Developing an E-Governance Performance Evaluation Model in Developing Countries (A Delphi Study in Iran)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Management Department, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Faculty of management and accounting, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract
In the contemporary era, information and communication technology (ICT), through the framework of e-governance, has played a significant role in the advancement and development of various societies. The success of e-governance requires ensuring the effective implementation of e-governance development programs in government-affiliated executive agencies and aligning these programs across all dependent sectors. Accordingly, this study aims to develop a performance evaluation model for e-governance in developing countries. From a purpose perspective, this research is applied, and in terms of data collection method, it falls under qualitative research. The statistical population includes experts in information technology, strategic planning, and public administration. The findings of the research reveal that the main dimensions of the e-governance performance evaluation model are e-administration, e-society, e-citizen, and e-services. This comprehensive model introduces a novel perspective for advancing e-governance in the country. This paper aims to propose a model for evaluating the performance of E-governance in Iran. "Governance" refers to the interactions between government and its broader environment, encompassing political, social, and administrative dimensions. E-governance, or "electronic governance," involves leveraging ICTs at various levels of government and the public sector, as well as beyond, to improve governance processes. Since the application and implementation of E-governance vary across countries, the methods for evaluating it also differ. This study seeks to gather expert consensus on assessing E-governance in Iran, employing the Delphi technique—a research method that collects expert opinions through a series of structured questionnaires. After a brief overview of E-governance and evaluation concepts, the paper presents a model for evaluating the performance of E-governance in Iran. This model, developed through a thorough investigation, introduces a novel perspective on advancing E-governance in the country.

Keywords

Subjects


Abdulnabi, S. M. (2024). Issues and challenges of implementing e-governance in developing countries: a comprehensive analysis of civil service models. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2340579.
Adler, M. & Ziglio, E. (1996). Gazing into the oracle. Bristol, PA: Jessica Kingsley.
Aichhlozer, G., & Schmutzer, R. (2000). Organizational challenges to the development of electronic government. In Proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Database and Expert Systems Applications (DEXA'00), IEEE Press.
Alam, S., & Hassan, S. (2011). Problems when implementing egovernance systems in developing countries: a quantitative investigation of implementation problems in Bangladesh. Master’s thesis in Informatics, University of Boras.
Allen, B.A., Juillet, L., Pacquet, G., & Roy, J. (2001). E-governance and government online in Canada: partnerships, people, and prospects. Government Information Quarterly, 18, 93-104.
APT (Asia-Pacific Telecommunity). (2012). APT report on e-government implementation in Asia-Pacific developing countries and its challenges and obstacles. ASTAP/REPT 5 (ASTAP20, Bangkok, 2012).
Backus, M. (2001). E-governance in developing countries. IICD Research Brief, 1(3), 1-51.
Bedi, K., Singh, P.J., & Srivastava, S. (2001). Government net, new governance opportunities for India. New Delhi: Sage.
Bhatnagar, S.C. & Bjorn-Andersen, N. (1990). Information technology in developing countries. Elsevier, North-Holland, Amsterdam.
Butt, S. (2022). Challenges and Benefits of E-Governance in the Education Sector of Pakistan during COVID-19. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 6(2), 576-591.
Csetenyi, A. (2000). Electronic government: perspectives from e-commerce. In Proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Database and Expert Systems Applications (DEXA'00), IEEE Press.
Dalkey, N. C. (1975). Towards theory of group estimation. In H. A. Linstone, & M. Turoff (Eds.) The Delphi method techniques and applications, 231-256, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing.
Dash, S. S., Sethi, I. P. S., & Gupta, O. P. (2016). Measuring performance outcome of e-Governance projects through eTaal. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Computing for Sustainable Global Development (INDIACom).
Devendra, D. P. (2010). Measuring e-governance as an innovation in the public sector. Government Information Quarterly, 27, 41–48.
DITa. (2010). Quality assurance framework (QAF) for e-governance applications. Dept. of IT, India.
DITb. (2010). Conformity assessment requirements for quality assurance in e-governance. Dept. of IT, India.
EAF. (2004). E-governance assessment frameworks for E-governance (assessment & replication) division, E-governance and e-rural group. National Institute for Smart Government (NISG).
Elkadi, H. (2013). Success and failure factors for e-government projects: A case from Egypt. Egyptian Informatics Journal, 14, 165–173.
Fish, L. S., & Busby, D. M. (2005). The Delphi method. In D. H. Sprenkle & F. P. Piercy (Eds.), Research Methods in Family Therapy, 2nd Ed, New York: Guilford.
Gavriluță, N., Stoica, V., & Fârte, G. I. (2022). The official website as an essential E-governance tool: A comparative analysis of the Romanian cities’ websites in 2019 and 2022. Sustainability, 14(11), 6863.
