ARE OUR “MAJLIS DAERAH” E-ENABLED?
COMPARISON OF WEB SITES 

JASLIN MD DAHLAN
 Faculty of Business Management,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Johor; 

FARIDAH SAPPAR
 Faculty of Information Technology & Quantitative Sciences,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam; 

SHARIFAH ALIMAN
 Faculty of Information Technology & Quantitative Sciences,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Johor;

 NOORNINA DAHLAN
 School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang

 INTRODUCTION 

The arrival of new information and communication technologies (ICTs), in particular the Internet, has dramatically increased our capabilities to gather, process, and share information. Governments are going-on line and using the Internet to provide public services to its citizens. It enables the agencies to offer twenty-four-hour per day service, and to stay tuned in to the needs, opinions, and preferences of citizens. A large number of development interventions focus on the role of ICT for enhancing the efficiency, accessibility and democratic accountability of public administration and collective decision-making.

On the other hand, web usability is the capacity of the users, web visitors, to effectively perform the tasks that they should reasonably expect to accomplish on the government websites.   This means that those tasks can be done easily, consistently, and quickly, and without prior knowledge or detailed training. Usability is not about whether the users are excited, impressed or entertained by the web site, but about whether they can accomplish what they set out to do. A Website that delivers user outcomes in an equitable and accessible manner, with content that can be understood by the average user, creates a better impression and generates more return traffic than one that only looks flashy.

Given the increase offerings of web-related services and information from the government websites, it is important that we measure how each of the websites can deliver significant benefits to all of its users. Both new and existing users of the services offered. Interconnectivity and coordination across government departments can be enhanced with this new and more efficient channel for service delivery and consultation. A lot of opportunities exist for information publishing and information research promise for a more informed decision-making and democratic control for the public.

In Malaysia, not everyone has equal benefits from e-governance. Differences in ICT access, skills, income or socio-cultural status make specific e-governance services more accessible for some, usually more privileged, user groups. Different user groups have different needs and thus derive different utility from a specific application.

Some see government websites as a complement, not as a substitute for conventional modes of government-public interaction. Rolling out government websites at the cost of neglecting established channels for service delivery or participation will leave the most disadvantaged groups worse off and exacerbate the effects of ICT skill and access disparities. However, with the world changing to a less dependent kind of lifestyle, the general public must be educated and learn to adopt to using more web-based services. The potential benefits from using web-based services; like paying taxes, bills, and enquiry for services; cannot be overstated.

In addition, government websites pose a number of policy challenges. For example, clear guidelines for the legal validity of electronic communication and contracts, are  key pre-requisites for online transactions. 

Stages of e-government 

Layne and Lee [2001] discussed four developmental stages of e-government based on observations of current practices.  The first stage is called cataloguing; where initial efforts of state governments are focused on establishing an on-line presence for the government. Many state governments’ efforts on web development and forms-on-line initiatives belong to this stage. Examples of functionalities at this stage are mostly limited to on-line presentations of government information. Sometimes, this information is very limited, according to one recent study of government websites [West, 2000]. Towards the end of this stage, mostly pushed by citizens’ demands, governments begin to establish index pages or a localized portal site.

In the second stage, e-government initiatives will focus on connecting the internal government system to on-line interfaces and allowing citizens to transact electronically. This stage can be called transaction-based e-government, and at this stage, e-government efforts consist of putting live database links to on-line interfaces, so that, for example, citizens may renew their licenses and pay fines on-line. Ultimately a citizen can contact one point of government and complete any level of governmental transaction—a "one-stop shopping" concept.

 Figure 1: Dimensions and stages of eGovernment development 

Vertical integration, the third stage, refers to local, state and federal governments connected for different functions or services of government. An example of vertical integration is a business licensing process. The fourth stage, horizontal integration is defined as integration across different functions and services. An example would be a business being able to pay its unemployment insurance to one state agency and its state business taxes to another state agency at the same time because systems in both agencies talk to each other or work from the same database. Figure 1 depicts the four stages of e-government practices.  

