DIGITALIZATION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, THE CASE OF HAITI

Developing countries are highly indebted and can barely enhance the welfare of their population by providing them with high quality services. Governments of those countries are no longer trustworthy and are often subject to fruitless interventions. Undertaking administration reforms to overturn the trend may turn out to be a valuable step. Reforms in the public sector, whether developed or developing countries, are prone to changing the population’s view regarding Government’s interventions. Nevertheless, those administration reforms, especially in developing countries, often fail to produce the expected outcomes. For instance, lack of trust in Government officials is one of the factors among many (computer illiteracy, non-availability of electronic devices, poor access to Internet connection and electricity, and no clear home address…) that may hamstring the implementation of a digital transformation policy in a developing country like Haiti. Therefore, using a multidimensional approach, this study aims at developing a grounded theory, which can be used by decision-makers to ensure a smooth transition from one system to another one, hence circumventing resistance to change. In order to achieve this goal, we will analyse the challenges related to the implementation of a digital transformation policy in developing countries, using Haiti’s public administration as a case study. This research will be guided by an underpinning ICT theory called the actor-network theory (ANT), which allows us to see to what extent the stakeholders (identified here as the citizens) are in line with an innovation project. Government officials will be able to use the findings as guidelines for a given public policy, and international agencies will be better informed and more effective in their interventions. The findings of this research will contribute to the literature by shedding light on many aspects of the public administration when it comes to ICT-related policies in developing countries through a case study, thereby palliating the theoretical gap to public administration reforms. Although the focus will be placed on developing countries, the findings will also provide evidence for effective policies that can also be used by developed countries for a better cooperation with the former.