Evaluating and improving the usability of e-government websites in Sub-Saharan Africa for enhancing citizen adoption and usage

Abstract

𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 E-government has been widely known to be an important factor for fostering a nation’s economic and social development. It holds enormous potential for improving the administrative efficiency of public institutions, encouraging democratic governance, deracinating public sector corruption, and building trust between citizens/private sector and governments. However, most e-government initiatives to date have failed to attain their full potential, because they are increasingly plagued by usability issues. The case is worse for e-government initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as many researchers have posited that this region is the least developed with regards to e-government diffusion. Moreover, its e-government systems are mostly characterised by poor usability. Consequently, advancing e-government in SSA necessitates advancing the usability of current e-government systems in the region, as usability has been shown to be a vital precondition for e-government progress. As such, this study had as primary objective to develop a model for improving the usability of e-government websites in SSA. The study focused on e-government websites as these sites are generally acknowledged to be the primary platform for government interaction with citizens and other stakeholders. In order to achieve this goal, the design science research (DSR) approach was used as the overall research method for this thesis. The DSR was selected due to its core focus on developing useful artefacts that can effectively address DSR problems. This research approach was further supported by mixed methods encompassing usability evaluation (heuristic evaluation and automated testing) and cross-sectional analysis of national indicators. Using a six-dimensional framework as the core theoretical framework for assessing the usability of e-government websites in SSA, the study concluded that SSA e-government websites were currently characterised by poor usability. After evaluating 279 e-government websites from 31 SSA countries, it was observed that the average usability score for the websites was 36.2%, with the most usable website having a score of 64.8%, while the least usable website scored 10.8%. The poor level of usability was consistent for all the six dimensions. Out of a weighted score of 16.7 for each dimension, the following mean scores were obtained: 7.6 for online services, 6.3 for user-help and feedback, 6.2 for navigation, 5.7 for legitimacy, 5.4 for information architecture, and 3.3 for accessibility accommodation. The study further identified 8 national indicators (corruption, cybersecurity, gender inequality, global competitiveness, human development, innovation, national income, and population age distribution) with significant associations to both e-government development and the usability of e-government websites in SSA. Based on these findings, a policy-ingrained model was proposed for advancing the usability of e-government websites in SSA. The model comprised of four mental models (government, designer, evaluator, and user), with each having both general and specific strategies for improving e-government website usability in SSA. Additionally, the model presented the practical and policy implications regarding the role that the identified national indicators could play in advancing e-government website usability in the region. Moreover, the model was accompanied by a quick assessment checklist that could be used by IT staff of government agencies to evaluate their websites in order to determine which strategies from the model could be applied. The outcomes of this study could contribute to the development of practical and policy-based solutions for improving the usability of e-government websites in SSA, as well as advance the theoretical knowledge base on the use of information systems in government. ___________________________________________________________________

𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 E-regering word allerweë beskou as ʼn belangrike voorvereiste vir ʼn nasie se ekonomiese en sosiale ontwikkeling. Dit hou ontsaglike moontlikhede in vir die verbetering van die administratiewe doeltreffendheid van openbare instellings, die aanmoediging van demokratiese regering, die uitroeiing van korrupsie in die openbare sektor en die bou van vertroue tussen burgers/die private sektor en regerings. Die meeste inisiatiewe van e-regering het egter tot op hede nie daarin kon slaag om hulle volle potensiaal te bereik nie omdat hulle toenemend deur bruikbaarheidsvraagstukke geteister word. Die saak is nog slegter ten opsigte van e-regeringsinisiatiewe in sub-Sahara Afrika (SSA), aangesien hierdie streek die minste ontwikkel is wat betref die verspreiding van e-regering. Wat meer is, sy e-regeringstelsels word meestal gekenmerk deur swak bruikbaarheid. Die gevolg is dat dit noodsaaklik is dat die bruikbaarheid van hedendaagse e-regeringstelsels in SSA verbeter moet word vir die bevordering van e-regering, aangesien dit blyk dat bruikbaarheid ʼn lewensnoodsaaklike voorvereiste vir die vooruitgang van e-regering is. As sodanig was hierdie studie se vernaamste doelstelling om ʼn model te ontwikkel vir die verbetering van die bruikbaarheid van webwerwe vir e-regering in SSA. Die studie het op die webwerwe van e-regering gefokus aangesien hierdie werwe oor die algemeen erken word as die vernaamste verhoë vir die wisselwerking tussen die regering en burgers en ander belanghebbendes. Ten einde hierdie doelwit te bereik, is die benadering van die ontwerpwetenskapnavorsing (design science research (DSR)) gebruik as die oorkoepelende navorsingsmetode vir hierdie tesis. Hierdie benadering is gekies vanweë sy kern fokus op die ontwikkeling van nuttige artefakte wat probleme ten opsigte van ontwerpwetenskapnavoring doeltreffend kan aanpak. Hierdie navorsingsbenadering is verder ondersteun deur gemengde metodes, insluitend bruikbaarheidsevaluering (heuristiese evaluering en outomatiese toetsing) en deursnee ontleding van nasionale aanwysers. Deur gebruik te maak van die ses-dimensionele raamwerk as die kern teoretiese raamwerk vir die vasstelling van die bruikbaarheid van die webwerwe van e-regering in SSA, het die studie tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die e-regeringswebwerwe in SSA tans gekenmerk word deur baie swak bruikbaarheid. Nadat 279 e-regeringswebwerwe van 31 lande in SSA ge-evalueer is, is opgemerk dat die gemiddelde bruikbaarheid van die webwerwe 36.2% was, met ʼn telling van 64.8% vir die bruikbaarste webwerf, terwyl die webwerf wat die minste bruikbaar was, 10.8% behaal het. Die swak vlak van bruikbaarheid was konsekwent vir al ses die dimensies. Uit ʼn aangepaste telling van 16.7 vir elke dimensie is die volgende gemiddelde tellings behaal: 7.6 vir aanlyndienste, 6.3 vir gebruikershulp en terugvoer, 6.2 vir navigasie, 5.7 vir wettigheid, 5.4 vir inligtingsargitektuur en 3.3 vir toeganklikheidsbystand. Die studie het verder agt nasionale aanwysers geïdentifiseer (korrupsie, kuberveiligheid, geslagsongelykheid, globale mededingendheid, menslike ontwikkeling, innovering, nasionale inkomste en die verspreiding van