Mobile Government Service Delivery Challenges in Municipalities

Scholars have reiterated the potential of mobile government solutions to extend the adoption of electronic government services in the context of the proliferation of mobile phones across various countries. This study aimed to understand the challenges faced by municipalities in the implementation, deployment and maintenance of m-government applications. The research followed an interpretive case study strategy and collected data from a municipal entity and its citizens, focusing on the m-government services of the entity. The findings indicate that various stakeholders are key to the successful delivery and uptake of m-government services. The municipal entity faced various challenges including ICT skills shortages, budget overruns, system interoperability and constrained resource capacity. From the citizens' perspective, the study noted concerns with the training of users, service resolution delays as well as privacy and security concerns. Several recommendations for consideration on m-government projects are put forth based on the lessons from the case study.