Readiness assessment of e-government: a developing country perspective

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to describe an assessment methodology of e-Government readiness through an empirical study that investigates collaborative needs in operating effective governance at root-level public service delivery in a developing country context. Broader methodology that accommodates collective functions of the government should be used while assessing the readiness of e-Government implementation. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on interview data collected from a total of 13 government officials, 21 elected representatives and 106 targeted citizens in the local government of Bangladesh. Findings – Through a qualitative case study, this paper empirically investigated a proposition of e-Government readiness within local government cases. The findings of the study may help rectify existing assessment methodologies in e-Government implementation. Research limitations/implications – The data analysis used a collaborative perspective subjectively rather than focusing on the objective manner to capture technological aspects. Practical implications – This finding could benefit various e-Government initiatives in developing countries, especially for addressing critical collaborative needs of e-Government implementation. Social implications – The findings of the paper represent social perspectives of new e-Government system implementation. Originality/value – The study proposed a holistic methodology of e-Government readiness assessment that can broaden existing assessment methodologies.