Problem Statement 

The Internet is becoming increasingly important in the communication between local governments and citizens, which makes the usability of Majlis Daerah websites a critical factor in government–citizen communication. On a more localized set-up, the Majlis Daerah websites are a prominent product of e-government initiatives in Malaysia, at the state level. Information and services from the Majlis Daerah website will not only be beneficial for the people of the district but also for its citizens living outside the district. Potential tourists may also visit the website to get some idea of how the town; its tourism attraction and historical information. In comparison to the Majlis Perbandaran and Majlis Bandaraya websites, the websites of Majlis Daerah look cheap and unmanaged. Few are hosted at free web-hosting sites. The research will identify how each of websites scores against one another.
 

RESEARCH DESIGN 

Data 

This research evaluates the practice of digital governance in 120 Majlis Daerah websites as at May 2006. The research compiled all Majlis Daerah websites in the 12 states in Malaysia; except Perlis, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya; as presented in Table 1.  

TABLE 1: List of states and Majlis Daerah 

 The Study focused on the evaluation of current practices in 108 websites, and the emphasis of the research was on the evaluation of each Website. The 120 Majlis Daerah websites evaluated is presented in Table 2. It should be noted that some the sites have changed since, in some respects as a result of the evaluation. Specific comments made in this study are given as examples of the issues that arise in designing and evaluating the Majlis Daerah websites, and may not reflect the current state of these specific websites. 

TABLE 2: List of Majlis Daerah 

Methodology 

A heuristic evaluation approach was developed for the Majlis Daerah websites.    The study was conducted in two stages:  

1. Developing of a set of criteria, appropriate for evaluating the Majlis Daerah websites.

2. Testing the applicability of the criteria by evaluating all the Majlis Daerah websites entities. The evaluation involved using the sites in the same way as a user would, following links and noting features that related to the different criteria. No attempt was made to evaluate internal workings of the Website, for instance by scrutinising server logs.

One of the fascinating aspects of Majlis Daerah websites is that the design problem (the need to achieve a presence on the Internet) is roughly the same for all municipalities across the country, whereas the design solutions (the websites actually designed) appear to be very different. 

Website Evaluation Criteria

A series of criteria were developed and a scoring system associated with them was generated. The following scenario is the instrument developed for evaluating Majlis Daerah websites. The Study’s instrument for evaluating city and Majlis Daerah websites consisted of five components, namely: [1] Security and Privacy; [2] Usability; [3] Content; [4] Services; and [5] Citizen Participation. 

Security and Privacy 

Questions were prepared to address issues like the unauthorised use of data; use of encryption during the transmission of data; examining whether public or private information was accessible through a restricted area, which required password, registration or login. It is also important for the Majlis Daerah website to have a privacy policy stated in their website as a disclaimer of false information.  

Usability 

Consist of factors like the use of standard look and feel for all pages through out the website; similar use of fonts: colors, type and size; consistent use of navigation bars; links to the homepage on every page. In the more advanced pages, the website may contain forms allowing citizens to submit pertinent information.  

Content 

Assuring that the public accesses accurate information as content is the single most vital component of a website. Information includes the location of the Majlis Daerah office, its operating hours, types of services offered at the Majlis Daerah office and other information important for public to know before visiting the office.  

Services 

The website may offer online services like online enquiry and/or register for services or licenses online. Some local government website also offers a channel for the public to report crimes and complaints privately.  

Citizen Participation 

This analysis will determine if the Majlis Daerah websites allow their citizens to be involved in the many decisions by the Majlis Daerah. Some government websites overseas allow the public to submit their opinions and suggestions for any matters related to the public area or services by the Majlis Daerah. Does any of the Majlis Daerah in Malaysia allow the public to make online comments or feedback to any individual agencies; or participate in citizen satisfaction surveys online?  

Website Evaluation Questionnaire 

The Website usability evaluation questionnaire is divided into the five sections; questions were formulated for each category based on the evaluation criteria.  

Each of these criteria were weighted and valued according to its importance.

1. [A]Privacy & Security: 20%

2. [B]Usability: 5%

3. [C]Content: 25%

4. [D]Services: 34%

5. [E]Citizen Participation: 16%

Research Questions 

The study would determine the level of e-government of Majlis Daerah in accordance to Layne & Lee’s: Dimensions and stages of eGovernment development. In completing, it was necessary to formulate a benchmark for use in evaluating the websites. With so many web design criteria researches done, there are not many that discuss e-government websites design criteria.

