Civil Service Efficiency: Leveraging on Electronic Administration Tools

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between electronic administration strategies and organisational efficiency of the civil service sector in Rivers State, Nigeria. Digital administration provides governments with an effective and efficient channel to facilitate their internal administrations and will improve their external services, thereby increasing transparency and generating a higher degree of trust. This study used a descriptive research technique through the adoption of a cross-sectional survey design. Twenty ministries were conveniently sampled for this study. The instrument of data collection employed to obtain relevant data for analysis was a structured close-ended questionnaire. The study population comprised twenty (20) out of the twenty-five (25) ministries in Rivers State civil service sector as released by Rivers State Government of Nigeria. Two (2) copies of the questionnaires were administered to 40 census senior management members (director and deputy director) from the twenty (20) ministries, giving a total of forty (40) respondents. The data were analysed using Pearson's Product Movement Correlation statistic. The results of analysed data showed that the dimensions of electronic administration strategies, which included but were not limited to enterprise content management, electronic transaction, document management system and workflow management system, significantly correlated positively with the measures of organisational efficiency being cost reduction and quality service delivery. The finding also showed a high moderating effect of information and communication technology on electronic administration strategies and organisational efficiency in the civil service sector, Rivers State, Nigeria. Relying on the empirical findings, the study concluded that electronic administrative strategies have a positive significant relationship with organisational efficiency. It is therefore recommended that enterprise content management, electronic transaction, document management system and workflow management system identified in this study should be utilised as they enhance organisational efficiency.