E-government Initiatives Research Articles

Support and Resistance of Public Officials Towards Current eGovernment Initiatives – A Case Study on Ukraine and Germany

This article provides insights on how German and Ukrainian public sector employees perceive and position themselves towards current eGovernment initiatives. After presenting the academic literature on the roles of individual public servants in transformative change processes in public administration, the eGovernment approaches followed by Germany and Ukraine are explained. The results of a survey (n = 74) conducted among public servants in both countries provide information on their perceived contribution to and participation in the digitisation of government service delivery, as well as reasons and causes for motivation or frustration in this context. By analysing the survey responses and identifying potential impediments of successful eGovernment implementation, the authors provide recommendations for action for executives that drive digital transformation, such as organising tool-specific training and Single Points of Contact for employees after introducing new processes and software, adjusting educational programmes for new public servants, and establishing a feedback and knowledge-sharing culture when creating new e-services.

Developing an Instrument to Measure Information Assurance Implementation for eGovernment using Goal Question Metric Approach

The eGovernment initiative is aimed to improve government services to the public by improving the quality and availability of services that can be accessed regardless of time and place. Consequently, the services must always be available at any time, and any threat to the information and systems should receive attention to ensure business continuity in the event of an incident. Therefore, in implementing eGovernment, information assurance (IA) must be considered. To determine the extent to which IA implementation status to protect eGovernment services in Indonesia, it is necessary to measure the implementation using an instrument. The measurement instrument was developed using the Goal Question Metric (GQM) approach. The developed instrument was then used in a case study to test its effectiveness in measuring the IA implementation. From the results of the case study, it can be concluded that the IA measurement instrument for eGovernment was proven to be effective within Indonesian context.

ICTs as Catalyst for E-Governance Initiatives in Nigeria’s Economic Transformation

ICTs as Catalyst for E-Governance Initiatives in Nigeria’s Economic Transformation

Lightweight Technical Implementation of Single Sign-On Authentication and Key Agreement Mechanism for Multiserver Architecture-Based Systems

Authentication is the primary and mandatory process for any Information and Communication Technology (ICT) application to prove the legitimacy of the genuine user. It becomes more important and crucial for public platforms like e-governance platforms. The Government of India is transforming the country into Digital India through various e-governance initiatives based on ICT. For authentication, National e-Authentication Framework (NeAF) was proposed by the Indian government which is a policy framework for authentication. This framework does not provide any technical and unified solution for authentication systems while it is based on centralized verification data. In this paper, we proposed a solution for the authentication which provides the unified authentication solution for the Indian e-governance system with existing infrastructure. This solution also provides the features such as scalability, security, and transparency based on distributed computing and working on multiserver architecture. This solution also fulfills the need of the current Indian government to provide multiple e-governance services through a single smart card.

“The COVID-19 Crisis – the New Challenges Before the Indian Justice and Court Administration System”

In India, the COVID-19 crisis came at a time when the focus was already on accelerating the setting up of E-courts and the digitization of justice and court administration. The journey of e-Governance initiatives in court administration started mainly in the mid-1990s and was further enhanced after enactment of the Information Technology Act 2000 (amended 2008). E-courts were launched as a part of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) way back in 2006. However, it appears that the sudden and unexpected advent of COVID-19 crisis has provided a greater fillip in bringing about a rapid transformation in the manner of court administration in the country. As physical appearances by lawyers and litigants were discouraged in courts due to the strict safety protocols of the COVID-19 crisis, greater use of technology, already put in place, came in handy in justice and court administration. This paper aims to broadly cover the situation in India before the COVID-19 crisis, and examine how the court administration reacted to various challenges thrown up by the COVID-19 crisis, particularly, in the period after lockdown. It will outline the major technological initiatives existing in court administration in India before the advent of the COVID-19 crisis, such as court related apps, before discussing how courts at various levels, including Lok Adalats (People’s Courts), the Supreme Court, the High Courts and the District and Subordinate Court, modified the manner of court functioning during COVID, accelerating the move towards e-Judiciary. It will then discuss some of the challenges that have been encountered, including reservations of the Bar, and major hurdles facing the court administration post-COVID 19.