die bevolking se ouderdom) met betekenisvolle verbintenisse met beide die ontwikkeling van e-regering en die bruikbaarheid van e-regeringswebwerwe in SSA. Gegrond op hierdie bevindings, is ʼn model, wat in beleid gewortel is, voorgestel vir die bevordering van die bruikbaarheid van e-regeringswebwerwe in SSA. Die model bestaan uit vier denkwyse-modelle (regering, ontwerper, evalueerder en gebruiker), waarvan elkeen beskik oor sowel algemene as besondere strategieë vir die verbetering van die bruikbaarheid van e-regeringswebwerwe in SSA. Hierbenewens toon die model die praktiese en beleidsgevolge aan ten opsigte waarvan die aangewese nasionale aanwysers ʼn rol kan speel in die bevordering van die bruikbaarheid van e-regeringswebwerwe in die streek. Die model het verder ook ʼn vinnige kontrolelys vir evaluering wat deur IT-personeel of regeringsagentskappe gebruik kan word om hulle webwerwe te beoordeel ten einde vas te stel watter strategieë van die model toegepas kan word. Die uitkoms van hierdie studie sou kon bydra tot die ontwikkeling van praktiese en beleidsgerigte oplossings vir die verbetering van die bruikbaarheid van e-regeringswebwerwe in SSA, sowel as die bevordering van die teoretiese kennisbasis van die gebruik van die inligtingstelsel van die regering. ___________________________________________________________________

E-government e tsejwa haholo e le ntho ya bohlokwa bakeng sa ho kgothaletsa ntshetsopele ya moruo le setjhaba. E na le menyetla e meholo ya ho ntlafatsa katleho ya tsamaiso ya mekgatlo ya setjhaba, ho kgothaletsa puso ya demokrasi, ho fedisa bobodu lefapheng la setjhaba, le ho aha tshepo dipakeng tsa baahi / lefapha la poraefete le mebuso. Leha ho le jwalo, matsapa a mangata a e-government ho fihlela jwale a hlolehile ho finyella bokgoni ba ona bo feletseng, hobane a ntse a tshwenngwa ke mathata a ho sebediswa. Taba ena e mpe le ho feta bakeng sa matsapa a mmuso wa elektronike Afrika e ka Borwa ho Sahara (SSA) kaha bafuputsi ba bangata ba boletse hore sebaka sena ke sona se sa tswelang pele ka ho fetisisa mabapi le phatlalatso ya mmuso wa elektroniki. Ho feta moo, ditsamaiso tsa yona tsa e-government hangata di kgethollwa ka ho se sebediswe hantle. Ka hona, ho ntshetsa pele tsamaiso ya mmuso ka marangrang SSA ho hloka ho ntshetsa pele tshebediso ya ditsamaiso tsa hona jwale tsa mmuso ka marangrang tikolohong eo, kaha tshebediso e bontshitswe e le ntho ya bohlokwa e hlokehang bakeng sa tswelopele ya mmuso ka marangrang. Ka hona, sepheo se ka sehloohong sa thuto ena e ne e le ho hlahisa mohlala wa ho ntlafatsa tshebediso ya diwebosaete tsa mmuso wa elektroniki ho SSA. Diphuputso di ile tsa shebana le diwebosaete tsa mmuso wa elektroniki kaha dibaka tsena di amohelwa ka kakaretso e le sethala sa mantlha sa tshebedisano ya mmuso le baahi le ba bang ba amehang. E le hore ho finyellwe sepheo sena, mokgwa wa ho etsa dipatlisiso tsa Saense ya Moralo (DSR) o sebedisitswe e le mokgwa wa ho etsa dipatlisiso ka kakaretso bakeng sa thesis ena. DSR e ile ya kgethwa ka lebaka la sepheo sa yona sa mantlha sa ho ntshetsa pele dintho tsa kgale tse sebetsang tse ka rarollang mathata a DSR ka katleho. Mokgwa ona wa ho etsa dipatlisiso o ile wa boela wa tshehetswa ke mekgwa e tswakilweng e akareletsang tlhahlobo ya ho sebediswa (tlhahlobo ya ho hlahloba le ho etsa diteko ka mokgwa o ikemetseng) le tlhahlobo ya sefapano sa ditshwantsho tsa naha. Ka ho sebedisa moralo wa ditekanyo tse tsheletseng e le moralo wa motheo wa thuto ya motheo bakeng sa ho lekola tshebediso ya diwebsaete tsa e-government ho SSA, thuto e fihletse qeto ya hore diwebsaete tsa SSA tsa e-government hajwale di kgethollwa ka tshebediso e mpe. Ka