Georgiadou, Y., Rodriguez-Pabon, O., & Lance, K. T. (2006). Spatial data infrastructure (Sdi) and e-governance: A quest for appropriate evaluation approaches. Journal of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, 18 (2), 43-55. 
Heeks, R. (2003). Most e-government for development projects fail: how can risks be reduced? Government Working Paper Series, Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K.
Heeks, R. (2006). Understanding and measuring eGovernment: International benchmarking studies. UNDESA Workshop, Budapest, Hungary.
http://www.eval.org/Publications/GuidingPrinciples.asp
http://www.i4donline.net/issue/nov03/quantifying.htm
http://www.unesco.org
Humphrey-Murto, S., Wood, T. J., Gonsalves, C., Mascioli, K., & Varpio, L. (2020). The delphi method. Academic Medicine, 95(1), 168.
Hurteau, M., Houle, S., & Mongiat, S. (2009). How legitimate and justified are judgments in program evaluation?. Evaluation, 15, 307-319.
Isah, I. S., Chiroma, A. A., & Dance, A. M. (2024). Assessment of E-Governance Implementation on Service Delivery in Nasarawa State University, Keffi (2017-2021). AKSU Journal of Administration and Corporate Governance, 1(1), 89-100.
Juri, P. (1971). The Delphi method: substance, context, a critique and an annotated bibliography. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 5 (1), 57-71.
Kanchanawasee, S. (1994). Evaluation theory. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press.
Klijn, E. H., Sierra, V., Ysa, T., Berman, E., Edelenbos, J., & Chen, D. Y. (2016). The influence of trust on network performance in Taiwan, Spain, and the Netherlands: A cross-country comparison. International Public Management Journal, 19(1), 111-139.
Kuzior, A., Pakhnenko, O., Tiutiunyk, I., & Lyeonov, S. (2023). E-governance in smart cities: Global trends and key enablers. Smart Cities, 6(4), 1663-1689.
Landeta, J. (2006). Current validity of the Delphi method in social sciences. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 73(5), 467-482.
Lang, T. (1998). An overview of four future methodologies. Retrieved August 13, 2012, from http://www.soc.hamaii.edu/~future/j7/LANG.html.
Lee, T. D., Lee-Geiller, S., & Lee, B. K. (2021). A validation of the modified democratic e-governance website evaluation model. Government Information Quarterly, 38(4), 101616.
Lee-Geiller, S., & Lee, T. D. (2019). Using government websites to enhance democratic E-governance: A conceptual model for evaluation. Government Information Quarterly, 36(2), 208-225.
Lenk, K. & Traunmuller, R. (2000). A Framework for electronic government. In Proceedings of DEXA2000, IEEE press, 271-277.
Linstone, H. A., & Turroff, M. (2002). The Delphi method: Techniques and applications. Journal of Marketing Research 18(3), 210-233.
Madon, S. (2004). Evaluating the developmental impact of e-governance initiatives: an exploratory frame work. EJISDC, 20 (5), 1-13.
Mahapoonyanont, N., Mahapoonyanont, T., & Samrit, S. (2012). The development of a project evaluation model for basic education Institutions. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 277–282.
Margetts, H., & Dunleavy, P. (2002). Cultural barriers to e-government. In Better Public Services through e-government: Academic Article in support of better public services through e-government, National Audit Office, London, UK.
McGill, R. (1997). Civil service reform in developing countries: a strategic perspective from an institutional development base. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 10 (4), 254- 267.
Meyerhoff, N. M. (2016). E-governance and stage models: Analysis of identified models and selected Eurasian experiences in digitising citizen service delivery. International Journal of Electronic Government Research, 12(2), 107−141.
MoUD. (2010). Toolkit for monitoring and evaluating for e-governance under JNNURM. MoUD, India.
Mykhalchenko, O. (2022). E-governance in the management decision-making process. Ekonomichnyy analiz, 32(1), 81-94.
Navarra, D.D. (2007). The architecture of global ICT programmes: a case study of e-governance in Jordan. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries, São Paulo, Brazil.
Norman, D., & Olaf, H. (1963). An experimental application of the Delphi method to the use of experts. Management Science, 9(3), 458-467.
Okezie, C.C., Kennedy, O. C., & Chidiebele, U. C. (2013). Performance analysis of smart infrastructure model for E-governance integration. Academic Research International, 4 (4), 219-231.
Pandey, J. K. (2023). Public trust and collaborative e-governance performance: a study on government institutions and services. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 17(4), 510-531.
Pathak, R. D., Singh, G., Belwal, R., & Smith, R.F.I. (2007). Governance & corruption – developments and issues in Ethiopia. Public Organization Review, 7(3), 195-208.
