Future scenarios of ICT solutions for governance and policy modelling

Abstract

The modern world is facing global challenges while at the same time becoming more and more interconnected, dynamic and complex in nature. Accordingly, appropriate methods and tools for successful open and collaborative public governance and public policy making supported by innovative ICT are increasingly becoming important. Along the demands for the implementation of good governance principles and the adoption of open government, policy officials need concise and reliable information to conduct policy making in an efficient and effective way. Likewise, the engagement of the citizenry as well as of civil society organisations (CSOs) and of representatives of the business and voluntary sectors have become imperative. In an international and inter-disciplinary researcher network called eGovPoliNet, scholars have developed visionary scenarios to envisage how ICT-supported open and public governance and policy making might emerge in the years to come. We used scenario building as a method to get insights into potential alternative futures in a certain area. The scenarios sketched the interactions, environment, technological developments and other relevant aspects of potential futures of ICT-enabled public governance and how policy modelling could be deployed thereby. From initial 19 scenarios formulated, a final set of six scenarios has been consolidated and exposed to a wider group of experts. Next step in this process is to develop a range of grand challenges and research directions in this field.