Government Information Quarterly 27 (2010) 63–69

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Government Information Quarterly

j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s e v i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / g o v i n f

The study of the success indicators for pre-implementation activities of Iran's

E-Government development projects
Mohammad Sharifi a,⁎, Amir Manian b
a
Shams Tamin Company, No.1, Setareh St., Kargar Shomali St., Tehran, Iran
b
Management School, University of Tehran, Iran

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Available online 7 November 2009 E-Government and E-Government development project studies have been conducted in most industrialized
societies, as well as in Iran. Due to their nature and structure, E-Government development projects have
Keywords: numerous political, social, and economic impacts on society. Given the incorporation of significant capital,
Electronic government (E-Government) human resources, information, and political commitments, these projects are considered quite vital to
Vision society. Following the systematic pre-implementation activities of E-Government development projects is
Contract
critical for the success of such projects; ignoring such issues leads to various problems during E-Government
Request for proposal
Contractor, Consulter
project implementation. This research aims to explore and detect the success indicators for pre-
Supervisor implementation activities of E-Government development projects, evaluate the validity of these indicators,
and investigate the indicators' status in the Fuel Smart Card Project. The researcher has also provided some
suggestions on the successful implementation of E-Government development projects.
© 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction in response to progression of technology; and general reduction of the

government's costs (Tung & Rieck, 2005).
E-Government is a term that refers to the employment of information Given its incorporation of huge capital, human resources, informa-
and communication technologies to access and process data and augment tion, and political commitments, these projects are considered quite
government services. E-Government has the potential to improve the vital to society. Policy makers and organizations in charge of
quality of services and therefore attracts public participation; being citizen developing the E-Government of any country, whether developing
centered is one of its key features. E-Government is one of the tactics that or industrial, democratic or non-democratic, must be ready to
governments have used to strengthen their role in the information respond to the public about their policies and services. Lack of expert
community and to develop new communication systems between knowledge on the issues of E-Government development projects
government and the citizens (Forman, 2002). leads to the waste of resources. On the other hand, to have expertise
Governments around the world have begun planning and on the subject and to properly implement E-Government can be
implementing online services and have achieved success to some mutually beneficial to both the government and the citizens of a
extent. Providing online services has many advantages; among them country (Golden, Hughes & Scott, 2003).
are more efficient and personalized service giving, faster and clearer
services, and more economic and accessible services (24-hour 2. E-Government development projects
services; Wimmer, 2002). E-Government development projects seek
different aims in different countries. However, some of the aims held The successful formation of E-Government depends on the
in common include: simple, integral, clear, efficient, citizen friendly, expertise of the authorities regarding the nature and features of E-
and economical service pro'vision; administrative flexibility and Government and the successful implementation of such projects.
quality decision making on the part of the government; facilitation These projects are of three types: pre-implementation activities,
of the relations among government departments and administrative activities during the implementation, and post-implementation
automation; active participation in the country's activities on the part activities of E-Government development projects. In Iran, post-
of the citizens; strengthening the relations between citizens and implementation activities are more stressed than pre-implementation
governments; increasing accessibility, security, and privacy; flexibility activities. Ignoring pre-implementation activities leads to various
problems during the project's implementation and consequently on
the results.
⁎ Corresponding author.
The outcomes which depend on a series of activities are both
E-mail addresses: sharificompany@yahoo.com (M. Sharifi), amanian@ut.ac.ir interconnected and inter-dependent. The success of any project
(A. Manian). depends on the way these activities are carried out. The success of a

