Introduction
E-government is a common term in use by most governments. It is where a government embraces information and communication technologies to improve its operations.
The initiative supports the government in delivering enhanced services to the public sector. However, behind the allure of e-governments projects lies a grim reality, most of these projects fails.
To support this further, Schware and Deane (2003) categorize e-government projects into three key parts. The first part is a total fail project. A total fail project designate the project is never implemented, or after being implemented it is abandoned.
The second part is a partial fail project. In this case, Schware and Deane (2003) illustrate the critical goals for the projects were not attained, or there were considerable undesirable results.
Lastly is the successful project. A successful project suggests the main stakeholders achieved the critical goals of the project. Hence, the three projects described supports the idea that any e-government project being undertaken should be planned and designed adequately by involving the chief stakeholders.
This will strengthen the project reality, and ultimately achieve the intended goals. Failing to adhere to plan and design will eventually create a gap in the viability, or rather a reality of the project.
This paper addresses the challenges facing the implementation of e-government projects. To ascertain whether all e-government projects fail or succeed, the paper embraces the integrated personal information systems project by the Office of Civil Servants, South Africa, as a case study. The paper evaluates the project scope, participation and hybrid among other factors is essential for the project success.
Context and Problem Background
This case study illustrates the challenges faced while implementing a single personnel Information system for a Southern African government.
The sole responsibility for implementing the plan was mandated by the Office of the Civil Service; however, line ministries and departments were involved in data input and use. The project, when implemented was viewed to simplify handling data of all public servants in South Africa.
The driving ambition of the project was prompted by significant challenges facing the public-civil servant sector in South Africa. This included recurring issues of scattered records within the ministries.
This issue created serious problems such as; duplications, inconsistency and fragmentation of personal records. Besides, it produced inaccurate data, delays and disappearance of critical files.
Although this system, with its challenges, was being embraced, the organization viewed a computerized system as a viable solution to address these challenges.
The computer system was anticipated to provide reliable information timely, thus reducing costs. The pressure exerted by the external political environment left no choice, but to accept the computerized system.
The Office of the Civil Servants was a key stakeholder in the project. Other stakeholders included; the IT organization, which was to provide the personnel Information system, and the government National IT department.
Similarly, other stakeholders such as the government ministries and employees were involved partly, because their details were to be captured by the system.
Relevance of the Case Study
An electronic government (e-government) is often seen as the way forward for most governments. It is frequently envisioned to increase the success rate, and advance democracy gap.
This case study outlines a typical example of the challenges experienced when introducing a new application system in the government sector.
Like any other e-government projects, this case study illustrates that in spite of effective planning; challenges often exist when implementing a mega project. Hence, the project is vital in understanding and learning the issues connected to such kinds of projects in order to avoid similar challenges.
Closing the Design and Reality Gap for Integrated personnel Information system
Generic Approach
Understanding the project design and current reality contributes to the success of the e – government project. Jaeger and Thompson (2003) contend that failing to adhere to the e-government design requirements establish a larger gap between design and reality.
Hence, when this difference is large, the project is likely to fail. On the other hand, if the gap is reduced, the chances of the project success are high.
As illustrated in the case study, various gaps were conspicuous, thus a need to address their mitigation measures. First, the Office of the Civil servants failed to validate the current reality of the project.
They did not fully involve all the stakeholders such as junior staffs, who were the primary users of the system. The stakeholders would have reduced the design-reality gap by involving the junior staff.
Also, the project lacked hybrid skills. According to Jaeger and Thompson (2003) a hybrid capability allows personnel understand the working practices of the government and the IT needs.
In the case study, we learn that the IT consultants/designers understood the technology rather than the realities of the government. Similarly, the external political climate also understood the functioning of the government but not the technology.
Thus, the project would have benefitted by having hybrid professionals, who understood both ends. Jaeger and Thompson describe that hybrid professionals understand the government business, technology and responsibilities of information government (2003).
Further, the scope also played a significant role for the fail of the project. Jaeger and Thompson argue that most e-government projects fail because they seek to change many processes at once (2003).
The case study in context would have reduced the scope and the enthusiasm of the project design. This would have been achieved by automating key processes or rather âkeeping the scope smallâ.
The small scope would have assisted the implementation team to maintain the same processes, information, structures and management system, and running the new system in parallel.
