Report: E-Gov exacerbates records challenges in developing nations.

• Position: E-RECORDS - Report

In its 2016 World Development Report, "Digital Dividends," the World Bank assesses the impact of digital technologies on countries' development and concludes that these technologies have been disappointing and unevenly distributed despite boosting growth, expanding opportunities, and improving service delivery. For digital technologies to benefit everyone everywhere, the report says countries need to strengthen regulations to ensure competition, adapt workers' skills to the demands of the new economy, and ensure that institutions are accountable.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The World Bank report draws on a number of background papers that are also provided to the public. In "One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward? Does EGovernment Make Governments in Developing Countries More Transparent and Accountable?," Victoria Lemieux, Ph.D., CISSP, discusses the unintended consequences and risks for transparency and accountability associated with the way digitally recorded information is produced and managed by the public sector in developing countries.

According to the paper, many countries are in the process of transitioning from primarily paper-based administrative systems to digital systems by implementing information and communication technology (ICTs) as part of their e-government initiatives. The presumption is that this transition should improve accountability and transparency by making information more readily accessible. Lemieux points out that the transition has not necessarily been a...