Publication Details
Abstract
E-government has become a central strategy for improving public service delivery across most African countries and the world at large. In Cameroon, the introduction and evolution of digital tools from ANTILOPE, SIGIPES, and now AIGLES, shows the quest and zeal of the Cameroon government through MINFOPRA to improve public service delivery using digital tools. This study examines the effect of accessibility and reliability of e-government tools on the equity and timeliness of public service delivery in Cameroon. This study is anchored in the Digital Divide and the Public Value theories. A mixed method research design was adopted. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test to determine the relationship between portal accessibility, portal reliability and equity and timeliness of public service delivery. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study reveal a significant relationship between limited accessibility and unreliable career and payroll web portal and the equity and timeliness of public service delivery. Limited accessibility of the career and payroll web portal due to infrastructural gap and digital literacy compromise the equity of public service delivery as civil servants in areas with stable internet connectivity and those who are digital literate turn to benefit from career and payroll services while their colleagues who work in rural areas with no connection or poor connection do not benefit. Reliability of the web portal is constraint by periodic downtimes and slow response rate which undermines responsiveness and timely delivery of career and payroll services through the web portal. The study concludes that limited accessibility and unreliable career and payroll web portal undermines the equity and timeliness of public service delivery and recommends improvement in infrastructure, user training, system decentralization and improved technical and monitoring capacity.