Alex Ingrams

Public Accountability ICT Support: A Detailed Account of Public Accountability Process and Tasks

A key objective of open government programs is to promote public accountability by using Information and Communication Technologies ICT to release data on the internal working of public agencies. However, it is not clear how actual accountability such as sanctions or rewards may be achieved from the data disclosed. Nor it is clear how ICT in general should support it. To better understand how ICT can support open data initiated accountability processes in achieving their goal, this paper considers the three phases information, discussion, and consequences usually used to describe such processes. Defining ICT support for these major phases is a difficult effort, since each phase encompasses different tasks and support requirements. This paper aims to address this problem by providing a detailed account of the tasks associated with the whole public accountability process. This may be used by those responsible for open government programs to design and deploy comprehensive ICT support platforms using a task-technology fit perspective.

Mobile phones, smartphones, and the transformation of civic behavior through mobile information and connectivity

Abstract Information and communication technology (ICT) use in e-governance has grown in significance for contemporary scholarship on government administration and civic engagement. But the unique contribution of types of mobile phone devices has not been well distinguished in the overall relevance of ICT. This paper makes a theoretical and empirical case for exploring these relationships in the context of South Africa, a country where mobile technology plays a uniquely prominent role in society. Using multivariate regression analysis with data from the Afrobarometer Survey it compares the direct effect of basic mobile phones and smartphones on civic engagement and its behavioral opposite, civic deviance. The paper then tests the interaction effect of mobile phone technology with an important construct in democratic theory: the relationship between social capital and civic behavior. The results of the analysis show that the use of mobile phone technology can cut both ways, increasing both civic engagement and deviance. However, when moderated with social capital, mobile phone use is strengthened only in its effect on civic engagement, while the effect on deviance is made insignificant. This suggests that there is a complementary socio-technical process at work for positive civic behaviors involving mobile phones and social capital. The findings are explained through the lens of technological dimensions information, communication, and connectivity, and suggestions are made for applying these findings to public sector mobile ICT innovation.

Open data driven public accountability

Purpose This paper aims to analyse extant literature on open data, distinguish and categorize the strands of public accountability research and use the results to provide better clarity in the concept of open data-driven public accountability. Design/methodology/approach Systematic review of 135 open data articles and 155 accountability articles from the e-government reference library. A multi-stage analysis results in 12 articles which are categorized using Bovens’ (2007) accountability theory of information, discussion and consequences. Conceptual development, using the literature analysis, forms the final section of the paper. Findings Research demonstrates that a range of open data topics has been advanced. However, just 12 articles exist that simultaneously address open data and accountability theory. Of the total 155 public accountability articles, the preponderant focus is on the information (N = 25) and discussion (N = 7) stages of the accountability process. Just one article focuses on the complete accountability process. To address this problem, the characterization of open (government) data-driven public accountability establishes conceptual crispness and clarity. Originality/value Public accountability theory on open government has become overshadowed by social and economic value perspectives. This paper clarifies and advances the open data-driven public accountability perspective. It takes stock of public accountability research, delimits the key issues and questions and highlights the next steps needed for developing scholarship.

Transparency for Results: Testing a Model of Performance Management in Open Government Initiatives

ABSTRACT Government transparency continues to challenge existing frameworks for understanding organizational performance. Transparency has proven difficult to measure and results assessing its impacts are mixed. This article sets forward a model of performance-based accountability in open government initiatives. Data come from the Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) database of over 1,000 transparency initiatives across 50 countries in 2013. Ordered logistic regression estimates the effect of management practices on three different measures of transparency performance, and the results broadly support the model. Expert interviews from two country cases offer insight into how performance management is used in the context of transparency reforms.

Stages and Determinants of E-Government Development: A Twelve-Year Longitudinal Study of Global Cities

ABSTRACT: Global e-government innovations are at the forefront of municipal efforts to be better organized and more efficient in delivering services and improving outcomes for the public. Scholars have argued that such innovations are embedded in institutional and environmental factors, and municipal e-government growth evolves through stages as a result of the effects of these factors. However, existing studies rarely model the distinct success factors of the different stages. This article addresses that shortcoming with data from the largest cities in the world’s top 100 “most wired” countries from 2003 to 2016. Cluster analysis addresses whether there are any consistent growth trends, and finds that there are four clusters of e-government development. Regression analysis tests whether stages may be driven by specific factors, and findings reveal that e-government stages mostly have uniform drivers. Population size, GDP, and regional competition have a positive association across all stages. However, democracy level appears to have a more ambiguous status, as it influences some higher stages in large countries but has a negative association in small countries.

Democratic transition and transparency reform: An fsQCA analysis of access to information laws in twenty-three countries

Abstract The connection between democracy and transparency would appear to be strong. Democratic countries have been among the earliest adopters of new legislation in transparency reforms such as access to information (ATI) laws. However, research has not yet tested the connection in the context of democratic reform where transitioning countries have the option to adopt ATI laws, and yet may, nevertheless, neglect or delay passage of such laws. To address this question, this paper uses Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) with 23 countries that are in democratic transition in the fourth wave of democratic transition in the 21st century. The results show that low political competition in conjunction with strong civil society, regional pressure and recognition of international norms is favourable to ATI adoption. In contrast, the non-ATI adopters have encountered high political competition coupled with low regional pressure, weak international norms, and weak press freedoms.

Managing governance complexity and knowledge networks in transparency initiatives: the case of police open data

ABSTRACT Public organisations are often described as being subject to types of complexity that result from the interorganisational structure of governance networks. Transparency programmes add another level of complexity due to increased information openness. However, neither the nature of this complexity nor the network management approaches needed for transparency programmes has been conceptually developed. To address this gap, this article brings together governance complexity theory and knowledge management theory. An empirical model is tested using the case of police open data with regression analysis and 22 expert interviews. The results show that institutional and environmental complexity such as budget pressures, legal-normative constraints, and task complexity exert a negative influence on police information openness. However, network knowledge management practices including developing mission focus on people and communication and overcoming organisational boundaries through interorganisational collaboration can counteract these problems of complexity.

An Analytic Framework for Open Government Policy Design Processes

This paper lays out an analytical framework for OG policy design processes. It uses a systematic review of (1) scholarly literature, and (2) real OG policies to corroborate existing definitions of OG and its sub-categories. The sub-categories are then used for an in-depth literature review of policy design research that is developed into a conceptual model of OG design processes. The model establishes the design considerations needed by policymakers and administrators of OG policies, and can be used as a framework for evaluating OG policy processes. The paper also clarifies design concepts and best practices in a growing e-government domain, and outlines a research agenda for studying OG within organizational theory in public administration.

The Educational and Professional Goals of International Students in Public Service Degrees

ABSTRACT International student enrollment in public service degrees such as Public Administration in the United States has grown rapidly. Harnessing this growth to improve the knowledge and expertise of employees in public service is a vital opportunity. However, our survey of public service schools shows that international students perceive an extensive lack of support with financial and linguistic challenges. Furthermore, schools practice little performance evaluation concerning international student experience. We conclude that schools collect more data on international students and communicate better information about programs to improve services and ensure that students know accurately what to expect from their overseas education.