Digital Access and E-Government: Perspectives from Developing and Emerging Countries: (Advances in Electronic Government, Digital Divide, and Regional Development)

Access to government information faces many roadblocks in developing and emerging economies due to lack of appropriate legal frameworks and other requisite information laws. However, there is hope that many countries are now recognizing the importance of providing access to public information resources. Digital Access and E-Government: Perspectives from Developing and Emerging Countries explores the relationships that exist between access to information laws and e-government. It shares the strategies used in encouraging access to information in a variety of jurisdictions and environments, to be of use to e-government designers and practitioners, policymakers, and university professors.

About the Author :
Peter Mazebe II Mothataesi Sebina is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Library and Information Studies, University of Botswana. He serves on the editorial board of Archival Science, has previously served as deputy editor of the ESARBICA Journal, and is the current editor of the Botswana Library Association and a committee member of the Records and Information Association of Botswana. He also sits on the Archives Advisory Council of Botswana. Peter was also part of a team that developed the draft national library policy of Botswana, currently before Parliament. His PhD is titled ‘Freedom of Information and Records Management: a learning curve for Botswana.’ He has published and presented extensively on Freedom of Information and its relationship with records management and plays an active role in the campaign for the legislation in Botswana. Peter has been involved in records management improvement exercises and studies in Botswana, Northwest Province of South Africa, and Zambia. Included also are library improvement studies in Botswana. His research interests include: advocacy for library, archives, and records management; legal aspects of information management; Freedom of Information and Privacy laws and their relationships with records, library, and general information management; information management for transparency (including budget transparency) and effective citizen engagement and participation. He is also a contributor to the Open Government Partnerships initiatives. Kgomotso H. Moahi is Associate Professor and Dean in the Faculty of Humanities. Prior to that, she was head of the Department of Library and Information Studies, a position she held for 6 years. As Head of the Department of Library and Information Studies, she oversaw the move away from year-long subject system to semesterisation and the introduction of the information systems component of the Department’s offerings. Kgomotso Moahi has researched and written extensively on the use of ICTs in information management and librarianship and promotion and protection of indigenous knowledge, as well as health informatics. Kgomotso has served in many university-wide committees, which included the Computer Steering Committee, Library Committee, Senate, and UB Council. She has served as Chair of the Ad Hoc Task Force on Student Academic Dishonesty at UB – a task force set up by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic to explore the extent of academic dishonesty amongst students and make recommendations on ways to address it. She has also represented the University in her professional service by participating in a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) for development such as the development of an ICT policy for Botswana (MAITLAMO) in 2004. She was co-chair of the health commission in the 2nd World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) conference that took place in Gaborone in 2005. She participated in a Telemedicine feasibility study that was spearheaded by the Botswana Technology Centre (BOTEC) in 2005/2006. Together with information professionals at UB, she helped found the Children’s Information Trust in 2004, which aims to encourage the development of libraries in primary schools in a bid to facilitate development of information literacy skills of primary school children in Botswana. Kelvin Joseph Bwalya is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Information Systems at the Department of Library and Information Studies, University of Botswana. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg, and a Senior IT reviewer for the Tertiary Education Council, Botswana. He has a PhD in Information Systems (Information Management) from the University of Johannesburg, Masters in Computer Science from the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology, and Bachelors in Electronics from Moscow Power Engineering Technical University. His research interests include all aspects of computer information systems (e-Government, Database design, process modeling, virtual reality, knowledge management systems, community informatics, etc) and competitive intelligence.