Digital Government Development

Abstract

Effective implementation of digital government requires a well-articulated and sound strategy. Having a sound strategy is considered as the first and most important step in securing the success of information technology projects (Fletcher, 1999). Unfortunately, failures in the form of cost overruns, delays, and implementation problems are commonplace in digital government projects (Heeks, 1999). If executed properly, a strategic plan can help public organizations realize the full potential of an information technology investment. The framework proposed in this article attempts to identify the factors behind the successful design and development of a national digital government strategy, taking a normative perspective of policy and institutional design with emphasis on informing policymakers. A national strategy is the critical first step in building digital government. National digital government strategies, such as UK Online, e-Japan, and e-Korea, are commonplace. Critical success factors have been identified in other research which examines individual IT projects at both state and local levels (Heeks, 1999; Dawes et al., 1997). Since national strategic plans provide the framework in which most digital government projects are prioritized, designed, and implemented, it is important to study these large-scale plans. However, there is a shortage of research-based frameworks for guiding the development of a national strategy. The comprehensive framework proposed in this article with a short illustration of application to a cross-country comparison offers policymakers a number of suggestions for developing sound national digital government strategies.1