Factors influencing e-Governance in Pakistan: case study of e-Governance projects in Balochistan

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the factors influencing e-Governance in Pakistan and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) by providing a snapshot of various e-Governance projects in Balochistan. This 'snapshot' includes both perceptions of e-Governance and the status of many varied initiatives. The paper is based on interviews, focus groups and surveys collected by the author to analyze the future of e-Governance projects at provincial and district level in Balochistan, Pakistan. During the fieldwork, 45 public officials were surveyed in order to learn about their perception of e-Governance projects. The surveys were also supplemented by interviews. The results suggest that government officials in Pakistan are willing to use ICT for their day to day work, but they find that use difficult due to a lack of IT skills, scarce resources and lack of capacity building.