Understanding E-Government Development Barriers in CIS Countries and Exploring Mechanisms for Regional Cooperation

This paper intends to fill the gap in the literature on electronic government (EGOV) development in Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which share similar problems in the process of transition from the hierarchical top-down control to effective governance systems. Based on the expert survey, we provide a better understanding of current practices and barriers for EGOV development in the region, and possible mechanisms for regional cooperation in EGOV implementation. The results show that collaborative efforts in developing institutional and human capacity and adoption of common policies, strategies and standards for electronic communication, cross-border information sharing and knowledge exchange could help to overcome the greatest barriers. As proven by the experience of other regions, cooperation in promoting and implementing ICT-enabled governance could facilitate integration and transition process. This, in turn, would foster intra-regional business and trade and help solve critical problems with migration and crime investigation, environmental and energy issues, as well as effective use of water and other natural resources.