0740-624X/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.giq.2009.04.006
64 M. Sharifi, A. Manian / Government Information Quarterly 27 (2010) 63–69

project is guaranteed when such activities are well accomplished proposals of contractors. A RFP assists companies in describing the
according to pre-determined standards and principles and are details of tenders' documents and in selecting the best qualified
carefully managed. And ignoring the mentioned factors may lead to contractor. In fact, writing a RFP is a formal way of describing a
the dysfunction of the projects and so it may face problems (Project projects' documents and helps the contractor companies to prepare
Management Institute, 2004). their planning and present the required answer. Preparing required
For the purposes of this study, the researcher assumes that an guidebooks helps the companies easily compare the proposals since
authority has defined an E-Government development project and the general framework of the project is published in the guidebooks,
handed the project over to an organization. The question proposed by and the applicants are provided with them (Duck, 1998).
the researcher is as follows: What activities should be carried out By getting and reading a RFP and writing a proposal for submission,
before the implementation of these projects to heighten the tenders' contractor companies describe the capabilities they have to
possibility of project's success? fulfill the requirements and provide specified requests for project's
Hence, this study only deals with pre-implementation activities of framework. While writing the proposal, the applicant company taking
E-Government development projects. part in the tender should carefully follow and the directives and the
For recognition, presentation, and explanation about indicators for specified framework stipulated in the RFP to avoid deviating from the
pre-implementation activities of E-Government development pro- main course of action (Porter-Roth & Young, 2001).
jects, library and interview methods are used. No specific standard exists for writing an RFP, though state organiza-
These activities are as follows: tions usually have their own frameworks to direct the proposed plans.
Writing an RFP has many advantages. It provides a clear and
• Create a clear vision of the project
specific aim for the project, detects and outlines the specific needs of
A project vision is the picturing of the project's deliverable as the the system, receives authentic and desired information on the declared
solution to the stated need or problem. E-Government development requirements, estimates the cost and time of the project, keeps
projects refer to a wide range of subjects and vary in size, formation, and contracts based on the declared requirements, provides a simpler and
design. If a project is going to be successful today, creating a vision is a better comparison of received proposals, facilitates good decision
necessity and not a luxury. That's because no project can make serious making, reduces project's risk, decreases possible future complaints,
progress without a clear understanding of where it is going and what it improves organization of the project, asserts organization's earnest-
is trying to achieve. It is too easy to start developing the solution before ness in implementation of the project, and garners appropriate
you fully understand the problem (Hunter & Jupp, 2002). proposals based on identified needs (Fria, 2005).
Alternatively, when the project manager's view of the project's
• Choosing the qualified contractor
product lacks imagination, even inspiration, the effort becomes dull,
bureaucratic, and unclear. Therefore, these E-Government develop- Once the employer prepares the RFP and gathers detailed infor-
ment projects should be grounded in a clear and real project-specific mation on the project, a tender is put out to choose the contractor for
vision (Montagna, 2005). In addition, the beneficiaries in charge of implementation of the project. Contractors may be chosen in several
