The "Quicksilver Initiatives" as a Framework for e-Government Strategy Design in Developing Economies

In countries where e-Government is being implemented, levels of its development and adoption show pronounced disparities. These disparities could be attributed to mismatches in the strategies employed when pursuing the e-Government agenda and the lack of consideration of the contextual environment in which e-Government is implemented. This chapter aims to encourage informed e-Government strategy design in developing countries by referencing the "Quicksilver Initiatives" approach, which was used by the USA government during the Bush administration, culminating in placing America as one of the top countries in e-Government development. The chapter also aims to provide a platform on how these initiatives could be adapted to an emerging economy environment. Further, the chapter uses extensive literature reviews to assess e-Government readiness of emerging countries in general and provides conceptual principles on which e-Government strategy should be hinged in developing countries. This chapter is timely, as it comes at a time when many emerging countries are trying to develop their e-Government strategic frameworks and roadmaps for leveraging government efficiency and competitiveness.