臺日政府數位轉型比較：歷史制度論之觀點

Abstract

數位轉型（Digital Transformation）已成為各國政府推動行政現代化與提升公共服務效能的重要政策目標。隨著資訊與通訊技術的快速發展，政府部門被期待透過數位化轉型提升行政效率、降低民眾接觸公共服務成本。臺灣與日本同為先進經濟體，且在政治制度具有高度可比性，兩國亦推動數位政府發展計畫，並於近年設立專責數位治理之中央機構，顯示政府在制度層級上對數位轉型的高度重視。然而，臺灣與日本在數位行政服務的發展程度與治理成效上仍存在顯著差異。 本研究之研究問題為臺灣與日本在行政服務數位轉型程度上是否存在差異，且日本數位行政發展長期遲緩的制度性原因，是否受到政府治理中「透明」、「參與」與「協作」三項核心要素運作方式之影響。進一步而言，本文援引歷史制度論（Historical Institutionalism）之路徑依賴觀點，檢視日本政府多次推動數位改革卻成效有限的制度背景，並評估年金記錄問題及COVID-19 疫情是否構成突破既有制度限制、促使數位轉型加速推進的關鍵時刻。 在研究方法上，本研究採取質性比較研究設計，以臺灣與日本為比較對象，透過文獻回顧、政策文件與官方出版品分析、以及行政服務網路平台與民眾參與平台之系統性盤點與比較，進行跨國分析。研究並結合過程追蹤法，重建日本數位政府政策的制度演進脈絡，分析制度調整與治理條件如何影響數位行政服務的推動與落實。 研究發現顯示，從行政服務網路平台與民眾參與政治平台所提供之服務數量、可線上完成比例、平台普及度與使用程度，以及民眾滿意度等指標觀察，臺灣在上述兩類平台的整體表現均明顯優於日本。日本政府之數位改革長期受制於路徑依賴及治理中透明、參與與協作不足的結構性因素，進而強化既有制度運作慣性，使數位轉型及其配套制度難以有效推進。然而，在 COVID-19 疫情期間，日本政府推動 My Number Card 與 Mynaportal 的實施確實取得一定成效，顯示疫情可視為促成行政服務網路平台數位化與制度擴散的關鍵時刻。

Digital transformation has become a central policy objective for governments seeking to modernize public administration and enhance the effectiveness of public service delivery. With the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), government agencies are increasingly expected to improve administrative efficiency and reduce citizens’ costs of accessing public services through digital transformation. Taiwan and Japan, both advanced economies with highly comparable political systems, have actively promoted digital government initiatives and, in recent years, established central agencies dedicated to digital governance, demonstrating a strong institutional commitment to digital transformation. Nevertheless, significant differences remain between Taiwan and Japan in terms of the development level and governance performance of digital administrative services. This study examines whether significant differences exist between Taiwan and Japan in the level of digital transformation of administrative services, and whether the prolonged stagnation of Japan’s digital administration can be attributed to the functioning of three core governance elements—transparency, participation, and collaboration. Drawing on historical institutionalism, particularly the concept of path dependence, the study further investigates the institutional context in which Japan has repeatedly pursued digital reforms with limited success, and assesses whether the COVID-19 pandemic constituted a critical juncture that enabled a departure from existing institutional constraints and accelerated digital transformation. Methodologically, this research employs a qualitative comparative research design, with Taiwan and Japan as the primary cases. It conducts a cross-national analysis through a comprehensive review of existing literature, policy documents, and official publications, as well as a systematic examination and comparison of administrative service platforms and citizen participation platforms. In addition, process tracing is utilized to reconstruct the institutional evolution of Japan’s digital government policies and to analyze how institutional adjustments and governance conditions influence the implementation and advancement of digital administrative services. The findings indicate that, across multiple indicators—including the number of services provided by administrative service platforms and citizen participation platforms, the proportion of services fully available online, platform penetration and usage levels, and citizen satisfaction—Taiwan consistently outperforms Japan in both types of platforms. Japan’s digital reforms have long been constrained by path dependence and structural deficiencies in transparency, participation, and collaboration, which have reinforced existing institutional inertia and hindered the effective advancement of digital transformation and its supporting institutional arrangements. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the My Number Card and Mynaportal achieved tangible progress, suggesting that the pandemic may be regarded as a critical juncture that facilitated the digitalization and institutional diffusion of administrative service platforms.