E-Gov Efforts Fall Short

Even the countries that top Accenture's ranking of electronic government capabilities still have a long way to go, according to the recently released study.

Canada won the top ranking among 22 countries, followed by Singapore and the United States. These three countries were considered innovative leaders by the authors of the report, "eGovernment Leadership, Rhetoric versus Reality ? Closing the Gap."

But even the e-gov leaders have work to do, said Stephen Rohleder, managing partner for U.S. government clients for Accenture, Chicago. The federal government, in fact, stands at an especially critical juncture, he said.

Most federal Web sites are bringing little value to users and risk fostering apathy toward e-gov efforts among users of the sites and within the government, he said.

Governments need to concentrate on transactions so citizens and businesses can pay taxes, file forms and conduct other business online, Rohleder said. Leadership and political will are needed to overcome obstacles, such as security and privacy concerns, government laws and regulations and cultural issues, he said.