UNPAN Online Training Tool
METER: Measurement and Evaluation Tool for E-Government Readiness

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METER, the Measurement and Evaluation Tool for E-Government Readiness, is a ready-to-use evaluative tool enabling a country to self-assess its level of e-government readiness. Based on a holistic and functional methodology for e-government readiness measurement, it comprises questions covering a range of issues in order to estimate and monitor what is the current state of factors affecting e-government development. Conceived to serve as an advisory tool, it helps to identify the key areas to work on, and how to prioritize them. By uncovering the level of e-government awareness, both at the central government and agency levels, as well as within the civil society, it leads to a full understanding of the changes that e-government development entails.

The analysis of the existing environment is crucial in order to appraise how ready a country is to embark in the significant processes of change inevitably associated with an e-government transformation. A seamless e-government, providing via a single portal the integrated delivery of information and services for convenience, effectiveness and empowerment, represents the ultimate goal for all national and local e-government programmes. However, taking e-government beyond the stage of having informational websites is not an easy course of action, and for the most part, lessons learned concerning e-government initiatives have shown that e-government is better achieved within a conducive environment that enables it to maximize its potential.

Hence, the goal of METER is to arm governments with much of the information necessary to make changes and to define achievable implementation strategies and action plans in a tailored and effective way, to overcome internal and external obstacles and to support the overall objective of a fruitful e-Government development. Independently from its current level of e-government maturity each country should be aware of the point where it stands in the transformation process, in order to set goals and steps to reach its final aim through an efficient use of available resources and opportunities. However, it is recommendable that an e-government readiness assessment be undertaken when a country is prepared to follow the evaluation with an immediate or near-term action.