Peter E.D. Love

Evaluating e-government: learning from the experiences of two UK local authorities

Abstract. Part of the remit of public sector management includes planning and reflecting on capital expenditure on new technology. With this in mind, the role that information systems play in supporting improvements in e‐government service delivery to stakeholder groups continues to attract much attention. The authors of this paper seek to define the scope and role that information systems evaluation plays within the public sector. In particular, the authors assess whether public sector organizations might benefit from the use of established ex‐ante evaluation techniques, when applied to analyse the impact of e‐government information systems. Following a comprehensive review of the normative literature, an initial conceptual framework for public sector information systems evaluation is proposed, which is then empirically explored within two local government authorities. The conceptual framework is then revised by using the structured case approach, which is dependent on an iterative research cycle where triangulated data are elicited. This then supports the emergence of new concepts during each research cycle that leads to the view that information systems evaluation in the public sector is a process of experiential and subjective judgement, which is grounded in opinion and world views. This leads the authors to challenge the appropriateness of traditional modes of investment appraisal when applied in the public sector. The finalized framework embraces investment decisions, evaluation methods, culture and structure, as well as post hoc evaluation. It emphasizes the importance of situated, interpretive user assessments in evaluating e‐government investments.

The enigma of evaluation: benefits, costs and risks of IT in Australian small-medium-sized enterprises

The evaluation of information technology (IT) is fraught with misconception and there is a lack of understanding of appropriate IT evaluation methods and techniques. The benefits, costs and risks of IT need to be identified, managed, and controlled if businesses are to derive value from their investments. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study that used a questionnaire survey to determine the benefits, costs and risks of IT investments from 130 small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia. The analysis revealed that organizations from different industry sectors significantly differ in the amount they invest in IT but that firm size (in terms of turnover and number of employees) does not influence IT investment levels. Second, strategic benefits vary across different industry sectors. Third, the way employees adapt to change as a result of IT implementation depends on the size of the organization. Based upon the findings, a series of benchmark metrics for benefits, costs, and risks of IT are presented. It is posited that these can serve as a reference point for initiating a quality evaluation cycle in which benchmarking forms an integral component of the strategic process.

Linking knowledge transformation to information systems evaluation

The evaluation and assessment of Information Systems (IS) is rapidly becoming an important and significant topic for study as well as practice. As such, the application of appraisal frameworks within technology management scenarios in industrial organizations is vital to determining IS project success and/or failure. The information and knowledge requirements of evaluation appear to suggest that mapping benefits, risks and costs to organizational objectives and strategy should result in a clearer and more rational appraisal process. However, in doing so, it is not clear from the extant literature within the field of IS evaluation what aspects of knowledge relate to human and organizational factors in this decision-making task. Hence, in order to elucidate this issue, the authors attempt to highlight those extant components of knowledge that contribute to the overall ISE process, within a case organization. This is achieved via an analysis of case study data against the well-known knowledge transformation model proposed by Nonaka and Takeuchi. As a result of this, the authors present a model detailing these factors in the context of the IS evaluation lifecycle.

Taking the pulse of UK construction project managers' health - Influence of job demands, job control and social support on psychological wellbeing

Purpose – In this paper the predictive capabilities of the full job strain model (JSM) for construction project managers is examined. The principal aim of the work is to determine whether employees psychological wellbeing in terms of worker health and job satisfaction can be reliably predicted.Design/methodology/approach – The full JSM is tested by investigating perceived work demands, job control and social support. The predictive capability of the full JSM (which encompasses job demands, job control and social support) is applied to a sample of construction project managers from the UK.Findings – The analysis of the results indicates that the JSM can significantly predict employees psychological wellbeing in terms of worker health and job satisfaction among the construction project managers sampled. A key finding was that social support had significant (p<0.0001) main effects on psychological wellbeing. Contrary to previous research, however, non‐work‐related support was found to be more significant t...

