1. Institute of Rural Management (IRMA)
G-Governance in India: Search for a Suitable Framework and Research Directions
Pramod K. Singh
Associate Professor
Institute of Rural Management (IRMA)
Anand , India
GSDI 11 World Conference, June 15-19, 2009, Rotterdam

2. Birds Eye View Key De-Enablers Strategies Technical Understanding
Organisational
Programme/Project management
Institutional
Understanding
Governance &
G-Governance
Key
Enablers
G-Governance
Framework
Strategies
(Strategic
Management
Model)
Research
Directions

3. What is Governance?
The exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all levels. It comprises mechanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate their differences (UNDP 1997)
Governance is a process of multi-stakeholder involvement, of multiple interest resolution, of compromise rather than confrontation, . of negotiation rather than administrative fiat (Stewart 2003)
Emphasis is on participation, decentralisation, accountability, responsiveness and concerns for equity, sustainability and social justice.
Emphasis is also on exercise of legitimate authority.
Envisages the roles of all the stakeholders: the state, private sector, civil society, and the citizens at large

4. Governance Framework Development Goals Infrastructure Strategies
Implementation
Challenges
Legal and Policy
Environment
Macro Environment
Development
Goals
Strategies
Guiding Principles
Stakeholders

5. What is G-Governance?
G-governance involves the use of geo-information and communication technologies (geo-ICTs) in the process of governance

6. Legal and Policy Environment
Macro Environment
Right to Information Act
National e-Governance Plan
New Map Policy
Remote Sensing Data Policy
Regulatory Bodies
Ministry of Science & Technology
Ministry of Defence
Department of Space
Department of Information Technology
Macro-Environmental context
Socio-cultural
Political
Liberalization
Privatization
Globalization

7. Core Infrastructure: The Enabler
NSDI- National Spatial Data Infrastructure
National e-government intranet (NICNET and ERNET)
State Wide Area Networks
State Data Centers
Common Service Centres
Security Infrastructure
Language Resource Centers
Supporting factors –service delivery infrastructure at state, district, block and village levels including wireless infrastructure for the last mile connectivity

8. GIS Infrastructure Development Initiatives in Public Sector: The Enabler
Natural Resource Data Base (NRDB) – at 1:50k– NRIS (25 layers for 17 states), Wastelands, Wetlands & many more by DOS
Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS)
National GIS by NIC– dissemination by web
Large Scale Mapping (LSM) project of NNRMS
Space- enabled Village Resource Centre (VRC)
National Urban Information System (NUIS)
Many Sectoral databases by various Ministries/Departments

9. Programme Delivery Framework for
G-Governance
Spatial data Producer
(National, State, and Local Agencies)
Core Infrastructure
Users Interfaces
Government PCs
Government Public Sector
NSDI
NICNET
ERNET
SWANs
State Data Centres
Common Service Centres
Security Infrastructure
Language Resource Centres
Mobile phones
Home PCs
Citizens
PRIs
NGOs
Collectives
Service Providers
Integrated Service Centres
Value Adders
Business
Cyber Cafes
Payment Gateway
Kiosks

10. Stakeholders for G-Governance in India
Policy Makers
Secondary Stakeholders
Producers
Primary Stakeholders
Key Stakeholders
ISRO, NRSC, NIC, CoI, SRSAC, SOI, CGWB, IMD, FSI, GSI, MoUD, NBSSLUP, MoEF, NATMO, Geospatial
Industries,
Academia
Politicians and Political Groups
ISRO, NSDC, DST, MoD, SOI, MIT
Industries, PC
Government line
departments, District
Administration, Academia, R&D Institutions, NGOs
Geospatial Industries
(Not yet active)
NGOs
Citizens, CBOs, Media
Value Added Resellers
End Users

11. Implementation Challenges: Key De-enabler
Technical challenges - system components, system design, standards and technical expertise
Organizational challenges – how the organization adapts to new sources and types of information
Institutional / Macro-environmental challenges - factors external to an organization that influence the organization's ability to adopt or use Geo-ICT
Programme / Project management and process re- engineering related challenges
Socio-cultural challenges
Financial challenges

12. Technical Issues– The Meaning
User friendliness– users’ centricity
Database approach – design standards, quality standards (acurrency, currency etc.)
Information systems approach – beyond hardware, software and dataware– emphasis on usage and socio-technical network
Should facilitate users to work as per their usual work-flow
Scope for innovations by users

13. Key Technical Priority Areas
National policy on open standards for g-governance;
Interoperability framework for data access, presentation including data preservation, publication, archival, etc. for both spatial and non-spatial data;
Network and information security standards;
Enterprise architecture framework for NeGP and g-governance;
Indian languages related issues with respect to storage, browser, fonts, keyboard, data dictionary, etc.;
Visualisation issues of spatial data; and
Interoperability of spatial and non-spatial data.

