PurposeOwing to inadequate implementations of project management (PM) procedures and processes, many large information technology systems (ITS) projects failed to deliver its promises. Also, many of the failures in the implementation of large ITS projects around the world have been attributed to inadequate PM action. This criticism encompasses e‐government project initiatives which have attempted ambitious program change, major innovations, large transformations, enterprise wide solutions, collaboration across organisations, governments and private sectors, and the implementation of unprecedented (or ambitious) solutions. The purpose of this paper is to examine these issues.Design/methodology/approachThis paper forms part of an ongoing research of a PhD degree to describe, critically evaluate and examine the underlying barriers and challenges in large e‐government initiatives. Also, this paper examines change in organisations due to the change in the global economy and global information society as new technology is changing the nature of work. It identifies and examines the current and foreseeing problems with large e‐government projects and describes how a sociotechnical approach which takes into account, technical, business, citizen, economic needs in the creation of a sociotechnical ITS for future citizens. In addition, the paper offers a technology‐enabled enhancement to the project‐initiation phase, the area identified as being particularly weak and inadequate in addressing initial requirements of e‐government initiatives.FindingsThe paper proposes that technology can be incorporated into the professional practice of PM. It can also be a part of a passable solution as opposed to being distinct and separate from it. The PM supporting tools, as opposed to merely reporting actual versus plans have to increase the novelty (art and science) of PM through human interaction, empower the project manager and in aiding his capacity in delivering the expected outcomes.Social implicationsThe paper demonstrates the value of effective project managers within the wider context of PM in transformational e‐government initiatives. It believes that this research will have an impact on three important areas, namely project management practice (PMC), e‐government projects and the transformation process of large projects in the public sector. This paper is about changing culture and practice of PMC in handling and managing large projects when different parties involve including outsourcing. This paper investigates and addresses, not only the transformation process of e‐government projects, but also, the transformation of PM professional culture (i.e. PMC) that delivers and works.Originality/valueThis research paper contributes to the existing literature of PM of large e‐government transformational processes. The paper addresses a number of e‐government challenges, by critically analysing and summarising a list of e‐government challenges and barriers arising from an e‐government survey administered on behalf of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance which represents the national technology associations in 70 countries. It compares these challenges to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK), which is the North American standard in PM methodology. Also, it highlights the weaknesses in PMBOK to address these challenges and offers a technology‐enabled enhancement to the project‐initiation phase. This is the strength of this paper.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of preliminary analysis and research on the potential relevance and applicability of autonomic computing principles and practices to problems unique to e-government. This paper examines the applicability of autonomic computing principles to four main egovernment problems thought to be potential candidates for autonomic computing practices. These problems include issues related to interoperability, blending technology and processes, and outdated business models and systems development methodologies. This paper concludes that based upon current research and autonomic computing practices, solutions to interoperability could become realized through the application of autonomic computing practices within the public sector. However, additional research is required to determine how other e-government problems could benefit from future research and innovative solutions potentially available from the examination of autonomic computing practices.

The case for transformational eGovernment continues unabated; impatient stakeholders are more demanding; people, process and content are profoundly impacted; opportunity is rampart - but so is risk and complexity; still, transformational eGovernment remains more theoretical than practical. Execution has faltered and relief is not obvious.Enhanced project management has made progress in advancing eGovernment by applying enhanced project management in a holistic manner so that project activities are fully integrated with on-going operational activities: all with an emphasis on measurable results and outcomes.This paper, however, concludes that there is another dimension to the transformational eGovernment navigation tool-kit that coalesces with enhanced project management and creates a multi-dimensional approach to transformation; it is existential change leadership that focuses on human mindset behaviour.Thus, the next step in the research is to examine a two-pronged approach (enhanced project management and existential change leadership) to respond to the challenges and barriers that have long impeded transformational eGovernment progress and the accountability vacuum for the elusive transformational breakthrough results

E-government is becoming a reality rather than a theoretical ambition; however, achieving the e-government anticipated benefits is still illusive, which is exacerbated by the continuous and ever changing business processes, IT, and user requirements. This article outlines the current state of e-government research and the challenges emerging from the need to integrate citizen, business, and technology into seamless e-government solutions and services. In addition, the article proposes a semiotics-informed framework for process-oriented e-government services, modeling, and management, which is used and tested on laboratory-based case studies.

No abstract