De Wet, LizetteVerkijika, Silas Formunyuy2017-10-022017-10-022017http://hdl.handle.net/11660/7068Thesis (Ph.D. (Computer Science and Informatics))--University of the Free State, 2017𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 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. ___________________________________________________________________enE-government developmentE-government websitesUsabilitySub-Saharan AfricaPolicy-ingrained e-government usability modelMental modelsNational indicatorsElectronic government information -- Africa, Sub-SaharanInternet in public administration -- Africa, Sub-SaharanThesisUniversity of the Free State