Public e-service framework towards sustainable service delivery

Abstract

E-service enables citizens to interact and receive services from most government agencies which are convenient, dependable, and less costly. To promote efficient and effective service delivery, the Malaysian government is targeting zero face-to-face service delivery with 90% of all government services to be available online by 2015. It is reported recently, that at least half of the Malaysian public sector’s 1,500 websites of e-service applications could not be sustained and will be shut down by 2016. Due to high investment allocated by the government, it is important to ensure that the public e-service is sustained and continues to evolve. Limited research has been done on how to sustain the e-service or provide effective methods to aid implementer to reach this goal. This research developed a framework to sustain the government’s public e-service delivery in Malaysia. This study employed qualitative method approach within an interpretive paradigm. A case study was conducted at the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia to explore the public eservice sustainability criteria as it is perceived as a role model of a successful eservice provider. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was adopted as a conceptual lens to gain deeper insights into the data collection and analysis. Qualitative data collected through interviews, observations and document analysis were analysed verbatim using thematic analysis. Two regulators, three implementers, two e-service providers, nine users and one representative from a non-profit organization were interviewed to get a better understanding of the public e-service sustainability. The technological, institutional, and environmental dimensions with seventeen elements that emerged from the case study are: information confidentiality; software quality; ubiquitous services; personalization; integrated services; IT governance; business process improvement; legislative issues; benchmarking; top management support; awareness; trust; community empowerment; user expectation and satisfaction management; government; as well as political influence. Based on the findings, a Public e-Service (PeS) Framework consisting of cultural and logic-based streams which influence each other was developed. In addition, several recommended actions on how to use the framework as a means of assessing their current public eservice or as a guide for future public e-service initiative were proposed to assist government agencies.