Dimension – Specific approach
According to Moon (2002) technology and skills should be assessed and appropriate measures adopted for full implementation by the users affected by the new system.
Jaeger and Thompson (2003) also add that the project being introduced should not be a high end in design, but users should be accorded skills which are in tandem with the organization’s needs.
In the case study, the implementation did not accord adequate training to the staff during the implementation process as it is a tradition during project implementation.
Evaluation of Project: Success or Unsuccessful
The e-government projects success and failure is often a degree of âwhere we are nowâ and âwhere the projects want to take usâ (Moon, 2002).
âWhere we are nowâ illustrates the current reality of the situation and âwhere the project wants to take usâ describes the assumptions and conceptions put into the project design.
Thus, the e-government failure or success depends on the size of the gap between âcurrent realityâ and âdesign of the projectâ (Moon, 2002).
Hence, when the design- reality gap is large, there is a likelihood of the project failing. On the other hand, when the gap is small, it is likely that the project will succeed.
To evaluate whether this project was a success or not, the writer used the ITPOSMO provided in the case study (it is an analysis tool comprising of seven cardinal dimensions) acronym summary provided in the case study.
Figure. 1. ITPOSMO
NB: The elements are organized in a sliding order, which focuses on the circumstances during implementation.
Basing on the above ITPOSMO scores or ratings, we can infer the project was largely unsuccessful. The project was implemented; however, it was rarely used.
For more than three years after commissioning the system, the personal data were updated by the Office of Civil Servants. The employees in the ministries and other departments used the system for some time and then reverted to the manual system. Thus, the integrated personal information system had little effect on their decision making skills.
We can also deduce the technology and skills challenges contributed to the project failure. This is exhibited by the implementation team. The team did not provide adequate training to the staff during the implementation process to reduce the gaps as it is a norm during project implementation.
Another critical factor for the failure of the project was the clustering of gaps (Moon, 2002). The information, objectives and values and processes which were expected to expand or change tremendously due to the new system was not realized. The senior staffs in the ministries affected were reluctant to such changes.
Recommendations to Reduce Design-Reality Gap
The Office of Civil servants would have reduced the design-reality gap to avoid the risk of the project fail. The design of the personnel information system would have followed the current reality approach; making reality more than the design.
Thus, this project needs to present staffing and skills as one of the challenges in implementing the personal information system. Additionally, if the design and execution of training practices had been delegated to individual ministries and departments, then, the staff would have acquired the requisite skills in the new system; hence reducing the gap on this element during implementation.
Action Recommendations
The above recommendations are alternatives in which this project should have been implemented successfully. The implementing team would have achieved this process by evaluating any possibility of design-gap in advance.
Also, what they demonstrate for the current project is that it attempts to formulate possible use of IT resources that are already in place.
First, it should find ways of spreading basic programs or applications such as email in the scope comments (Jaeger and Thompson, 2003). Then using hybridized individuals in each ministry, the process should embrace a bottom up approach.
The approach should be guided by the suggestions from within the ministries on how to computerize the personnel function. Having a complete, working single system is the ultimate goal of the Office of Civil servants; however, being a different design from existing reality, the goal will remain unattainable.
Conclusion
This case study illustrates that all the stakeholders involved in e-governments projects should understand the context in which they are working in.
Such an understanding is imperative if they consider bridging the gap between design and reality of e-government projects or applications.
The stakeholders can consider other cases of failed e-government implementations as a point of reference. This will help them recognize certain areas, which may be identical to the reality at hand, and from this, they can understand the possibilities.
Further, having a limited project scope, involving userâs participation and having hybrid professionals can support projects of similar magnitude.
The case study is essential in addressing âactualâ e-government project issues and gives every stakeholder a challenge in learning how to mitigate challenges of a similar nature.
References
Jaeger, PT and Thompson, KN 2003, E-Government around the World: Lessons, Challenges, and Future Directions, Government Information Quarterly, Vol. 20 no. 4, pp. 389- 394.
Moon, MJ 2002, The Evolution of e-Government among Municipalities: Rhetoric or Reality, Public Administration Review, Vol. 62 no. 4, pp. 424-433
Schware, R and Deane, A 2003, Deploying e-Government Programs: The Strategic Importance of âIâ before âEâ, Info â The Journal of Policy, Regulation and Strategy for Telecommunication, Vol. 5 no. 4, pp. 10-19