Abstract
E-government information systems (IS) projects experience numerous challenges that can lead to total or partial failure. The project failure factors have been identified and studied by numerous researchers, but the root causes of such failures are not well-articulated. In this study, literature on e-government IS project failures in developing-world contexts is reviewed through the application of qualitative meta-synthesis, design–reality gap analysis, and root cause analysis. In the process, 18 causal factors and 181 root causes are identified as responsible for e-government IS project failures. The most prevalent of the 18 causal factors are found to be inadequate system requirements engineering (with 22 root causes), inadequate project management (19 root causes), and missing or incomplete features (16 root causes). These findings can be of use to future researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to identify methods of avoiding e-government IS failures, particularly in developing-world contexts.
Highlights
E-government information systems (IS) are increasingly becoming essential tools for the delivery of government services and the improvement of government administration in developing-world countries
Analysis and conclusions Design–reality gaps The findings show that developing-world e-government IS projects fail due to root causes linked to all seven ITPOSMO design–reality gap dimensions suggested by Heeks (2003)
The ITPOSMO management systems and structures dimension had the highest number of root causes, totalling 46
Summary
E-government information systems (IS) are increasingly becoming essential tools for the delivery of government services and the improvement of government administration in developing-world countries. Such systems enable citizens to access government services at a relatively low cost compared to traditional face-to-face services, making government services more convenient and accessible (Gilbert et al, 2004). In Tanzania, notable e-government systems include the electronic payment gateway (GePG), which facilitates the collection of government revenues electronically from various sources, while simplifying the way citizens pay government bills (i.e., making payments through mobile phones and banks). The system was prone to errors, labour-intensive, and took a long time to process claims (National Audit Office of Tanzania, 2019) Another project had to be initiated to fix the identified problems. In an effort to better understand the main causes of e-government IS project failures in developing-world contexts, we conducted a literature review that applied qualitative meta-synthesis, design–reality gap analysis, and root cause analysis
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