Решением Высшего Совета по науке и технологическому развитию Академии наук Молдовы и Национального Совета по аккредитации и аттестации журнал «Право и политология» признан как издание в области права и политологии, относящееся к научным журналам категории «Б» (решение № 151 от 21 июля 2014 года).
Журнал «Право и политология» является международным изданием научных партнеров
ИНСТИТУТ ЮРИДИЧЕСКИХ И ПОЛИТИЧЕСКИХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ
АКАДЕМИИ НАУК МОЛДОВЫ
ГЕЛАТСКАЯ АКАДЕМИЯ НАУК (ГРУЗИЯ)
ВЫСШАЯ ШКОЛА ПО БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ И ЭКОНОМИКИ (БОЛГАРИЯ)
МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ ЦЕНТР ПОЛИТИКО-ПРАВОВЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ
ПРАВО И ПОЛИТОЛОГИЯ / страница:
Zakir SHAHMALIYEV (Azerbaijan),
master’s student of the Academy of Public Administration under
the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
[email protected]
master’s student of the Academy of Public Administration under
the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
[email protected]
ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC AND DIGITAL PUBLIC SERVICES IN THE CONTEXT OF BUREAUCRATIC TRANSFORMATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Summary. One of the characteristic features of the modern international system is that it is developing continuously and rapidly with each passing day. This development necessitates the improvement of existing management models that do not meet the demands of the day, or the creation and implementation of new ones. For example, the rapid development of the modern international system with each passing day leads to a change in the simple original meaning of the concept of "Bureaucracy," which was once seen as an ideal system, information and communication technologies, as well as artificial intelligence, have caused the concept of "Bureaucracy," once seen as an ideal system, to evolve beyond its simple original meaning, leading it to become a negative concept characterized by increasing daily indifference and apathy toward citizens and society, creating a kind of self-responsibilitylessness.
Another characteristic feature of the modern international system is the rapid development of information and communication and digital technologies, as well as artificial intelligence, and their integration into the governance models of the states that are part of the modern international system. At present, many countries are adopting “E-Government” and “Digital Government,” integrating modern technologies to address outdated governance models such as “bureaucracy,” which no longer correspond to contemporary demands, along with the forms of “Degeneration” they generate.
This article analyzes the governance models of “E-Government” and “Digital Government” emphasizes the differences and advantages of the “Electronic Services” offered by these models in comparison with “Traditional Services,” which are present in the governance systems of states within the modern international political system and are characterized by “Bureaucratic Degeneration”
Keywords: modern international political system, E-Government, digital government, bureaucracy, bureaucratic degenerations, combating bureaucratic degenerations
Introduction. When analyzing the experience and methods of struggle employed by both foreign countries and Azerbaijan in combating “Bureaucratic Degeneration” within state governance systems in the modern international political system, an important observation emerges. Both foreign countries and Azerbaijan clearly understand the reality that it is not possible to prevent "Bureaucratic Degeneration" 100%. Therefore, all countries of the world implement a "Policy for Minimizing Bureaucratic Degeneration" within their own countries. The implementation of this policy, in turn, is not possible without technological development. This is precisely why currently United States, Estonia, South Korea, Singapore and a number of countries, as well as Azerbaijan, are implementing technology-oriented governance models such as "E-Government" and "Digital Government" to minimize "Bureaucratic Degeneration."
The "E-Services" offered by "E-Government" and "Digital Government" exist in the administrative systems of states in the modern international political system, There are a number of differences between the "Traditional Services," which are characterized by "Bureaucratic Degeneration," and the "E-Services" offered by "Electronic Government" and "Digital Government":
1. Accessibility - Citizens, legal and natural persons, foreign nationals, and even stateless persons can only use "Traditional Services" at a specific address and during specific business hours. When it comes to elderly or physically disabled individuals living in remote villages, and any potential emergency weather conditions, these factors make it nearly impossible for them to use "Traditional Services." However, "E-Services" offer citizens, legal and natural persons, foreign nationals, and even stateless persons the opportunity to access "Government Services" 24/7, regardless of location, time, or place, regardless of weather conditions, to access "Government Services" 24/7, regardless of location, time, age category, or physical limitation [1].Increasing the accessibility of "E-Services" is considered one of the main priorities in the formation of "E-Government" and "Digital Government". The concept of accessibility is not limited to technical capabilities; it also signifies that individuals can use "Government Services" easily, quickly, and without barriers. To this end, the strategy and methods implemented by the state are comprehensive and cover technological, institutional, social, and legal aspects.
Ultimately, strategies and methods for increasing the accessibility of "E-Services" must be implemented in an interconnected and systematic manner. Expanding technological capabilities, institutional reforms, increasing digital literacy, and ensuring social equity are the main pillars of this process. The successful implementation of these approaches enhances the effectiveness of "E-Services" and creates the conditions for improving the quality of public services provided to citizens.
2. Time Consumption - One of the characteristic features of using "Traditional Services" is the long lines and waits that require a great deal of time and patience. This, in turn, leads to the creation of the "Red Tape" risk we mentioned in the previous chapter ("Red Tape" is an excessive amount of time and unnecessary procedures spent during operations and interactions within any organization or institution.) Today, the complex procedures and rules that "Bureaucrats" follow when carrying out their tasks are called "Bureaucratic Red Tape." They must be extremely careful to fill out every little form, follow every little rule, and ensure that every detail - such as the form of the documentation, the sentences, and the punctuation - is correct throughout the entire process. Doing so can take a long time, causing the process to be a waste of time on one hand and, on the other, to generate a massive amount of paperwork.Due to strict rules and procedures, bureaucracies often react slowly to unforeseen situations and struggle to adapt immediately to changing social conditions. At the same time, when there are no "Loopholes" left to bend the rules, frustrated "Bureaucrats" can become defensive and indifferent to the needs of the people who have turned to them for help. It is also worth noting that such situations can lead "Bureaucrats" to see individuals who do not want to wait in extremely long, endless lines and who want to get their business done more quickly without wasting time as an "Opportunity," to put it another way, can lead to the flourishing of "Corruption."
However, the "E-Services" offered by the state through "Electronic Government" and "Digital Government" allow citizens, legal and natural persons, foreign nationals, and even stateless persons to complete their business more quickly without experiencing a waste of time in extremely long, endless lines, meaningless and unnecessary, and causing a significant waste of time [2], instead of spending time on procedures sometimes deliberately created by "Bureaucrats" to seize an "Opportunity," it provides the opportunity to benefit from "Government Services" in the shortest possible time in the most high-quality and efficient manner. Through "Electronic Services," the receipt and processing of applications are completed in a shorter time, minimizing the
service delivery time. This reduces time loss for both applicants and government agencies and speeds up administrative processes. At the same time, "Electronic Services" provide applicants with uninterrupted access to "Government Services" 24 hours a day .
3. Paperwork - When using "Traditional Services," applicants sometimes have to provide their ID card, birth certificate, or several other documents, such as proof of residence, educational certificates, a marriage certificate, etc. Photocopying and preparing these documents results in a large volume of paperwork. Furthermore, when this pile of paperwork is created, the documents of different individuals are sometimes mixed up. This, in turn, results in one of the applicant's documents being lost or, to put it another way, disappearing. Considering that in such situations, "Bureaucrats" not only do not admit their own guilt, but even use various techniques, methods, and means to "shift" it onto others, then it is clear that the burden of finding or recovering the missing documents falls on the applicants. "Electronic Services," however, "One Window" the "Burden" of finding or restoring lost or, to put it another way, disappeared documents falls on the applicants [3]. However, since "Electronic Services" automate information exchange between government agencies based on the "Single Window" principle, "E-Gov," "MyGov," by using "Digital Tools" like "SİMA" etc. [4], citizens, legal and natural persons, foreign nationals, and even stateless persons can avoid situations resulting in the loss or, to put it another way, disappearance of their documents, without the need for any paper bundles or the repeated request for the same documents, ...allowing them to access any "Government Services" without encountering situations where their documents are lost or otherwise go missing. Integrated information s between government agencies shorten service delivery times and increase administrative efficiency.Ultimately, strategies and methods for increasing the accessibility of "E-Services" must be implemented in an interconnected and systematic manner. Expanding technological capabilities, institutional reforms, increasing digital literacy, and ensuring social equity are the main pillars of this process. The successful implementation of these approaches enhances the effectiveness of "E-Services" and creates the conditions for improving the quality of public services provided to citizens.
