Abstract
This chapter aims to explore the capabilities of governments in terms of e-government. A seven core e-government capabilities framework is presented as the framework for exploring and implementing in-house government capabilities needed to facilitate the development of e-government, measured by overall, business-oriented and IT-oriented capabilities and resulting performances. The seven capabilities are as follows: legitimation and relationship building as overall capabilities; IS/IT governance and business systems thinking as business-oriented capabilities; informed buying, contract facilitation and monitoring, and designing technical architecture as IT-oriented capabilities. This chapter attempts to develop an intellectual framework for practitioners and researchers to follow within the area of organizational abilities or personnel management in e-government era. On this point, this research will contribute to the readers’ formulation of IT strategies for their countries which was set up as the first objective of this book.
TopBackground
Divergent literature will be introduced separately to form the theoretical perspective and analytical framework. On the one hand, Digital Era Governance (DEG) is presented as a main literature to form a theoretical perspective; on the other hand, Feeny-Willcocks nine core IS capabilities model (Feeny-Willcocks IS capabilities model) is involved as a main analytical framework to reinvent the conceptual framework of the government capabilities analysis. There will be other secondary literature supporting these main perspectives as well. These are related so as to find a way to frame and organize this research. Although all parts of the literature mentioned originated from slightly different research areas, they can be compared, shared or reorganized with each other, according to the Locke and Golden-Biddle’s concepts of intertextual coherence, problematizing context, and intertextual progressive coherence (Locke & Golden-Biddle, 1997, pp. 1033-1038). These authors suggested them as processes to be considered when researchers employ a literature or point their research to existing literature. These concepts are particularly appropriate for this research which requires interdisciplinary approaches from both public management and IS studies.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Informed Buying: Managing the IS/IT sourcing strategy and designing the IT outsourcing configuration that meets the interests of the business (IT-oriented capability).
Designing Technical Architecture: Creating the coherent blueprint for a technical platform that responds to current and future business needs (IT-oriented capability).
Contract Facilitation and Monitoring: Organizing and ensuring long-term success of contracts in a win-win way with IS/IT service suppliers (IT-oriented capability).
Business-Oriented Capability: A capability which should be retained more by business staff based on knowledge of organizational strategy and business process.
IT-Oriented Capability: A capability which should be retained more by IT staff based on knowledge of IT.
Relationship Building: Getting the business constructively engaged in IS/IT issues (overall capability).
IS/IT Governance: Integrating IS/IT effort with business purpose and activity (business-oriented capability).
Seven Core E-government Capabilities Framework: A framework for exploring and implementing the in-house government capabilities needed to facilitate the development of e-government, measurable by overall, business-oriented, and IT-oriented capabilities and resulting performances.
Legitimation: Managing the organizational structure, legal framework, and public relations for IS to work (overall capability).
Business Systems Thinking: Envisioning the business process that technology makes possible (business-oriented capability).