The Promise of Digital Government

Abstract

E-government promises to mark a new era of greater convenience in citizen access to governmental forms, data, and information. Its advocates promise that not only will e-government bring the convenience of online transactions, but it will also reverse citizens’ disaffection from government, create dramatic savings, and reinforce rather than erode traditional American freedoms and liberties. E-government, however, is better thought of not as a revolution, but as an attempt to bring the e-business model into the public sector. A component-by-component examination of the e-business model shows that it is fraught with problems, challenges, and limitations as well as opportunities. The promise of digital government will be fulfilled only by a new generation of public managers who are generalists, not technocrats, capable of integrating the disparate fields of consideration, which are necessary aspects of the vision of e-government as a whole.

Understanding the complexity of electronic government: Implications from the digital divide literature

“…E-government initiatives do have the potential to deliver better services. However, some problems of access and use diminish this potential (Garson, 2004). Scholars from different disciplines argue that there are many social groups that cannot enjoy the benefits of electronic services, or that cannot meaningfully obtain value from them (Mariscal, 2003;Mossberger et al, 2003;Norris, 2001;Warschauer, 2003).…”

“…However, Heeks (2003) estimates that the failure rate of e-government projects may be as high as 85%. Therefore, despite the possibilities of e-government, scholars and practitioners argue information technologies (IT) in general, and e-government in particular, have not accomplished the promise of a more efficient, effective, and democratic public administration (Cook, LaVigne, Pagano, Davies, 2004;Garson, 2004). This is a clear indication that research on e-government is not addressing some important factors.…”

“…Scholars suggest information technologies have the potential not only to improve the quality of services, but also to produce cost savings and make government policies and programs more effective (Bourquard, 2003;Garson, 2004;Gartner, 2000;Grönlund, 2001). However, Heeks (2003) estimates that the failure rate of e-government projects may be as high as 85%.…”

Propuesta de Evaluación para Portales de Gobierno Electrónico basada en el enfoque teórico evolutivo

“…Internet puede ser considerado como una de las herramientas más poderosas para lograr la transformación gubernamental, cambiando la estrategia de comunicación y mejorando los servicios del gobierno con un enfoque de interacción con el ciudadano (Stowers, 1999). Hay quienes consideran que las tics no han modificado aún las estructuras y procesos fundamentales del gobierno, pero aceptan que éstas tienen el potencial para jugar un papel trascendental en la transformación de la administración pública (Fountain, 2001;Garson, 2004;Kramer y King, 2003; Woods, 2007).Un ejemplo de aplicación de gobierno electrónico son los portales de gobierno estatal. Dada su complejidad (por el número y variedad de elementos), y su visibilidad ante un mayor número de ciudadanos, se han convertido en un punto de partida para los esfuerzos del gobierno electrónico en muchos países del mundo.…”

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

“…ICTs are seen as liberating technologies, as technological experts see them as inevitable and the existence of advanced computers and the Internet may force such liberating developments upon governments [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. Thus, ICTs don't necessarily need government's approval for their penetration but citizens' endorsement and patronage is enough for their survival.…”