Exploring Citizens` Visions of the 2020 E-government in Taiwan: Results from a Scenario Workshop in 2008

Abstract

“Why do citizens not use government e-services when they are provided?” This is a question always bothering academics and practitioners of e-government. This chapter will argue that, although e-government initiatives usually are advocated as “consumer- or citizen-centered” reform efforts, the initial plans to implement them are, at best, paternalistic. The authors further argue that citizens should play a critical role in initiating e-government and make those initiatives more citizen-centric. This chapter presents the case of the “2020 E-governance Scenario Workshop,” which was held in the fall 2008 in Taiwan, to provide evidence for our argument. By discussing the results of the workshop, this chapter will not only describe the visions and action plans derived from the workshop participants’ perspective but will also show that a problem of professional asymmetry still exists in e-government planning. Further, the authors ask how elected officials can be convinced to adopt citizens’ visions and plans, as their reluctance presents an obstacle that should be overcome. Despite these challenges, the authors wish to emphasize that e-government planning is in need of a paradigm shift from a technocrat-driven to a citizen-centric model.