Employing digital technologies for effective governance: Taiwan's experience in COVID-19 prevention

OBJECTIVES: In the digital era, it is important to harness digital technologies to implement effective governance. This paper aims to propose a conceptual framework for the digital governance roadmap. It mainly is the meaningful integration of digital technologies into drafting policy accompanied with comprehensive planning and flexible strategy for better governance. The high-quality, timely, and reliable database is one of the key digital infrastructures for the meaningful employment of digital technologies. METHODS: Taiwan's experience in COVID-19 pandemic prevention is employed as the case to explore the roadmap of digital governance. The Taiwan government and civil society harnessed the power of its National Health Insurance (NHI) database, and further employed data science and GIS to develop the Face-mask distribution system and QR code registration system. Comprehensive planning and flexible strategy were conducted to address public concerns, such as data privacy and digital divide. RESULTS: Harnessing the NHI database's power, the GIS-based Face-mask distribution system and QR code registration system contributed to reducing the infections, panics, and public concerns including data privacy and digital divide for pandemic prevention. CONCLUSIONS: While exploring the systematic digital governance roadmap, it is necessary to fulfill three basic criteria: (1) comprehensive planning, (2) flexible strategies, and (3) the meaningful employment of digital technologies. As one of the key digital infrastructures for the employment of digital technologies, the high-quality, timely, and reliable database is essential to release the power of data-driven for cross-domain collaborations, multiple engagement, innovative applications, and digital empowerment, towards achieving effective governance. PUBLIC INTEREST SUMMARY: This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the roadmap of digital governance, which highlights the importance of the meaningful integration of digital technologies into drafting policies accompanied with comprehensive planning and flexible strategy to achieve effective governance. During the process, the high-quality, timely, and reliable database acts as a key role in facilitating the operation of digital infrastructure for the employment of digital technologies. Taiwan's experience in COVID-19 prevention by harnessing the power of the NHI database and developing the GIS-based Face-mask distribution system and QR code registration system effectively addressed the public concerns on data privacy and digital divide towards effective pandemic prevention. This could be an example provided for other countries to balance public concerns and effective governance.