Dutch e-Citizen Charter Promotes Citizen-Centered Government

What can citizens expect when e-government is finally implemented? The Dutch e-Citizen Charter provides the answer. It consists of 10 quality requirements for a new relationship between citizen and government. The workbook is available for download.

Modernizing Government
The aim of the Dutch e-Government policy is to improve information exchange, service delivery and interactive participation by introducing a new partnership between citizen and government. This is to be achieved by giving more responsibility and choice to citizens. As far as the Dutch Cabinet is concerned, the required empowerment is being supported by ICTs. To help citizens in their new role, the e-Citizen Program has developed an instrument: the so called e-Citizen Charter.

Quality Requirements
This charter is deliberately written from the citizens' perspective and consists of 10 quality requirements for digital contacts. Each requirement is formulated as a right of a citizen and a corresponding duty of government. This is not to say that a citizen has no duties. A citizen is not only a customer of services, but also a user of provisions, a subject of law and a participant in policy-making.

The charter is meant for both citizen and government. It allows citizens to call their government to account for the quality of digital services. Government can use the charter to examine external quality of its public performance. Thus the charter is an instrument to further stimulate the development of e-government from the citizen's perspective.

Independent Forum
The e-Citizen Charter was conceived of by the e-Citizen Program. This is an independent forum which stimulates the development of e-government from the citizen's point of view. To that end it involves citizens, advises government bodies and monitors progress. Apart from having developed the charter, the forum regularly conducts surveys with its own People's Panel and annually grants the Web Awards for good practices. The forum is part of ICTU, the Dutch implementation organization for ICT and government. A Steering Committee representing citizen's interest groups (such as the National Ombudsman, the National Consumer Union, ISOC) supervises the proceedings.

Development
The e-Citizen Charter is based on research into existing quality systems and several surveys of citizen's expectations. The original version has been improved on the basis of many comments and suggestions.

The charter summarizes a general future view on government as a whole. It is not meant to dictate strict conformity but should be adaptable to different government levels and policy areas. Administrations should decide themselves which requirements they can meet now and which they will meet in the future. Citizens will request why this is the case.

Workbook
At present the charter is not mandatory, but is based on the principle: "Comply or Explain." In the foreseeable future, the charter might be turned into quality mark or a benchmarking system. To that end the e-Citizen Program started an open development procedure in which anyone interested can take part. The instrument is not a manual that should only be studied, but instead a workbook that invites thinking.

Although conceived of in the Netherlands, the e-Citizen Charter can easily be adapted and implemented in other countries.

e-Citizen Charter

1. Choice of Channel
As a citizen I can choose for myself in which way to interact with government. Government ensures multi channel service delivery, i.e. the availability of all communication channels: counter, letter, phone, e-mail, Internet.

2. Transparent Public Sector
As a citizen I know where to apply for official information and public services.
Government guaranties one-stop-shop service delivery and acts as one seamless entity with no wrong doors.