The Concept of eGovernment: ICT Policy Guidelines for the Policy Makers of Ghana

Abstract

It is obvious that no government or business operation can be done without some kinds of involvement of ICTs in the process. However, research shows that, the policies and implementation of ICTs in delivering public services face several challenges in different countries due to country level peculiarities and cultures. These challenges are socio-technical from the prospective of soft and hard implications of the eGovernment systems. This paper tries to follow the soft or social issues limiting the efforts in designing and implementing ICT policies in Ghana. We identify some of the challenges in respect of the policy makers and back and front office users of ICT systems. This paper has therefore, elaborated the concept of eGovernment within context of the understanding of the lay ICT policy maker and systems users of Ghana. The issues addressed in this article range from development to the sustainability of eGovernment systems, policies and stages that resonate with norms and culture, political and the administrative style of Ghana.

Privacy, security, trust, risk and optimism bias in e-government use: The case of two Southern African Development Community countries

“…Prior research indicates that the public required assurance of adequate privacy protection embedded in e-government systems prior to and when using them (ITU 2012; Majdalawi Ramli 2017). Moreover, any perception of inadequate privacy tends to increase the perceived risk of using e-government systems, leading to eroded trust and a lack of desire to use such systems (Ewurah 2017). To overcome such privacy worries, the incorporation of a privacy statement on e-government websites addressing all fundamental privacy principles, compensation mechanisms, government regulations and ICT self-regulation for enforcing procedural justice for perpetrators is recommended (Bansal, Zahedi & Gefen 2010;Shalhoub 2006;Xu et al 2009).…”

Trust, Risk, Privacy and Security in e-Government Use: Insights from a MASEM Analysis

“…Citizens' PPS showed significant positive effect on e-government trust. E-government trust is induced by citizens' belief that anonymity, personal information, and archiving of personal data are fully protected by e-government service portals and online governmental transactions are secured and risk free (e.g., Munyoka & Maharaj, 2019;Ewurah, 2017). If citizens believe that e-government websites are vulnerable to cyber-attack and their personal information may be used for fraudulent activities, their trust in e-government would be eroded (Liesbet, 2017).…”

A Review of The Literature on An Examination of The Effects of Cyber Security in Improved Public Sector Institution Performance in Jordan

“…Confidential information may be made public through hacking and information breaches, making a business less competitive. (Ewurah, 2017). The accessibility, privacy, and reliability of a company's information and communication technologies and data are all at risk from successful cyberattacks (Ali et al, 2021).…”

“…A government needs an efficient, confidential, and trustworthy information system to preserve social and economic stability and compete globally. Public sector information systems that lack security can negatively affect public confidence and desire to use government agencies, thus jeopardizing social and economic stability (Ewurah, 2017).…”

“…According to Yeh & Chang (2007), security policies, management commitment, employee training, and awareness are all related to the effectiveness of information and communication technology. Ewurah (2017) has also highlighted the significance of dependable information systems for the stability and competitiveness of government.…”