ICT LITERACY AS AN INDICATOR OF EGOVERNMENT READINESS

ABSTRACT

Egovernmnet is an adoption of information and communication technology by government to improve eficiency and efectiveness of public services. Ereadiness is a prerequisite for succesfull egovernment implementation. ICT literacy of human resources is one of e readieness aspect. This paper will present ICT literacy as an indicator of egovernmnet readiness.

Keywords:ICT Literacy, Egovernment, Ereadiness

1. INTRODUCTION

The commitment of Governmen t of Indonesia for using information and communication technology in public services sector has formed by Inpres no 3 Tahun 2003. Egovernment is an effort to improve public services quality using information and communication technology. Inpres no 3 2003 present e readiness as an important aspect to support the successfull of egovernment implementation. Ereadiness include :

a) Eleadership

b) Telecommucation network infrastructure

c) Information manajemen

d) Bussiness environment

e) Society and Human resources

There is a similar concept of ereadiness in Inpres no 3 tahun 2003 with other concept by international organization like United Nations, Mcconnell International, or Bridegs. Human resources e readiness atribute defined by Mcconell International include:

a) Quality of and participation level in the education system, with an emphasis on efforts to create and support knowledge based society

b) Penetration of ICT in schools and ability of educator to use and teach in accordance with the technology

c) Culture of local creativity and information sharing in the society

d) Skills and eficiency of the workforce, and strength of efforts to retain skilled manager and technologist

Human resources is an important aspect of sucessfull egovernmnet implementation. In the egovernment implementation context, human resources is subject for adoption of information and communication technology at govermental work place. Adoption of egovernment need human resources skill that can identified problems and propose solution using information and communication technology. These skills consist of technical skills and cognitive skills and social or ethical understanding.

ICT literacy is not an indicator in ereadiness model by Mcconenl International, United Nations and Bridges. Most of government official in Indonesia don’t know about Information and communication technology. They don not have enough skill to operate digital technology. This is one of main factor that cause the egovernmnet adoption failures. This is our consideration to take ICT literacy as an indicator for egovernmnet readiness. The objective is getting data and information about ICT literacy of government official, analyze and propose solution to improve it.

This paper will present about concept of ICT literacy as an indicator of egovernment readiness. It is difficult to define correlation of ICT literacy and official government job description. So, this concept focuses at ICT literacy in government general context. This means this concept do not describe ICT literacy for every position or function in government organization. Definition of ICT literacy in this paper refers to definition presented by Educational Testing Services.

2. EGOVERNMENT READINESS DEFINITION

There are new social order of society and value as an impact of information and communication technology. There are new challenge and opportunity in this era. Impact of information and communication technology influence government sector especialy in public services sector. Indonesian government aware to transforming it self to egovernmnet model. Accountablity and transparancy to be an foundation of government.

E-government is defined as the use of ICT and its application by the government for the provision of information and public services to the people. The aim of egovernment therefore is to provide efficient government management of information to the citizen; better service delivery to citizens; and empowerment of the people through access to information and participation in public policy decisionmaking.[16]

Based on this definition there is prerequisite for succesfull egovernmnet implementation. This prerequisite is ereadiness. Ereadiness include eleadership, network infrastructure, bussines environment, human capital and society. There is different method for describing ereadiness. The best methos depend on the context of measurement and the definition of ereadiness.

Position of human resources is subject of adoption of information and communication technology in egovernment implementation context. Human resources that have ability to adopt information and communication technology is needed by egovernment. This criteria of human rosurces is human resources that have ICT literacy. ICT literacy can support the implementation of egovernment.

Human resources who have ICT literacy can think critically to information and communication technology and using information to solve problem. There are problems that need information to solve it. Information and communication technolgy is media for getting and presenting information.

egovernment therefore is to provide efficient government management of information to the citizen; better service delivery to citizens; and empowerment of the people through access to information and participation in public policy decisionmaking.[16]

Based on this definition there is prerequisite for succesfull egovernmnet implementation. This prerequisite is ereadiness. Ereadiness include eleadership, network infrastructure, bussines environment, human capital and society. There is different method for describing ereadiness. The best methos depend on the context of measurement and the definition of ereadiness.

Position of human resources is subject of adoption of information and communication technology in egovernment implementation context. Human resources that have ability to adopt information and communication technology is needed by egovernment. This criteria of human rosurces is human resources that have ICT literacy. ICT literacy can support the implementation of egovernment.

Human resources who have ICT literacy can think critically to information and communication technology and using information to solve problem. There are problems that need information to solve it. Information and communication technolgy is media for getting and presenting information.

3. ICT LITERACY DEFINITION

Concept of ICT Literacy consist of ICT and literacy term. Information and Communication Technology(ICT) is combination of computer technology and telecomunication technology. Literacy is an individual ability for learning and improve his or her capacity. ICT proficiency is the ability to use digital technology, communication tools, and /or networks appropriately to solve information problems in order to function in an information society. This includes the ability to use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information and the possession of a fundamental understanding of the ethical / legal issues surrounding the access and use of information[1].

There are three dimension focuses in this definition. First, technical skills, second is cognitive skills and third is social or ethical understanding issues. Technical skills refers to ability for use information and communication technology. Cognitive skills refers to think citically about information and problems. Cognitive skills include ability to create solution using information. Furthermore, people manipulating information in any technological context need to be aware of the constraints—ethical considerations, legal restrictions, institutional policies, and the like—that govern and limit what we can access, use, and communicate in given situations[15].

While the proficiency is an important aspect of ICT literacy skills but it lacks a road map for determine assesment task. We can define the assesment task by describe process that is a part of adoption of Information and Communication Technology. This table describe these process and definition.

Tabel 1. ICT Proficiency.

Thus, the proficiency model encompasses key components of ICT proficiency within the context of cognitive and technical skills and social/ethical considerations.

3. DEVELOPMENT OF MEASUREMENT TOOL FOR INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL

This paper do not present specific model for measure ICT literacy. This paper only present concept of propose model of ICT literacy measurement tool. Theoritical concept that can use for foundation to develope this model are:

1. This tool can use for measure ICT literacy government official in Indonesia. This tool base on egovernment implementation context.

2. Defintion of ICT literacy that use for this model refers to ICT literacy definition by educational testing services.

3. The test for this measurement tool is a scenario base on egovernment context. This scenario represent technical, cognitive skills and social or ethical understanding. Process in the scenario represent all of component in ICT literacy ;define, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate; This tool is an simulation software that can represent real condition in technological environment workplace.

4. Simulation software can represent menu like file[save, save as, exit],combobox,windows expolorer, websearch, office apllication. This simulation software can represent user interface as in the real condition.

Simulation software represent real condition at government workplace. The impact of this principle is the test have government problem context.

From: ICTs Eroupe and edited by Khidi