E-Government Service Evaluation in Rwanda : A Design Perspective

Abstract: Rwanda has embraced e-government. As the first step of implementation, services are being developed and provided online. As e-government matures over time, due to challenges and opportunities presented by developments in technology, legislation, economy, standards anduser expectations, an important management challenge is to understand future challenges and to be prepared to address them. The present research addresses the problem of moving from e-government service quantity to service quality in Rwanda by using a design science research approach to answer the question: How can e-government service evaluation be improved in Rwanda?This thesis provides an integrated view of e-government maturity. The empirical studies explain the challenges facing e-government implementation in Rwanda and involve service providers in investigating e-government service quality. Building on these, an evaluation process redesign is suggested and a prototype of a web-based evaluation approach called Rwanda Online Service Evaluation (ROSE) is developed in order to convey the proposed changes. It is also tested with managers and users in Rwanda. The evaluation process redesign consists of information, social and technology components. The present research contributes to the e-government body of knowledge through study cases of a Least Developed Country (LDC), namely Rwanda. Theoretical contributions include an e-government maturity model and an e-government service development framework, which could also be used in other research. The findings and the developed prototype contribute to practice in terms of evaluating e-government services and may serve as an inspiration for other LDC.