European Journal of ePractice

The first government websites were launched almost 15 years ago. EGovernment initiatives have since then proliferated at all levels of government. Early views assumed the move towards eGovernment as a single linear developmental path. This notion was soon captured by suppliers in a variety of stage models.

Those early views, clearly infused by technological determinism, tended to emphasise the technological dimensions of eGovernment and suggested a rather automatic set of outcomes and benefits. Experience, and even some high profile failures, showed us that eGovernment does not actually follow a single linear path, nor are its potential benefits so predictably accomplished. Project implementation is much more difficult than expected. Problems and barriers are not primarily technological, but also organisational, political, legal, or even cultural. Moreover, successful solutions and practices are usually highly dependent on local conditions.