This edited volume makes several contributions to the advancement of electronic governance. First, it provides insights into the theory and practice of improving electronic governance. To move to the next level of maturity, electronic governance needs to address challenging issues surrounding cross-boundary collaboration, civic engagement, institution-building, and innovative technologies (i.e. Web 2.0). Collectively, the chapters in this volume address these issues. Second, this volume provides useful frameworks for implementation and evaluation, such as frameworks for cross-boundary integration of government Information Systems, citizen-centric e-governance services, and evaluation of e-government performance. These frameworks are grounded in the research literature and critical investigation of existing practice. Another main contribution of this volume is the coverage of countries that are either emerging or leading in the implementation of e-governance. China, India, and Latin American countries are charting courses in electronic governance. Several chapters in this volume provide in-depth examination of the challenges and opportunities respective to each country. Several chapters also offer a critical examination of leading examples of e-governance and thus are able to provide policy lessons relevant for those countries at the beginning stages of development. Web 2.0 in the United States, citizen-centric systems in Belgium, and government-wide integration in Taiwan are such examples. Collectively, these chapters also underscore the importance of political/managerial commitment, institutional support, performance evaluation, and citizen-centric service and engagement in e-governance success.
– Yu-Che Chen, Northern Illinois University, USA; and Pin-Yu Chu, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
“Cross-boundary” in this context means the interfaces between different government departments and services, not between governments. The book addresses the growing empowerment and expectations of citizens created by the widespread adoption of personal IT products such as smart phones and iPads. These enable the ordinary citizen to access online resources of multiple agencies easily and seamlessly on demand. (...) They contribute to providing policy and implementation frameworks, understanding the dynamics of cross-boundary stakeholder groups, and by providing evaluation tools and techniques that can be used to improve e-governance performance.
– David Mason, Victoria University of Wellington, Online Information Review, Vol. 37, No. 1