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The Loch Ness Model: Can ICTs Bridge the “Accountability Gap”?
conditions under which ICTs can empower citizens to hold government more accountable, enhance their access to and quality of basic services, and improve their overall human well-being. We hypothesize that there are ten factors where ICTs play an important enabling role for closing the accountability gap and enhancing people’s human development (figure 9.3) and a process through which these intended outcomes are pursued (figure 9.4). As shown in figure 9.3, the Loch Ness model presents key contextual “Ness” factors (that is, readiness, a ppropriateness, willingness, and so on) and critical enabling “Ness” factors (that is, openness, inclusiveness, responsiveness); the former are constraining effects, and the latter are effects of how ICTs can act as an accelerator for closing the accountability gap. Figure 9.3 The Loch Ness Model: Contextual and ICT-Enabling Factors Context/ conditions • Readiness • Fitness • Appropriateness • Willingness • Fairness • Steadiness • Trustworthiness • Inventiveness • Legislativeness
ICT1. Openness enabling 2. Timeliness factors 3. Directness
Intended outcomes
Co-produced government
GAP
Collaborative government
Transparent government
Participatory government
4. Friendliness 5. Responsiveness
6. Collaborativeness 7. Inclusiveness
• Enhanced decision making • More inclusive public policies • Increased access to and quality of public services • Policy reform and institutional change • Improved human well-being 8. Collectiveness 9. Activeness 10. Effectiveness
Note: ICT = information and communication technology.
Figure 9.4 The Loch Ness Model: Process
Transparent government New public administration (chapter 3)
Participatory government Government as a service provider (chapters 6, 7, and 8)
Collaborative government Government as a platform (chapters 4 and 5)
Infomediaries Transformation of structures and processes Building trust
Closing the Feedback Loop • http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0191-4
GAP Co-produced government Citizen-centered government (chapters 1 and 2)