Cities are essentially a collection of human, social, economic and cultural networks and are settings in which a sense of belonging and togetherness can be fostered and in which the public processes that support social cohesiveness and development can be optimized and made more efficient and efficacious. Towards this end, increased attention should be given to assessing the online presence of local government in cities. A logical starting point is assessing the role of cities as service providers and examining city portals as the key mechanism for e-government in such contexts.
Local Online Service Index (LOSI), a multi-criteria index that captures e-government development at the local level, by assessing information and services provided by local governments through official websites, has been designed by UNU-EGOV and UNDESA. The burgeoning interest in e-Government development, combined with the growing number of requests for inclusion and representation in the local e-government survey, led the study organizers to establish the LOSI Network. The Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) have established the LOSI Network. LOSI Network includes national representative entities that are willing to apply the LOSI instrument in their national context, assessing municipalities’ portals.
Applying the LOSI methodology in a country is expected to yield several positive outcomes, including:
Policy Guidance: The methodology provides insights into areas that need improvement, offering valuable information to inform policy decisions and enhance local e-government services.
Enhanced Access: The application of the LOSI methodology contributes to improving people's access to better online services at both national and local levels.
Capacity Building: Public officials from national and local governments benefit from capacity building on how to assess e-government development at the local level.
Accountability: The index promotes transparency and accountability by offering a standardized evaluation framework, enabling the monitoring of progress over time.
Benchmarking: Countries can benchmark their digital government performance against global best practices, fostering healthy competition and facilitating the exchange of knowledge.
International Collaboration: It encourages collaboration among nations, facilitating the sharing of experiences, expertise, and resources to advance e-government capabilities at the local level.
LOSI Network already includes Brazil, Greece, India, Jordan, Palestine and Uzbekistan.
