The Implementation Of ICT In Public Sector Organisations. Analysing Selection Criteria For eGovernment Projects

Taking as a starting point the recent approval of 138 co-financing proposals put forward by numerous local government bodies within the context of a national e-government plan, the article poses the question of whether these types of initiatives are really likely to unleash mechanisms capable of improving organisational performance. The evaluation criteria adopted in the course of the selection process are analysed on the basis of a model elaborated by Soh and Markus (1995) with the object of throwing light on the role attributed to information and communication technology (ICT) in the shaping of organisational innovation in the public sector

Citizen Participation and engagement in the Design of e-Government Services: The Missing Link in Effective ICT Design and Delivery

Enid Mumford championed an ethical, socio-technical, and participatory approach to the design of ICT systems. In this paper, we focus on the development of e-government as an example of such a system. First, we present an extension of Mumford¡¯s ideas about the benefits and process of participation, based on an analysis of recent citizen engagement initiatives. We then examine the extent to which e-government reflects the principles she espoused. The evidence collated indicates that e-government development is currently characterised by a technocentric approach with minimal engagement of citizens. We discuss the implications arising from this analysis, and explore the benefits that governments could achieve from adoption of a socio-technical, participatory approach to e-government development. The crucial enabling role of capacity building is highlighted. Providing citizens with the necessary skills and capabilities to engage effectively offers the key to the successful development of systems such as e-government which impact our lives in the 21st century Information Society

Investigating the determinants of inter-organizational information sharing within criminal justice: a context-mechanism-outcome approach

Focusing on inter-organizational information sharing in criminal justice, it is found that, while poor project management leads to unsuccessful inter-organizational information sharing, a recipe for success is more demanding as it requires both compatible technologies and good project management implemented either by means of a top-down approach of strategic alignment or an emergent approach of bottom-up alignment. Though unplanned, the latter approach may lead to mistakes that are more correctable than the large mistakes stemming from top-down, deliberate planning. The study is an analysis of context-mechanism-outcome configurations of inter-organizational information sharing activities within criminal justice systems and demonstrates the causal asymmetry between positive and negative cases. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed by highlighting the causal role of different types of governance structure in a crisp-set configurational fashion

Managing successful e-government implementation : case of E-Syariah in Malaysia.

Studies of e-government have shown how strategic use of e-government systems helps government agencies to improve public service delivery and gain more efficient governance. The success of this initiative is seen to be dependent upon the role of government’s key implementation tasks in managing alignment between the organizational, technological and human-related factors; which ultimately lead to improved delivery of public service. However, very little work has been carried out to understand the issue. This study helps to fill this gap in the important research area by investigating the role of government’s key implementation tasks in managing alignment for improved delivery of judicial service. This exploratory qualitative research carried out an in-depth case study of the implementation of E-Syariah system within different Syariah Court Offices in a state in Malaysia namely Kelantan. By analyzing the collected data from the case, findings were drawn up in which it confirms the existing literature that government’s key implementation tasks play a significant role in the successful implementation of E-Syariah. New government’s key task emerged from the case data – (i) informing values of ICT, (ii) inculcating inner-connection to Islamic values and (iii) establishing collaborative relationships between government agencies through central coordination approach. An insight into the case uncovers enabling roles of these key implementation tasks for organization – human dimension, human-technology dimension and technology-organization dimension. This study also discusses the implication of improved delivery of judicial service to good governance in light of the following identified attributes; efficiency and effectiveness, transparency and empowerment. In summary, this research extends our theoretical underpinning of the role of government’s key implementation tasks in managing alignment for improved delivery of public service; and provides useful insights for public officials (e.g. top management, policy-makers) in managing e-government implementation

Socio-technical Perspectives on e-Government Initiatives

Abstract. ICTs are intended to be a powerful tool in support of government transition to the “Digital Age”. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of integrating a socio-technical perspective into the body of eGovernment practices. The current realisation in Italy of an “Action plan for eGovernment ” is a source of interesting preliminary evidence for our purpose. 1 Standard (Tool) Model vs. Socio-technical Model In a highly relevant paper Kling and Lamb [5] observe that most IS projects are typically described in terms of what they refer to as the ‘Standard (Tool) Model’. In terms of this model, ICTs are often discussed as tools or simple appliances, even when they take the form of complex arrangements of varied equipment and rules/roles/resources [6]. Among other things, the Standard Model assumes that information systems are objective and rational, and thus, capable of being evaluated through the use of objective tools and techniques. Moreover, this model presupposes a one-shot implementation and assumes that an IT application has the same meaning and consequences for all users (“contexts are simple”). Finally, ICTs are expected t