Reframing Smart Governance as Institutional Reform: A Systematic Review of SDG 16 Alignment

The digitalization of public administration has positioned smart governance as an emerging approach to strengthening institutional reform. However, despite its increasing association with Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), the relationship between smart governance and institutional performance remains conceptually fragmented and insufficiently operationalized. This study examines how smart governance is conceptualized and aligned with SDG 16 within public administration scholarship through a systematic literature review (SLR). Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, thirty-eight peer-reviewed scholarly publications published between 2018 and 2025 were analyzed using thematic synthesis, focusing on institutional effectiveness, accountability, transparency, and participatory governance. The findings identify three major gaps in the literature: technological instrumentalism, limited institutional embedding, and weak operational alignment with SDG 16 indicators. This study proposes a governance–SDG alignment framework integrating digital infrastructure, participatory mechanisms, and institutional accountability to enhance governance legitimacy and institutional performance. The study contributes to smart governance scholarship by reframing digital governance from a technology-centered perspective toward an institution-centered reform approach.