Critical Factors Influencing e-Government Adoption in The Gambia

e-Government is a prerequisite not only for meeting citizen’s needs but also creating the background for the development of knowledge-based public administration. Yet, e-Government development is still at the infancy stage in many developing countries. The objective of this paper is to identify critical factors that enable citizens to adopt e-Government services in a society that is at the infancy stage of e-Government implementation. In other words, this research seeks to determine citizens’ intentions to adopt e-Government initiatives in The Gambia. To achieve the purpose of the study, an integrated model from DeLone and McLean (2003) and Bojang (2020) has been adopted having in mind the local context of Gambian society. Using a quantitative approach, online surveys and secondary data were collected and analyzed descriptively. The findings from the survey concluded that awareness creation and quality service provision strongly influence citizens’ intention to adopt e-government services. Political and bureaucratic support and trust in government were also found to be critical factors for the adoption of e-Government in The Gambia. The availability of information, ease to use of government websites, up-to-date information, reliability and quick response from government websites equally influence citizens’ intention to adopt e-Government. This study will help policy-makers to initiate and formulate policies, strategies that will increase the adoption of e-Government initiatives among citizens.

Making public concerns tangible: An empirical study of German and UK citizens’ perception of data protection and data security

Digitisation processes in the public sector have led to an increase in innovative approaches for better service delivery using information and communication technology. Citizens, however, often have reservations towards e-government efforts due to concerns regarding data protection (DP) and data security (DS). This article is based on a mixed-methods design consisting of a media analysis and an online survey of 1000 respondents from the UK and Germany, which investigates the conception of DP and DS from the citizens’ point of view. Results demonstrate that citizens do not fully understand the terminology used in newspaper articles concerning DP and DS. Moreover, findings show that DP and DS are of great importance to citizens. However, the perceived relevance of DP and DS varies between services, being strongest for online banking. Compared to the German citizens surveyed, the UK citizens displayed greater concerns about disclosing personal data online. Despite some differences, however, findings across both samples indicate a common lack of understanding of the two concepts DP and DS. The resulting citizen concept of DP and DS can help to mediate between politics, technology and the public in the discourse of e-government initiatives and the requirements for DP and DS. We argue that citizens’ understanding of DP and DS is a prerequisite for governments to adequately address citizens’ concerns regarding e-government initiatives.

Challenges common service centers (CSCs) face in delivering e-government services in rural India

Many developing countries across the world are allocating a significant share of their budgets for e-government initiatives. Common service centers (CSCs) are e-government initiatives that aim to increase access to public services and promote easy and direct interaction with the government. These e-government initiatives are largely underutilised, especially in rural areas in developing countries. This study attempts to identify the key challenges facing CSCs and determine their hierarchical relationships in the context of rural India. A set of 15 challenges was identified through a rigorous literature review and by surveying experts and CSC owners. Data were collected on the identified challenges and were analysed using interpretive structural modeling (ISM)-MICMAC-fuzzy MICMAC analysis. Subsequently, we developed a hierarchical model of challenges. The findings revealed that “longer travel time and transaction cost”, “low digital literacy”, and “low awareness” of e-government services are among the key challenges CSCs face in rural India. This study suggests several recommendations to all the stakeholders involved in the management of CSCs to improve the delivery of e-government services in rural India.

Can e-government initiatives alleviate tax evasion? The moderation effect of ICT

Drawing on modernization and institutional theories, this study tests the association between the digitalization of government services and tax evasion via the moderation effect of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The study's sample covers the years between 2006 and 2017 and contains 1677 country-year observations. The results of fixed effect analysis indicate that the six proxies for governments’ long-term vision and the digitalization of government services all play a significant role in alleviating tax evasion. Moreover, ICT adoption by society and citizens positively moderates the association between the digitalization of government services and tax evasion; that is, the digitalization of government services has a stronger effect on mitigating tax evasion in countries where ICT adoption is higher. The study suggests several implications for leveraging ICT in public service delivery, which may help countries reduce tax evasion and increase tax revenue. Specifically, public authorities should improve e-government structures and e-filing systems to facilitate taxpayers’ income tax declarations and payments.

Role of citizens' knowledge about e-governance initiatives in framing citizens' satisfaction

Role of citizens' knowledge about e-governance initiatives in framing citizens' satisfaction

Role of citizens' knowledge about e-governance initiatives in framing citizens' satisfaction

The government, for the betterment and upliftment of the standard of living of citizens, undertake multiple initiatives simultaneously. These initiatives exhibit actions of the government and also ...

