Assessing Digital Governance Capabilities in Madhesh Province, Nepal: A Socio-Technical and Institutional Analysis

Abstract Digital governance has emerged as a key mechanism for improving administrative efficiency and inclusive service delivery in developing countries. In Nepal, the federal governance structure has increased the responsibility of provincial governments to adopt digital systems for effective governance. This study assesses the digital governance capabilities of Madhesh Province using a socio-technical and institutional framework. The analysis is based on secondary data from policy documents, ICT initiatives, and governance practices. The findings indicate that Madhesh Province faces unique challenges related to institutional capacity, digital literacy, and governance coordination, despite relatively better accessibility compared to geographically remote provinces. The study argues that digital governance in Madhesh is constrained more by institutional and socio-cultural factors than by infrastructure alone. The research contributes by providing a context-specific analysis and proposing a socio-technical framework to understand digital governance challenges in densely populated and administratively complex regions. Keywords: Digital Governance, ICT4D, Digital Divide, Public Service Delivery, Madhesh Province