CETIC.br launches first survey on technology use by Brazilian public agencies

TIC Electronic Government 2013 interviewed federal and state agencies, as well as Brazilian municipalities

The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) through the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (CETIC.br), of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), presents the results of TIC Electronic Government 2013, a survey that, for the first time, presents data on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Brazilian public sector.

Besides measuring access to and use of ICT by public organizations, the survey investigates the presence of mechanisms for interaction with citizens via the Internet, including the provision of online services and initiatives allowing society's participation through new technologies. The presence of public agencies on social networks, access to public information, and IT infrastructure in these organizations are also among the aspects investigated.

The study was conducted with two profiles of public organizations: 1) federal and state agencies, from direct and indirect administration, of all branches (Executive, Legislative, Judiciary, and Public Prosecutor's Office); and 2) municipalities (Municipal Executive). "It is important to emphasize that the two units of analysis are very distinct from each other, which limits direct comparison between them. In this sense, they were analyzed separately," explains Alexandre Barbosa, manager of CETIC.br. Interviews were conducted with 572 federal and state public agencies between October and December 2013. Among the municipalities, the sample included 334 cities.

Access to computers and the Internet
The TIC Electronic Government 2013 survey indicates that 100% of federal and state public agencies used computers and had Internet access in the 12 months preceding the survey. The penetration of broadband Internet access is high among federal and state public agencies, but there are particularities regarding the type of connection used. While the vast majority of agencies have cable and fiber optic connections (98% in federal public agencies and 93% in state public agencies), 3G modem connections are cited by 84% of federal public agencies and 64% of state public agencies. DSL telephone line connections are present in 33% of federal public agencies and 38% of state public agencies. Among the less cited types of connection were radio access (28% of federal agencies and 32% of state agencies) and satellite connections (3% of federal agencies and 6% of state agencies).

Among municipalities, 100% reported using computers and having Internet access in the 12 months preceding the survey. Among municipalities with Internet connections, the types of broadband cited were: cable and fiber optic connection (69%); radio connection (64%); DSL telephone line connection (55%); 3G modem connection (30%); and satellite connection (13%).

IT Management
The survey also points out that 96% of federal agencies and 83% of state agencies declared having an IT department or area. Furthermore, among organizations with an information technology department, 89% of federal agencies and 57% of state agencies have a strategic IT plan. In municipalities, 46% have an IT department or area, and in cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants the presence of a dedicated information technology department is universal (100%).

Online public services
Survey results indicate that 94% of federal and state public agencies declared having a website or official page on the Internet. Regarding online services, 90% of federal and state public agencies provided at least one public service through the website or official Internet page.

The survey also reveals that 84% of the municipalities are present on the Internet through a website or official page and 66% declared that the entity's site allowed the provision of some public service.

Presence on social networks
TIC Electronic Government 2013 found that presence on social networks is significant among federal public agencies (88%) and state public agencies (73%). When analyzing the type of social network, 66% of federal and state public agencies are present on relationship networks such as Facebook or Google+, 59% are on microblogging platforms like Twitter, and 43% are present on video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo.

Among Brazilian municipalities, more than half (56%) are on social networks, according to the survey. When this indicator is analyzed by social network, it is found that 50% of municipalities are present on relationship networks, 22% have adopted video platforms, and 13% are present on microblogs.

Participation mechanisms
In the 12 months preceding the survey, 53% of federal and state public agencies declared having conducted online public consultations, 28% adopted polls, and 18% enabled interaction through forums or discussion communities.

Among the participation tools through the Internet maintained by Brazilian municipalities are online public consultations (40%), polls (25%), and forums or discussion communities (10%). "The survey shows that there is still room to expand digital channels for citizen participation in various levels of government," emphasizes Alexandre Barbosa.

History of TIC Electronic Government
Since 2005, CETIC.br has produced statistics on how citizens and companies use electronic government services (TIC Household and TIC Company surveys). In 2010, CETIC.br conducted the TIC Electronic Government survey to investigate more closely how citizens and companies perceived the characteristics of service demand in the sector. Based on the results of the TIC Electronic Government survey, the importance of deepening the analysis and understanding of the supply of electronic government services was noted. To this end, in 2013 the TIC Electronic Government survey began to be conducted with Brazilian public organizations.

To access the full TIC Electronic Government 2013 survey as well as other CETIC.br indicators, visit https://cetic.br/.

About CETIC.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society, of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics about the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, disseminating periodic analyses and information about the network's development in the country. CETIC.br is a Regional Study Center, under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a non-profit civil entity that implements the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee. NIC.br's permanent activities include coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding to, and handling security incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations — CEPTRO.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — CETIC.br (https://www.cetic.br/), and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, responsible for establishing strategic guidelines for the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinates and integrates all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of the services offered. Based on the principles of multilateralism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic internet governance model, internationally acclaimed, in which all sectors of society participate equally in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.

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