Section 5

# Promotion of Informatization Administrative Services

### 1. Realization of e-government

Plans (optimization plans) have been formulated to optimize government departments' administrative tasks and information systems as a way of reducing the operating costs of information systems and cutting the time to complete administrative tasks. The role the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has taken to further these optimization efforts is to review the optimization plans formulated by government departments, make necessary adjustments to the plans, and monitor the status of the implementation and evaluation of information system optimization.

## (1) Establishing and strengthening IT governance in government

The New Strategy in Information and Communications Technology (a May 2010 IT Strategic Headquarters decision) placed the promotion of e-government as one of its three priority strategies (three pillars) and directed that, after exhaustive reform of business processes, government information systems are to be constructed and upgraded based on cost-effectiveness ratios.

In the interest of efficiently and effectively constructing and operating government information systems based on cost-effectiveness ratios, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications set up the Study Group on Reforming Government Information Systems in September 2010 to investigate specialized and technical reform policies. The Study Group arranged points for discussion in December 2010 and, in March 2011, released its recommendations in Toward Establishing and Strengthening IT Governance in Government.

## (2) Online administrative procedure initiatives to improve citizen convenience and raise administrative operational efficiency

Given the policy goal of making substantially all central government administrative procedures accessible via the Internet by 2003, 96 percent of government procedures were made available online by FY 2003. The New Strategy in Information and Communications Technology (a May 2010 IT Strategic Headquarters decision) directed that an online usage plan be compiled with the understanding of thoroughly revising business processes after validating the cost-effectiveness of online government procedures and arranging criteria on the range of services eligible for being placed online. The e-Government Task Force, set up under the IT Strategic Headquarters' Planning Committee in September 2010, investigated these matters and compiled Recommendations for a New Online Usage Plan in June 2011. In receipt of these recommendations, the IT Strategic Headquarters has formulated the New Online Usage Plan and plans to move forward with initiatives based on this plan.

## (3) Promotion of information coordination between administrative bodies using common corporate codes

The New Strategy in Information and Communications Technology (a May 2010 IT Strategic Headquarters decision) placed the promotion of a user-friendly e-government as one of its three priority strategies (three pillars) and stated, as a specific initiative, that "coordination between central and local government administrative bodies and between public and private entities be promoted by using common corporate codes." Furthermore, the New Strategy in Information and Communications Technology Roadmaps (a June 2010 IT Strategic Headquarters decision) stated that issues with the adoption of common corporate codes be identified by FY 2011 and that the establishment and coordination of common corporate codes be promoted (sequentially) starting in FY 2012.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications launched the Project to Promote Administrative Task System Coordination (Verification of methods to reduce attachments through coordinated administrative task systems via common corporate codes) in FY 2010 to identify issues with the adoption of common corporate codes as per the New Strategy in Information and Communications Technology Roadmaps. This was a test project that aimed to verify associated technologies and identify systemic and operational challenges. The project targeted inspection procedures to qualify bidders on goods and services contracts that require, at the time of application, the attachment of a Certificate of Registered Matters issued by the Ministry of Justice. The project, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, did away with the Certificate of Registered Matters attachment by coordinating information between administrative bodies with a common corporate code. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is aiming to realize a new, user-friendly e-administration using the knowledge gained through this project.

### 2. Promotion of e-local government

E-local government aims to create a more efficient, streamlined administration and to advance administrative systems by making positive use of ICT at regional governments. So far, internal agency LANs and “one computer per person” environments have been established. The next step required is to construct and operate more efficient information systems, by making posi-