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Achieving Sustainable E-Government in Pacific Island States pp 55–87Cite as

E-Government Policy Processes at Regional and National Levels in the Pacific: Actors, Institutions and Networks

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Part of the book series: Public Administration and Information Technology ((PAIT,volume 27))

Abstract

This chapter explores how policy processes at regional and national levels assist Pacific Island countries (PICs) and their various development partners translate the broader developments and possibilities advocated in global forums into workable solutions for each small states’ unique sets of circumstances. After first identifying and explaining the roles of the actors, institutions and networks engaged in e-government at regional level, it traces regional e-government policy dialogue over the past three decades. The chapter then examines policy processes at national level. Although policy dialogue at regional and national levels is related, it is only at national level that legislative frameworks are established, policies are implemented and major expenditure is incurred. Regional-level policy dialogue identifies needs and assists the coordination of capacity building and development assistance, but the roll-out of e-government in PICs depends to a great extent on the leadership and coordination capacity in individual countries.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    French Polynesia and New Caledonia were admitted as full members of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2016.

  2. 2.

    http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regional-Presence/AsiaPacific/Documents/Events/2014/September-COP/Nola_Faasau.pdf.

  3. 3.

    Pacific Islands Forum (2015).

  4. 4.

    The Netherlands and United Kingdom withdrew in 1962 and 2004 respectively when they relinquished their Pacific interests; Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States of America are members of SPC but are regarded as “donor” countries rather than “developing” countries, and as such are not among the countries considered in this book.

  5. 5.

    http://www.spc.int/.

  6. 6.

    Notably between 1993 and 2010.

  7. 7.

    In 2000 the European Union signed the “Cotonou Agreement” concerning trade and development with 78 states from Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, the terms of which some PICs are yet to agree with.

  8. 8.

    http://gsd.spc.int/reducing-vulnerability-eu-b (Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) Information and Communications Technology Working Group, 2005). (Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific. (CROP) Information and Communications Technology Working Group, 2005).

  9. 9.

    http://ict.sopac.org/compendium/.

  10. 10.

    http://www.jica.go.jp/project/fiji/002/materials/pdf/japan_pacific_01_01.pdf.

  11. 11.

    “The efforts to establish the Centre dates back to 1996. In March 2006, the Pacific ICT Ministerial Forum held in New Zealand, recognised the importance of pooling scarce resources in the regulation of telecommunications services, and directed officials to approach the World Bank and other development partners. After a study was commissioned by the World Bank in 2008, the recommendation to establish the PIRRC at the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre was endorsed at the Pacific Regional ICT Ministers Meeting on 18 June 2010, in Tonga”: https://www.usp.ac.fj/news/story.php?id=910.

  12. 12.

    For example, United Nations. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2007), which doesn’t have any Pacific Island coverage.

  13. 13.

    UN-APCICT - http://www.unapcict.org/.

  14. 14.

    http://www.solutionexchange-un.net/pacific/.

  15. 15.

    http://www.pita.org.fj/index.cfm?action=articles&cmd=view&id=F0848588-DFD6-07E2-E8BA0E7A53CF0875, accessed October 10, 2016.

  16. 16.

    http://www.pita.org.fj/index.cfm?action=articles&cmd=view&id=F0848588-DFD6-07E2-E8BA0E7A53CF0875.

  17. 17.

    www.adb.org.

  18. 18.

    http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/institutional-document/178131/robp-pacific-2016-2018.pdf.

  19. 19.

    At its 2004 AGM, held during the PICISOC Conference, the ICT WG agreed its mandate would be limited to monitoring National ICT implementations within the PIIPP framework.

  20. 20.

    http://www.pmoffice.gov.ck/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=25%3Athe-project&id=86%3Apacific-regional-digital-strategy&Itemid=18.

  21. 21.

    Network Strategies 2010, p.i.

  22. 22.

    Network Strategies 2010, p. iii.

  23. 23.

    “ADB International Development - Tonga Fiji Submarine Cable Project in Tonga,” (n.d.); “ADB Pacific Regional ICT Connectivity Project, Phase 2 (Solomon Islands and Vanuatu),” World Bank 2011.

  24. 24.

    http://cropict.org.fj/.

  25. 25.

    The term “infrastructure” refers to physical backbone, spectrum resources, interconnection, access, and to such technologies as GSM, WCDMA, LTE and LTE-A, WiMax, Satellite and Cable.

  26. 26.

    http://www.digicelpacific.com/en/about/our-locations.

  27. 27.

    Evidence for these effects is documented in studies by the development agencies as well as local studies (Stanley 2008; Pacific Institute of Public Policy 2012).

  28. 28.

    See, for instance World Bank Projects WB075739 (Samoa 2002-2011), WB143465 (Vanuatu 2013), WB128013 and WB13229 (Marshall Islands 2013) referred to in this chapter.

  29. 29.

    http://submarinecablemap.com.

  30. 30.

    These are in addition to the regional projects outlined in Chap. 2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Graham Hassall

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  1. Graham Hassall
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Correspondence to Graham Hassall .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Rowena Cullen

  2. School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Graham Hassall

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Hassall, G. (2017). E-Government Policy Processes at Regional and National Levels in the Pacific: Actors, Institutions and Networks. In: Cullen, R., Hassall, G. (eds) Achieving Sustainable E-Government in Pacific Island States. Public Administration and Information Technology, vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50972-3_3

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