Good Governance in Information Society Strategies

Information Society (IS) strategies are regarded today by policy-makers and stakeholders as powerful instruments for societal change, and for the building of competitive, equitable and sustainable knowledge economies.

Mandates have progressively broadened, and now pursue ambitious socio-economic objectives such as promoting sustainable economic growth, boosting productivity, creating employment opportunities and improving the effectiveness of public services and citizens’ quality of life.

Mandates have progressively broadened, and now pursue ambitious socio-economic objectives such as promoting sustainable economic growth, boosting productivity, creating employment opportunities and improving the effectiveness of public services and citizens’ quality of life.

Since IS strategies are multifaceted, complex, and large-scale, adequate governance frameworks and mechanisms are necessary to ensure that objectives, resources and tools are aligned to maximize results for end-users. The good governance of these strategies, then, depends on consideration for a number of issues such as: priority-setting, inclusion and consultation, cross-sectoral and governmental coordination, effective implementation tools, appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks, and monitoring performance. Getting these governance mechanisms right can be key determinants of success.

 The case of Spain's Plan Avanza

 At the request of the Spanish Government, the OECD is conducting a peer review of the country’s Plan Avanza strategy for the advancement of the Information Society. The aim of the report is two-fold. On one hand, it attempts to analyse how the Plan was designed and implemented, what its objectives and main targets are, and what governance mechanisms have been applied. On the other hand, it will focus on assessing the Plan’s impact on citizens, businesses and the public sector in Spain.  The Peer Review is being conducted by the OECD’s Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate in collaboration with the OECD’s Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry.