CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE Good Practice 4: Information and communication technology and the judicial system The introduction of ICT in 2004 has enabled the judicial public service in Algeria to record significant progress. The following examples can be highlighted: immediate delivery of information and certain documents such as certificates of nationality thanks to a single office; police records being obtainable throughout the national territory thanks to the computerisation of the National Police Record Centre; the new version implemented in 2005 to enable Algerians born outside the country to obtain their police records in the same way as those who were not; the existence of a website (www.mjustice.dz) that allows citizens access to the law and to enquire about any legal problems that they encounter; as well as a guide for accused persons, which is available on the same site. 282. Despite the advantages of “e-governance” in terms of the efficiency and effectiveness of the public service, the concept suffers from many weaknesses and poses problems, especially at the level of equal access of citizens to public services. This problem is more marked in illiterate populations and remote environments, which do not have the know-how or means to access new information technologies. There is a great risk of being confronted with a massive need for equipment without any guarantees in terms of efficacy. The programme for modernised equipment and services nonetheless remains indispensable. The CSAR does not give an indication of the strategies put in place to overcome these difficulties and ensure sustainability (maintenance, training, etc.). Thus, much remains to be done to improve public service delivery and its accessibility to all citizens, as is borne out by the results of the February 2007 opinion survey. iii. Recommendations 283. Given the challenges and issues facing public office in Algeria, the APR Panel would like to recommend that the government: 1. Implement an integrated strategy aimed at modernising structures, defining jobs and responsibilities, as well as an objective, successful performance assessment and motivational system for an effective and competitive public service. 2. Implement a strategy for making use of the managerial cadres of the Algerian diaspora to make up for deficiencies in competencies. 3. Implement a system that reconciles the public service‟s principles of equality and continuity with the flexibility needed as a result of local specificities. This would allow managers to adapt public administration to local needs and realities in order to improve the response to the demands of the citizens which it serves. 96