mora ho hlahloba diwebsaete tse 279 tsa mmuso wa elektronike tse tswang dinaheng tse 31 tsa SSA, ho ile ha hlokomelwa hore karolelano ya diwebsaete e ne e le 36.2%, ha websaete e sebediswang ka ho fetisisa e ne e ena le dintlha tsa 64.8%, ha websaete e sa sebediswang ka ho fetisisa e fumane 10.8%. Tekanyo e tlaase ya ho sebediswa e ne e tshwana bakeng sa ditekanyo tsohle tse tsheletseng. Ho tswa ho dintlha tse lekantsweng tsa 16.7 bakeng sa tekanyo ka nngwe, ho ile ha fumanwa dintlha tse latelang tse tlwaelehileng: 7.6 bakeng sa ditshebeletso tsa inthanete, 6.3 bakeng sa thuso ya basebedisi le maikutlo, 6.2 bakeng sa ho tsamaya, 5.7 bakeng sa ho nepahala, 5.4 bakeng sa moaho wa boitsebiso, le 3.3 bakeng sa bodulo bo fumanehang. Diphuputso di boetse di kgethile ditshwantsho tse 8 tsa naha (tshenyo ya molao, tshireletso ya marangrang, ho se lekane ha bong, tlhodisano ya lefatshe, ntshetsopele ya batho, boqapi, lekeno la naha le karohano ya dilemo tsa baahi) ka dikamano tse kgolo ho ntshetsopele ya mmuso wa e-mmuso le tshebediso ya diwebosaete tsa mmuso wa e-SSA. Motheong wa diphuputso tsena, ho ile ha etswa tlhahiso ya mokgwa o thehilweng pholising bakeng sa ho ntshetsa pele tshebediso ya diwebosaete tsa e-government ho SSA. Mohlala ona o ne o na le mefuta e mene ya kelello (mmuso, moqapi, mohlahlobi le mosebedisi), e nngwe le e nngwe e na le maano a akaretsang le a ikgethileng a ho ntlafatsa tshebediso ya sebaka sa marangrang sa e-government ho SSA. Ho phaella moo, mohlala o ile wa hlahisa ditlamorao tse sebetsang le tsa leano mabapi le karolo eo ditshwantsho tsa naha tse kgethilweng di ka e bapalang ho ntshetsa pele tshebediso ya sebaka sa marangrang sa mmuso sebakeng seo. Ho feta moo, mohlala o ne o tsamaisana le lethathamo la tlhahlobo ya tlhahlobo e potlakileng e neng e ka sebediswa ke basebetsi ba IT ba mekgatlo ya mmuso ho lekola diwebosaete tsa bona e le ho fumana hore na ke maano afe a tswang mohlaleng a ka sebediswang. Diphetho tsa thuto ena di ka thusa ho ntshetsopele ya tharollo e sebetsang le e thehilweng ho leano bakeng sa ho ntlafatsa tshebediso ya diwebosaete tsa mmuso wa elektroniki ho SSA, hape le ho ntshetsa pele motheo wa tsebo ya moelelo mabapi le tshebediso ya ditsamaiso tsa lesedi mmusong.

Ukubusa ngezobuchwepheshe (e-government) kwaziwa kabanzi njengento ebalulekile ekukhuthazeni ukuthuthukiswa komnotho nenhlalakahle yesizwe. Kunamandla amakhulu okuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kokuphathwa kwezikhungo zikahulumeni, ukukhuthaza ukubusa kwentando yeningi, ukuqeda inkohlakalo ezinkampanini zikahulumeni, nokwakha ukwethembana phakathi kwezakhamuzi/imboni ezimele kanye nohulumeni. Kodwa-ke, iningi lezinhlelo zikahulumeni we-elekthronikhi kuze kube manje zehlulekile ukuzuza amandla azo aphelele, ngoba ziya ngokuya zikhungethwe izinkinga zokusebenziseka. Udaba lubi kakhulu ezinhlelweni zikahulumeni e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara (SSA) njengoba abacwaningi abaningi bethi lesi sifunda yisona esithuthuke kakhulu mayelana nokusatshalaliswa kokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlelo zayo zokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe zibonakala kakhulu ngokungasebenziseki kahle. Ngakho-ke, ukuthuthukiswa kokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara kwenza kudingeke ukuthi kuthuthukiswe ukusebenziseka kwezinhlelo zamanje zikahulumeni zokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe esifundeni, njengoba ukusebenziseka kukhonjiswe ukuthi kuwumbandela obalulekile wenqubekelaphambili yokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo lwalunenjongo eyinhloko yokuthuthukisa imodeli yokuthuthukisa ukusebenziseka