This paper has been published as: Meelis Kitsing (2011) Success Without Strategy: E-Government Development in Estonia. Policy and Internet 3 (1).
Kitsing, M., Department of Political Science, National Center for Digital Government, University of Massachusetts Amherst
This paper offers an evaluation of e-government in Estonia, which is usually seen as the most outstanding exemplar in Central and Eastern Europe. The analysis incorporates both the public sector initiatives and developments in the private sector in contributing to the evolution of e-government. Private sector agents are seen as endogenous, not exogenous, in explaining the e-government performance. Ultimately, the development of Internet banking by private sector was fundamental in enabling the government to launch interactive online services. The findings reveal that practice of e-government varies significantly across different functional areas. Some ministries have provided innovative online services for the last ten years while others still struggle in making some basic information available online. The availability of innovative platforms for online political participation has delivered remarkable outcomes in the last elections, while they have consistently failed to engage public in the legislative process.
