eGovernment  eGovernment and its employees and individual bodies within government

Fast and efficient cooperation between the state and its employees

The idea of providing computer support for government sessions was implemented at the beginning of 1998, with the renewal of the entire office information system of the Secretary-General (then the Office of the Prime Minister). Initially, the application provided support for orderly management of session materials, documents and tape recordings. The organisation of documents and the entire system was designed to enable browsing and preparation of documents in a friendly environment, with auditing and easy monitoring of access rights. With the upgrade to E-sessions 2.0 (with a module for the publication of government materials) the system also expanded to include pre-session procedures: publication of government materials and inter-ministerial coordination before deciding how they are to be handled.

Features of the Electronic Government Sessions solution

The electronic session system provides comprehensive support for the publication of meeting materials: for governmental and non-governmental users, coordination and processing of documents, and publishing resolutions and decisions by the government.

Advantages of the Electronic Government Sessions solution

• With the introduction of the Electronic Government Sessions solution (together with other parts of the Government Information System), work in government bodies has been regulated, facilitating access to and use of material.
• The quality of work in government bodies and the quality of decision-making at sessions have therefore been improved.
• Because all material and sessions are published in a single location, information is always accessible, with users being able to log onto the system from other locations as well.
• Clearly defined roles and procedures in the system have opened the opportunity to include wider expert groups in the preparation of government documents.
• All materials are published on the web immediately before individual government (or committee) sessions, theoretically opening the possibility to provide better insight into and overview of government proceedings to the general public. This is only a step away from providing adequate information links between the public and representatives of business and the government.

Electronic Government Sessions enables ministers to

• monitor documents during inter-ministerial coordination, as well as documents for meetings
• interactively participate in meetings on a central server from a remote location, with the ability to vote
• use a secure password
• enjoy other advantages of computer technology available through implementation of the system

What Electronic Government Sessions enables others to do

Electronic government sessions and their set of functions tailored to different user roles mean that:

• government documents are published in a special collection prior to being used at a session of the government
• session documents (convening the session, the session agenda, the session minutes, etc.) can be prepared and published
• all documents from all previous sessions can be inspected
• all confidential session documents for users with the appropriate level of authorisation can be inspected
• the currently convened session and its status can be viewed: the last valid agenda and the voting situation at that moment
• users receive e-mail notification of the convening of the session and changes to the session agenda with an interactive shortcut to the session agenda
• users also receive a telephone text message signalling the start of or any change to a session (this type of notification is restricted to ministers and directors of government services)

Within the system, members of the government can

• submit their comments regarding the published materials
• submit their opinions or the opinions of the ministry regarding individual items on the session agenda, but only by a set deadline
• vote for or against the adoption of items on the agenda, but only by a set deadline
• request the withdrawal of an item from the agenda and its discussion at a regular government session
• request the withdrawal of an item from the agenda and its discussion at a session of the working body

The prime minister can

• suspend the session
• request immediate voting, thus rejecting requests for the withdrawal of an item from the agenda and its subsequent discussion at a session of the working body or at a regular government session

Government information system

The electronic session system is only the top layer of government procedures, so it is also appropriate to briefly introduce other parts of the system that enable the comprehensive preparation and implementation of procedures. All material is collected in the SPIS document system, which is designed for government use for electronic storage, inspection and management of documents. The system is in use within the government and the majority of ministries, thus allowing an overview of the preparation of government documents submitted to sessions of the government and working bodies. Documents managed within the SPIS system are currently available only internally; i.e., to users from a specified body.

Government message board

The government message board or government material is part of a system in which government documents and material are published even before they are used at a session. All materials are published on a central server, where all the users of the government information system can access them (as for electronic sessions), and in part also on the Web for interested members of the public.