14. Organizational Challenges
Successful use of GIS infrastructure = f(ability, capacity and willingness of an organization)
Bigger barriers than technical issues
Resistance to change is an inevitable response to any major change
Incentives & barriers to change – real and perceived costs & benefits, organizational communication, training etc

15. Framework for Change Management
Fixing goal
When, why and what measures to be taken
Enterprise
GIS
Culture
Training
Inter-Departmental communication, involvement, facilitation and
Feed back
Planning for appropriate, achievable & measurable stages
Effect
Support from top management & building teams of motivated individuals
Cause
New change 15

16. Project Management What is Project? Existing Situation Desired
Often difficult to visualize the two conditions

17. Project Management Project management should be: participatory
goal-focused
transparent
accountable

18. What is Logical Framework Approach (LFA)?
A methodology for developing programmes / projects
Provides a set of tools for planning, design, implementation and evaluation of projects
Has a strong participatory component

19. Steps of an LFA Specific to project under consideration
Monitoring & Evaluation
Steps of an LFA
Risk Analysis
Preparation of LFA Matrix
Objective Analysis
Problem Analysis
Specific to project under consideration
Identification of Stakeholders

20. Monitoring and Evaluation
Regular monitoring ensures that the plan goes in the direction it has been envisaged
Evaluation ensures that the plan delivers the desired results
Monitoring – internal or own team
Evaluation – external or by the top management

21. India’s National Map Policy: a Misnomer
Institutional Issues
India’s National Map Policy: a Misnomer
Revolves around the survey maps of SOI
Mentions mainly about SOI’s toposheets
Puts SOI on the driver’s seat and role of other stakeholders are merely a value adder.
What about the huge amount of spatial information developed over the years by various other government departments and private sector?
NMP is nothing more than guidelines of dissemination for SOI’s topo maps.
The name National Map Policy seems to be a misnomer

22. Institutional / Macro-environmental Issues
India has a broad and powerful installed base for spatial data
The institutional inertia has created lock-in effects

23. Proclamation of the Grand Visions
Institutional Issues
Proclamation of the Grand Visions
Report of the task force on NSDI:
“Spatial information is a national resource and citizens, society, private enterprises and government organizations have a right to access it appropriately”
Objective of NMP:
“to promote the use of geospatial knowledge and intelligence through partnerships and other mechanisms by all sections of the society”

24. The Reality: Missing Link
Institutional Issues
The Reality: Missing Link
Both the policy and guidelines of NMP silent about partnership process with the major stakeholders
Other spatial data creating organizations have to abide by the instructions of SOI
NRSC is vested with the authority to acquire and disseminate all satellite remote sensing data in India – both from Indian and foreign satellites
Both NMP and NSDI silent about collective action and cooperation

25. The Reality: Missing Link
Institutional Issues
The Reality: Missing Link
Aspirations of many stakeholders does not seem to be fulfilling
Spatial resources seems to be controlled by the government
Provisions of the NMP and NSDI not in accordance with their objectives

26. Strategic Management Model
Environmental Analysis
Opportunities
Threats
Action Plans
-Preparation of national GIS foundation dataset
Low cost GIS software with vernacular interface
G-literacy
SWANs implementation at a faster pace and WiMAX for the last mile connectivity
Power sources in remote areas
Functional NSDI portal
Announcement of integrated spatial information policy
National e-cadastre
Enterprise-wide GI systems
Regulatory/enabling agency
Strategic Plans
SWOT matrix
Strategic Direction
Organizational Assessment
Strengths
Weakness
Performance Evaluation
Guiding Principles
Transparency
Accountability
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness
Equity
Inclusiveness
Responsiveness
Fairness
Note: The base model is adapted from Morrision and Wilson, 1996

27. SWOT Analysis: Strengths
Broad and powerful installed base for spatial data in the country
Availability of a large base of skilled manpower
Several Indian enterprises have already proved their capabilities of IT adoption and process re-engineering
Indian enterprises are developing innovative geospatial products and services by harnessing various

28. SWOT Analysis: Weaknesses
Lack of market orientation for geo-ICT products and services
Inefficient sectoral flow of spatial data
Inadequate intra- and inter-organisational communication
Lack of proper attitudinal orientation to data usage especially in public sector organisations

29. SWOT Analysis: Opportunities
A range of policy initiatives by the government such ad NeGP, NMP, RSDP, etc
Availability of base infrastructure such as 2-Mbps connectivity up to taluka level under SWANs
Good cellular teledensity being developed in India
NSDI is taking shape, which could provide scope for collaborative efforts in creation of geospatial products and services
Convergence of technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, GPS, broadband internet, and satellite and mobile communication will help in diversifying the products and services

30. SWOT Analysis: Threats
Institutional inertia and lack of culture of sharing has created lock-in effects for sharing of spatial information
Geospatial programme in India is top-down, data centric and supply oriented, and adopts the ‘one size fits all’ kind of approach
Both the policy and guidelines of NMP of India are silent about partnership process with major stakeholders
contd...

