Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

E-Government in Kazakhstan: Challenges and Its Role to Development

  • Published:
Public Organization Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper critically examines the progress made in introducing and implementing e-government programs and policies in Kazakhstan. It argues that in order to achieve the articulated development goals, the Kazakh government has moved toward e-government paradigm to ascertain a people-centered, accountable and transparent government. Available data substantiates that the initiative faces several challenges such as political support and relationship between political institutions, bureaucracy and citizens, digital divide, widespread corruption, lack of human resources, and inadequate infrastructural development, which needs to be amputated to improve public service delivery. This study illustrates some international development experiences to understand the benefit of e-government. Such experiences may serve as policy guidelines to the successful implementation of e-government to ensure overall development in Kazakhstan.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Kazakhstan produced 76.3 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in 2007 and consumed just over that amount, 76.4 billion kWh (Cochran 2008, p.1).

References

  • ADB (Asian Development Bank). (2008) Asian development outlook 2008 [Kazakhstan]. Available at: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/ADO/2008/KAZ.pdf, last accessed December 5, 2008.

  • Agarwal, P. (2008). Economic growth and poverty reduction: evidence from Kazakhstan. Asian Development Review, 24(2), 90–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aminuzzaman, S., Baldersheim, H., & Jamil, I. (2003). Talking back! empowerment and mobile phones in rural Bangladesh: a study of the village phone scheme of Grameen Bank. Contemporary South Asia, 12(3), 327–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakenova, S. (2008). Civil service in Kazakhstan: Déjà Vu? International Journal of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe, 1, 89–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayes, A. Braun, J. V., & Akhter, R. (1999). Village pay phones and poverty reduction: insights from a Grameen bank initiatives in Bangladesh. ZEF Discussion Papers on Development Policy. No. 8. Bonn: ZEF, University of Bonn.

  • Bhuiyan, S. H. (2006). E-government in Bangladesh: prospects and challenges. Journal of Politics & Administration, 1(1), 105–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, D. (2005). Electronic government and public administration. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 71(2), 241–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran, J. (2008). Kazakhstan’s potential for wind and concentrated solar power. KIMEP Working Paper. No. 2. Almaty: College of Social Sciences, KIMEP.

  • Cummings, S. (2005). Kazakhstan: Power and elite. London: I.B. Tauris.

    Google Scholar 

  • egov magazine. (2007). Interview with Kuanishbek Esekeev, Chairman, Agency for Informatization and Communications. Retrieved from: http://www.egovonline.net/interview/print.asp?interviewid=184, last accessed March 27, 2008.

  • ESCAP. (2008). Economic and social survey of Asia and the Pacific. Retrieved from: www.kazakhemb.org.il, last accessed November 18, 2008.

  • Gleason, G. (1997). Prospects for Kazakhstan’s asian liberalism. Democratization, 5(3), 376–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haldenwang, C. (2004). Electronic Government (E-Government) and development. The European Journal of Development Research, 16(2), 417–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haque, M. S. (2002). E-Governance in India: its impact on relations among citizens, politicians and public servants. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 68, 231–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hasse, D. (2002). E-Government: The future of federal and municipal institution. An unpublished Master’s thesis. Magdeburg: University of Magdeburg.

  • Heeks, R. 2001. Understanding e-governance for development. i-Government Working Paper Series. Paper No. 11. Manchester: IDPM, University of Manchester.

  • Heeks, R. (1998). Information technology and public sector corruption. Information System and Public Sector Management Working Paper Series. No. 4. Manchester: University of Manchester.

  • Ho, A. T.-K. (2002). Reinventing local governments and the E-government initiative. Public Administration Review, 62(4), 434–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, I. (2002). Building e-government in East and Southeast Asia: regional rhetoric and national (In)action. Public Administration and Development, 22, 323–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holliday, I., & Yep, R. (2005). E-Government in China. Public Administration and Development, 25, 239–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hossain, F. (2005). E-governance initiatives in developing countries: helping the rich? or, creating opportunities for the poor? Asian Affairs, 27(4), 5–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iqbal, H. (2007). Democracy and Central Asian states. Regional Studies, 4, 66–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • ITU (International Telecommunication Union). (2004). ITU Data. Available at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/at_glance/main04.pdf, last accessed November 5, 2008.

