This research grew out of the work of Nfuka & Rusu (2010), who identified eleven critical success factors (CSFs) that need to be considered for effective information technology (IT) governance in the public sector. It is motivated by the limited literature on CSFs for effective IT governance, especially from the point of view of a developing country. Our objective is to advance our understanding on CSFs for effective IT governance in the Albanian public sector. Adopting a holistic approach, we propose a new construct of analysis for CSFs. This construct blends in two components. The first is IT governance as an ongoing process and encompasses IT Governance Institute (ITGI) defined focus areas (ITGI 2003). The second is related to business‐IT alignment and consists of three dimensions: human, social, and intellectual (Schlosser et al. 2012). Using case study research method, we gather data from five government organizations. Our results supports those of Nfuka & Rusu (2010). From the Albanian public sector perspective, they indicate a greater emphasis on CFSs related to resource management focus area and human dimension. Limitations on IT resources, knowledge and culture (Nfuka & Rusu 2010) and insufficient IT resource management (Yahya 1993) provide the explanation for such results. In addition, IT departments are viewed as service providers. This perception further motivates the emphasis on resource management.

Although information technology today is a driving force behind public sector innovation, harnessing the benefits of investing in such technology is challenging for governments worldwide. Hence, a wide number of governments are endeavoring to implement governance projects for effective information technology. This study expands on earlier research into information technology governance within the public sector. The earlier study proposed a new construct to analyze the critical success factors. While the previous work mainly focused on the strategic level, this current study spans the organizational levels of strategic, tactical, and operational. Apart from a general consensus on Critical Success Factors, the results reveal a number of differences between the levels that affect every organization. Failure to minimize these differences could have a negative effect on the aligning business with information technology.