E‐governance for improved public sector service delivery in India, Ethiopia and Fiji

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of corruption in India, Fiji and Ethiopia and survey citizen perception of how e‐governance could fight corruption. The main objective is to investigate and explore the potential of e‐governance applications in three countries representing three different regions of Asia, Africa, and Oceania.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted over 918 citizens in India, Ethiopia and Fiji using convenience random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used. The main emphasis of the survey was on citizen perception about corruption and poor service. It further asked respondents on how e‐governance can cut corruption.FindingsBenefits of e‐governance in developing countries are the same as those in developed countries but there are many potential benefits that remain unreaped by developing countries as a consequence of their unlimited use of e‐governance. Based on these assertions, the researchers tried to evaluate and assess the potential of e‐governance initiatives in India, Ethiopia and Fiji. By exploring the role of e‐governance for reducing corruption that has afflicted the entire public sector in these countries, the main finding is that e‐governance is positively related to government, “citizen relationship and corruption reduction”.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is highly empirical and does not provide case studies to further extend on the findings.Practical implicationsThe implications of the research are that information communication technology (ICT) needs to be effectively integrated in the development agenda of government plans in Ethiopia and Fiji. Government agencies in Ethiopia and Fiji do not seem to be much motivated to build sound government‐citizen partnerships. Citizens can see little of the internal workings of government. However, for India, where there are many e‐governance projects underway, and which is normally considered to be awakening to the challenges of e‐governance and which has to date many success stories relating to e‐governance, it is surprising to see that citizens find various existent formats of corruption and non‐transparent service delivery activities. It is quite evident that bureaucracy is more or less opaque and very little attention has been paid to improving transparency, including through the use of e‐governance processes. Time, cost and red‐tape procedures are major constraints in public service delivery.Originality/valueThe paper explores a problem that is of practical importance using principal‐agent theory, which is very applicable to the public sector context.

In Search of Local Knowledge on ICTs in Africa

“…Like much of the other literature reviewed, however, Moraa and her colleagues did not provide evidence that these technologies were having an impact on service delivery. E-governance (using ICTs to improve governance outcomes), e-government (increasing efficiency of government services through creation of publicly accessible online platforms), and mobile governance (m-governance) were also major themes in the literature (Atnafu et al 2011;Crandall and Mutuku 2011;Minishi-Majanja and Ondari-Okemwa 2009;Mitullah and Waema 2011;Mutula 2008;Pathak et al 2007;Pathak et al 2012;Rorissa and Demissie 2010;Singh et al 2010;Thomas et al 2010;Waema 2011;Yonazi et al 2012). Many of the pieces in this category, however, focused on measuring the e-readiness of towns and/or countries rather than evaluating the results of e-governance initiatives.…”

“…A handful of the e-governance studies (Atnafu et al, 2011;Crandall and Mutuku 2011;Mitulla and Waema 2011;Ochara 2012;Pathak et al 2007Pathak et al , 2012Singh et al 2010;Thomas et al 2010;Waema 2011;Yonazi et al 2012) attempted to assess the impact of e-government projects through interviews with citizens about how they themselves assess these initiatives. Crandall and Mutuku (2011) noted that health, education, and immigration services are among the top sectors employing e-services in Kenya, but found that most of the individuals surveyed believed face-to-face interaction with government is most effective.…”

An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship between e-government and Corruption

“…As noted by Singh et al, (2010), e-government "…entails streamlining operational processes, transcribing information held by government agencies into electronic form, linking disparate databases, and improving ease of access to services for members of the public" (p. 256). E-government has also been promoted as a strategy of public sector reform, with a focus on how it can improve the managerial process (Kudo, 2010).…”

“…Similarly, in reviewing the literature to identify the potential role of egovernment in reducing corruption, Singh et al, (2010) emphasize that egovernment eliminates discretion from the equation by removing intermediary services and allowing citizens to conduct transactions themselves. Andersen and Rand (2006) also study the relation between corruption and e-government and examine a cross-section of countries from the 1997 to 2002 period.…”

“…Similarly, in reviewing the literature to identify the potential role of e-government in reducing corruption, Singh et al, (2010) note that because e-government promotes multiple objectives, the goal to reduce corruption can be lost unless the priority on transparency and accountability is not consciously built into the public service delivery system from the planning and design phase itself. In a similar vein, Barata and Cain (2001) emphasize the use of information technology, to digitalize public services or functions, does not in and of itself ensure transparency and accountability.…”