Jul 2026· Sri Lanka Journal of Development Administration· 0 citations
TL;DR
It is concluded that effective digital transformation in Sri Lanka necessitates a multi-pronged approach encompassing legal reform, strategic investment in ICT capacity, strengthened institutional cooperation, and the ethical deployment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Abstract
This paper critically examines the role of digital transformation in enhancing governance, efficiency, and transparency within Sri Lanka’s public sector. Despite significant investments in ICT infrastructure and the digitalization of services, public institutions remain fragmented, operating through isolated systems that hinder cross-agency collaboration and citizen-centred service delivery. Drawing on secondary data from global case studies, national policy frameworks, and international benchmarks, the study assesses the institutional, legislative, and technological challenges that impede horizontal digital integration. The analysis reveals that legacy systems, legal ambiguities, weak interoperability standards, and limitations in human capital continue to obstruct the advancement of coordinated digital governance. Institutional reluctance to share data, overlapping mandates, and inadequate enforcement mechanisms further exacerbate fragmentation. Drawing on international models such as Estonia’s X-Road and India’s Aadhaar infrastructure, the paper highlights the urgent need for a Digital Interoperability Act, the establishment of a central digital authority, and the adoption of unified API frameworks. The study concludes that effective digital transformation in Sri Lanka necessitates a multi-pronged approach encompassing legal reform, strategic investment in ICT capacity, strengthened institutional cooperation, and the ethical deployment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. These reforms are essential to fulfil the current administration’s vision of a responsive, inclusive, and fully integrated digital public sector.
It is argued that while technology has enhanced efficiency and transparency, governance outcomes ultimately depend on institutional capacity, inclusivity, and ethical commitment, and that Governance 4.0 represents not merely a technological shift but a normative redefinition of democratic governance in India.
Sanchita Ray· LAW AND SOCIAL POLICY REVIEW· 0 citations
Sustainable infrastructure transformation demands the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into public sector business strategies. The Ministry of Public Works has issued a number of centrally designed policy instruments the Building Management Information System (SIMBG), the Green Building Mandate (BGH), the Domestic Component Level (TKDN) obligations, and State Property grants to local governments but their implementation at the regional level remains uneven. This research questions how governance asymmetry between the central and regional governments affects the adoption of sustainable infrastructure standards, through what mechanisms policy instruments are distorted into administrative compliance, and what kind of governance models can position ministries as strategic orchestrators. The study uses a qualitative plural case study design based on document analysis on secondary sources available to the public, for the period 2021–2025, with four purposively selected policy cases. The evidence relies mainly on regulations, official evaluation results, and the findings of state audit bodies; data are coded deductively using the Technology Organization Environment (TOE) framework and inducively for emerging mechanisms, followed by cross case synthesis. One diagnostic pattern anchored the analysis: The 2024 National SPBE Index reached 3.12 on a scale of 5 and exceeded the medium term target, while only 48 of the 615 agencies evaluated achieved the highest predicate, an aggregate achievement that conceals a highly uneven distribution. In all four cases, the instrument establishes compliance thresholds that can be administratively verifiable but independent of substantive outputs. The resulting pattern is interpreted as means ends decoupling, with a self reinforcing form called a compliance trap, understood not as a new concept, but as a domain specific manifestation of isomorphic mimicry in ESG policy. The article proposes a tiered governance model equipped with tiering indicators, the role of actors, two way transition mechanisms, resource needs, and enforcement limits. Because the evidence base is documentary, the findings are presented as propositions that can be generalized analytically and are open to testing, rather than as a causal claim that has been validated.
Ayu Purnamasari Asih, Mohamad Rizan, Muhammad Awaluddin· Journal of Digital Business...· 0 citations
Digital government initiatives are increasingly mobilized to address complex, cross-boundary policy challenges, yet their contribution to public value creation remains highly contingent on organizational and institutional conditions. This paper examines how organizational capacity and interorganizational coordination shape the adoption and use of digital government initiatives in circular economy governance. Building on public value theory and governance network perspectives, the study adopts a qualitative comparative institutional design, analyzing the Federal District (Brazil) as the primary empirical case and drawing analytical insights from New York State (United States). Empirical evidence is based on semi-structured interviews with public managers and technical staff, complemented by document analysis and institutional observation conducted during a visiting PhD period at a U.S. public policy school. The findings show that digital technologies contribute to transparency and information integration, but their capacity to generate public value—such as policy coherence, effectiveness, and sustainability—is fundamentally mediated by organizational capacity, coordination mechanisms, and institutional stability. By explicitly linking circular economy governance to organizational and networked perspectives on public value creation, the study advances digital government research and offers implications for governments in both developing and developed contexts. This is not a comparison between the global North and South, but rather a qualitative study seeking to improve concepts of digital government in both Brazil and the United States.
Júlio Cezar Costa Ramos, Eduardo Augusto Terra Rossi DE Barros, Luiz Henrique Melo Pires· Observatorio de la Economía...· 0 citations
The pursuit of effective governance has increasingly placed public sector innovation at the centre of administrative reforms across developing economies. In Nigeria, persistent challenges such as bureaucratic inefficiency, weak institutional capacity, poor service delivery, corruption, and limited responsiveness to citizens have intensified the demand for innovative approaches capable of transforming public administration. This study examines the role of public sector innovation in advancing administrative transformation in Nigeria by exploring the extent to which technological, organizational, and policy innovations have contributed to improved governance outcomes. A qualitative research approach was adopted, relying on secondary data obtained from scholarly publications, government policy documents, and reports of national and international institutions. The analysis reveals that innovation initiatives, particularly those driven by digital governance and public sector reforms, have enhanced transparency, accountability, financial management, and administrative efficiency in several government institutions. However, the realization of these gains continues to be constrained by inadequate infrastructure, weak institutional frameworks, insufficient technical expertise, resistance to organizational change, and inconsistencies in policy implementation. The study concludes that sustainable administrative transformation requires an integrated strategy that combines technological advancement with institutional strengthening, competent leadership, continuous capacity development, and effective policy coordination. It recommends sustained investment in digital infrastructure, human capital development, institutional reforms, and innovation-oriented governance practices to enhance public sector performance and promote sustainable national development in Nigeria.
Bakari Muhammadu Sukare, MAI-LAFIA, JERRY SAMAILA· Journal of African Advanceme...· 0 citations
This study examines the role of e-governance initiatives in combating corruption within Ghana’s public sector. Employing a qualitative research approach, the investigation utilised in-depth interviews. The participants comprised public sector workers and service users who continuously use or implement e-governance systems in Ghana. The thematic analysis focused on assessing the current status of these initiatives, exploring their relationship to prevailing levels of corruption, identifying factors influencing their effectiveness and proposing strategic enhancements. Findings confirm that while e-governance systems have successfully enhanced transparency and reduced instances of petty bureaucratic corruption, their overall impact is complex and constrained by significant adoption barriers, notably low digital literacy and weak technological infrastructure. Crucially, the gains achieved through transparency are often undermined by an institutional accountability gap as evidenced by a pervasive lack of follow-up on reported corrupt activities and failure to enforce penalties. This research contributes to digital governance discourse by offering context-specific insights for policymakers on integrating technological advancements with mandatory institutional reforms to ensure the enduring effectiveness of anti-corruption strategies in Ghana and other developing countries.
Michael Fynn Hammond, Godfred Eshun Afful, C. K. Awute· International journal of res...· 0 citations
It is concluded that a values-driven, inclusive data governance model is essential for achieving Africa's development aspirations under Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dominic Dominic· Heartbeat Journal of Library...· 0 citations
