eGovernment in Serbia: Prospects and challenges

Abstract

eGovernment is a great opportunity for every country to improve the efficiency of public administration and to gain a competitive edge. Despite the early recognition of the information society importance, Serbia is, like many other transitioning countries, struggling with the transformation of its legacy bureaucratic and administrative processes. This document describes a short history of eGovernment in Serbia, gives an overview of current state of eGovernment services, and proposes guidelines that would help future eGovernment deployment in Serbia. Through comparison of Serbian eGovernment solutions with those implemented in a number of EU countries, some of the strengths and weaknesses of the eGovernment deployment in Serbia are pointed out. The empirical research conducted in this paper reveals the areas which are crucial in terms of greater public access to information, and a more efficient, cost-effective government. In this sense, the paper particularly emphasizes the need to: a) strengthen the legislative framework and the institutional capacity related to the use of eGovernment within the Serbian public administration; b) support the implementation of public administration reforms necessary for the further development of eGovernment; c) provide assistance to the development of a National Interoperability Framework; d) create and/or further develop basic public services to citizens through the use of eGovernment. In order to develop citizen-centered interoperable eGovernment services, all these areas require adequate strategy and action plans. This paper aims to analyze different areas and their concepts in order to define and elaborate guidelines that would initiate evolving of eGovernment in Serbia. The findings and implications of this survey could contribute to better understanding of conditions and determining the priorities of further eGovernment development in Serbia.