Learn in the textbookDigital Government and the Foundations of Administrative Systems
DefinitionDigital Local Government (電子自治体) refers to efforts by prefectures and municipalities to use ICT to digitize procedures for residents and the internal work of their offices.
ExplanationExamples include accepting applications online, booking public facilities, and issuing certificates at convenience stores. Residents need to visit government offices less often, and staff spend less effort handling paper. In recent years it has also been tied to efforts to standardize business systems and move them onto a shared cloud environment.
AnalogyLike a town hall adding an online counter you can use without worrying about office hours.
Memory hook自治体 literally reads as "a body that governs itself", which signals that this is a local rather than national effort.