Affiliations: [a] Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA | [b] Ipasha Infotec, Kenya
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Jacqueline M. Klopp, Earth Institute,
Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. E-mail: jk2002@columbia.edu
Abstract: Most e-government literature examines outcomes and potential
benefits. Yet it is also important to explore the actual process of developing
and implementing e-government systems in specific institutional and political
environments. In this paper, we analyze the process of developing a website
with the Municipal Council of Ruiru in Kenya, a country undergoing
democratization and devolution of power. How to support a process that would
enable the website to catalyze and support reforms in local government emerged
as an important question in this context. We found strategically linking
universities and local technology firms to government and fostering their
interactions within e-government implementation a helpful approach. Conducting
focus group discussions in the course of a participatory design process and
discussing each stage of website development with key actors in the government
helped bring citizen voices into the process and the final website content.
Overall, for the website project to actually help improve government we found
it is critical to go beyond participatory design towards a strategic, flexible
and longer-term process of engagement in "e-politics", the political
negotiations over the use and control of the technology by the government.
Keywords: E-government, Kenya, community participation, participatory design, ICTs, website, implementation
