8118 - E-GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in government has the potential for supporting its institutional change. Egovernment refers to the strategic employment of ICT to enhance the reform process of government at three levels: within a government, among governments, between government and third non-governmental parties. This course examines how governments, in Europe and around the world, are designing and implementing eGovernment strategies, both at a national and local level, and it analyses the impact of ICT on government's strategies, organization, relationship with stakeholders and overall performance.  Throughout the course students will have the opportunity to meet with practioners from the ICT industry for the public sector as well as with public managers who are currently experiencing technological innovation processes.
Upon completing this course students will learn how to develop and implement an eGovernment strategy; how to address such critical concerns as strategic ICT management, organizational change for eGovernment projects, change management issues, digital divide, security and privacy; how to assess the impacts and the performance of strategies for enterprise-wide information management.

It provides concepts for managing ICT innovations, including:

• an analytical framework of technology enactment meant to discuss adequately the relationship between the strategic and organizational perspectives and ICT;
• strategies to extend government service online, transform operational and bureaucratic procedures, and allow citizens to interact more directly with governments;
• different approaches to manage collaborative relationships, partnerships and cross-boundary networks;
• tools and capabilities to plan and develop an information strategy;
• peculiarities of project management methodologies applied to IT projects in the public sector;
• eGovernment strategy formulation in developing countries;
• IT innovations in different sub-sectors of the public sector including international institutions, non-profit and healthcare sectors.

Attending students

The final grade will be determined by the following components:

• 30% Case study discussion
• 40% Group Project
• 30% Written Final exam

Non-attending students

• Written exam.

• R. HEEKS, Implementing and managing eGovernment, SAGE, 2006.