Our research focuses on the possible determinants of eGovernment (E‑gov) maturity in the Transition Economies of Central and Eastern Europe (TEECE). E‑gov maturity, in this research, refers to the growth levels in a country’s online services and its citizens’ online participation in governance. Our study of the extant literature indicated that few have discussed the determinants of E‑gov maturity in TEECE. Studies from differing parts of the world are needed for theory development. Building on a prior framework, we used the contingency theory and the resource‑based view perspective to guide our discourse. In particular, we examined the relationships between macro‑environmental factors such as national wealth, technological infrastructure, rule of law, and so forth on E‑gov maturity. A 5‑year panel data of 16 TECEE selected from two main groupings was used for analysis in conjunction with structural equation modeling technique; the data consisted of 80 observations or data points. The data analysis underscored the relevance of such factors as technological infrastructure, rule of law, and human capital development as possible determinants of E‑gov maturity in TEECE. National wealth was found to be an enabler in the research conceptualization. The implications of our study’s findings for research and policy making are discussed.

This contribution focuses on e‑Government as a comprehensive change programme and develops alternative scenarios with a view towards 2010. Empirical evidence of substantial risks to a successful implementation and operation of e‑Government calls for a forward‑looking approach and possible ways of correcting a wide‑spread neglect of long‑term innovation risks. The paper explores the scenario method as an established instrument for improving strategic decisions in a context of change, uncertainty and complex environments. Its application in a Europe‑wide research project leads to three macro‑scenarios with divergent implications for e‑Government prospects. The conclusions suggest particular requirements for developing more robust e‑Government strategies and encourage a wider use of scenario processes.

Government agencies around the world are making their services available online. The success of e‑Government initiatives is contingent upon citizens' willingness to adopt these Web‑enabled services. This study uses Moore and Benbasat's (1991) perceived characteristics of innovating constructs to identify factors that influence citizen adoption of e‑Government initiatives. To pilot test our adoption model we administered a survey to 140 undergraduate students at an accredited research university. This paper discusses the results of the study and their implications for research and practice.

e‑Government projects are expected to increase efficiency and quality of government services, whilst decreasing the costs. Unfortunately though, together with its perceived positive potential, e‑Government also entails risks. It is expected that the employment of proper risk assessment methods in the management of such projects will reduce the threats imposed by the various risks that surround these projects. This paper discusses about risk in e‑Government and provides a high‑level e‑ Government risk factor classification. Furthermore, this article proposes a novel risk assessment framework for e‑Services in the public administration.

Currently e‑Government initiatives have a highly fragmented nature and are hardly coordinated. An architectural approach aimed at reusing components as shared services can support government agencies in the implementation of their e‑Government initiatives. In this paper we describe research aimed at identifying and prioritising the importance of generic services that can be shared among public agencies. Generic shared services are identified and prioritised by technical experts and government representatives using a group support system session. This has resulted in an action plan to implement the services and use them as part of future e‑Government projects.

This paper provides an overview of the work currently being undertaken at an international level by the OASIS e‑Government Technical Committee on developing ICT standards for interoperability to support the work of putting government services on‑line. The work of the committee is on‑going and this paper provides a snapshot of current progress as at the date of this paper and assumes a certain level of awareness on the part of the reader of the new set of Internet technologies.

This paper reports on the development of an innovative Open Source Software solution called the Portable Knowledge Asset Development System (pKADS). pKADS is a desktop‑based knowledge management system whose purpose is to promote knowledge sharing in government and non‑government organisations, which the United Nations views a being pivotal to the inclusion of developing nations in the knowledge society. The institutional context for the development of this system is delineated, as are the system's conceptual and technical architectures. The paper concludes with suggestions for the application of pKADS and its implications in shaping subsequent e‑Government initiatives.

We do not yet have good measures for Digital Government or agreement on what we should be measuring. We also lack a common understanding of models of the processes used to plan, fund, develop, implement, operate, and evaluate systems in different contexts. This paper reviews the processes of government and examines examples of models and metrics appropriate for different contexts for systems to be successful and describes a proposed research project to examine local digital government services in Pennsylvania and develop replicable models and measures for evaluation of systems and services.