these projects should be informed of the vision. different manners: free tender, limited or selected tender, negotiation
Given the nature and cost of E-Government development projects, or discussion, or a combination of these. There is no limitation in the
senior officials have to order the implementation of these projects. participation of the various contractors. When a project requires a
And unless a clear vision of the project is provided by the men in special skill or high-technology knowledge, the contractor uses
charge of the contract, the nature of the project will not be clear for limited or selected tender and only those contractors who have the
the executors, and the implementation of the project will encounter basic conditions for meeting project's requirements can participate in
various problems (Pacific Council on International Policy, 2002). the tender. When the contract is too complicated and the project has
unique financial and technical specifications, or when the project has
• Make ready for the implementation of project
emergency conditions, negotiation or discussion is used for coming to
Since each society has its own needs and priorities, no unique a mutual understanding and choosing the most qualified contractor
global standard exists for making ready of E-Government develop- (Kashiwagi & Byfield, 2002).
ment projects. Each government or society's type of make ready for
• Make a comprehensive contract considering all detail
the implementation of E-Government development projects often
depends on that societies's aims and priorities, and it has a direct After choosing the qualified contractor, the contractor needs to
correlation to the resources and facilities available to the society sign an agreement. A contract is an exchange of promises between
during a given period of time, e.g. budget and financial aids (Pina & two or more parties to do, or refrain from doing, an act, which resul-
Torres & Acerete, 2006). ting contract is enforceable in a court of law. It is a binding legal
In other words, preparing for implementing the project also de- agreement. In other word, a contract is an agreement between two or
pends on end users (customers and administrators), because project more parties which creates obligations to do or not do the specific
end users will profit from the output. things that are the subject of that agreement (Blum, 2001).
Now, imagine that a new project with high technology is defined
• Choosing a knowledgeable and experienced counselor and supervisor
and implemented in government. If end users do not use the
advantages of established system because of unawareness, need for The counselor consults the employer during the implementation
a special proficiency, and emerging resistance, etc., this project of the project to facilitate project progression, to improve project
certainly will be failed (Taeger, 2004). management, to prevent mistakes, to fill employer's need, to improve
As a result, before project implementation, it is necessary to prepare communication, and to solve any potential discrepancies or mis-
for project implementation. Pre-implementation preparation can facili- understandings between employer and contractor. If an appropriate
tate cooperation during the project implementation and can improve the consultant is not used in such a project, the aforementioned
likelihood that the new system will work properly after the execution. advantages and other advantages not yet mentioned are less likely
to be experienced.
• Carefully writing the RFP (Request for Proposal)
The supervisor supervises contractor's activities during the
When a company intends to implement an internal project or hand implementation of the project and monitors, all aspects of the project
over a project to external resources, it will need a contractor. The so that the project will be implemented successfully. The contractor
company should write a RFP for putting out the tender and collecting should also receive all of the required approvals of the employer for
 M. Sharifi, A. Manian / Government Information Quarterly 27 (2010) 63–69 65

