Promote SAR government electronic services

"Governance and Political System" Thematic Research Series

Electronic government (e-G overnment) generally refers to the government's use of Internet and information communications and other technologies to digitize government work, including the transmission of information and the provision of public services. Effective e-government services can enhance government performance, help the public establish a good impression of the government, and provide favorable conditions for the government to maintain high-quality governance.

In Hong Kong, the SAR government has launched a number of e-government development plans since its establishment. By the end of 2017, various policy bureaux or departments provided more than 840 electronic services to the public.

A survey by the Census and Statistics Department shows¹, among Hong Kong people aged 15 – 24 and 25 – 34, respectively, 73.4 % and 77.3 % have used online government services for personal matters. In other words, among the young people in the above two age groups, there are still 26.6 % and 22.7 % who have not used it respectively.

According to a survey conducted by Japan's Waseda University E-Government Research Institute, Hong Kong has only been ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of e-government development in recent years, including ranking 24th in 2015, 2016 and 2017. It was among the top ten in the early years. There is a significant difference in the results.

Building smart cities is a priority of the current SAR government. E-government services are an important foundation for the development of smart cities. Young people are in the e-generation and are no strangers to the Internet and mobile technologies. This study refers to the experience of e-government in other regions to understand the experience of the new generation in using government e-services from the perspective of young people. Through interviews with experts and scholars, it hopes to provide feasible suggestions on promoting the e-services of the SAR government; it is believed that this will help to establish and maintain good governance of the SAR Government.

This study collected data from February to March 2018 through several aspects, including a youth online opinion survey. A total of 648 young people aged 18-34 were interviewed, 30 young people participated in focus group interviews, and 4 experts and Scholar visits.

Main results of the study

1. The young people surveyed have demands for government electronic services, and nearly 40% (39.4 %) value the principle of simplicity and ease of use. More than 35% (35.7 %) believe that effective e-government services will help increase their contacts with the government.
2. More than 70% (71.1 %) of the young people surveyed have used government electronic services in the past 12 months. Among them, nearly 47% (46.8 %) are satisfied with the SAR's e-government services, and 46% (45.8 %) are average. What they are most dissatisfied with is the lack of connections between departments (30.1 %) and the complicated usage steps (28.0 %).
3. The young people surveyed have expectations for the SAR government's electronic services. More than 70% of them believe that if the public can know what projects are available (77.2 %) or the government further opens up data (71.7 %), it will help improve the current situation. More than 60% believe that it would be helpful to improve service levels to be in line with those provided by commercial institutions (65.3 %) or allow citizens to participate, such as putting forward opinions (61.4 %).
4. However, nearly 32% (31.7 %) of the young people surveyed said they were not confident that Hong Kong would develop into a smart city, which was twice as high as those who expressed confidence (15.5 %).
5. The research refers to international surveys, experiences in South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom and other places, and conducts focus group interviews with 30 young people. Some young people have a good experience using government electronic services and therefore take the initiative to recommend the services to others; they also appreciate the government's provision of real-time information.
6. However, they also encountered some negative experiences. For example, when searching for information on government websites, they felt like they were looking for a needle in a haystack. Inquiries through telephone hotlines or emails were time-consuming and failed to help them solve their problems. Other participants expressed confusion about the SAR government’s electronic service coordination structure.

Research main recommendations

1. Establish a high-level leadership structure for e-government and promote the development of e-services from a government-wide perspective.
2. Add user-oriented e-service performance measurement indicators to strengthen public supervision.
3. Conduct regular data collection to understand public needs for e-government services.
4. A chatbot online customer service has been added to answer citizens’ inquiries anytime and anywhere.
5. Strengthen training for civil servants in the application of emerging technologies and continue to inject new impetus into electronic public services.