E-Government Case Study

Finland is one of the early adopters of e-government within the OECD, and has achieved impressive results based on international comparisons.1 A number of specific strengths have placed it in a favourable position for relatively fast development of e-government. Its basic culture is open to change and modernisation, and its citizens are, on average, well-educated and ready to use new information and communication technology (ICT) and e-services. Finland is the home of Nokia, one of the global leaders in mobile communications, along with many competent and competitive software enterprises. Its citizens have traditionally trusted their government, which uses unique identifiers and shared databases for residents, companies and corporations, vehicles and real estate in order to improve the quality and efficiency of public service delivery. Historically, Finland was able to use these strengths to become a world leader in e-government.