Implementation Strategies for E-Government: A Stakeholder Analysis Approach

Abstract

This paper reports from a comprehensive study of e-government implementation in Ireland, conducted over the last two years. An in-depth case study is presented detailing the development of a dual strategy for implementation and provides a comparison of the results from this approach. The success and shortcomings of both approaches are identified, providing in-depth analysis into the identification and management of critical concerns in the implementation of citizen-centred e-government. Specifically, this paper highlights the importance of accounting for social and political features, unique to the public sector, which in this case have had a decisive impact on e-government implementation. Public sector organisations in particular present unique challenges to the implementation process and implementation strategies often require particular attention to the social and political elements inherent in organisational change. In e-government implementation, the main barriers are not technical but social and cultural. Implementation strategies should therefore support the process of managing stakeholder relations in order to reduce the risk of stakeholder conflict and ensure the success of e-government initiatives.