Identification of key process areas in the production on an e-capability maturity model for UK construction organisations

Uptake of e-procurement by construction organisations has been slow (Martin, 2008). Positive e-business achievements in other industries, point towards the potential for the construction industry to accomplish similar results. Since the Modernising Government White paper set targets through best value indicator BV157 for implementation in the public sector, Government has supported many initiatives encouraging e-procurement. These are based on documented efficiency and cost savings (Knudsen, 2003; Minahan and Degan, 2001; McIntosh and Sloan, 2001; Martin, 2008). However, Martin (2003, 2008) demonstrates only a modest increase in the uptake of e-procurement in the UK construction industry. Alshawi et al (2004) identified the significance of possessing a model to sustain the embedment of any business process within an organisation. Saleh and Alshawi (2005) describe a number of model types used to gauge maturity in an organisation. One of these models is the capability maturity model. Paulk et al (1993) released the Software Capability Maturity Model (CMM) in 1991. Since then many CMM’s have evolved. This paper reports on how a CMM based on Drivers and Barriers to e-procurement identified in Eadie et al (2009) can be developed to gauge the maturity of an organisation in relation to e-procurement. This paper presents details of a research project which used factor analysis to produce a set of Key Process Areas (KPA) from the drivers and barriers identified in Eadie et al (2009). These KPAs were then subjected to a mapping process linking them to maturity levels to develop a CMM to analyse the e-procurement capability of construction organisations. The mapping will be reported in a later paper. This termed as e-readiness of organisations will indicate the current state of a construction organisation in terms of its readiness to carry out e-procurement. The paper describes in detail the identification of the KPA’s

Realising Transformational Stage E-Government: Challenges, Issues and Complexities

Whilst the early stages of e-government focused on e-enabling customer-facing services, the latter stages of e-government is focused towards transformational change in public sector agencies. However, public sector agencies are struggling to successfully achieve the transformational stage of e-government due to various strategic, organisational and technical challenges. To realise the transformational stage of e-government, local authorities will need radical changes in core processes across organisational boundaries, in a manner that has not been seen before in the public sector. In particular, the bitter lessons that were learnt by many private sector organisations during the business process reengineering (BPR) era should provide a stern reminder of the challenging and complex nature of transformational change efforts. This paper seeks to explore the key strategic, organisational and technology challenges that local government will face when implementing the transformational stage of e-government in UK local councils and contributes a conceptual frame of reference for transformational stage e-government

Elimination of Administrative Barriers through Offering Public Services to One Office

One of the main challenges of this millennium today is to promote innovation in governance, in order to create a future for all citizens worldwide.83 This means that governments have opportunities to use new technologies in decision-making, (such as, for example, e-government) and provide as much public on-line services, because this is the only way to minimize corruption and increase transparency and achieve effective, efficient and participatory governance. These expectations for good governance, are not just aspirations of developing countries around the world but are one of the most important objectives of the Albanian government. To realize good governance, it is important to undertake quality reforms in the direction of the good administration and public administration. Provision of public services such as health and social insurance, education, health, criminal justice, etc., are key objectives for the government, since individuals in a society are very interested in taking advantage of these services and the quality of their delivery depends on by measures taken by the government for the way it offers them. Public services offer the main confrontation between individuals, society and the state and offering them timely, efficiently, qualitatively, transparency, accountability, of course, all these increasing the confidence of society in the quality of governance and their expectations in this regard. Thus, Albania has made progress towards fulfilling the reforms undertaken by the public administration, apparently in terms of creating incentives for doing business. In this study, attention is paid to the legislative measures taken by the Albanian government, public administration reform, simplification of administrative procedures in terms of doing business, removal of administrative barriers through the provision of public services with an office, etc.Keywords: public services with an office, state administration, sectoral laws, transparency, efficiency, new technology, decision-making  process, etc

e-Government information systems interoperability in developing countries: the case of Jordan

Objective: This study examines the factors that influence information system (IS) interoperability of e-Government focusing on IS Interoperability as the key concept to reach successful e-Government implementation in Jordan.Methodology: Use of qualitative methods of inquiry has been made to explore study variables and their relationships. A variety of published literatures related to scope of the study has been reviewed along with analyzing the e-Government strategy in Jordan during period 2014-2016.The interoperability levels of e-Government IS have been discussed in this paper. Finally, significant barriers that affect IS interoperability have been identified along with the factors that can drive it successful implementation.Findings: Technical, semantic, and organizational interoperability are main stages for successful e-Government IS interoperability.Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, top management support, human resources, data and information, security and privacy, and business process have been found as the major obstacles.Whereas, high level interoperability goals, commitment of government bodies, and customer focus have been identified as main success factors that lead to e-Government IS interoperability.The study suggests that strategies and work process should be aligned, common standards and knowledge should be shared to move towards e-transformation in Jordan. Implications: This study can be starting point for the real life practical solutions for successful implementation of e-Government conceptual frame work.Finding of the study can be used to generalize about the factors that lead to success of IS interoperability within government agencies in other developing countries.This study enriches existing literature in this context.On practical side, the study contributes by identifying IS interoperability success factors and barriers within government agencies.The proposed conceptual model is first stage in the process of understanding factors that influence e-Government IS interoperability.Further studies may be needed to empirically evaluate the proposed conceptual model

