A usability study of E-government initiatives in Cyprus

This paper reviews existing theory on the subject of e-govemment, identifies the specific framework and criteria based on which e-govemment in Cyprus can be assessed, describes the current application of e-govemment in Cyprus and draws a number of descriptive and prescriptive conclusions. The research methodology is based on both secondary and primary data collection, with the latter including a questionnaire survey of the citizens. The findings identify a lack of conformity among web sites set by similar bodies of public administration, a lack of guidance on quality standards that result into negligence of important aspects, and a of lack human resources and infrastructure to maintain the quality standards in the long run. The research, among other findings, underlines the need for a forum responsible for the formulation of policy on e-government in Cyprus and prescribes its role as instrumental for the e-government transition from information provider to more advanced interactivity models. It additionally recommends the creation of a unit responsible for e-govemment initiatives for public authorities that do not have the necessary competencies comply with the quality standards on their own. Finally, it stresses the need for a synchronized effort to set standards for the exchange of data between different units of the public administration to set interoperability between discreet IT systems, currently used in various departments.