project continuation. If an appropriate supervisor is not brought in for Delphi method was used for processing and finalizing the indicators.
such projects, the employer is less likely to receive the appropriate After selecting the indicators, the researcher used the Delphi Method to
and required project results from the contractor. In most cases, only gather a group of specialists in the implementation of E-Government
one person is chosen as both the counselor and the supervisor. It is development projects. They were separately provided with a list of
noteworthy that the counselor and supervisor should be chosen prior indicators. The specialists studied all the indicators to add any missed
to the implementation of such projects (Hackney & Cormier, 2004). indicators and to omit any unnecessary ones. The repeated indicators
were merged and added to the old list. They were once more provided
• Internal organization of the employer
with the new list to give their opinions. This process was repeated
After specifying project's implementation mechanism, choosing the several times until no specialist could add or delete any other indicator.
contractor, supervisor, and counselor, and signing a contract with them, Finally, the researcher interviewed the specialists to receive and apply
the employer should implement the requisite internal organization. their final opinions. It was through this process that the researcher had
This avoids potential project digression and reduces the possibility of selected the final indicators for the study.
mistakes being made by the contractor, supervisor, and counselor
(Cheng, Kee-hung, Xenophon & McDermott, 2007). 3.3.2. Validity assessment of the indicators
After detecting the success indicators for pre-implementation
3. Methodology activities of E-Government development projects, a questionnaire
was prepared based on these indicators. This questionnaire was
This section outlines the methodology of the study, community, designed based on the Likert Scale, whose choices range from "very
and the test group; the way the community was selected; and the way little" to "very much". Using these answers and doing related tests, the
the information was gathered. Then, the way study's question, validity of each indicator was assessed. The indicators which have the
findings, and analysis were prepared will be described in detail. required validity were used in the Fuel Smart Card project.
Also, study's model, framework, and dimension will be fully
illustrated as well as the way the findings and implications were 3.3.3. Evaluating the indicators in an E-Government development project
derived based on the specific model used for this study. Finally, the The third question in the study – What is the status of one of the
researcher scrutinizes the designed questionnaire of the study. E-Government development projects? – was presented to investigate
one of the E-Government development projects based on the success
3.1. Method of doing research indicators for pre-implementation activities of E-Government deve-
lopment projects. A questionnaire was also designed based on the
The study can lead to analysis and systematic setting down of the indicators to achieve the specified results of this question. The
facts and evidence, which may in turn lead to general rules, principles, participants in one of the E-Government development projects were
hypotheses, predictions, or the ultimate control of events. One of the provided with this questionnaire so that they could specify the
most practical approaches in the social sciences is descriptive study. influence of success indicators in one of these projects. To determine
Descriptive studies deal with identifying relationships between vari- the influence of these indicators, the participants' view were based on
ables, testing variables, raising general concepts, and rules as well as the Likert Scale, whose choices range from “I completely disagree” to
global principles and hypotheses. The aim of the researcher in this study “I completely agree.” The status of each indicator was determined
is to delineate the real, immediate, and coherent characteristics of a based on the participants' responses in one of the E-Government
situation or subject. In other words, the researcher attempts to give an development projects.
unbiased report of the facts and derive his immediate results out of
them. In descriptive studies, a specific phenomenon is expressed in a 3.4. Statistical community and sample
particular environment. It is used for testing hypotheses and answering
study's question, and it includes description and findings. According to A community consists of real or hypothetical members to whom
what was said above, this type of study is a descriptive one. In the results of the survey are transformed. The sample group should be
descriptive studies, the researcher can survey the test community. chosen so that it represents the whole community, and so that the
That said, since this study realistically tests theoretical concepts, results could be generalized. The researcher should carefully choose
we can say it is also a practical survey. the structure of the statistical community, the nature of the data, the
means of information gathering, and a sample which represents the
3.2. The survey's questions quality and quantity of the community. In this study, two statistical
communities were used:
The researcher studied the basic concepts in the success indicators The first community:
for pre-implementation activities of E-Government development
• expert community on the implementation of E-Government
projects. Some of the questions asked in the study are as follows:
development projects;
• What are the success indicators for pre-implementation activities • active managers and experts in one of the E-Government
of E-Government development projects? development projects;
• Are these indicators valid? • university professors, information technology experts, and resear-
• What is the status of one of the E-Government development chers who have a fair knowledge of E-Government development
projects? projects; and
• managers of profitable and non-profitable institutions defined as
having managerial and executive experience in the implementa-
3.3. The approach to achieve specific results: the study's hypotheses and
tion of E-Government development projects.
analysis
The second community:
3.3.1. Detecting the success indicators for pre-implementation activities The active managers and experts in Fuel Smart Card project are
of E-Government development projects defined as:
To answer the first question, the researcher, after studying different
books, articles, and surveys, selected some success indicators for pre- • active managers in companies and contractor units in one of the E-
implementation activities of E-Government development projects. The Government development projects;
66 M. Sharifi, A. Manian / Government Information Quarterly 27 (2010) 63–69