The complexities of electronic services implementation and institutionalisation in the public sector

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Information & Management. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2013 Elsevier B.V.Electronic service implementation (ESI) in the public sector attempts to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of governmental departments. Despite having provided the necessary infrastructure and investment, many governments have struggled to realise such aims due to the various forces that challenge implementation and institutionalisation. Using institutional theory as a lens, we explored the forces influencing the implementation and institutionalisation of ESI in the public sector. While our results reinforced previous research in IT implementation and organisational transformation, they showed that the dynamic nature of technology poses unanticipated pressures, and that these can impede the implementation and institutionalisation process

T-government for benefit realisation

This paper proposes a model for t-Government and highlights the research agenda needed to increase understanding of transformational government and the processes involved in furthering the agenda of the t-Government. In particular, both an operational and a conceptual model for the effective involvement of citizens and businesses in government functioning have been proposed. This will help to define an agenda for t-Government research that emerges from national UK strategy and policy for e-Government. The main threads of t- Government encompass: (1) A citizen-centric delivery of public services or e-inclusion, (2) A shared services culture to maximize value added to clients, (3) The effective delivery and management of resources and skills within government or professionalism. All three threads should be addressed principally from the perspectives of delivery, evaluation and participation in view of benefit realisation as envisioned by Government strategic planning and policy directives (CabinetOffice, 2005). The management of change dimension of these phenomena have been included in the research agenda. In particular, research is needed to reshape the discourse towards emphasising a citizen centric approach that defines, develops, and benefits from public service. Decision makers in Government will need models of Governance that fulfil transformational objectives. They will also need models of benefits realisation within a strategic Governance framework. It has been argued that t-Government research should be addressing these relative voids

`ICT Policy` for ICT service management - role of business organizations in national reforms agenda for services sector

Several governments around the world have made significant endeavours and allegiances to deliver new National Reforms Agenda (NRA) in order to drive sustained prosperity for their citizens e.g. the cases of Australian, Georgia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) governments etc. In general, the rationale for transformation in NRA has been manifold such as: (a) healthier and more active the population, the stronger the economy; (b) the more skilled the population, the higher the productivity; (c) the greater the degree of social inclusion, the greater the workforce/stakeholder participation and (b) improving individual government’s investment climate and strengthening democratic and political institutions. Notwithstanding, in the present and coming decades nationals of different countries around the world are (to a greater extent due to the credit crunch) and further will be facing immense challenges, due to mounting competitiveness in the global economy. Some governments are highly aware of the magnitude and complexity of these challenges. Nevertheless, resolving these challenges is not merely within the jurisdiction of the national government – success will essentially hinge on a collaborative working relationship within all levels of governments (e.g. local, national, central) and business/trading stakeholders. As a result of this collaboration, formulating and consigning prosperity to citizens. The research carried out in this paper strives to exemplify the objectives of the national reforms in general. In addition, structural change of the reformation policy is presented to the business organisations for the purpose of enabling them by focusing on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) based participation and productivity in service management

Does quality drive employee satisfaction in the UK learning sector?

The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence to assess the nature and extent of the link between employee satisfaction and organisational performance. This paper examines the link between staff satisfaction and organisational performance, presenting findings from 21 colleges of Further Education that have participated in both a survey of staff satisfaction (covering over 2,600 staff from these colleges) and in a diagnostic benchmarking exercise using the “Learning PROBE” methodology. The results suggest that whilst each of the measured aspects of work are regarded as being important by a majority of survey respondents, the level of “satisfaction” displayed in each of these attributes is indicated by only a minority of those surveyed. The findings support the existence of a link between staff satisfaction and organisational excellence. Staff satisfaction levels are most strongly associated with the leadership and service processes indices, and even more so with the overall organisational diagnosis. This suggests that colleges that are implementing “good practices” covering a range of managerial aspects, and who are achieving corresponding organisational results, are likely to be closer to satisfying their staff. Practices relating to people, performance management and organizational results also show association with staff's satisfaction gap, although not as significantly as above. The results suggest an holistic approach to implementing business practices appears to be more effective than concentrating only on deploying good practices in only a single area of the managerial process. The value of the paper is to the UK Further Education Sector in that it identifies those organisational practices, which improved, can in combination address to some extent the work satisfaction levels of their employees