This paper examines how e-government technologies are being adopted at all levels of government to improve the delivery of public services to citizens, businesses, and other governmental units. Drawing on a review of relevant literature, the paper surveys definitions of e-government, outlines recent initiatives ranging from optical recognition software to open-data portals, and evaluates the gap between current achievements and the full promise of e-democracy. A seven-milestone framework for implementing e-government — covering integration, economic development, e-democracy, e-communities, intergovernmental coordination, policy environment, and next-generation internet — is analyzed, with emphasis on the concurrent and comprehensive pursuit of all milestones and the availability of low-cost approaches for achieving them.
The paper models effective literature synthesis: rather than summarizing each source in isolation, it weaves together multiple authors (Averyt, Kiggundu, Moon, Dixon, Milner) to build a cumulative argument. Each citation extends or nuances the previous one, demonstrating how academic writing uses sources as building blocks rather than stand-alone authorities.
The paper opens with a broad framing of the global trend toward e-government, then narrows into a formal literature review that defines the concept, surveys current initiatives, and identifies limitations. The analytical core presents Milner's seven-milestone framework in table form with explanatory commentary. A practical section on low-cost e-democracy steps follows before a concise conclusion that revisits the thesis and summarizes key findings. This classic funnel-then-synthesize structure is well suited to a policy-focused research survey.
Around the world, governments at all levels are increasingly using e-government technologies to improve the delivery of services to their constituents and supply chain partners. Given the proliferation of inexpensive handheld wireless devices that can access e-governmental portals, even many developing nations are turning to these technologies to help reduce costs and improve the efficiency of governmental service administration for all stakeholders. In order to achieve the numerous benefits that can be attained through the deployment of e-government technologies, however, a number of environmental factors must be taken into account to ensure the continuing success of the enterprise. This paper provides a review of the relevant literature, followed by a discussion of the findings and a summary of the research in the conclusion, in order to determine how e-government technologies can be used to improve the delivery of governmental services and what best practices have been identified.
One of the main constraints to gaining access to governmental services in the past was the significant distance that typically existed between governmental centers and many of their constituents. In fact, the location of rural county seats in many American states was historically based on how far a farmer could ride in a single day and return home using a horse-drawn cart. All of this has changed in the Information Age, however. According to Averyt (2005), "Knowledge age government operates in a world of 'flat politics,' where the distance between rulers and ruled shrinks. Information technology, so the argument goes, puts the electronic mailbox of every government official within easy reach of every citizen's keyboard" (p. 769). Information technology, when applied broadly to the delivery of governmental services, therefore creates e-governmental opportunities for individual constituents. As Kiggundu explains, "E-government refers to government or public sector activities that take place by digital processes within government and between government and the public, including private citizens" (p. 48).
In recent years, the concept of e-government has transcended this relatively limited definition to include the entire spectrum of governmental activities. Kiggundu adds that "e-government can also be government to government, between government and citizens, with business organizations, or within the same government institution (Intranet)" (p. 48). Moon similarly notes that "e-government is narrowly defined as the production and delivery of government services through IT applications; however, it can be defined more broadly as any way IT is used to simplify and improve transactions between governments and other actors, such as constituents, businesses, and other governmental agencies" (p. 424). Moreover, many e-governmental services have become increasingly accessible by virtue of the proliferation of mobile wireless devices with Internet access. As Dixon explains, "Electronic government aims to increase the convenience and accessibility of government services and information to citizens, businesses, and governmental units. This is generally achieved through the use of information and communications technologies (ICT), a broad class of technologies including computers, automation equipment, the Internet, and mobile devices" (p. 418).
Some recent examples of e-governmental initiatives include the following:
1. Optical recognition software to read United States Postal Service addresses on letters when sorting them into bins;
2. Public health agency dissemination of timely information on emergent healthcare issues, including the H1N1 virus;
3. The Obama Administration's open government directive, including www.data.gov, where public data sets and tools can be downloaded by anyone; and
4. A national, integrated Kenyan government information system to automate payroll, promotions, recruitment, and other personnel functions (Dixon, 2010, p. 418).
While efficiency and convenience are among the more salient benefits of e-governmental initiatives, the experiences of many governmental entities to date have fallen short of the promise of true e-government as envisioned by many authorities. As Dixon points out, "E-government to date has emphasized automation using a variety of technologies. This has created efficiencies in public administration practice, but the achievements have yet to fulfill the promise of better knowledge management and e-democracy" (p. 419). The potential exists to apply information and communication technologies to the entire spectrum of governmental services, but there is far more involved in implementing and administering an effective e-governmental initiative than simply placing existing informational content online and providing a few links to government officials. Milner (2002) suggests that "as electronic government comes of age around the world, leadership remains at the core of success, beginning with the definition of e-government itself. Leaders who define e-government in a narrow sense — simply moving services online — miss larger opportunities which will determine competitive advantage in the long run" (p. 17).
The research showed that electronic government seeks to improve the convenience and accessibility of government services and information for all stakeholders — including citizens, businesses, and other governmental units — through the use of various information and communications technologies, including computers, automation equipment, the Internet, and mobile devices. The increasing proliferation of these devices, particularly relatively inexpensive handheld devices with internet access, has created the opportunity for governments at all levels to improve efficiency and reduce the costs of delivering governmental services while simultaneously forging enhanced partnerships among all stakeholders. The process was shown to be challenging, however, and a wide range of milestones must be addressed concurrently in order for e-governmental initiatives to be successful. Assuming the requisite leadership and resources exist to pursue these initiatives, the research was consistent in demonstrating that a wide range of low-cost approaches are available that can be used to achieve the goals of e-government today.
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