Volume 13, No. 1, June 2003
Evaluation Studies by the Centre for E-Governance, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (CEG-IIMA)
The Centre for Electronic Governance is a research centre at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India. With the twin objectives of developing proof -of-concept software applications, and disseminating knowledge, the centre has undertaken various projects and assignments in the realm of e-governance and the use of ICT for development.
One of the important activities carried out by CEG-IIMA has been the cost-benefit evaluation study of some prominent e-governance projects in India. Projects operational for more than two years were chosen, so that the cost-benefit analysis could encompass the important issue of sustainability, both economic and operational.
This write-up attempts to provide a brief in-sight into the process of evaluation, which was undertaken, and the significant observations from the same.
CEG-IIMA conducted two evaluation studies for the World Bank in 2002 --Gyandoot in Madhya Pradesh, India and Inter-state Computerized Check Posts in Gujarat, India.
a) Gyandoot, Dhar District, Madhya Pradesh.
Gyandoot is an intranet-based G2C portal, imparting information and services to the rural populace of the tribal district of Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India.
The research methodology included observation, interaction and interviews with all stakeholders, and the administration of structured questionnaires. Separate questionnaires for users, non-users, kiosk operators (called 'soochaks') and government officials were developed. In an exploratory visit to Dhar, the CEG-IIMA team pre-tested these questionnaires on a small sample of respondents and incorporated the required changes and improvements in the questions. The CEG-IIMA team carried out a quantitative and qualitative sampling and then a detailed survey, covering the entire Dhar district and interviewing a cross-section of the rural society, for a week.
The observations (and data collected) by the study team indicate that as an experiment, the Gyandoot project can be considered path breaking. In the initial euphoria of its launch, with the project champion at the helm of affairs, the usage of the Gyandoot portal was at its peak. It is reported that many citizens were able to resolve their complaints, receive long-pending payments and get access to services, which were hitherto inaccessible.
However, in spite of being in existence for more than three years, the usage of the system has remained far below acceptable levels.
The functioning of Gyandoot is impeded by the lack of reliable power supply and affordable connectivity in the district of Dhar. This is further compounded by the weak back-end support at the government departments.
In addition, the kiosk operators (soochaks) do not find it an economically viable proposition. The earnings from offering Gyandoot services have to be necessarily augmented by miscellaneous market-driven services (public telephone, matrimonial, astrology, movie-viewing, and small amounts of DTP kind of work), which resulted in dilution of G2C services. The study team observed that the citizens who availed of the miscellaneous services at Gyandoot kiosks/cyber cafes, had no awareness of the services offered by Gyandoot.
Lack of awareness of the project, among the people, especially in the remote areas, has been another weak point, which is perhaps responsible for the under utilization of the project. The awareness building should be an ongoing process to ensure better responses by the intended beneficiaries.
The current status of the Gyandoot project clearly demonstrates that, Power Supply, Connectivity, and Backend Support (with new value propositions) are the essential pre-requisites for e-government projects to succeed and sustain. Significant re-engineering of backend processes and introduction of services that directly contribute to poverty alleviation are needed to make such initiatives sustainable.
The full report can be viewed at http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/egov/Gdeval-cegiima.PDF OR at the Governance Knowledge Sharing Program (GKSP) web site of the World Bank: http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/bnpp/egovupdate.htm
b) Computerized Inter-State Check Posts of Gujarat Government
Gujarat, a state in western India, has ten check posts on its borders with three other states. Each of these revenue generating check-posts were equipped with state-of-the-art IT infrastructure to reduce corruption at these points and increase revenues for the state government.
The Evaluation study undertaken by CEG-IIMA examined the benefits of the Computerized Inter-State Check Posts of Gujarat and the project's impact on transporters, truck drivers, RTO(Road Transport Office) inspectors and other government officials.
The questionnaires for each category of stakeholders (truck drivers, transporters, RTO Inspectors, industry, government officials) were designed and pre-tested through an exploratory visit to a computerized check post.
The CEG-IIMA team visited four check posts and administered the questionnaires to truck drivers, before and after they passed the check post. RTO Inspectors, transporters and the industry (manufacturing units, who are the customers for the transporters) formed the rest of the respondents of the questionnaires.
The primary findings of the report indicate that this complex project was implemented smoothly in record time. Clearly, revenues (earnings at the check post) have gone up almost ten-fold, thus recovering the investment made, besides adding additional revenues to the government coffers. In addition, components of the technology used (like the weighbridge) have added convenience to the drivers who pass though the check post. The electronic display attached to the weighbridge displays the essential data, making the process transparent to the driver.
The PPP model (Private Public Participation) in this case accomplished the implementation in record time and contributed to the manifold increase in revenue. However, it could not sustain due to inaction in the timely renewal of contract. The transfer of the project champion compounded the problem and the project has run into rough weather, since then. Another finding by the study team was that corruption has not reduced and leakage continues to exist within the system.
The government need to take timely measures to rectify the problems so that it continues to provide intended benefits to all stakeholders.
The full report can be viewed at http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/egov/CICPevalrpt.PDF. It can also be accessed from the Governance Knowledge Sharing Program (GKSP) web site of the World Bank: http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/bnpp/egovupdate.htm
Other Evaluations
Based on the experiences of the above mentioned evaluation studies, CEG-IIMA, with partial support from The Asia Foundation (an NGO based in USA), has begun work on similar evaluation studies of four other e-governance projects. These include the Fully Automated Services of Transport (FAST), Andhra Pradesh, India; Road Transport Office (RTO), Ahmedabad, India; Regional Passport Office (RPO), Ahmedabad, India and the Citizen Convenience Centre, Ahmedabad, India. The qualitative and quantitative data collection phase has been completed and the findings are being analyzed and complied into a report.