delivery, in an attempt to make government more efficient and more responsive to its

customers. The danger they highlight is that e government may simply automate existing

services without helping to transform the structures that determine their quality and

effectiveness.

Australia

Australia is a  Visionary follower  according to the Accenture report. In the Invest 

ing for Growth

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statement of December 1997, the Prime Minister committed the 

Commonwealth to bringing all appropriate services online via the Internet by 2001. 

GovernmentOnline: the Commonwealth Government s Strategy (GovernmentOn 

line)

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aims to ensure this commitment is met. Though driven by individual agency 

initiatives, the strategy contains eight strategic priorities for coordinated action towards

the Prime Minister's goal. The National Office of the Information Economy (NOIE)

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is

the body responsible for ensuring that this happens.

A key goal of the government online strategy is the development of more integrated,

cross agency and cross jurisdictional services. In addition, all departments and agencies

are to adopt minimum online requirements, produce their own Online Action Plans, and

adhere to common guidelines. 

In February and March 2000, NOIE

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investigated public, private and community 

based initiatives across Australia, which were designed to encourage greater individual,

family and community access to the Internet. Commonwealth and State/Territory 

Government programs/projects primarily aim to improve physical access to technology

and address skills shortages. This is mainly achieved through the provision of access

centres in rural and regional Australia.

It was found that in Australia there was an unequal distribution of IT knowledge,

skills and resources necessary to access online services and information among different

social groups. These groups include the less educated, low income earners, senior citizens,

Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders, people with disabilities, and those from different

cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Also included are single parent families, women,

young people, the homeless and those with low literacy levels, few computer skills and

little experience.

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