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E-government... e-minister... essential?
Electronic government. Mention it and people start to switch off. Match people's thoughts to it, and you'll get a list of key phrases that runs like this: pie in the sky; broken promises; failure to deliver; ministerial backpeddling; EDS; electioneering; spin doctors.

By editorial@silicon.com

Published: Tuesday 24 October 2000

It doesn't have to be like this. According to the latest report from lobby group Eurim, there are vital things that need to happen, and if they do, e-government might just stand a chance of proving the naysayers wrong.

Central to Eurim's thinking is the appointment of an official 'e-minister'. This isn't an e-envoy, but a real, elected MP who would become a crucial part of the cabinet. It'd be someone who could cut through bureaucracy, evangelise the high-tech, and introduce the kind of revolution the civil service needs if it is to become a primarily public-facing organisation.

The analogy is that the e-minister becomes the CEO of electronic government, to the e-envoy's COO.

It all seems quite logical, but make no mistake, this is a mammoth task. The civil service's culture revolves around serving government, be that of the local or central variety. Asking every civil servant to rotate 180 degrees and start serving the public is an extraordinary request. One minister alone cannot turn that many minds.

That's not to dismiss the idea out of hand. Far from it - having an e-minister is probably the only way the government will have the slightest chance of achieving its infamous 'all government services online by 2005' pledge.

No, what this person needs is allies. And those allies must include every head of every government department. That means persuading every cabinet minister that this process is not just essential, but inevitable.

When, and only when every minister embraces all things 'e' can we move on.