Developing digital governance strengthens democracy and gives citizens greater access to the lawmaking process. Continue reading to learn more about the ways in which the digitalization of parliaments can benefit public engagement.
Have you heard of entirely digital parliaments? Do you think parliaments need to be more open to the public and increase public participation in the legislative process? Digital governance transforms the lawmaking process and brings innumerable benefits.
What our customers say about SBL’s digital governance solutions
- Sunder Singh Verma, Secretary, HP Vidhan Sabha, Shimla – SBL’s commitment and technical competence have been its hallmark in delivering the e-Vidhan solution comprising Web (MVC) Windows (WCF) and Mobile (Android) applications. The employees of SBL are able to quickly understand objectives and priorities and make positive quality contributions to the design, development, testing, and configuration process.
- Dr.P.J. Antony, Commissioner & Secretary, Nagaland Legislative Assembly – SBL was selected to be the NeVA System Integrator as we were impressed by the company’s extensive knowledge of assembly automation and past experience in implementing e-Vidhan in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Their expertise enabled Nagaland Legislative Assembly to reengineer NeVA in record time and operationalize it smoothly.
What is the meaning of digital governance?
In digital governance, the lawmaking bodies can engage with the public and create an environment where there is complete stakeholder participation at all stages of the lawmaking process. The digitalization of parliaments will allow the public to interact with their representatives instantly and have their concerns addressed without delay.
In this article we will explain the need for the digitization of lawmaking bodies, what advantages it can provide to the public, and how it will enhance the public’s participation in lawmaking.
Digital governance: engagement of citizens in the current lawmaking process
We are living in the information age. In ways that were never imagined before, social media and other collaborative technologies are connecting people and governments. In the past, public communications with government authorities could only be made through letters. Due to the advent of digital communication, however, more information is accessible to everyone, and it is easier to communicate with legal authorities. In today’s world, anyone with access to the internet can find information about the latest political developments and create and distribute content about it. Information like this was once privileged, and only journalists had access to it. It is now also possible for the general public to keep up with what is happening within the legislative bodies thanks to technology.
Participation of the public in the law-making process is, however, still in its infancy. Digital tools are unknown to people who live in remote areas without good internet connectivity and these emerging platforms are not utilized. Even educated citizens are limited in their ability to participate in the lawmaking process. We, therefore, need more eGovernment initiatives based on digital technology.
A lawmaking process that involves citizen engagement is one where citizens have an opportunity to ask questions in parliament, to voice their concerns, and to track the progress of their queries. Moreover, the public should be informed about the laws that are passed in parliaments and the public works that are sanctioned in their constituencies.
A stronger democracy can be achieved by integrating ICT into the lawmaking process and making government more accessible to the population. By leveraging ICT, public and legislative bodies can interact in real-time.
Increasing public participation in democracy and improving efficiency are two ambitions that are driving the demand for digitally savvy parliaments. In order to fulfill this need, SBL has developed a copyrighted eParliament solution that provides a comprehensive solution for every lawmaking body.
The rest of this discussion focuses on the advantages and values of this revolutionary platform within the public domain.
How does SBL’s eParliament benefit the public?
SBL’s eParliament plays a significant role in promoting and enhancing democracy by offering seamless connectivity between the public and the lawmaking bodies. It is an end-to-end digital solution that completely eliminates paper from the functioning of lawmaking bodies and establishes a process that is entirely based on digital technology.
We provide a comprehensive digital governance solution that promotes information flow among all stakeholders. With the eParliament solution, lawmakers can participate in sessions anywhere and anytime. Public participation is also enabled through real-time viewing of proceedings and the possibility of raising concerns.
Using the eParliament platform, lawmakers can participate in debates on various issues, cast their votes, and enact legislation to benefit the public. It provides a method for allocating public resources transparently and ensures that they are utilized according to plan. Citizens and parliamentarians can connect and discuss public policy through the platform. Through improved interactions and information sharing, this promotes consensus on public issues.
The eParliament solution enables efficient delivery of public services and easy access to them by connecting various stakeholders in real time. It provides citizens with up-to-date information about the progress of various public works in their constituencies and allows them to bring deviations to the attention of the authorities as soon as they arise. In addition to enhancing social inclusion, the process also reduces costs.
Digitally transforming lawmaking bodies using eParliament solutions makes them more accessible to everyone. An example of digital governance is the Mizoram Legislative Assembly in India. We have successfully implemented NeVA into Mizoram, which allowed the Mizoram government to gain many measurable advantages and enhance public satisfaction. Please visit our website to read more about this implementation: https://sblcorp.com/neva-for-egovernment/
We are involved in e-governance initiatives and continuous research and development of digital solutions for parliaments. Our solutions are based on real-time knowledge about the functioning of parliaments.
Contact [email protected] to know more about our digital governance solution.
Frequently asked questions
- What is meant by e-governance?
E-governance refers to using ICT by the government to provide and facilitate government services and information exchange through a digital platform. Objectives of digital governance include operational efficiency, seamless connectivity, quick access to information, and strong democracy.
- What is e-governance and its types?
E-governance is the application of Information and Communication Technology to provide government services, exchange information, and connect all the stakeholders.
- What is e-governance in India?
The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) aims to provide government services to all citizens through electronic media. UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is another example of digital governance in India.
- What is e-governance and its importance?
Digital governance revolutionizes government functions and ensures citizen participation at all levels of governance. This improves citizen services and brings the government closer to the people.
