the e‐government initiative, Public Administration Review, 62(4), pp. 434-444, https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-3352.00197.
Thapa, G. B. & Sharma, J. (2011) Nepal’s democratic deficit and federalism Is it a cure or part of the problem?, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 9(1), pp. 39-66, https://doi.org/10.4335/9.1.39-66(2011).
Tolbert, C. J. & Mossberger, K. (2006) The effects of e‐government on trust and confidence in government, Public Administration Review, 66(3), pp. 354-369, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00594.x.
United Nations (2016) United Nations E-Government Survey 2016 (New York: United Nations)
Unsworth, K. & Townes, A. (2012) Social media and e‐government: A case study assessing Twitter use in the implementation of the open government directive, Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 49(1), pp. 1-3, https://doi.org/10.1002/meet.14504901298.
Vojinović, B., Próchniak, M. & Oplotnik, Z.J. (2015) International Aspects of Fiscal Convergences on Regional and Local Level, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 13(3), 827-847, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.3.827-847(2015).
West, D. M. (2004) E‐government and the transformation of service delivery and citizen attitudes, Public Administration Review, 64(1), pp. 15-27, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00343.x.
Yackee, S. W. & Palus, C. K. (2010) Learning from experience? Second-order policy devolution and government responsiveness, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 8(1), pp. 65-92, https://doi.org/10.4335/8.1.65-92(2010).
Andersen, K., Medaglia, R., Vatrapu, R., Henriksen, H. & Gauld, R. (2011) The forgotten promise of e-government maturity: Assessing responsiveness in the digital public sector, Government Information Quarterly, 28, pp. 439–445., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2010.12.006.
Bonsón, E., Torres, L., Royo, S. & Flores, F. (2012) Local e-government 2.0: Social media and corporate transparency in municipalities, Government Information Quarterly, 29(2), pp. 123-132, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2011.10.001.
Chadwick, A. & May, C. (2003) Interaction between states and citizens in the age of the Internet:“e‐government” in the United States, Britain, and the European Union, Governance, 16(2), pp. 271-300.
Cicvaric Kostic, S., Vukmirovic, J. & Vlastelica Bakic, T. (2013) The potential of e-government development in emerging markets: Perspective of local government, In proceedings of 21st NISPAcee Annual Conference, 16-18 May, 2013.
da Cruz, N. F., Tavares, A. F., Marques, R. C., Jorge, S. & de Sousa, L. (2016) Measuring local government transparency, Public Management Review, 8(6), pp. 866-893, https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2015.1051572.
Finžgar, M. & Oplotnik, Ž. J. (2013) Comparison of fiscal decentralization systems in EU-27 according to selected criteria, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 11(3), pp. 651-672, https://doi.org/10.4335/11.3.651-672(2013).
Frías-Aceituno, J. V., Rodríguez-Ariza, L. & González-Bravo, M. I. (2013) The effect of societal values on local government transparency: Applying Hofstede's cultural dimensions, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 11(4), pp. 829-850, https://doi.org/10.4335/11.4.829-850(2013).
Gant, D. B. & Gant, J. P. (2002) State web portals: Delivering and financing e-service, PwC: Pricewaterhouse Coopers Endowment for the Business of Government, available at: http://classes.maxwell.syr.edu/psc300_103/GantReport.pdf (December 6, 2016).
Gauld, R., Flett, J., McComb, S. & Gray, A. (2016) How responsive are government agencies when contacted by email? Findings from a longitudinal study in Australia and New Zealand, Government Information Quarterly, 33, pp. 283-290, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2016.03.004.
Gauld, R., Gray, A. & McComb, S. (2009) How responsive is e-government? Evidence from Australia and New Zealand, Government Information Quarterly, 26(1), pp. 69–74, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2008.02.002.
Grimmelikhuijsen, S. G. & Welch, E. W. (2012) Developing and testing a theoretical framework for computer‐mediated transparency of local governments, Public Administration Review, 72(4), pp. 562-571, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02532.x.
Grimmelikhuijsen, S. G. (2010) Transparency of public decision‐making: Towards trust in local government?, Policy & Internet, 2(1), pp. 5-35, https://doi.org/10.2202/1944-2866.1024.
IMF (2007) Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency (Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund).
ITU (2015) Measuring the Information Society Report 2015 (Geneva, Switzerland: International Telecommunication Union).
Katchanovski, I. & La Porte, T. (2005) Cyberdemocracy or Potemkin e-villages? Electronic governments in OECD and post-communist countries, International Journal of Public Administration, 28(7-8), pp. 665-681, https://doi.org/10.1081/PAD-200064228.
Kersting, N. (2016) Participatory turn? Comparing citizens' and politicians' perspectives on online and offline local political participation, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government,14(2), pp. 251-263, https://doi.org/10.4335/14.2.249-263(2016).
Kim, P. S., Halligan, J., Cho, N., Oh, C. H. & Eikenberry, A. M. (2005) Toward participatory and transparent governance: report on the Sixth Global Forum on Reinventing Government, Public Administration Review, 65(6), pp. 646-654, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2005.00494.x.
Kim, S. & Lee, J. (2012) E‐participation, transparency, and trust in local government, Public Administration Review, 72(6), pp. 819-828, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02593.x.
Kleinhans, R., Van Ham, M. & Evans-Cowley, J. (2015) Using social media and mobile technologies to foster engagement and self-organization in participatory urban planning and neighborhood governance, Planning Practice & Research, 30(3), pp. 237-247, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2015.1051320.
