ABSTRACT
This chapter explains governance-related goals in development and analyzes the role of motivation and power in e-governance initiatives. It defines and illustrates public value. The chapter focuses on ways in which Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) relate to three aspects of "good governance": better public services, improved accountability of the state and increased democracy. It utilizes models to analyze the role of ICTs in e-accountability and e-democracy initiative. The chapter analyzes the public value of, and challenges to, e-services in developing countries. One apparent challenge of using public value as a guide for e-governance is its determination by citizens. A public value approach means that goals and evaluation indicators will be situation-specific. A major problem for conventional public services is that individual – in various roles as citizen, complier or customer – register separately with each service, and that many individuals in developing countries lack a clear means of identification.
