Skip to main content

Implementation Challenges: Competing Structures When New Public Management Meets eGovernment

  • Conference paper

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 5184))

Abstract

This article discusses practices, opportunities and challenges in local eGovernment project management; the development towards eGovern ment and “the 24/7 agency”. Analyzing a case against eGovernment success factors we find seven “critical issues”; political timing, resource allocation, political mandate, distinction between administrative and political responsibilities, coordination of departments, dependence on providers, and use of standards. These are issues where development is open for local choice, influences of strong stakeholders, and chance. This situation is a consequence of the prevailing strategic model for the public sector, New Public Manage ment. This model by design leaves these issues in a void which has to be filled by negotiations among many actors with different roles, goals, and action space. The general lesson is that the void needs to be filled strategically; to reduce the risk level and increase the ability to implement policy or it will be open for unexpected turns of events.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Gore, Al.: Reengineering Through Information Technology. Accompanying Report of the National Performance Review. Office of the Vice President, Washington (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Grant, G., Chau, D.: Developing a Generic Framework for E-Government. Journal of Global Information Management 13(1), 1–30 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Grönlund, Å.: Electronic Government – Design, Applications, and Management. Idea Group, Hershey (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Grönlund, Å.: Introducing e-Gov: history, definitions, and issues. Communications of AIS 15 (2005) (electronic journal), http://www.cais.org

  5. OECD, The e-Government Imperative. OECD e-Government Studies, Paris. ISBN 92-64-10117-9 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  6. UN Global E-Government Readiness Report 2004. Towards Access For Opportunity. United Nations, Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Public Administration and Development Management, New York (2004) (Retrieved December 29, 2005), www.unpan.org/egovernment4.asp

  7. UNDESA e-Government at the Crossroads. World Public Sector Report 2003. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations, New York (2003) (Retrieved December 29, 2005), www.un.org/esa/desa/desaNews/desa94.html

  8. Lau, E.: Electronic Government and the Drive for Growth and Equity. In: Mayer-Schönbeger, Lazer (eds.) From Electronic Government to Information Government, pp. 39–58. MIT Press, Cambridge (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  9. eGEP Measurement Framework Final Version, eGovernment Economics Project, European Commission, Brussels (2006a), http://217.59.60.50/eGEP/Static/Contents/final/D.2.4_Measurement_Framework_final_version.pdf (visited January 20, 2008)

  10. eGEP Compendium to the Measurement Framework, eGovernment Economics Project, European Commission, Brussels (2006b), http://217.59.60.50/eGEP/Static/Contents/final/Measurement_Framework%20_Compendium.pdf (visited Jan 20, 2008)

  11. Hughes & Owen (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Dunleavy, P., Margetts, H., Bastow, S., Tinkler, J.: Digital Era Governance: IT Corporations, the State, and E-Government. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Boston, J., Martin, J., Pallot, J., Walsh, P.: Public Management: The New Zealand Model. Oxford University Press, Auckland (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ministry of Finance Swedish National Plan for eGovernment [Nationell handlingsplan för den svenska eFörvaltningen] (Retrieved March 3, 2008) (2008), http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/9942/a/96512

  15. Örebro municipality executive board, Budget 2007 With Priority Goals for Örebro Municipal [Budget 2007 med prioriterade mål Örebro Kommun] (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Steering committee member 2007, Interview held on October 31, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  17. Örebro Municipality, Örebro Municipal Complaints Procedure [Klagomålshantering i Örebro Kommun] (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Steering committee member 2007, Interview held on November 28, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  19. Project manager 2007, Interview held on November 28, 2007

    Google Scholar 

  20. Verva Swedish National Guidelines for Public Sector Websites [Vägledningen 24-timmarswebben] (2007) (Retrieved February 1, 2008), http://www.verva.se/verksamhetsstod/webb/vl24/2006/2/1/3/

  21. Hood, C.: The ‘New Public Management’ in the 1980s: Variations on a theme. Accounting, Organizations and Society 20/2/3, 93–109 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Maria A. Wimmer Hans J. Scholl Enrico Ferro

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Ask, A., Grönlund, Å. (2008). Implementation Challenges: Competing Structures When New Public Management Meets eGovernment. In: Wimmer, M.A., Scholl, H.J., Ferro, E. (eds) Electronic Government. EGOV 2008. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5184. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85204-9_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85204-9_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-85203-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-85204-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics