Digital Government and Its Effectiveness in Public Management Reform

Today, access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) plays an essential role in economic and social development. Accelerated change in the introduction of ICT-enabled solutions can potentially transform all aspects of society, work, business and government. E-technologies and ICT-enabled solutions bring about new forms of governance in the public sector. It is evident that the Internet and Web-based technologies have both had a profound effect on the ways in which the public sector functions. This article examines the effectiveness and the value of digital government as a strategic tool for public management reform. It addresses differing views and perceptions of the implications of digital government; elaborates on the ‘digital divide’ and its impact on the success of digital government; and outlines the results of a preliminary study of the effectiveness of a digital local government initiative.