Joined-Up ICT Innovation in Government: An analysis of the creation of eIDM systems from an Advocacy Coalition and social capital perspective
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This chapter introduces the subject of this thesis \\xe2\\x80\\x93 joined-up ICT innovation in the\\npublic sector. The first section demonstrates that scientists and policy makers fully\\nagree that ICT innovation should be a joint effort involving multiple public sector\\nactors. To solve today\\xe2\\x80\\x99s urgent social problems, specific government agencies\\nhave to jointly rethink and improve practices \\xe2\\x80\\x93 including their ICTs. However, as\\nsection two demonstrates, there are some severe barriers to joined-up ICT innovation.\\nEvaluation studies consistently show that government agencies often fail to\\nrealize cooperative change. The third section provides a review of literature that\\nattempts to explain the difficulties. The conclusion is that current public administration\\ntheories merely provide a fragmented picture of determining variables.\\nThe Advocacy Coalition Framework is introduced as it aims to overcome this theoretical\\nfragmentation. The framework offers a broad overview of all kinds of factors\\nthat determine policy change. A confrontation between the variables of the\\nmodel and innovation literature reveals strong similarities, which indicate that the\\nmodel can also be applied to \\xe2\\x80\\x98innovation\\xe2\\x80\\x99. The fourth section identifies a critique of\\nthe social subsystem of the model. Social capital theory is introduced in order to\\naddress this critique as it can contribute to the operationalisation of the Advocacy\\nCoalition Framework and hence strengthen its explanatory value. In section five,\\nthe unit of analysis is confined to a specific joined-up ICT innovation, namely the\\njoint development of electronic identification systems. Section six defines the\\ncentral research question, which combines the key elements: (a) the difficulties\\nof joined-up ICT innovations, (b) the use of the Advocacy Coalition Framework to\\nexplain those difficulties and (c) social capital theory to enhance the framework.\\nThe chapter concludes with the theoretical and social relevance of the study.
Author: Noor Huijboom
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1745842402