E-Government Maturity Levels in Brazil: Lessons Drawn from Several Brazilian States

Abstract

This chapter examines the experiences of e-government programs in state public administrations, identifying differences in trajectory and levels of maturity achieved, by focusing on the Brazilian states of Alagoas, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco and São Paulo. The study devised and implemented a framework for analyzing the development of e-government, incorporating components and factors related to strategy and organizational structure. The evidence collected corroborates the hypothesis that strategic vision, planning and organizational coordination structures are associated with experiences that have progressed through to the deployment of e-government projects of greater complexity. It was further detected that the alignment between strategy and program is a critical factor for achieving higher stages of maturity, although a linear and sequential linkage is not always verifiable between the stages of vision, planning, organization and implementation of electronic government.