Fig. 1. The final model used in the survey.

• active supervisor and advisory managers in one of the E- • Choose a knowledgeable and experienced counselor and supervisor
Government development projects; and • Establish the internal organization of the employer
• active employer managers in one of the E-Government develop-
ment projects. 6. Analysis and description of the survey's findings
The first statistical community was used for enrichment and priori-
6.1. The number and demographics of survey participants
tization of the influential indicators on the successful implementation
of E-Government development projects in the pre-implementation
This section deals with the number of people involved in the
stage. And the second statistical community was used for investigating
survey. Two questioners are prepared for the survey. The detailed
the indicators in one of the E-Government development projects.
information on those who have answered the questions is presented
Since the indicators were selected from different sources based on
separately based on their education level, managerial experience,
the societies's circumstances and active organizations, to enrich the
their experience on organization level, and information technology
indicators and prioritize them, a structured questionnaire was
(Table 1).
provided and the expert's feedbacks were gathered.
A total of 50 participants were chosen from experts, professors of
6.2. Findings
selected universities, and managing directors of selected companies.
Fifty questionnaires were prepared and given to the above
6.2.1. Findings of the first question
mentioned experts for reconnaissance and approval of the given
Studying, investigating, and analyzing different books and articles
success indicators in E-Government development projects.
on pre-implementation activities of E-Government development
Additionally, in order to determine the validity of the given
projects, various indicators were extracted. After investigating books,
indicators in one of the E-Government development projects, all the
using experts' opinions, employing Delphi method, summing up, and
active contractors, supervisors, and counselors of this project as well
eliminating analogous factors, 7 main indicators and overall 40 sub-
as the employer organization were selected. Therefore, all senior
indicators were detected (all described in Section 1).
managers and deputies of the organizations, interior managers, and
some knowledgeable experts were also selected to give their views. A
6.2.2. Findings of the second question
total of 40 participants were selected, and 40 questionnaires were
After detecting the effective final indicators for pre-implementa-
prepared and given to the abovementioned community.
tion activities of E-Government development projects, a question-
naire was prepared based on the effective final indicators. The
4. The final model used in the survey
participants were asked to judge the validity of each determining
factor in the questionnaire. The design of the questionnaire was based
This model illustrates the success indicators for pre-implementa-
on the Likert Scale, and the participants gave their views from “very
tion activities of Iran's E-Government development projects that
little” to “very much.” To quantify the answers, a numeric scale has
having a positive influence on the successful implementation of the
been attributed to each choice; this way the researcher could measure
E-Government development projects (Fig. 1).
the answers based on quantity. Then, to test the normality of the
indicators, the researcher has used the “Kolmogorov–Smirnov test.”1
5. The survey's hypotheses
In case the indicator is normal, the parametric test of a statistical
community mean is used for testing the main hypotheses. The non-
The following pre-implementation activities were hypothesized as
parametric equivalent test i.e, sign test or Binomial Test, is used if the
having a positive influence on the successful implementation of the E-
Government development projects:
• Create a clear vision of the project 1
In statistics, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test (K–S test) is one of the most useful and
• Make ready for the implementation of project general nonparametric methods for comparing two samples. The Kolmogorov–
Smirnov is a goodness-of-fit test which tests whether a given distribution is not
• Carefully writing the RFP significantly different from one hypothesized (e.g., on the basis of the assumption of a
• Choose a qualified contractor normal distribution). The K-S test assesses whether this is so even for the most deviant
• Make a comprehensive contract considering all detail values of the criterion variable. Thus, it is a more stringent test.
 M. Sharifi, A. Manian / Government Information Quarterly 27 (2010) 63–69 67

Table 1 Table 2
Number of participants in the questionnaires. Findings of the second question.

Status Detailed First Second Indicator Indicator name Test Test

questionnaire questionnaire no. status
(persons) (persons)
1 Create a clear vision of First Main Approved
Education Bachelor 14 4 the project Hypothesis Test
Master 29 29 2 Make ready for the Second Main Approved
Doctorate 7 7 implementation of project Hypothesis Test
Management 25–20 4 2 3 Carefully writing the RFP Third Main Approved
experience (years) 20–15 6 6 Hypothesis Test
15–10 7 7 4 Choosing the qualified contractor Fourth Main Approved
10–5 10 10 Hypothesis Test
5–0 15 23 5 Make a comprehensive contract Fifth Main Approved
Familiarity with E-government Little 14 8 considering all detail Hypothesis Test
development projects Average 28 23 6 Choosing a Knowledgeable and Sixth Main Approved
Much 8 9 experienced Counselor and Supervisor Hypothesis Test
Organization level Expert ———————-– 28 7 Internal organization of the employer Seventh Main Approved
Manager 12 Hypothesis Test

