Organisational Challenges in the Implementation of ‘one‑stop’ e‑Government in Rwanda

Abstract

One‑stop e‑government holds potential benefits in all contexts and especially in the context of developing countries and in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Implementation of one‑stop e‑government can be challenging as it normally requires addressing a number of organisational issues including those related to the integration of the individual government information systems of different departments which traditionally function as silos; tackling organisational issues can be difficult due to the nature of the public sector. However, the contemporary literature paints a picture of scarce research on the organisational issues that impede the implementation of one‑stop e‑government initiatives in LDCs. This paper explores the organisational issues underlying the implementation of ‘one‑stop’ e‑government initiatives in Rwanda, an LDC. The study explores the status of these elements as of and up to March 2017. The qualitative case study methodology used for this study involved data collection by means of documents and interviews with key managers from central government organisations, from a private company, and from local government service clerks. Template analysis was used as a method for data analysis. Even though the number of online services for citizens, businesses, and other agencies is growing rapidly and easy payment of service fees is available, a number of organisational issues were identified. These include the lack of a clear plan of ‘to‑be’ service processes and a corresponding change management strategy. Service re‑design was taking place very much ad hoc. There were also unclear systematic organisational learning mechanisms and unclear operational goals in the local government. Addressing these issues would contribute towards improving the implementation of one‑stop e‑government and its corresponding services in such a context. The paper contributes to research by providing insights into organisational issues in a country currently in an early stage of e‑government development. For Rwandan e‑government professionals, the paper suggests a way forward. It also helps decision makers in Rwanda and similar countries undertaking one‑stop initiatives to understand the problem context of actions taken towards IT‑driven institutional reform.