Komazec, S., Todorović, I., Krivokapić, Đ. & Jaško, O. (2013) Capacities of local self-governments in Serbia for compliance with EU directives on public procurement, Management, 69, pp. 15-24, https://doi.org/10.7595/management.fon.2013.0028.
Kostić, S. C., Okanović, M., Milosavljević, M. & Vukmirović, J. (2013) Antecedents of citizens' satisfaction with local administration in Serbia, Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, 9(40), pp. 22-34.
Kovac, P. (2015) Contemporary challenges of access to information in public governance in South Eastern Europe, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 13(2), pp. 185-204, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.2.185-204(2015).
Livingstone, S., Lunt, P. & Miller, L. (2007) Citizens and consumers: discursive debates during and after the Communications Act 2003, Media, Culture & Society, 29(4), pp. 613-638.
Lord, K.M. (2006) The perils of promise of global transparency (New York: State University Press of New York).
Marinetto, M. (2003) Who wants to be an active citizen? The politics and practice of community involvement, Sociology, 37(1), pp. 103-120.
Merickova, B. M., Nemec, J. & Svidronova, M. (2015) Co-creation in local public services delivery innovation: Slovak experience, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government,13(3), pp. 521-535, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.3.521-535(2015).
Milosavljevic, M., Milanovic, N. & Benkovic, S. (2016) Politics, policies and public procurement efficiency: A quantitative study of 25 European countries, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 14(3), pp. 537-558, https://doi.org/10.4335/14.3.537-558(2016).
Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications (2013) The aims of the Working Group for the infrastructure of the information systems of state bodies (Belgrade: Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications), available at: http://mtt.gov.rs/en/releases-and-announcements/a-working-group-was-formed-in-order-to-consolidate-the-infrastructure-of-the-information-systems-of-state-bodies/ (December 14, 2016).
Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications (2016) Public debate has been held on the Draft Law on Electronic Document, Electronic Identification and Electronic Trust Services, available at: http://mtt.gov.rs/en/releases-and-announcements/public-debate-on-the-draft-law-on-electronic-document-electronic-identification-and-electronic-trust-services/?lang=lat (December 2, 2016).
Moon, M. J. (2003) Can IT help government to restore public trust? Declining public trust and potential prospects of IT in the public sector, In proceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference, https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2003.1174303.
Mossberger, K., Wu, Y. & Crawford, J. (2013) Connecting citizens and local governments? Social media and interactivity in major US cities, Government Information Quarterly, 30(4), pp. 351-358, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2013.05.016.
Muñoz, L. A. & Bolívar, M. P. R. (2015) Determining factors of Transparency and accountability in local governments: A meta-analytic study, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 13(2), pp. 129-160, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.2.129-160(2015).
Park, H. & Blenkinsopp, J. (2016) Transparency is in the eye of the beholder: the effects of identity and negative perceptions on ratings of transparency via surveys, International Review of Administrative Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852315615197.
Pina, V., Torres, L. & Royo, S. (2007) Are ICTs improving transparency and accountability in the EU regional and local governments? An empirical study, Public Administration, 85(2), pp. 449-472, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2007.00654.x.
Pina, V., Torres, L. & Royo, S. (2010) Is e-government leading to more accountable and transparent local governments? An overall view, Financial Accountability & Management, 26(1), pp. 3-20, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0408.2009.00488.x.
Piotrowski, S. J. & Van Ryzin, G. G. (2007) Citizen attitudes toward transparency in local government, The American Review of Public Administration, 37(3), pp. 306-323, https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074006296777.
Roberts, A. (2006) Blacked out: Government secrecy in the information age (Cambridge University Press)
Stefanovic, D., Marjanovic, U., Delić, M., Culibrk, D. & Lalic, B. (2016) Assessing the success of E-Government systems: An employee perspective, Information & Management, 15(3), pp. 717-726, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2016.02.007.
Svidronova, M. M. & Nemec, J. (2016) E-procurement in self-governing regions in Slovakia, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 14(3), pp. 323-337, https://doi.org/10.4335/14.3.321-335(2016).
Tat‐Kei Ho, A. (2002) Reinventing local governments and the e‐government initiative, Public Administration Review, 62(4), pp. 434-444, https://doi.org/10.1111/0033-3352.00197.
Thapa, G. B. & Sharma, J. (2011) Nepal’s democratic deficit and federalism Is it a cure or part of the problem?, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 9(1), pp. 39-66, https://doi.org/10.4335/9.1.39-66(2011).
Tolbert, C. J. & Mossberger, K. (2006) The effects of e‐government on trust and confidence in government, Public Administration Review, 66(3), pp. 354-369, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00594.x.
United Nations (2016) United Nations E-Government Survey 2016 (New York: United Nations)
Unsworth, K. & Townes, A. (2012) Social media and e‐government: A case study assessing Twitter use in the implementation of the open government directive, Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 49(1), pp. 1-3, https://doi.org/10.1002/meet.14504901298.
Vojinović, B., Próchniak, M. & Oplotnik, Z.J. (2015) International Aspects of Fiscal Convergences on Regional and Local Level, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 13(3), 827-847, https://doi.org/10.4335/13.3.827-847(2015).
West, D. M. (2004) E‐government and the transformation of service delivery and citizen attitudes, Public Administration Review, 64(1), pp. 15-27, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2004.00343.x.
Yackee, S. W. & Palus, C. K. (2010) Learning from experience? Second-order policy devolution and government responsiveness, Lex Localis - Journal of Local Self-Government, 8(1), pp. 65-92, https://doi.org/10.4335/8.1.65-92(2010).
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2017-06-28
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