CARE: An Integrated Framework to Support Continuous, Adaptable, Reflective Evaluation of E-Government Systems

This is an eGISE network article which aims to justify the need for a holistic approach (the CARE framework) to the evaluation of e-government projects and to outline a programme of research for its delivery. It is argued that existing methods of evaluation are too limited in terms of scope, perspective, and application and do not offer the necessary potential for learning in an environment characterised by enormous change and considerable investment. Developing the CARE framework addresses these limitations by providing a method of collaborative inquiry which involves relevant stakeholders in the appraisal of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ aspects of an e-government system. It is also intended that the research project also produces supporting software tools for the framework. The proposed project is based on previous work in the construction industry that developed a cross organisational learning approach (COLA). Developing a similar strategy for Knowledge Management is likely to be effective because the ‘silo’ culture of local government organisations has parallels with the segmented organisational structures within the construction industry.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jcec.2007070102