Calculating total rework costs in Australian construction projects

In recent years, academic research has focused on identifying the factors that cause construction project rework in an attempt to eradicate its occurrence. The success of these previous studies has been mixed most notably because industry lacked a clear and universal definition of rework. Consequently, findings emanating from studies conducted to date cannot be compared or contrasted and neither can the work be brought together as a homogenous whole. To address this current deficiency, this study first examined previous rework definitions and a priori research in order to develop a clear definition that would placate industry concerns. This definition was then used as the basis for a national questionnaire survey in Australia, which sought to collate data on the total cost of rework; where total cost is a function of direct and indirect rework costs. A total of 161 construction professionals (from a range of occupations) participated in this study and provided much needed evaluations and personal knowledge of rework costs for recently completed projects. The costs of rework were found to be significant, with the mean direct and indirect cost of rework as a percentage of contract value being 6.4% and 5.9%, respectively. There were significant differences identified between the estimates propagated by respondents, this being between design consultants and project managers. Additionally, there were no significant differences found between rework costs and procurement methods used and project types. The article concludes by suggesting that further work is required to develop a system which is capable of identifying rework and estimating the costs.

A forensic examination of the causal mechanisms of rework in a structural steel supply chain

Purpose – This paper aims to take a forensic approach to identify the causal mechanisms of rework in a structural steel supply chain. Rework is an area that has received limited attention, yet it is a major contributor to time and cost overruns in projects. Design/methodology/approach – The research uses an interpretative case study approach to gain an understanding about how and why rework occurred. To determine the causal variables of rework the traditional scientific concept of causality founded on the mono‐causal model in the physical and biological sciences was subject to subtle changes, and adapted to a social context as construction projects are essentially complex social systems. In this instance causality was not considered to be linear, proportional or incremental, but multi‐dimensional whereby each factor is interrelated and multi‐causal in nature. Findings – The findings reveal that the cause of rework in this case was poor information flow and the absence of a quality focus. This was exacerba...

Financial distress and highway infrastructure delays

Purpose n n n n nIn developing countries, delays in highway infrastructure projects caused by financial distress-related factors threaten the construction industry’s capacity to contribute optimally to economic development. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to determine factors contributing to financial distress and develops a conceptual framework to illustrate the relationship between financial distress and project delay. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nA questionnaire survey collected data on factors that contributed to financial distress and delays in highway infrastructure delivery. In total, 78 responses were obtained, and factor analysis revealed that factors associated with payment, project financing, cash flow, economic issues, project planning and cost control influenced project delays. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThe research identifies the importance of efficient public and private policies to engender financial sustainability among construction firms in developing countries. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis work presents the first research of its kind and strives to engender wider academic debate and renewed economic development in some of the world’s most impoverished nations.

The impact of socio-political and economic environments on private sector participation in energy infrastructure delivery in Ghana

Purpose n n n n nInvestment in power and electricity generation for replacing aging infrastructure with new represents a major challenge for developing countries. This paper therefore aims to examine infrastructure projects’ characteristics and how socio-political and economic investment environments interplay to influence the degree of private sector participation (PPP) in infrastructure delivery in Ghana. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nUsing World Bank Public-private infrastructure advisory facility (PPIAF) and private participation in infrastructure (PPI) project database data from 1994 to 2013, binary logistic regression was used to: determine the probability of a higher or lower degree of PPP; and examine the significance of factors that are determinants of private investments. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThe findings reveal that the private sector is more likely to invest in a higher degree of PPP infrastructure projects through greenfield and concession vehicles as opposed to management and leasing contracts. From the extant literature, drivers of PPP included infrastructure project characteristics and the social–economic–political health of the host country. However, the significance, direction and magnitude of these drivers vary. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis paper identifies investment drivers to PPP advisors and project managers and seeks to engender discussion among government policymakers responsible for promoting and managing PPP projects. Direction for future work seeks to explore competitive routes to infrastructure debt and equity finance options that finance energy projects.