Factors affecting e-government adoption in Liberia: A practitioner perspective

Globally, e-government implementation is growing, including in sub-Saharan Africa, evidenced by the frequently reported benefits of e-government programs in developed countries. The government of Liberia is pursuing an e-government agenda to improve governance through the effective and efficient use of technology in the public sector. Liberia, one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world is bedeviled by over 10 years of civil war and most recently an Ebola virus outbreak which created severe human capacity gaps. The government has realized that in order to accelerate development and enhance its peoples' livelihood, it must integrate technology into its public administration procedures. However, the implementation of e-government in Liberia has had mixed success. The objective of this research is to identify critical factors affecting the implementation of e-government in Liberia. To achieve this aim, a reflective practitioner approach is employed as a lens to collect and guide the analysis of qualitative data. The data are collected through focus group discussion with senior IT practitioners (CIOs) of Liberia who are leading the delivery of e-initiatives in Liberia. The factors identified are intended to guide how e-government initiatives are implemented in Liberia. This research contributes to raising awareness about Liberia's e-government program.