kwamawebhusayithi ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara. Ucwaningo lugxile kumawebhusayithi kahulumeni ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe njengoba lezi zindawo ngokuvamile zivunywa njengenkundla eyinhloko yokusebenzelana kukahulumeni nezakhamuzi kanye nabanye ababambiqhaza. Ukuze kuzuzwe lo mgomo, indlela yocwaningo lwesayensi yokuklama (DSR) isetshenziswe njengendlela yocwaningo iyonke yalo mqulu wocwaningo. I-DSR yakhethwa ngenxa yokugxila kwayo ekuthuthukiseni izinto zobuciko eziwusizo ezingabhekana ngokuphumelelayo nezinkinga ze-DSR. Le ndlela yocwaningo yaphinde yasekelwa izindlela ezixubile ezihlanganisa ukuhlolwa kokusebenziseka (ukuhlola i-heuristic kanye nokuhlola okuzenzakalelayo) nokuhlaziywa kwezigaba ezihlukene zezinkomba zikazwelonke. Kusetshenziswa uhlaka olunezinhlangothi eziyisithupha njengohlaka lwethiyori oluwumongo lokuhlola ukusebenziseka kwamawebhusayithi ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara. Ucwaningo lwaphetha ngokuthi amawebhusayithi ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara njengamanje abonakala ngokungasebenziseki kahle. Ngemva kokuhlola amawebhusayithi ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe angama-279 avela emazweni angama-31 e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara, kwaqashelwa ukuthi isilinganiso esimaphakathi sokusebenziseka samawebhusayithi sasingu-36.2%, newebhusayithi esebenzisekayo kakhulu enamaphuzu angama-64.8%, kuyilapho iwebhusayithi esebenziseka kancane ithole ama-10.8%. Izinga eliphansi lokusebenziseka belilingana kuzo zonke izinhlangothi eziyisithupha. Esikalweni esilinganiselwe esiyi-16.7 sohlangothi ngalunye, kutholwe amaphuzu amaphakathi alandelayo: 7.6 ngamasevisi e-inthanethi, 6.3 osizo lomsebenzisi nempendulo, 6.2 ngokuzulazula, 5.7 wokuba semthethweni, 5.4 wolwazi lwezakhiwo, kanye no-3.3 ukuze uthole indawo yokuhlala efinyelelekayo. Ucwaningo luphinde lwahlonza izinkomba zikazwelonke eziyi-8 (inkohlakalo, ukuphepha kwe-inthanethi, ukungalingani ngokobulili, ukuncintisana komhlaba wonke, ukuthuthukiswa kwabantu, ukusungula izinto ezintsha, imali engenayo kazwelonke, nokusatshalaliswa kweminyaka yabantu) nezinhlangano ezibalulekile kukho kokubili ukuthuthukiswa kokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe kanye nokusebenziseka kwamawebhusayithi ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara. Ngokusekelwe kulokhu okutholakele, imodeli egxilile yenqubomgomo yahlongozwa ukuthuthukisa ukusebenziseka kwamawebhusayithi ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara. Imodeli inamamodeli amane engqondo (uhulumeni, umklami, umhloli, nomsebenzisi), ngayinye inamasu avamile naqondile okuthuthukisa ukusebenziseka kwewebhusayithi yezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara. Ukwengeza, imodeli yethule imithelela esebenzayo nenqubomgomo mayelana neqhaza izinkomba zikazwelonke ezikhonjiwe ezingase ziyidlale ekuthuthukiseni ukusebenziseka kwewebhusayithi yezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe esifundeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, imodeli ibihambisana nohlu lokuhlola olusheshayo olungasetshenziswa abasebenzi be-IT bezikhungo zikahulumeni ukuze bahlole amawebhusayithi abo ukuze kutholwe ukuthi yimaphi amasu avela kumodeli angasetshenziswa. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo ingaba negalelo ekuthuthukisweni kwezixazululo ezingokoqobo nezisekelwe ezinqubenimgomo zokuthuthukisa ukusebenziseka kwamawebhusayithi ezokubusa ngezobuchwepheshe e-Afrikha Engezansi kweSahara, kanye nokuqhubekisela phambili isisekelo solwazi lwethiyori ekusetshenzisweni kwezinhlelo zolwazi kuhulumeni.