E-Government, Accountability, and Performance

Over the past decades, there has been a significant evolution of e-government, an overwhelming evolution of information systems and information technology inspired by different strategies of implementation issued by the different countries over time. While international bodies (United Nations, European Union, OECD, World bank) has defined strategies and goals which are valid for every member, each country has the freedom to adapt them to its particular social, administrative and economic context. Therefore, differences arise in terms of span of services provided via e-government, quality of introduction of new information technology tools in governments, and level of e-government achieved, in terms of e-participation, e-democracy, overcoming of the digital divide, and e-inclusion. Authors have identified different inner elements of e-government. Among other the most important elements can be identified in the accountability and performance. Research has delved into the factors (historical, institutional, legal, organizational, functional, policy and theoretical background) that inhibit or promote the adoption of ITs systems and e-government in the public sector (Garson, 2006). Accountability and performance still remain the scope of any public management reform through the western world (Bouckaert & Pollitt, 2005), thus this must also be the ultimate goal of any e-government initiative. Many studies have focused on the description of the introduction of e-government under different perspectives (Dunleavy, Margetts, Bastow, & Tinkler, 2006, Hood and Margetts; 2007). Then studies have changed focus to clarify extent and direction to which e-government influence accountability and performance. The extent to which e-government systems influence accountability and performance in the public sector can be judge by considering the achieved results of different countries. This analysis will clarify the influence of e-government as intended by established national strategies on accountability and performance