Assessing the Effectiveness of Adhoc-Network and Electronic Government in Abuja, Nigeria

E-Government is the use of information and communication Technologies (ICT) such as internet, smart phones,telecommunication, mobile company among others to interact between government and the citizens in running the affairs of the country such as decision making etc. The impact and potential of ICTs have not been fully exploited in the Nigerian context,leaving government in a weak position to formulate policy comprehensively and implement plans effectively. In addition to the implementation of e-government in some part of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria Abuja, but its effectiveness is not impressive. The citizens connection to the government is limited it can be improved more easily using electronic means of communication, A reduction in corruption cases as accountability and transparency can also be increased, Equal opportunity will be given to all to access information irrespective of the person’s physical location or disability and the elimination of the bureaucracy experienced in government offices. This research work is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of e-government in federal capital territory of Nigeria Abuja using Seoul Metropolitan Government as a yard stick for measuring the effectiveness.Questionnaire was used as a primary method of data collection, internet and library as secondary data. The data obtained from the questionnaire has been analyzed using frequency table and percentage. The findings of this work shows that 41.91% of the respondents agree e-government initiatives have decreased civil servants corruption in Abuja, 46.81% of the respondents agree that E-government services has increased citizens trust in Abuja, 58.11% of the respondents believe that E-government initiative have increased the accessibility to the government in Abuja however 37.11% agree that Lack of Information Technology (IT) infrastructure is the major problem affecting E-government in Abuja.

Issues Facing Citizens In Iraq Towards Adoption Of E-Government

Developing countries have established promising e-Government initiatives with the objectives of enhancing the accessibility of government services and information for their citizens. Purpose: This research attempts to explore and investigate the key challenges and Issues that facing e-government adoption and the factors influencing citizen in Iraq. Methodology: The research depended on qualitative approach, the participants comprised undergraduate and postgraduate students at Baghdad university because university students are amongst the adult population for whom the Internet has become part of their daily routine. population of 369, Potential participants for the focus groups were identified from the questionnaire survey. Finding: The findings show that Trust and Awareness significant and direct relationship with adoption of e-government in Iraq. Corruption was found to have significant and negative relationship with the adoption of e- government.

Future framework of eGovernance architecture : A structural equitation modeling perspective

The present era of eGovernance is considered as technology-driven which enhance productivity along with amplified failure rates. The process, citizens,technology, and resources are the pillars of eGovernance but the emphasis is only upon technology which postulates for the development of updated integrated eGovernance model for accomplishing future requirements. Objectives:The present study endeavors to discover the diverse vital constructs to develop an integrated eGovernance model to augment efficiency and social influence. Methods: The NeSDA and OSI methodology are taken as a basis to extract constructs of eGovernance model and attained constructs and relative relationships ascertained through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA and CFA). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is applied to develop and propose an integrated eGovernance model to augment efficiency and social influence. Findings: The empirical outcome illustrate the significant positive impact of eleven accumulated constructs on Intention to Use and Service Quality of the eGovernance initiative which ultimately augments efficiency and social influence of eGovernance initiatives. Novelty: The proposed model makes a significant contribution by integrating vital constructs on the basis of empirical outcomes and applies them to the context of the eGovernance. The suggested model will guide the policymakers and developers of eGovernance systems to focus on identified constructs to maintain and enhance efficiency and social influence. Keywords: Structural equation modeling; intension to use; social influence;competence; transparency; efficiency

Analysis of COVID-19 Tracking Tool in India

COVID-19 tracking tools or contact-tracing apps are getting developed at a rapid pace by different governments in their respective countries. This study explores one such tool called Aarogya Setu , developed by the Government of India. It is a mobile application developed under the Health Ministry, as a part of the E-Governance initiative, to track and sensitize the citizens of India in a joint battle against COVID-19 spread. The study aims to understand various useful features of this tool and to present different concepts of data science applied within the application along with its importance in managing the ongoing pandemic. The App uses Bluetooth and GPS technologies to alert a user when they are nearby a COVID-19 infected person. The application uses various Data Science concepts such as Classification, Association Rule Mining, and Clustering to analyze COVID-19 spread in India. The study also shows potential upgradations in the application, which includes usage of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision to detect COVID-19 patients. The study would be useful for mobile technology professionals, data science professionals, medical practitioners, health-related frontline workers, public administrators, and government officials.

