Improving Access to Government through Better Use of the Web

Internet-connected computers and the World Wide Web are revolutionizing the ways in which citizens and governments interact. The Web has become the main channel for Governments to deliver electronic Services to citizens; Web technologies are also playing a crucial role in the relationships between Governments, and between Governments and Industry. The World Wide Web Consortium is an international consortium where over 400 Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. As part of its long-range planning, W3C staff are currently engaged in organizing a series of discussions to understand better the needs of Government in deploying current Web standards and the directions that future Web standards should take to best address delivery of Government services. The first of these discussions was a European symposium organized to identify common problems, discuss about possible solutions, and promote sharing and cooperation. Many of the preliminary findings there are applicable outside Europe. These findings will be reviewed during this talk along with near-term plans for additional W3C focus on eGovernment needs.