lead story
Public services can go mobile
Mobile communications has great capability to effectively deliver public serv-
ices to society. Yet state agencies in many countries have been slow to identify
the true potential. The tide is clearly turning though, with growing interest by
governments in how the mobile can be exploited for the good of citizens.
With about 90 percent coverage of the portunities are another common service that
Briefly stated:
world’s population, mobile technologies are should be easy to deliver via the mobile, par-
already in place, unlike other initiatives such ticularly as many public service employment
•
as low-cost laptops. Yet the research also agencies already provide such information
Mobile technologies are
found that few stakeholders appreciate the online. Services like this can literally trans-
highly effective for deliver-
importance of mobile communications for form people’s lives. Recently, in more than
ing public services
delivering public services. ten countries, mobile phones have become a
•
“In reality, there are few instances of means for people to access financial services
Digital public services
mobile technologies being used to deliver as operators provide “mobile banking” serv-
bring real benefits to citi-
public services. Typical examples include ices to the unbanked.
zens, especially in the fields
school registration, market prices for farm-
of health, education and
ers and notifications to tell consumers about
Raising awareness of
employment opportunities
the readiness of certificates and permits for
the possibilities
•
collection,” says Mr. Kojo Boakye, Deputy There has been much progress in making
Early m-governance
Program Manager at the Commonwealth more capable mobile devices available to
deployments focus on de-
Tele communications Organization (CTO). lower-income consumers. Today there is a
livering basic information,
Ms. Samia Melhem, Senior Operations range of affordable Nokia devices capable
but the scope for more
Officer at The World Bank, agrees: “Public of both accessing the internet and having
advanced services is almost
agencies, policy makers and donors like us email capabilities, thus providing the tools
unlimited
are far behind the private sector in under- to use m-governance services. The com-
standing how much the mobile platform, munications industry must now focus on
enabled with SMS and data communication promoting the potential of m-governance,
capabilities, can transform public services. which is the delivery of public services over
With good information at their fingertips, mobile communications.
and relevant mobile services available in “Something that has been lacking is
local languages, people can make better knowledge sharing amongst operators
decisions, from what crop to plant, to whom and with governments, which needs to be
to sell it for higher profit, to what roads not encouraged,” believes Melhem. “Mobile
to take during a natural disaster, as well as operators have to unite somehow to get the
benefiting from health and disease preven- message out.”
tion advice.” Two initiatives aiming at this goal were
to
Research shows that the top three types launched in June 2008 by the World Wide
of service that consumers in emerging mar- Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C eGovern-
kets value most are news, education and ment activity and the Mobile Web for Social
health. All affect people’s welfare. Job op- Development Interest Group focus on the Photo: iStockpho
4 Expanding Horizons 3/2008
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