We received a compelling comment in November to the posting Will Government 2.0 achieve the promise of E-Government. Part of the comment was:
In the sort of changes in e-Government that you’re talking about (eg life events) it’s not yet clear what e-tools would be useful. In fact, the issue of general improvement of services is where Government 2.0 has not yet begun to demonstrate any value.
If you could specify some use cases, that would be a good start.
Here are the first 5 use cases that we’ve developed. The purpose of the following simple use cases is to show how transactions <T>, documents <D>, and collaboration <C> need to be integrated in Government Resource Planning. These use cases focus on back-office and front-office operational functions in government. These are meant to extend beyond the traditional social networking view of Government 2.0.
Use Case: Auditing
Goal in Context: Successful performance audit
Primary Actor: Auditor
Scope: Financial Management
Success Scenario:
<T> Examines financial reports to determine cost per unit of outcome and cost per unit of output in government entity
<T> Identifies programs to examine more carefully
<D> Reads narrative reporting documents
<D> Compares report documents with original performance objectives
<T> Examines set of expenditures
<C> Examines discussion of these expenditure and reasons for approval and rejection
<T> Identifies patterns of expenditures that did not appear to improve performance
<C> Compares reasons for expenditures and compares with program goals
<D> Compares expenditure reasons with documented organizational standards
<T> Compares expenditures with original budget
<T> Identifies major budget transfers during fiscal year
<C> Examines rationale in budget transfer narrative to determine whether budget changes affected performance
<D> Provides report on how performance can be improved and whether guidelines were followed and whether guidelines should change
Frequency: Quarterly
Use Case: Tendering
Goal in Context: Best value for complex procurement
Primary Actor: Procurement Officer
Scope: Financial, expenditure, purchasing, procurement and contract management
Success Scenario:
<T> Budget for major program is set by legislature
<D> Acquisition practices from similar programs examined
<C> Acquisition approach determined including type of contract and evaluation criteria
<D> Standard clauses and RFP procedures extracted
<D> RFP document created
<T> Procurement estimate checked with budget – purchase requisition created
<C> Requisition is approved, discussion about the acquisition
<T> Funds are committed or set aside
<D> Proposals received
<D> Proposals examined for compliance
<C> Review team scores technical proposals, team members justify scores
<C> Scores are calculated with the financial proposal and winner is selected
<T> Bid price is compared with the budget
<D> Contract rendered from system and signed by vendor
<T> Purchase Order created, funds are obligated
<D> Purchase Order printed
Frequency: low volume, high value procurement
Use Case: Budget Planning
Goal in Context: Produce effective government budget
Primary Actor: Manager in budget office
Scope: Budget preparation, multi-year budgets
Success Scenario:
<D> Government announces objectives for year (such as Speech from the Throne)
<D> Logic map links government objects to departmental and project objectives
<T> Previous year budgets compared
<C> Discussion on how best to budget to achieve objectives
<T> Budget line items entered
<D> Narrative added to justify budget items, ranging from simple notes to white papers
<D> Review of economic data
<D> Budget circular produced with guidance on budget maximums
<T> Scenarios run using different cost and macroeconomic models
<T> Departmental budget proposal assembled
<C> Discussion and approval by Minister
<T> Departmental budgets consolidated
<C> Approvals and changes by budget office (could result in more departmental versions)
<D> Consolidated budget prepared for legislature in the form of a document
<C> Discussion and debate in legislature, changes made, budget vote (could include earmarks, supplemental + temporary budgets)
<D> Budget law produced
<D> Budget book produced
<T> Budget expressed as controls in the financial system
Frequency: Yearly
Use Case: Civil Service Recruitment
Goal in Context: Recruit best quality professional candidate
Primary Actor: Civil service candidate
Scope: Civil service reform, movement, performance appraisal, recruitment
Success Scenario:
<T> Government “Establishment” is updated by annual budget changes creating open positions
<D> Government has created a plan for Civil Service reform designed to recruit best candidates and make government a primary choice for university graduates
<D> Government hiring regulations are documented
<C> Qualifications determined for open positions determined after discussion
<T> Civil service budget is modeled based on positions, salary scales, expected vacancies, typical travel and training costs, bonuses
<D> Open positions are advertised on web and through newspapers
<D> Resumes from candidates are received
<T> Relevant qualification data about candidates entered into recruitment system
<C> Short-list of candidates for public service exam determined
<D> Candidates complete public service exam
<T> Scores from exam and qualifications weighted to determine short-list
<C> Personnel and hiring managers interview candidates
<C> Candidate scores are compared, candidates are selected for on-boarding
<D> Offers officially presented to candidates
<D> Candidates agree to join government
<T> Recruitment data is transferred to Employee record
<T> Additional information about new Civil Servants added to Employee record
<D> Picture taken of employee, added to record and printed for pass
<T> Employee assigned to a position in the “Establishment”
<T> Position is linked to salary scale, qualifications can also affect salary
Matthew Olivier, FreeBalance Director of Global Marketing and Alliances, opened the last day of the FreeBalance International Steering Committee (FISC) conference in Madeira Portugal. Day 3 includes customer knowledge-sharing presentations and panels. Topics for the panels are government performance, capacity building and public sector reform.