Smart Governance: Concepts, Tools, and Implementation Challenges
Keywords:
Smart governance, digital transformation, citizen participation, big data, artificial intelligence, implementation challengesAbstract
Objective: The objective of this study is to systematically analyze the theoretical concepts, technological tools, and implementation challenges associated with smart governance in modern administrative systems.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative systematic review analyzed 12 scholarly articles published between 2015 and 2025, selected from international databases such as Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Springer. Data were collected through literature review and analyzed using NVivo version 14 based on a thematic content analysis approach. Three main themes—concepts and foundations of smart governance, tools and technologies of realization, and implementation challenges—were extracted, and analysis continued until theoretical saturation was achieved.
Findings: The findings revealed that smart governance is a multidimensional and network-oriented system based on data-driven decision-making, transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. Core technologies include artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and big data, which enhance institutional efficiency and evidence-based policymaking. However, implementation faces significant institutional, cultural, technological, and legal challenges such as organizational resistance, digital illiteracy, weak infrastructure, and the absence of clear data regulation frameworks.
Conclusion: This study concludes that the success of smart governance depends not merely on technological advancement but also on institutional reform, the promotion of a data-driven culture, and adaptive legal regulation. The synergy between technology, law, and culture is essential for achieving sustainable smart governance.
Downloads
References
Bibliometric Analysis of Smart Public Governance. (2023). MDPI.
Bolívar, M. P. R. (2018). Smart Technologies for Smart Governments. Springer.
Cordella, A., & Tempini, N. (2021). Government and Information Technologies: An Organizational Approach to Smart Governance. Information Systems Journal.
Criado, J. I., Gil-Garcia, J. R., & Gasco, M. (2021). Enacting Governance through Smart Technologies. Government Information Quarterly.
Criado, J. I., Rojas-Martín, F., & Gil-Garcia, J. R. (2022). Regulatory Challenges of Smart Governance. Public Administration Review.
Kankanhalli, A., Charalabidis, Y., & Mellouli, S. (2019). Electronic Governance and Smart Cities: Theoretical Foundations and Challenges. Government Information Quarterly.
Pereira, G. V., Parycek, P., & Falco, E. (2018). Smart Governance in the Context of Smart Cities. Information Polity.
Rodríguez Bolívar, M. P., & Meijer, A. (2016). Smart Governance: Using a Literature Review and Empirical Analysis to Build a Research Model. SAGE Open.
Sanfilippo, M. R., & Frischmann, B. (2023). Slow-Governance in Smart Cities. Internet Policy Review.
Smart Governance Toolbox: A Systematic Literature Review. (2023). MDPI.
