Towards a model for implementing local e-government in Uganda

Abstract

The need to implement local e-government for improved service delivery is well documented and various models have been proposed for this important task. However, existing models are known to be suited for implementing e-government in the developed countries at the national level. In the developing countries, the technical and non-technical infrastructures are not as mature as those of developed countries. Requirements for local e-government also differ from those at the national level due to differences in technical, social and political factors, necessitating customized local e-government implementation models. In developing countries, local e-government implementation is also constrained by lack of information about its requirements, with the possible risk of duplication of national experiences and knowledge. The need therefore remains, to determine requirements and customize existing e-government implementation models to suit local governments in developing countries. This paper reports on a study that developed a model for implementing local e-government in Uganda, as an example of a developing country. The model which builds on an existing one defines dimensions of financial constraints, ICT infrastructure, sensitization, training and social political factors as pre-requisites for successfully implementing local e-government projects in Uganda.