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How advanced are Italian regions in terms of public e-services? The construction of a composite indicator to analyze patterns of innovation diffusion in the public sector

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  • Reggi, Luigi
  • Arduini, Davide
  • Biagetti, Marco
  • Zanfei, Antonello

Abstract

This paper applies an open and transparent methodology to construct a composite indicator for the analysis of the diffusion of ICT in the public sector and the development of public e-services across Italian regions. This methodology, based on OECD/EC-JRC Handbook and incorporating experts′ opinion into a Data Envelopment Analysis, will allow us to define a ranking of Italian regions in terms of ICT adoption and of e-service development. Data are obtained by merging four different surveys carried out by Between Co. (2010–2011) and Istat – Italy′s National Bureau of Statistics (2009). We add to extant empirical literature in three ways. First, we offer a comprehensive measurement of advances in digital government that is not circumscribed to a single domain (e.g. administrative procedures of public administrations) but is rather aimed to capture a wide spectrum of public e-services (e-government, e-education, Intelligent Transport Systems, e-health). Second, we tackle a major drawback of existing statistics and benchmarking studies which are largely based on the count of services provided online, by including more sophisticated indicators on the quality of services offered and on back office changes. The results – both in terms of scores and regional rankings – highlight the presence of different patterns of adoption and use of public e-services at the local level. Third, we offer a rich account of the extreme heterogeneity of public e-service development and of the underlying technological and organizational change at the sub-national level, and hence provide a basis for the differentiating policy measures across regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Reggi, Luigi & Arduini, Davide & Biagetti, Marco & Zanfei, Antonello, 2014. "How advanced are Italian regions in terms of public e-services? The construction of a composite indicator to analyze patterns of innovation diffusion in the public sector," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 514-529.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:38:y:2014:i:5:p:514-529
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2013.12.005
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    1. Milica Maricic & Jose A. Egea & Veljko Jeremic, 2019. "A Hybrid Enhanced Scatter Search—Composite I-Distance Indicator (eSS-CIDI) Optimization Approach for Determining Weights Within Composite Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(2), pages 497-537, July.
    2. Alessandra Cepparulo & Antonello Zanfei, 2015. "La diffusione dei servizi online come indicatore della qualit? del settore pubblico," PRISMA Economia - Societ? - Lavoro, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2015(1), pages 20-38.
    3. Sergio Scicchitano, 2018. "Commenti," PRISMA Economia - Societ? - Lavoro, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(1-2), pages 119-123.
    4. Lee, Cheuk Wing & Zhong, Jin, 2015. "Construction of a responsible investment composite index for renewable energy industry," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 288-303.
    5. Calogero Guccio & Marco Martorana & Isidoro Mazza & Ilde Rizzo, 2021. "Back to the Future: Does the use of information and communication technology enhance the performance of public historical archives?," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 45(1), pages 13-43, March.
    6. Dag Ingvar Jacobsen, 2018. "Adopting and Refining e-services — the Role of Organization Size," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 111-123, March.
    7. Alessandra Cepparulo & Antonello Zanfei, 2019. "The diffusion of public eServices in European cities," Working Papers 1904, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2019.
    8. Reggi, Luigi & Gil-Garcia, J. Ramon, 2021. "Addressing territorial digital divides through ICT strategies: Are investment decisions consistent with local needs?," MPRA Paper 105003, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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