 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 

Aspects evaluated included presentation, content, accessibility, language, navigation and structure, transaction page, security, privacy and authority, and marketing factors. The resulting scores were then analysed. Using two different methods of analysis, it was found that the best web site is Majlis Daerah Temerloh, but that there was significant inter-scorer discrepancy in some of the scores assigned. The full result is in Table 3. 

TABLE 3: Top 15 Majlis Daerah; ranked by States in Malaysia 

 As far as methodology is concern, assessment was carried out by web surveys technique. In further research, other techniques may be employed in order to get a better understanding of the actual users’ perspectives.

Research is divided into two stages. The initial stage was compiling all websites of the Majlis Daerah in Malaysia. It was not an easy task, as they are not listed in a single page, anywhere on the web, unlike the Majlis Perbandaran and Majlis Bandaraya websites. Their websites are listed in the MyGov.com. In addition to that, a list of questions; checklist, which assess the level of service delivery for a predefined components: [1] Security and Privacy; [2] Usability; [3] Content; [4] Services; and [5] Citizen Participation.

With the help of this tool, the level of maturity of the local authority in implementing e-government was computed. As a result of scanning all 120 Majlis Daerah websites, 12 have been singled out. Some of the reasons being; do not have a website, inability to access the website address, under maintenance.

In the second stage, each of the Majlis Daerah websites was analyzed for the content and services available that the average citizen would most likely use. The presence or absence of specific features contributed to determining the level of progress of a Majlis Daerah. The checklist, as illustrated in Appendix A, presents a straightforward benchmark, which objectively assesses each Majlis Daerah website. This kind of research studies is technologically driven approaches designed to show primarily the level of technologic advancement.

The Rutgers-SKKU E-Governance Performance Index used was adapted to the study. Not all questions and criteria mentioned in that study was used in this one. Questions like function for checking virus, Majlis Daerah budgetary information or announcement, minutes of public meetings, property assessments were among the questions were excluded from this study.
 

Findings 

The findings from the study were interesting. The result will be presented according to various ranking and according to the criteria.  

1. Top 10 Best Majlis Daerah websites

Of all the Majlis Daerah in the Klang Valley, none made it into the Top 10. The top Majlis Daerah in Selangor is Klang [SL2] and it is at No. 14 in the overall listing. Refer to Table 3. The top, Majlis Daerah Temerloh [PH8] scored highly in the Content and Services criteria.  The top 10 Majlis Daerah websites is listed in Table 4.

TABLE 4: Top 10 Majlis Daerah 

2. 10 Worst Majlis Daerah website

These websites only provide information with minimal or no citizen participation and services offered by Majlis Daerah online. These websites are poor and urgently need major revamp and redesign. Table 5 presents the findings.  

TABLE 5: Bottom 10 Majlis Daerah

3. 10 Best Majlis Daerah websites: according to criteria

The instrument for evaluating city and Majlis Daerah websites consisted of five components: [1] Security and Privacy; [2] Usability; [3] Content; [4] Services; and [5] Citizen Participation.

[A] Security and Privacy 

Three of the Top 10 Majlis Daerah, as depicted in Table 4 is also ranked highly in this criterion. Questions like does the website have a privacy policy returns negative. This is the most basic requirement of this kind of website. Most of the websites do not have information or contact details of the website owner, Majlis Daerah, for public enquiries. Majlis Daerah Temerloh [PH8] scored almost 50% of the total score for this criterion. Result presented in Table 6. 

TABLE 6: Ranked by Criteria: PRIVACY/SECURITY 

 [B] Usability 

Consist of factors like the use of standard look and feel for all pages through out the website; similar use of fonts: colors, type and size; consistent use of navigation bars; links to the homepage on every page. Majlis Daerah Tenom [SB18] scored full marks in this criterion. It is the only website with a Site Map. Other features include Search function and information about the last update of the website. More than 50% of the other websites do not have any of these features. 

