Governments’ Perspective on Engaging Citizens in the Co-creation of E-Government Services: A Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Case Studies

Abstract

The innovative and improved delivery of public services is largely contingent on the co-creation process. Noting that engaging citizens in the development and delivery of e-government services is challenging and that limited attention is given to the process of facilitating citizen participation, this study intends to explore (a) governments’ perception of the co-creation; and (b) how governments can facilitate citizen participation in the development of e-government services. Through a meta-synthesis of qualitative case studies, this study identifies factors that are crucial for enabling co-creation, and develops a process view of the co-creation of e-government services to provide a holistic understanding on how the process of co-creation can be facilitated by the government and how the citizens could be engaged. The study thus contributes to the literature on e-government and public administration by improving the understanding of co-creation phenomenon, and suggests the mechanisms to improve citizen participation for the benefit of practitioners and policy makers.