Measuring e-government readiness

Abstract

We proposed a way of assessing readiness of a government organization to transform itself into a provider of fully integrated e-government services. We identified major components of e-government and discussed how it could evolve from a simple website into a fully integrated portal that delivers services to the public. Drawing upon strategic IS theory, we proposed three levels – strategic, system, and data – at which the governmental office’s readiness for e-government should be addressed. We empirically tested our model of e-government readiness with data collected from a U.S. municipal government. However, the results supported only a two-level model rather than the three we had theorized. This finding had important implications because it supported our contention that discrepancies can occur when e-government initiatives are at a relatively early stage and some critical e-government issues have not yet emerged.