indicator is abnormal. Here, since all the indicators are abnormal, the of the executive managers of E-Government development projects
researcher used the sign test for testing the hypotheses. A summary of increases, the success rate of such projects will be improved.
the findings of second question are provided in Table 2. Though the project was not deemed a complete success,
incorporating new human resources, cooperating with other
6.2.3. Findings of the third question technical experts, choosing a counselor as a fourth agent-
To study the success indicators for pre-implementation activities contractor, and spending more energy and money in the Fuel
of the Fuel Smart Card project,2 an E-Government development Smart Card project have made the project operational.
project, the researcher created a questionnaire. The questionnaire was
submitted to the project reader and advisor as well as information 7.1. Clear vision of the project
technology managers and researchers of the Fuel Smart Card project.
Applying their advice and views, I came up with the final version of In general, the respondents of the Fuel Smart Card project believed
the questionnaire. In this questionnaire, the participants, who were all that a clear vision of the Fuel Smart Card project was neither created nor
among executive managers and experts in one of the E-Government defined before the implementation of the project, and only the status of
development projects, were asked to answer the questions provided two of the sub-indicators “focusing on people's consumption” and
to investigate a specific indicator. The participants responding to the “following the macro purposes of the Islamic Republic of Iran” were
questionnaire gave their answers via Likert Scale options, ranging identified as appropriate in the Fuel Smart Card project.
from “I absolutely disagree” to “I absolutely agree.” A summary of the The vision of a project must be clear and made known to all project
findings for the third question is provided in Table 3. implementers; if a vision is ignored, those involved in implementing
the project will lose their aim and implementation will digress. Note
7. Analysis of indicator status in the Fuel Smart Card project that the designed vision should follow the larger purposes and needs
of the community and distribution of the essential information should
In the Fuel Smart Card project, none of the seven main indicators for be widely disseminated, in addition to being directed toward the
pre-implementation activities by the respondents of the Fuel Smart related and beneficial people. This approach facilitates organizational
Card project were approved. This might be due to the expansiveness of and societal readiness for E-Government development projects.
the project, the lack of experience in implementing a project of this
significance (significant for both employer and contractor), or the lack 7.2. Making ready for project implementation
of precision in the earlier steps of the projects (this shortcoming is seen
in most Iranian E-Government development projects). Only 15 sub- As the results show, this indicator was not approved, and only the
indicators out of 40 – 35% of the sub-indicators – had been approved. status of three of the sub-indicators – “existence of a political will,”
According to the findings of the Fuel Smart Card project's pre- “accessibility of expected budget resources,” and “getting idea
implementation activities indicators, various reasons can be given for
its lack of success; some of these reasons include:
Table 3
• The implementation of E-Government development projects is Findings of the third question.
considered a new experience for Iranians. The lack of knowledge Indicator Indicator name Indicator status
and expertise in the implementation of such projects is also a no.
factor which can not be ignored (our country has simply had no 1 Create a clear vision The related indicator status
practical experience). of the project is not appropriate
• Fuel Smart Card project had only been attempted at the level of the 2 Make ready for the The related indicator status
city; no attempt, prior to the attempt being studied, had been implementation of project is not appropriate
3 Carefully writing the RFP The related indicator status
made to implement such a project throughout an entire country.
is not appropriate
Hence, it is not surprising that the Iranian government faced 4 Choosing the qualified contractor The related indicator status
is not appropriate
the implementation problems that it did and that it ignored some 5 Make a comprehensive contract The related indicator status
of the critical pre-implementation indicators during the execution considering all detail is appropriate
of the project. As time passes and the knowledge and experience 6 Choosing a Knowledgeable and The related indicator status
experienced Counselor and Supervisor is not appropriate
7 Internal organizing the employer The related indicator status
2
is not appropriate
Fuel Smart Card Project is one of the most important E-Government project in Iran.
68 M. Sharifi, A. Manian / Government Information Quarterly 27 (2010) 63–69