TABLE 7: Ranked by Criteria: USABILITY 

[C] Content 

Less than 10% of the websites scored well in this criterion. According to the checklist, the websites must have information about the location of the office, listing of external links, contact information for public enquiries, information about the registration of business licenses, permits and even better, online application. Almost all of these websites do mention about the location of their office and their contact information, but that is about all. Most of these websites only put out minimal information and do not utilize this channel to disseminate useful information the public. Majlis Daerah Gerik [PR2], Majlis Daerah Kampar [PR5], Majlis Daerah Kerian [PR4] and Majlis Daerah Kinta [PR3] have almost similar content. Probably, they have a standard format or guidelines provided by the State government for them. It is noted that these websites were designed by external web designer. Majlis Daerah Marudi [SW11] and Majlis Daerah Kapit [SW4] give their visitors options to choose either Bahasa Melayu or English version of their website. 

TABLE 8: Ranked by Criteria: CONTENT 

 [D] Services 

The criterion determined by whether the Majlis Daerah websites do offer online services like online enquiry and/or register for services or licenses online or not. Majlis Daerah Segamat scored almost 65% for this criterion. The website allows the public to pay utilities and apply for licenses and permits online. The website also provides FAQ, bulletin board, announcements by Majlis Daerah on events in the district. Table 9 tabulates the findings. 

TABLE 9: Ranked by Criteria: SERVICES 

[E] Citizen Participation  

As presented in Table 10, most of these government websites allow the public to submit their opinions and suggestions for any matters related to the public area or services by the Majlis Daerah. Majlis Daerah Segamat [JH2], Majlis Daerah Temerloh [PH8] and Majlis Daerah Simpang Renggam [JH4] invite the public to participate in citizen satisfaction surveys online. 

TABLE 10: Ranked by Criteria: CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

How do the Top 10 Majlis Daerah websites score according to each criterion?

Table 11 combines the Top Majlis Daerah websites and ranks them according the criteria in the checklist. Ironically, not one Majlis Daerah website score highly in all the criterions. This means that there are faults in all the websites according to the checklist. Table 11 shows that Majlis Daerah Kampar [PR5] ranked in the Top 5 in all the criterions.

TABLE 11: Top Majlis Daerah ranked by Criteria 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

As information technology becomes increasingly prevalent around the world, developed and developing countries need to prepare their citizens to become active players in the new digital economy.

Comparatively, almost 90% of the Majlis Daerah websites are information-based. Thus, these agencies are in the in Stage 1 – cataloguing. The top 10 websites [overall] may be classified in the Stage 2 – transaction based. Less than 5% of those websites are in the Stage 3 and 4 – Vertical and Horizontal integration types of e-government websites.

1. What lessons arise for government website designers from this study? While all the criteria offer guidance to designers, the following appear to be areas that require attention:  

2. Common Content: Does your site include the same types of “common content” found on most federal websites (such as contact information and basic information about your agency)?

3. “Contact Us” Page: Does your site have a “Contact Us” page linked prominently from your home page and every major entry point (ideally from EVERY page)? Does that contact page contain the following information?

4. “About Us” Page: Does your site have an “About Us” or similar page describing basic information about the organization that sponsors and is responsible for the site? Does the “About Us” page contain the following information?

5. “Site Map” or “Subject Index”: Does your site have a page entitled “Site Map” or a page entitled “Subject Index” that gives an overview of the major content categories on the site?

6. Frequently Asked Questions: Does your site have a page called “Frequently Asked Questions” or “Common Questions?”

7. Online Services, Forms, and Publications: Does your site offer easy access to online services, displaying them as prominently as possible?

8. 7.      Links to Relevant Cross-Agency Websites: Have link cross-agency portals when applicable, to guide visitors to additional resources that exist across the government?

9. Emergencies Alert: Updating Information: Do you have procedures for updating, approving, and maintaining content during emergencies?

Given the increase offerings of web-related services and information from the government websites, it is important that the Majlis Daerah website be given equal importance in delivering significant benefits to all of its users. Both new and existing users of the services offered. Interconnectivity and coordination across government departments should be enhanced with this new and more efficient channel for service delivery and consultation. This study of the website functions development was evaluated only with respect to components accessible to the general public. Development of intranet and extranet were not evaluated and hence taken into account for overall web sites development. Future research may include this aspect of the web evaluation.