2. Time Consumption - One of the characteristic features of using "Traditional Services" is the long lines and waits that require a great deal of time and patience. This, in turn, leads to the creation of the "Red Tape" risk we mentioned in the previous chapter ("Red Tape" is an excessive amount of time and unnecessary procedures spent during operations and interactions within any organization or institution.) Today, the complex procedures and rules that "Bureaucrats" follow when carrying out their tasks are called "Bureaucratic Red Tape." They must be extremely careful to fill out every little form, follow every little rule, and ensure that every detail - such as the form of the documentation, the sentences, and the punctuation - is correct throughout the entire process. Doing so can take a long time, causing the process to be a waste of time on one hand and, on the other, to generate a massive amount of paperwork.Due to strict rules and procedures, bureaucracies often react slowly to unforeseen situations and struggle to adapt immediately to changing social conditions. At the same time, when there are no "Loopholes" left to bend the rules, frustrated "Bureaucrats" can become defensive and indifferent to the needs of the people who have turned to them for help. It is also worth noting that such situations can lead "Bureaucrats" to see individuals who do not want to wait in extremely long, endless lines and who want to get their business done more quickly without wasting time as an "Opportunity," to put it another way, can lead to the flourishing of "Corruption."
However, the "E-Services" offered by the state through "Electronic Government" and "Digital Government" allow citizens, legal and natural persons, foreign nationals, and even stateless persons to complete their business more quickly without experiencing a waste of time in extremely long, endless lines, meaningless and unnecessary, and causing a significant waste of time [2], instead of spending time on procedures sometimes deliberately created by "Bureaucrats" to seize an "Opportunity," it provides the opportunity to benefit from "Government Services" in the shortest possible time in the most high-quality and efficient manner. Through "Electronic Services," the receipt and processing of applications are completed in a shorter time, minimizing the
service delivery time. This reduces time loss for both applicants and government agencies and speeds up administrative processes. At the same time, "Electronic Services" provide applicants with uninterrupted access to "Government Services" 24 hours a day .
4. Human Contact – One of the defining features of "Traditional Services" is the intensive, in-person physical contact between people. For example, in long lines, the interaction between applicants and both each other and the service providers sometimes leads to conflict. This is because the stress people experience in their daily lives is further increased in long lines like these, and when one of the parties misunderstands an issue - whether in communication between the applicants themselves or with the service providers - the already high stress in the line is further intensified, emotions become unmanageable, and the situation can escalate into not just a verbal, but even a physical confrontation. If the conversation involves a "Socially Vulnerable Population Group," then the matter becomes even more serious.At the same time, personal relationships and acquaintances sometimes lead service providers to show a "Subjective Approach" toward the clients. For example, service providers may use various techniques, methods, and means to see a client who is a personal acquaintance or friend ahead of many others in a long line, in other words, use "manipulations." It is this "Subjective Approach" that over time leads to the emergence of "Corruption," one of the biggest problems, or causes existing "Corruption" to flourish even more. Because, as we mentioned earlier, over time "Bureaucrats" begin to see individuals who do not want to wait in long, endless lines and who want to get their business done more quickly without wasting time as an "Opportunity." The "Subjective Approach" formed by service providers toward applicants due to personal relationships and acquaintances serves as the fundamental groundwork for turning the "Opportunity" into a reality.
Furthermore, during "Pandemic" periods when viruses and infections like "COVID-19" spread rapidly, physical contact between people leads to the even faster spread of such viruses and infections, as the number of infected workers across various sectors in the country increases, it leads to a decrease in the nation's "Productivity Index" and overall productivity, an increase in healthcare and social sector spending, and, to put it another way, economic decline. "E-Services," however, by minimizing the role of the human factor, are conflicts that occur in extremely long, endless lines, "Subjective Approaches," and "Corruption," which these "Subjective Approaches" facilitate, Automated systems also prevent the rapid spread of various viruses and infections, such as "COVID-19" during "Pandemics," which, in other words, prevents a decrease in the country's "Productivity Index" and overall productivity, and economic decline. Automated systems ensure that decisions are made more objectively and in accordance with standards. This allows citizens to access services equally and reduces instances of discrimination. At the same time, "Digital Government" reduces the workload of public servants, enabling them to organize their activities more efficiently.
