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Digital Governance and Individuals' Empowerment: a Conceptual Framework and Some Preliminary Results

Adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) in governance contexts is considered empowering for governments and the citizens. Digital governance aims at transforming internal processes, structures and working practices leading to greater efficiency and transparency. Simultaneously, with open and digital governance accompanied by the Internet and other emergent technologies, the engagement between citizens and governments is expected to be greater than ever. However, it is not clear to what extent ICT initiatives are truly empowering citizens and government managers. In order to understand how ICT initiatives have been empowering citizens, we propose a conceptual framework and some preliminary findings. Based on a systematic review of recent literature, the framework should be useful for assessing the levels of empowerment produced or facilitated by different ICT initiatives. As an ongoing research, we also share some preliminary findings from selected ICT initiatives across India.