Issues in Information Systems Volume 15, Issue I, pp. 123-131, 2014 123 IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY THROUGH E-GOVERNANCE Mysore Ramaswamy, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA, mysore@acm.org ABSTRACT One of the ways to achieve transparency and combat corruption is by automating government to citizen interactions. The process of automating these interactions using information and communication technologies (ICTs) needs to be analyzed as a socio-technical information processing system. During the process of improving the enforcement of rules via automation, socio-cultural factors need to be considered as they play a very important role. Automating existing bureaucratic processes that are defective will not yield results. Improving the enforcement of rules is clearly the best way to combat corruption. The introduction of e-Government can play a major role in this context as it automates several processes. Without some method of categorization, assessment and modification of existing administrative processes, the formation of good policy and planning capable of leveraging the current capacity of institutions to deliver public service in a more transparent and efficient way is simply not feasible. In this paper, we propose a methodology to render transparency in governance using information and communication technologies that goes beyond mere automating existing citizen-government interactions. Keywords: e-Government, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Process Restructuring, Public Sector Corruption, Transparency Perception Index. INTRODUCTION Recent innovations in information and communication technology (ICT) have given hope to the idea that new technologies in the form of e-government systems can be used to combat corruption in the public sector. Most governments across the world desire their citizens and businesses to interface with them through electronic means for the obvious reasons of efficiency in cost-saving and effectiveness. However, whether the transparency in process and information-sharing that this presupposes is also an equally important social and cultural objective for all leaders is a less obvious assertion. As Jane Fountain states in her work, there is a certain element of the ‘perversity of incentives’ to acknowledge here; Kedzie calls this the “Dictator’s Dilemma” in the state [1, 7] – where increased efficiency and political efficacy (brought about by ICTs) are positively related to each other, and negatively related to authoritarian and highly centralized control. This is especially true in developing countries where the newly emerging bureaucracies are hesitant to give way to automated systems [18]. These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management. The resulting benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost reductions. Analogous to e-commerce, which allows businesses to transact with each other more efficiently (B2B) and brings customers closer to businesses (B2C), e- government aims to make the interaction between government and citizens (G2C), government and business enterprises (G2B), and inter-agency relationships (G2G) more friendly, convenient, transparent, and inexpensive. The term ‘e-government’ refers to the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by government agencies In this paper, we prefer to use the term “e-governance” in a broader sense to include a deeper understanding of the way ICTs impact the existing (and potential future) interactions between a government and its constituents. In other words, e-governance goes beyond the ‘what’ of an e-government interaction that presumably delivers service to a constituent - and includes rather an analysis of the ‘how’ and ‘why’. We note that one cannot improve upon something in automation that is not already rational and functional in current daily practice. The term ‘transparency’ is used in this paper to mean disclosure or openness regarding all transactions with public agencies. This is a necessary precursor for the eradication of corruption. https://doi.org/10.48009/1_iis_2014_123-131