Towards eGovernment in the National Assembly for Wales ( UK ) : an empirical analysis

This chapter reports the findings from an empirical analysis of the opinions of Heads of Information Technology (IT) in Local Authorities relating to e-government initiatives in Wales in the UK. A highly qualitative questionnaire sought to understand the current strategic and operational implications for the e-government agenda proposed by the National Assembly for Wales. The findings identify a number of critical imperatives, which are of concern to the Heads of IT. These require consideration when planning egovernment implementation and are presented in the form of a framework, which consists of e-government objectives, priorities and barriers. The chapter also highlights the need for a fundamental shift in management thinking and practice. Drawing upon the empirical analysis and the framework, the chapter elicits areas for future research. The research is related to academic and executive alliances in the e-government arena. The issues raised in the chapter are believed to be of potential value to public sector authorities and elsewhere, which may help facilitate successful e-government implementations.