Pina, V., Torres, L., & Acerete, B. (2007). Are ICTs promoting government accountability? A comparative analysis of e-governance developments in 19 OECD countries. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 18(5), 583–602.
Pintea, M. O. (2012). Performance evaluation: Literature review and time evolution. Annals of University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 21(1), 753-758. 
Potnis, D. D. (2010). Measuring e-Governance as an innovation in the public sector. Government Information Quarterly, 27 (1), 41–48.
Raei, B., & Baradaran, V. (2023). A Staged Capability Maturity Model for E-Governance Based on Classification of the Evaluation Components. Public Administration Perspective, 14(2), 93-137.
Rhodes, W. R. (2000). Public administration and governance. In Debating governance: authority, steering, and democracy, Oxford University Press.
Rowe, G., & Wright, G. (1999). The Delphi technique as a forecasting tool: issues and analysis. International Journal of Forecasting, 15(4), 353-375.
Sangeetha, G., & Rao, L. M. (2016). Modelling of E-governance framework for mining knowledge from massive grievance redressal data. International Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (IJECE), 6(1), 367-374.
Sarkar, S. (2007). E-Government adoption and diffusion. National Informatics Centre, Bidyut Bhavan, Saltlake, Kolkata.
Saxena, K.B.C. (2005). Towards excellence in e-governance. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 18 (6), 498–513.
Shailendra, C., Palvia, J., & Sharma, S.S. (2007). E-Government and E-Governance: definitions/domain framework and status around the world. In Foundations of e-government, A. Agarwal et al. Ed. CSISIGeGOV, 2008, 1-12.
Shaxnoza, J. (2024). Impact of E-Governance on Public Service Efficiency. International Journal of Law and Policy, 2(10), 31-47.
Sheila, V.S. (2005). E-governance at the local government level in the Philippines: An assessment of city government websites. Philippine Journal of Development, 32 (2), 135-168.
Sheridan, W., & Riley, T.B. (2006). Common wealth center for e-Governance. E-Gov Monitor.
Singh, A. (2013). A Critical impulse to e-governance in the Asia Pacific. Springer.
Skulmoski, G. J., Hartman, F. T., & Krahn, J. (2007). The Delphi method for graduate research. Journal of Information Technology Education, 6, 1-21.
Sourani, A., & Sohail, M. (2015). The Delphi method: Review and use in construction management research. International journal of construction education and research, 11(1), 54-76.
Sozen, S., & Shaw, I. (2002). The international applicability of ‘new’ public management: lessons from Turkey. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 15 (6), 475-486.
Stiglitz, J., Orszag, P., & Orszag, J. (2000). The Role of government in a digital age. http://www.ccianet.org/
Suri, P. K. (2022). Effectiveness of strategy implementation and e-governance performance. Evaluation and Program Planning, 92, 102063.
Suri, P.K., & Sushil (2017). Strategic Planning and Implementation of E-Governance. Springer.
Tan, W., & Subramanian, R. (2005). E-Government: Implementation policies and best practices from Singapore. Electronic Government strategies and implementation, Idea Group Publishing, 305-324.
Turner, M., Hulme, D., & McCourt, W.  (2015). Governance, administration & development: Making the state work. Macmillan Press.
Umbach, G., & Tkalec, I. (2022). Evaluating e-governance through e-government: Practices and challenges of assessing the digitalisation of public governmental services. Evaluation and program planning, 93, 102118.
UN (2014). UN E-Government Survey 2014: E-government for the future we want. United Nations, New York.
UNDP. “E-Governance in Azerbaijan”.  http://www.un-az.org/undp/doc/egov/intro.php
Working Group on E-Government in the Developing World. (2002). Roadmap for e-government in the developing world. Pacific Council on International Policy, http://www.pacificcouncil.org
Wu, J., & Guo, D. (2015). Measuring e-government performance of provincial government website in China with slacks-based efficiency measurement.  Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 96, 25–31.
Yong, J.S.L., & Koon, L.H. (2003). E-government: enabling public sector reform, In e-government in Asia: Enabling public service innovation in the 21st century. Yong, JSL (ed.), Times Media, Singapore, 3-21.
Young, D.E. (2007). Effective leadership characteristics for student performance as perceived by high performing Texas High School principals: A Delphi study. PhD Thesis, Texas A & M University.
Yousuf, M. (2007). Using experts’ opinion through Delphi technique. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 12(4), 1–8.
Zhang, J. (2006). Good governance through e-governance? Assessing China's e-government strategy. Journal of E-Government, 2(4), 39-71.
Zwahr, T., Finger, M., & Mueller, P. (2005). More than digitization—The transformative potential of E-Governance: An exploratory case study. Proceedings of the 38th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.