E-Government

The course examines main opportunities offered by new technologies for governments´ actions. The use of the Internet and other communication technologies in order to provide information and services to citizens, businesses, and other public organizations will be discussed, along with the implications for government efficiency, transparency, communication, service delivery and engagement with citizens. Particular attention will be paid to the process of digital participation, which aims at favoring citizen engagement and participation with the help of digital technologies. The course will also tackle how international organizations and NGOs could leverage on ICTs. 

Furthermore, the course addresses legal issues related to the collection and use of data by state agencies and access to governmental information by the media and the general public. It will present the rules governing personal data protection, right to information and open data.

The course is organized in formal (ex-cathedra) lessons complemented by case studies and testimonials.

The assessment will be divided into a collaborative group project (30%), an in-presence online exam with closed- and open-ended questions (60%) and a short assignment  (10%).

Reading Materials:

• Cantoni, L., Tardini, S. (2006). Internet. New York: Routledge (pp. 171-174).
• Baggi M., Cottier B. (2013). La nuova Legge sull’informazione e sulla trasparenza dello Stato, Rivista ticinese di diritto, p. 375ss
• Belser E., Epiney A., Waldmann B. (2011). Datenschutzrecht (Oeffentliches Recht), Bern
• De Ascaniis, S., Cantoni, L. (eds.), Handbook on Heritage, Sustainable Tourism and Digital Media, Elgar 2022, https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/handbook-on-heritage-sustainable-tourism-and-digital-media-9781788970075.html (specific pages will be indicated)
• Janowski, Tomasz (2015). From electronic governance to policydriven electronic governance – evolution of technology use in government. In L. Cantoni & J.A. Danowski (eds.) Communication and Technology, Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
• Kalbaska, N., Janowski, T., Estevez, E., Cantoni, L. (2017). When digital government matters for tourism: a stakeholder analysis. Information Technology & Tourism 17 (3): 315–333
• Kuner, C., Bygrave, L., Docksey, C., & Drechsler, L. (2020). The EU General Data Protection Regulation: A Commentary. Oxford University Press. Available at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-eu-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-9780198826491
• Métille S. (éd.) (2021). Le droit d'accès, Berne 2021
• Serdült, U., Hofmann, G., & Vayenas, C. (2022, October). Introducing the DigiPart-Index: Mapping and explaining digital political participation on the subnational level in Switzerland. In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (pp. 229-236).
• Tardini, S., Cantoni, L. (2015) Hypermedia, internet and the web. L. Cantoni & J.A. Danowski (eds), Communication and Technology (Handbooks of Communication Science – Volume 5). De Gruyter Mouton, 119-140
• United Nations E-Government Survey (2022). Chapter 1. Global Trends in E-Government, Chapter and Chapter 4. Leaving no one behind in the hybrid digital society

• Gain an in-depth understanding of the opportunities offered by new technologies for government actions. 
• Learn about the implications, challenges, and benefits of the digital transformation process in different sectors of public administrations through testimonials.
• Become aware of legal issues related to the collection and use of data by state agencies and the access to government data
• Apply the theory and develop communication skills through a group project 

In presence

The course is organized in formal (ex-cathedra) lessons complemented by case studies and testimonials.

The assessment will be divided into a collaborative group project (30%), an in-presence online exam with closed- and open-ended questions (60%) and a short assignment (10%).