| Author | Ojha, Shashank |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.DBA-SOM-14-01 |
| Subject(s) | Electronic government information--India
|
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation;no.DBA-SOM-14-01 |
| Abstract | In the recent years, there has been significant increase in application of Information and Communications Technologies in government (e-Government) to improve its functioning and to provide efficient public services. e-Government has slowly gained significance as an important part of the national development strategies in both developed and developing world. Over the next decade, significant investments have been planned in India and across the world, however a high rate of failure in e-Government projects has resulted in significant loss of investments across the globe. These projects require adoption of complex and ever changing ICT technologies and involve significant organizational transformation. This research study aims to address some critical decisions like - How do managers mange these complex multi dimension risks in absence of in-house technical capabilities and expertise? How do decision makers approve large scale funding for these projects in an environment of increasing pressure and constraints on public resources? How do executives mitigate the risks of strategic error in preventing loss of investments from these high-risk projects? This research is an in-depth study of the challenges in implementing e-Government projects in the Indian context. This research uses the Case Study method to study the key issues in project decision-making and undertakes a comparative evaluation of the impact of the Traditional and new SF-based Financing Strategies on the key success factors. The research findings are based on four case studies (two projects using the Traditional Financing and another two using the SF Based Financing approaches). All the four cases studies were assessed in-depth on eleven key dimensions. The results of the study are presented as a set of propositions based on inferences drawn from strategic decisions influenced by the adopted financing approach of both successful and unsuccessful projects. It was found that to maximize the value derived from these investments, the project managers would need the flexibility to structure the projects for managing a complex set of multi-dimensional risks, for building the core capabilities required and for leveraging the alternative sources of finance. A carefully crafted and customized structuring strategy (rather than an inflexible bureaucratic approach) is needed to manage all project phases in order to derive benefits from breakthrough ICT technologies in government organizations. The analysis of the case studies shows that innovative structured financing is more prone to facilitating flexible decision making, building core capabilities, managing risk, providing funds needed for growth and innovation and customizing tailor-made project governance strategy. The analysis of the alternative financing strategies also reveals that the traditional financing approach fails to reflect the project-risks and may in-fact constraint the process of prudent investment decision-making. The traditional approach of financing the e-Government projects invites excessive risk taking by the government and is unduly focused on asset acquisition rather than the value- maximization objectives. Project investments fail due to lack of focus on strategic goals, inability to devise customized solutions and lack of options in decision-making in a high risk and highly unpredictable environment. On the other hand, the projects with SF-based approach were able to address the requirements of e-Government projects ensuring that the financing approach supports the requirements of funding at all stages of the Project’s Life cycle (construction, testing, implementation and operations); supports both projects which meet the financial evaluation criteria and those meeting only the public policy criteria, and helps in maximizing the value (both financial and nonfinancial). The SF- based approach provides a unifying strategic approach for managing the complex set of multi-dimensional risks, for building core capabilities thru an ‘optimum mix of resources’ and focusing on ‘maximizing value’ for the projects. Finally, the research recommends a ‘decision model’ based on a four-stage decision-making process. The proposed model recommends that e-Government Project’s financing strategy should be carefully planned and developed using the innovative SF based options (PF, PPP and PFI) which can support financing of the development and implementation phase of the ICT Assets, support its operations through ‘specialized governance mechanisms’ and provide financing through non-recourse or limited recourse funding options. The approach should strengthen both the pillars of the project’s strengths – the assets side as well as the sources of funds. The strategic approach should help government agencies to leverage market based alternative financing sources but also strengthens the project’s core capacities and its core assets through alliances which help build internal capacities and gain relevant experiences. |
| Year | 2014 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology.Dissertation;no.DBA-SOM-14-01 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Publication code = DBA-SM, SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Pandey, I. M.;Islam, Nazrul (Co-Chairperson); |
| Examination Committee(s) | Gopalaswamy, Arun Kumar;Shaw, Jonathan; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2014 |