5. Costs – When using “Traditional Services,” individuals seeking access to public services often incur various expenses. These include transportation costs required to travel to and from service providers, as well as additional daily expenses. For example, applicants may need to spend money on food and beverages during waiting periods, particularly when service provision is interrupted by lunch breaks.As we noted above, when using "Traditional Services," a collection of paper is generated within any organization, agency, or institution, which sometimes leads to the mixing up of different individuals' documents, this mix-up, in turn, results in the loss or, to put it another way, disappearance of one of the applicants' documents. Considering that in such situations, "Bureaucrats" not only refuse to admit their own guilt but also use various techniques, methods, and means to "shift" it onto others, then it is clear that the "burden" of finding or, to put it another way, the "Burden" of finding or restoring the lost documents falls on the applicants. In other words, the applicants must once again approach another organization, agency, or institution to recover their lost or, to put it another way, missing documents, and because they are using "Traditional Services" again, the process is extremely long, endless lines, various problems such as conflict, "Subjective Approach," acts of corruption, etc., and must pay an official state fine for the lost or, to put it another way, missing document, and then an official state fee to obtain a new one. Moreover, applicants must use certain cafeterias, cafes, or restaurants to meet their essential nutritional needs when faced with a "Lunch Break," and transportation to go from the organization, institution, or establishment where the problem occurred to another one and back again after restoring the lost or, to put it another way, missing documents, Considering that when faced with a "Lunch Break," applicants use certain cafeterias, cafes, or restaurants to meet their essential nutritional needs, it can be concluded that in such situations, their expenses increase fivefold.
Economically, "E-Services" both applicants and the government by eliminating the need for transportation, "Lunch Break" protects applicants from additional costs such as the official government fine for lost documents or, to put it another way, their disappearance, and the official government fee to obtain a new one, while also allowing for a reduction in government spending and more efficient use of resources. The reduction of paper carriers, the automation of operational processes, and the simplification of administrative procedures facilitate savings in budget funds. At the same time, E-Government contributes to improving the business environment and stimulates the development of entrepreneurial activity.
6. Transparency and Accountability – Another important advantage of "Electronic Services" is increased transparency and accountability. The delivery of "Government Services" through "Electronic Platforms" ensures that all processes can be monitored. The existence of "Electronic Traces" increases transparency in the activities of government agencies and significantly reduces the risks of "Corruption." Furthermore, various organizations, agencies, or institutions regularly post reports, statistical data, and tables on their official "Web Platforms" regarding their activities, the work they perform, and the budget allocated to these tasks, regularly informing the public about their work. This, in turn, positively contributes to strengthening public trust in the government. A careful analysis of the above leads to the conclusion that "E-Government" and "Digital Government," compared to the traditional system of governance, provide high-quality services to citizens, improve business, citizen, and government collaboration, flexible regulation of compliance with rules, demonstrating transparent accountability, ensuring citizens' integration into the government, increasing efficiency and performance, achieving more results with fewer resources, It has advantages such as eliminating redundant procedures, ensuring information security, and minimizing bureaucratic procedures.
Conclusion. Thus, it can be concluded that in the modern international political system, "E-Government" and "Digital Government" serve to provide services to the country's citizens in a qualitatively new form by utilizing the capabilities of virtual space and modern technologies, serves to provide services to the country's citizens in a qualitatively new form by utilizing the high level of informatization in government agencies, and the implementation of these new governance models combats the "Bureaucratic Degeneration" characterized by It also plays a significant role in the fight against "Bureaucratic Degeneration" due to its numerous advantages over "Traditional Services."
Bibliography:
1. Azərbaycan Respublikasının Prezidenti yanında Vətəndaşlara Xidmət və Sosial İnnovasiyalar üzrə Dövlət Agentliyi haqqında Əsasnamə. – https://e-qanun.az/framework/23926 (accessed on 27.05.2026).
2. ASAN Xidmət. Haqqımızda. – https://asan.gov.az/about (accessed on 27.05.2026).
3. ASAN Xidmət. ASAN xidmət mərkəzi açıldı. –https://asan.gov.az/az/media/news/asan-xidmet-merkezi-acildi (accessed on 27.05.2026).
4. Azərbaycan Respublikasının Rəqəmsal İnkişaf və Nəqliyyat Nazirliyi. Rəsmi internet səhifəsi. – https://mincom.gov.az (accessed on 27.05.2026).