31. SWOT Analysis: Threats
Increasing pressure for change management at organisational level for adopting the fast changing geospatial technologies
Copyright issues and pricing policy for spatial data products and services not yet clear
Socio-cultural factors hinders use of spatial information
High resolution data is populated by international players such as Google, Microsoft, and others

32. Strategic Direction Stakeholder’s involvement–participation
Co-production
Improving inter-organisational collaboration, cooperation and coordination
Decentralization
Pricing strategies
Education & information dissemination
User orientation

33. Strategic Plans: Strengths-Opportunities Strategies
Improve inter- and intra-departmental communication, involvement, facilitation and feedback
Operationalise data/ metadata servers
Respond to niche markets
Address interoperability issues
Use reflexive standardisation process

34. Strategic Plans: Weaknesses -Opportunities Strategies
Improve inter-organisational collaboration-cooperation-coordination
Understand users workflow and provide quality data according to users’ need
Develop enterprise-wide geo-ICT infrastructure
Use multiple sources of energy to power geo-ICT installations in remote areas

35. Strategic Plans: Strengths-Threats Strategies
Announce integrated spatial information policy covering all spatial data products and services
Establish fully functional NSDI portal for all spatial products and services
Adopt process-oriented management techniques
Make foundation dataset available in the public domain free of cost
Create innovative products and services by exploiting the convergence and fusion of various geo-ICT technologies

36. Strategic Plans: Weaknesses -Threats Strategies
Aware with the users/ customers demand
Understand users’ workflow and create spatial products according to their needs
Be user and customer-centric
Populate images, maps, models, and value added products through GeoPortal

37. Network Readiness Framework for G-Readiness
Performance Evaluation
Network Readiness Framework for G-Readiness
G-Readiness
e-Readiness
GIS Infrastructure
Spatial database
GIS software and hardware
Environment
Market environment
Political and regulatory
environment
Infrastructure
Readiness
Individual
readiness
Business
Government
Usage
Individual usage
Business usage
usage
Adopted from MIT–NCAER (2006)

38. G-Readiness

39. Action Plans Preparation of national GIS foundation dataset
Low cost GIS software with vernacular interface
G-literacy
SWANs implementation at a faster pace and WiMAX for the last mile connectivity
Power sources in remote areas
Functional NSDI portal
Announcement of integrated spatial information policy
National e-cadastre
Enterprise-wide GI systems
Regulatory/enabling agency

40. G-Governance Framework
Strategies
Stakeholders
Government
Public Sector
Private Institutions
PRIs
NGOs
Collectives
Citizens
Infrastructure
NSDI
NICNET
ERNET
SWAN
State data centres
Common service centres
Security infrastructure
Language resource centres
Guiding Principles
Transparency
Accountability
Efficiency
Cost-effectiveness
Equity
Inclusiveness
Responsiveness
Fairness
Legal and Policy Environment
Right to Information Act
National e-Governance Plan
National Map Policy
Remote Sensing Data Policy
Macro Environment
Socio-cultural
Political
Liberalisation
Privatisation
Globalisation
Development Goals
Human Development
Alleviation of poverty
Food and livelihood security
Equitable and inclusive growth
Health for all
Universal primary education
Empowerment of marginalised
Women’s empowerment
Ecological security
Implementation Challenges
Technical
Organisational
Programme/ project management
Institutional/ macro-environmental
Financial

41. Future Research Directions
Technical (knowledge base good)
Architecture
Standards
Interoperability
Integration strategies
Spatial search engines
Data Security
Managerial (knowledge base poor)
Project management- using LFA
Change management
Understanding users work flow
GIS alignment with other process models (MIS, ERP, CRM, etc.)
Assessment framework for G-readiness
Geo-ICT adoption and socio-cultural issues
Institutionalisation of Geo-ICT at grassroots level

42. Institute of Rural Management (IRMA)
Prof. Pramod K. Singh
Institute of Rural Management (IRMA)
Anand , India
THANK YOU