E-Government in Russia: Plans, Reality, and Future Outlook

Abstract

Russia, like other countries, is facing a challenge to integrate new Information and Communication technologies in its administrative system. This chapter traces the evolution of e-Government concept from the first state program “Electronic Russia” (2002) to the latest “Government as a Platform” (2018) concept. Analyzing the digital transformation of government through the lens of public administration, the chapter demonstrates procedural, infrastructural, and political challenges that shaped the Russian version of electronic government. Emphasizing the discrepancy between plans and reality, we show how the “Russian style” of unrolling e-Government from above in combination with the focus on infrastructures have created a situation where further development of the reform has stagnated. Finally, the tensions between transparency and control accentuated by digitalization in Russian public administration are discussed.