  • Jho, W. (2005). Challenges for e-governance: protests from civil society on the protection of privacy in e-government in Korea. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 71(1), 151–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabir, A. (2008). Discourse on e-governance: Bottomline. The Daily Star. November 14. Retrieved from: http://www.thedailystar.net/pf_story.php?nid=63243, last accessed November 14, 2008.

  • Keesing Record of World Events. (2005). Kazakhstan presidential elections. December.

  • Knox, C. (2008). Kazakhstan: modernizing government in the context of political inertia. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 74(3), 477–496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makhmutova, M. (2001). Local government in Kazakhstan. In Igor Munteanu & Popa Victor (Eds.). Developing new rules in the old environment: Local government in Eastern Europe, in the Caucasus and in the Central Asia. Available at: http://lgi.osi.hu/publication/2001/842ch8-kz.pdf, last accessed October 7, 2008.

  • Mayer-Schönberger, V., & Lazer, D. (2007). From Electronic Government to Information Society. In V. Mayer-Schönberger & D. Lazer (Eds.), Governance and information technology: From electronic government to information government. Massachusetts and London: MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moon, M. J. (2002). The evolution of e-government among municipalities: rhetoric or reality? Public Administration Review, 62(4), 424–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Netchaeva, I. (2002). E-government and E-democracy. The International Communication Gazette, 64(5), 467–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, P. (2001). Digital divide? civic engagement, information poverty and the internet in the democratic societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perlman, B. J., & Gleason, G. (2007). Cultural determinism versus administrative logic: Asian values and administrative reform in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. International Journal of Public Administration, 30(12), 1327–1342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, A. (2001). Geopolitics and oil focus the spotlight on Central Asia. Financial Times Survey. December 17.

  • Salem, F. (2006). Exploring e-government barriers in the Arab States. Policy Brief. No. 2. Dubai: Dubai School of Government.

  • Sharma, T. (2002). E-governance: process reengineering approach. Indian Journal of Public Administration, XLVIII(4), 606–616.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tandon, H. (2005). e-governance: an Indian perspective. Policy & Society, 24(3), 1–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Transparency International. (2008). Corruption perception index 1999–2008 (Kazakhstan). Available at: http://www.transparencykazakhstan.org/eng/content/8.html, last accessed January 7, 2009.

  • Transparency International. (2006). Global country report, 2006 [Kazakhstan], pp.184–188. Available at: www.transparency.org/publications, last accessed November 18, 2008.

  • UN (United Nations). (2008). United Nations e-government survey 2008: From e-government to connected governance. NY: United Nations.

  • United Nations/American Society for Public Administration [UN/ASPA]. (2002). Benchmarking e-government: A global perspective: Assessing the progress of the UN member states. NY: UN/ASPA.

  • UNDP (United Nations Development Program). (2007). Human development report 2007/2008 [Kazakhstan]. Available at: http://hdrstat.undp.org/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_KAZ.html, last accessed November 13, 2008.

  • UNDP. (2001). Human development report 2001: Making new technologies work for human development. NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESC (United Nations Economic and Social Council). (2008). National report on the achievement of Kazakhstan’s strategic priorities to 2030 in the light of the millennium development goals. Available at: apps01.un.org/nvpcms, last accessed November 20, 2008.

  • Wilson, J., Gardner, D., Kurganbaeva, G., & Sakharchuk, E. (2002). The changing role of local government managers in a transitional economy: evidence from the Republic of Kazakhstan. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 15(4/5), 399–411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The World Bank. (2008). Kazakhstan: Data and statistics. Available at: http://www.worldbank.org.kz/website/external/countries/ecaext/kazakhstan, last accessed November 13, 2008.

  • The World Bank. (2006). Kazakhstan e-government program and the road ahead. Washington, DC: World Bank (a joint economic research program with the Government of Kazakhstan).

  • The World Bank. (2002). Kazakhstan governance and service delivery: A diagnostic report. Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Unit, Europe and Central Asia Region.

  • Yunus, M. (2004). Petersburg Prize 2004- acceptance speech delivered by Professor Muhammad Yunus in the Prize giving ceremony on June 27, 2004, at the Development Gateway Forum 2004, held at Petersburg Conference Center, Köngiswinter, Germany

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shahjahan H. Bhuiyan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bhuiyan, S.H. E-Government in Kazakhstan: Challenges and Its Role to Development. Public Organ Rev 10, 31–47 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-009-0087-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-009-0087-6

Keywords

Navigation