E-government evolution: an evaluation of local online services

The introduction of the internet and World Wide Web (WWW) technologies has redefined the meaning of 'electronic government' to include usage of web-based internet applications to enhance access to, and delivery of, government information and services to citizens, business partners, employees, other agencies and government entities. The evolution of e-government is going through the same cycle as most commercial websites went through a couple of years ago. While there are similarities, there are also differences between government and commercial firms in terms of the goals and objectives for their websites. In this study we are using a recognised framework for evolution of commercial websites and examining if that framework is appropriate for studying the evolution of e-government services, particularly in the context of city government. The results indicate that the evolution is similar in some respects but different in others. Governments are more interested in delivering content and less focused on commerce, which is different from for-profit firms. Further, governments are very eager to develop the 'community' dimension but are having limited success.