EGOVERNMENT MATURITY MODEL

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We are going to present a new heuristic model for examining
eGovernment maturity in a ministry. There is an inductive view
foreGMM. In this model, we examine eGovernment maturity in
affiliated organizations with respect to two viewpoints.
eService maturity and plan maturity. Then eGovernment maturity in a
ministry will be the sum of affiliated organizations and vice minister
department’s maturity. Figure 1 shows schematic view of eGMM. There
are two main components of maturity that explained.
Service Maturity For determining eService maturity, we combined
concepts of two model: eCommerce model (Turban, 2002), and system
model. With respect to these models, there are several aspects related to a
service: product, process, and delivery agent from Turban eCommerce
model and input, process, and output from system model. According to
above mentioned aspects, we defined three factors for examining eService
maturity as below: Inform: is evaluates through two main attributes: degree
of transaction between client and service providers, and the use of
automated channels. Inform continuum is: – None – Inform through
brochures and magazines in special places. – Inform through static website.
– Inform through static website and there is a responsive department inside
the organization. – Inform through dynamic. – Inform through
governmental portal; mutually and continuously.
Type of Access:
Is the type of channels between client and service providers. Evaluating of
this criterion comes under to three attributes: – Digitalizability of services-
Required security for services-
Type of channel that can be face to face, telephone/fax, kiosk/ website, digital
TV, and government portal.
In a meanwhile, it should be mentioned that type of access is equal to delivery
agent (Turban, 2002) that includes channels between customers and
governmental organizations for sending request service delivery. Process: is
set of required activities from back office for presenting services. This
criterion is examined from two attributes: degree of process automation and
degree of process integration.
According to above three criteria and their combination, eService maturity
includes following stages:
Stage1- Start: In this stage, physical or semiautomated channels are being used
for communication and back office can be automated and integrated.
Stage2- Online Presence: In this stage, inform starts from static website and
finally ends to dynamic website. In addition, documents with low security can be
transmitted through computer networks and in other cases, physical channels are
used.
Stage3- Transaction: This stage focuses on security. In other words, security is
the most important factor that considered in this stage and transmitting with high
security is possible.
Stage4- Transform: In this stage, inform and access to government services is
possible through government portal with support of automated and integrated
processes in back office.
Level 1: Closed
This is the stage when an organization does not use ICT as a facilitator for
good governance and has no plans to do so in the near future. This situation
may arise due to lack of exposure to ICTs and associated benefits that again
may depend upon a number of reasons; remoteness from the mainstream in
tenns of location is primary. and lack of resources and strategic thinking
could be some of the other issues. As a result, the organization is 'closed' in
terms of being connected and sharing of intonations in the context of e"-
governance. However, even in this condition the organization may be
efficiently functioning. Given the trend today. all organizations may take up
ICT implementation sooner or later.
Di Maio recommended that government CIOs use Gartner’s 5 level maturity
model to help plot their digital business strategy and communicate it to key
policymakers and stakeholders.
Level 2 — Initial (E-Government)

At this level, the focus is on moving services online for user convenience
and cost savings, but data and its uses are siloed and extremely limited.
“If the organizational view is that a high percentage of online services or
mobile access represents a modern digital government, then more
education and advocacy is needed to show what real digital government
looks like, and its benefits,” said Di Maio. “To make the case for
advancement, create case studies explaining how digital transformation
will ease or remove high-priority pain points for the organization.”
 In this stage, top management knows ICT, its applications and benefits for
organizations. No organized efforts have been attempted to undertake the
eGovernment initiation. Efforts usually are experimental and with lack of
direction. In the end of this stage, it’s expected to that the necessity of
eGovernment is realized. Main criteria of this stage are: degree of ICT
knowledge in organization, perception of eGovernment advantages and
disadvantages, administrative efforts, and productivity evaluation of
efforts
Level 3: Planned
The e-governance initiative, at this level, is undertaken with a systematic
approach. The organization has a clearly defined vision, objectives and goals
for e-governance. A need assessment study is conducted to prioritize areas of
implementation and gauge the extent of e-readiness. Taking input from the
need assess men t study. extensive planning has been carried out indicating
policies, strategies. various activities. stakeholders, roles and responsibilities
and resources required in terms of time. money and manpower to undertake the
e-govemance exercise. However. the organization is yet to enter into the
planned implementation of the e-govcmance exercise. even though all the
requisite planning is completed.

This stage starts with systematic approach. With respect to strategic approach,
information technology strategic plan is formulated in this stage. Main criteria
of this stage are: vision definition, need assessment, eGovernment plan, and
documentation.
Level 4: Realized
This level corresponds to the stage when the organization actually
realizes the complete e-govemance plan. Consequently, an integrated
system is established where all the internal processes of the organization
are computerized and there is a seamless information exchange among
all concerned entities. The organization starts delivering the services to
its external as well as int.emal customers/users in an effective manner

Complete realization of the plan, in a single instance, would entail

enormous amount of resources in terms of time, money and manpower,
which may necessitate adopting a phased approach for operationalizing
the e-govemance services. Accordingly, a further classificatlo.n within
this level has been proposed that measures the extent of realization of
the plan over a period of time. These sub-levels are also indicative of the
openness and effectiveness with which the information is exchanged
among the various entities of the organization (external and internal).
•Retrospected. At this level, the organization bas retrospectively studied
its business processes in view of its vision, overall e-govemance objectives,
the service-oriented approach (wherein government is expected to
effectively deliver the services to its
customers/users), and changes, if required, in the processes are initiated as
a constant evolutionary process.
•E-ready. In this stage, e-readiness essentials,• which are also the building
blocks for e-govemance, are ensured by the organization.
•Partially open. Al this stage some of the e-govemance services are
operationalized resulting in a partial information exchange among the
entities, both within and outside the organization.
•Open. This sub-level of realized state implies .complete deployment of
e-govemance services that ensure an integrated system that is open to
information exchange. The focus here shifts from acquiring and
implementing "e" enabling factors to effectiveness with which th.e services
are delivered. The system gains responsiveness to deal with the customer
needs and is accountable for its services.
Level 5: lnetitutionali:ud

At this level, the organizations susthrealized s1a1e over a period of time

so that e-govemance becomes part of ils work culture. The e-govemance
services are effectively utilized and accepted by the users. Several iterations
between planned and realized state lead 10 institutionalization, when e-
govemance becomes a way of life (Figure 2.1).
Planning

lnatitutionaliution

Realization
E-Governance Infrastructure, Stages in
Evolution and Strategies for Success
We have poor countries on the one hand and the middle-to-upper
income countries on 1he other. The middle-to-upper level income
countries are replacing manual services by electronic means. For
example, in Hong Kong, 70 per cent of government services are already
online, while Singapore has almost I00 per cent of the government
services online through automatic kiosks and ATMs established in
various public locations as local train stations. On the other hand, poor
countries such as the ones described above are newly building linkages
between people and the Government. Both the groups provide services
through public kiosks.