Empowering Societal Digital Transformation at the Local Level

Digital transformation has revolutionised the way businesses operate through the utilisation of technology. Digital tools enable citizens to access government services quickly and at their own convenience, whilst also facilitating more efficient and effective administrative processes. While many national governments have embraced digital tools, the same cannot be said for local governments, particularly in developing nations as they have not yet taken advantage of the benefits of digitalisation. Whereas some experiences of digital transformation have a top-down approach, this paper shares the experience of a collaborative and participatory process of design and development of a Digital Strategy for Pemba Town Council, in rural Zambia. The aim was to enhance service delivery to its citizens by harnessing the potential of digital tools for a five-year period (2022-2026). Pemba Council faced challenges due to a lack of basic Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and ICT-enabled systems. Guided by Andrew’s (1971) model of strategy formulation and implementation, and employing an action research methodology, the study engaged the local community and the council through focused group discussions and key informant interviews to understand their challenges, explore solutions to improve service delivery, and finally to develop a digital strategy for the council, the first of its kind. The study noted that while digitalisation for the council could be hampered by challenges such as the digital divide, digital literacy, infrastructure challenges, lack of human resources, among others, both the council and community stakeholders displayed enthusiasm for the process. The study underscores the crucial role citizens play in shaping local decisions, and therefore the need for their engagement in such processes that affect how they engage with local authorities. The paper also presents a guide on how to engage citizens and government officials to develop a participatory digital strategy that is adapted to local needs, infrastructure and context. The study not only contributes to scholarship on digitalisation and its potential to improve service delivery, but is also useful for local governments operating in similar contexts as Pemba Town Council and seeking digitalisation.