Assessing digital government at the local level: An analysis of worldwide municipalities’ survey

The adoption of emerging technologies has a decisive effect on restructuring the local government public service delivery model and the modes governments use to interact and engage with residents. The assessment process is a crucial factor to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the introduced models and modes. This study aims to constructively summarize and analyse the results of a local e-Government assessment survey. The survey considers data from 51 cities worldwide (Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania). The research method used a questionnaire, named Local Government Questionnaire, answered by the responsible e-Government official of each city. The survey investigates eight areas: Institutional Framework, Legal Framework, Strategy and Implementation, Usage of Online Services, User Satisfaction, Social Media, Crisis/Emergency Situations and Smart City and New Technologies. The findings, systematically analysed, show that 48 cities use at least one website, in many cases a specific website per thematic area, to provide services to the residents. All cities recognise the importance of e-Government projects, therefore they introduce the role of Chief Information Officer in their organisation chart. They strictly align with national e-Government legislation showing in some cases an intention to adopt practices and processes that satisfy local needs. Local e-Government strategies are aligned with sustainability and green economy aspects, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport municipality systems, affordable housing and services to vulnerable groups and assurance of public safety. There is room for improvement in web portals usage statistics and user satisfaction data online publication. Social networks are identified as valuable interaction tools with the residents. Emerging technologies complement the e-Government prospective municipality agenda but local governments show a hesitation in introducing AI in decision-making.