Inclusive Electronic Public Service Delivery – A Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

Digital divide is, despite all efforts in research and practice, a matter of fact in most societies. In search for specific strategies to promote digital inclusion, one has to ask for the specific reasons and factors behind the problem. Here, the field of E‐Government features several particular characteristics, including high privacy and security demands or high complexity of administrative processes, which might hinder the societal inclusiveness of such electronic public service delivery. Furthermore, the inclusiveness of citizens can be categorized in several steps. To discuss the influence of factors like security or complexity on the use of E‐Government‐services, we develop an E‐Inclusion‐gap‐model and conduct a quantitative analysis of statistical data on E‐Government usage in Germany, taking into account specific social digital divide groups, such as senior citizens, people with low education or people without employment.

Keywords:

• E‐inclusion
• information society
• e‐Government
• inclusive ICT design
• digital divide

Notes

1. See for example http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/activities/index_en.htm.

2. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010.

3. Areas with up to 100 inhabitants per square kilometre.

4. ISCED Education Levels 0, 1 or 2, see: http://www.unesco.org/education/information/nfsunesco/doc/isced_1997.htm.