e-Governance and Good Administration: Examples from Estonia

The notion of good administration includes many different issues, both related to how the work of public officials is organised and how users of public services perceive these services. Technology supports a good administration in different ways and can help to protect rights of individuals, like better data protection, better access to services and so on. However, there are also challenges and it is important to take a total look on what e-governance means and how it should be designed. The article uses examples from Estonia, which has one of the most advanced e-governance systems in the world, to illustrate the key connecting points between egovernance and good administration. Estonia has a comprehensive interoperability system that enables the once-only principle and efficient administration. It is however essential that the increased technical possibilities to access data are not automatically translated into practical possibilities of data access, as any access needs a basis in law and must be proportional. The Estonian e-governance system uses technology to guarantee protection of rights and ensure a legal basis for data access. There are also legal tools to deal with other challenges, like access to services.