Exploring Citizens' Perceptions of Social Media Use in E-governance in Punjab

Social media is becoming a vital Web 2.0 technology for the effective implementation of e-governance initiatives in various countries around the world. With the vision of the Government of India in creating a digitally empowered nation, it notified a framework and guideline for the use of social media for public engagement and service delivery in both the centre and states. Although studies have given considerable attention to how e-government enhances public engagement and service delivery, few studies exist on the use of social media for the effective implementation of e-governance, especially in the case of Punjab. This study assesses the use of social media by government organizations in Punjab with the aid of Sociotechnical Theory and the concept of Social Capital and Social Cognitive Theory. The study deployed a quantitative research design to analyze and discuss primary and secondary data. The study also dwelled on a research strategy that allows the study of two organizations in Punjab. The study found that the Government of Punjab has made tremendous committed to digitalize the public sector under its vision of Digital Punjab. The study reveals that the Punjab Government and several other public agencies use Facebook and Twitter to engage the general citizenry. However, the study reveals some pitfalls associated with the use of social media by government organizations in Punjab. There is a general awareness on the framework and guideline among the general citizenry but most citizen-end-users intimated of the unnavigability and non-user-friendliness of these social media platforms. Citizen-end-users also indicated that social media use offer enormous benefits, and thus, could lead to transformation in public service delivery. Some of the benefits include participation in governance, increased bureaucratic efficiency, and building a better relationship with the public. Despite these benefits, the study identified poor internet connectivity, preference for non-regional languages and cyber-attacks and other security threats as some of the challenges to the effective use of social media by government organizations. Finally, the study recommends strong political leadership and devotion of public officials as a significant step in ensuring long-term sustainable use of social media in e-governance in Punjab.

Innovating a city through citizen participation: could interdisciplinary orientation play a role?

This exploratory study is based on a grounded theory research performed with the intention to find new potential explanations for citizen participation to processes related to city innovation through public administration and e-governance initiatives.
 Considering (1) the huge importance and amount of previous work on innovation, (2) the societal challenges with which we are confronted, most of them requiring multiple, system thinking type of knowledge and an interdisciplinary perspective, as well as (3) the need to transform our cities in better living and working places, one research question was raised: what does it take to make people more involved in the process of innovating a city, other than traditional factors previously investigated? It is a subject at the intersection of several fields and streams of research: public administration, innovative cities in terms of governance and e-government, civic participation and citizen science, researchers’ skills and competencies, inter and transdisciplinary research - a complex array of intertwined challenges.
 The research objective was to find out if interdisciplinary orientation could be considered among the influence factors that explain citizen participation. The grounded theory method was applied, based on the inductive approach, to generate future hypotheses. The research is exploratory and qualitative; we conducted a semi-structured group interview with 18 researchers, to identify the most important traits of human innovation, followed by a survey with 30 researchers to measure their perceptions towards interdisciplinary research. Researchers were used as an extreme case selection unit for the initial formulation of our research hypothesis, having in mind their double quality – highly educated people and citizens.
 Our pilot study findings indicate that interdisciplinary orientation could be a significant explanatory factor for citizen participation, but further quantitative testing is necessary.

E-Office: A Recent Proposal in Government R&D Institution: An Empirical Study

The continual advancement of new technologies have become prominent for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to be applied and adopted in e-government initiatives. The implementation of ICT and e-services has been adopted by many countries, but implementation rate varies from country to country. The main objective being providing greater transparency, efficiency, rendering quality service. Several government institutions have undertaken e-governance initiatives at multiple levels in the recent past and one such sector taken for study being the Indian Power Sector system which is growing at a very rapid phase, having progressed with its huge amount of infrastructure made available to the research community. E-office implementation in power sector is very crucial for improving efficiency and commitment of Government sector for sustained growth of economy. The present study highlights the implementation and utilization of E-office by the employees of “Central Power Research Institute” (CPRI), a R&D Organisation, an Autonomous society under Ministry of Power, Government of India. A pilot study of 30 employees having different backgrounds was carried out. The study findings highlights practicality of usage in E-office.

E-Governance and Social Inclusion of Entrepreneurship and Businesses

This study offers an overview of the current state of conceptual and empirical research at the interface of e-business and entrepreneurship. Researchers and professionals are provided with concepts and current research into the field of e-governance and in fostering e-business concepts in an entrepreneurial environment. The authors investigated e-government initiatives in a modern, technological environment, exploring both benefits and challenges due to various technical, organizational, social, and contextual factors. Interactions between political/state decision makers and entrepreneurs were studied to develop e-business and e-entrepreneurship concepts in a digital economy. As businesses and state institutions use information and digital technologies for development and functioning, there is a need to develop and understand the main criteria of effectiveness of state digital resources and e-governance as a whole. Based on an empirical study, the researchers propose a system of assessing the quality of electronic resources for entrepreneurship.

Government Information and Service Delivery Through Union Digital Centers in Bangladesh

This study aims to analyze the government information and service delivery to the rural citizen through UDC in Bangladesh. It used a descriptive and exploratory research design based on the quantitative approach. The sample comprised of 383 UDC users who were randomly selected. The data was gathered using questionnaire and analyzed through SPSS (statistical package for social sciences). The statistical findings showed that the overall perception of UDC users on the e-governance initiative found positive. Also, the results of the regression analysis show that the digital divide and good governance has a substantial impact on the overall perception of the user. It is, therefore, suggested that efforts should be instigated for improved awareness and training which helps ensure effective service delivery.