from past experiences” – were identified as appropriate in the Fuel for giving services and the stages of the contract,” “presenting the
Smart Card project. In contrast, the following three sub-indicators – progress of the work,” “the way documents and reports are
“official's readiness for implementation of E-Government develop- submitted and approved,” and “the number of the contracts' copies,
ment projects,” “having informatics policies,” and “attaining a fine the addresses of the employer and contractor, and the signature of
knowledge” – were not approved. both sides of the contract.” The sub-indicators, “documents,”
Generally speaking, all participants in the survey believed that offi- “employer and contractor's commitments,” “determining the im-
cials, users of the smart card, and even managing directors of the project plementation stages and their fee,” “the extent of the change and
were not totally prepared before the implementation of Fuel Smart the services,” “guarantee for the well-implementation of the project
Card project. To conclude, complete preparation for the implementa- and compensation for delay,” “contract's cancellation and suspen-
tion of E-Government development projects and the financial and non- sion,” “problem settlement,” and “third party individuals and
financial support of high-level managers and leaders are critical aspects contracts” were not approved.
of any E-Government implementation project. As a result of these findings, it was determined that one of the
important elements after choosing the contractor is the signing of the
7.3. Carefully writing the RFP (request for proposal) contractual agreement. Due to the implementation and technical com-
plication of such projects, many items are either ignored or not included
As the results show, this indicator was not approved by the in most E-Government project contracts. As mentioned in Section 3,
respondents of the Fuel Smart Card Project. Only four of the sub- writing a systematic and detailed RFP helps to prepare the terms of the
indicators – “presentation of the organization and the project contract, especially the employer and contractor's commitments. Most
overview,” “defining the length of time,” “defining the employer's of the problems in the projects and the conflicts between the employer
criteria for decision making,” and “determining the length of time and and contractor that arise are due to the lack of written explanation of
the way to send the RFPs” – were approved. Also, the five sub- certain items set in the project. Writing a contract is not only a matter of
indicators, “defining the existing resources,” “defining the general signing or writing the names of the sides.
area of the project,” “determining a summary of technical require-
ments and the existing technical environment,” “defining the 7.6. Choosing a knowledgeable and experienced counselor and
functional requirements,” and “defining the support, repair and supervisor
maintenance requirements” were not approved.
To conclude, the writing of the RFP is essential since it manipulates Participants believe that there has not been careful consideration
the subsequent indicators, e.g., choosing a contractor and signing an in the Fuel Smart Card project regarding the choosing of a
agreement with them and implementing various stages of the knowledgeable and experienced counselor and supervisor; the two
projects. Among the advantages of a well-prepared RFP are real sub-indicators – “evaluation of the qualified counselors and super-
identification of the system's requirements, receiving detailed and visors” and “choosing a qualified supervisor and counselor among all
authentic information on the declared requirements, accurate qualified supervisors and counselors” – have not been approved,
estimation of the cost and time spent for the project, maintenance neither has the indicator itself.
of the contracts based on the declared requirements, possibility of a After choosing the contractor, the project needs both a supervisor
better assessment of received proposals, facilitating the making of to assess the progression of his work and to hinder its digression and a
good decisions, reducing the project's risks, decreasing future possible counselor to give implementation, management, and technical
complaints, better organizing the project, and asserting organization's consultation if necessary. Therefore, a careful selection of counselor
seriousness regarding the implementation of the project. The and supervisor helps the employer to receive practical and fruitful
significance of RFP writing will be noticed as time passes. Spending direction and supervising the contractor is necessary to prevent
time writing a detailed and systematic RFP is not a waste of time; project deviation.
rather, it facilitates the actions of choosing the contractor, getting the
contract approved and signed, as well as actually implementing the 7.7. Internal organization of the employer
project in the future.
The participants did not approve this indicator in the Fuel Smart
7.4. Choosing a qualified contractor Card project. Only the sub-indicator, “configuration of organizational
structure,” was approved; the sub-indicators of “detecting the internal
The only approved sub-indicator in this indicator was “putting out environment,” “choosing and designating efficient management
the tender”. The sub-indicators of “evaluating qualified contractors”, team,” and “set the bases and rules for undertaking the project”
and “choosing the qualified contractor” were not approved by the were not approved.
respondents of the Fuel Smart Card project. The respondents believed During the processes of choosing the contractor and supervisor
that the element of choosing a qualified contractor, which is an and signing the agreement, the employer should take the time to
important factor in a successful implementation of a project, has been establish organization's internal structure in order to facilitate
subject to delinquency. appropriate progress of the project. Establishing internal organiza-
Choosing a qualified contractor is essential to the implementation tion helps control the employer's affairs and facilitates communi-
of E-Government development projects. Due to the expansive and cation between the related and beneficiary people in the contract.
complex nature of these projects, several contractors are employed for
the implementation of the projects. Therefore, the more we spend 8. Proposals based on study implications
time on choosing a qualified contractor, the more likely it will be that
the project will be implemented successfully. The following proposals are derived from direct experience of
activities in the Fuel Smart Card project and other projects and are
7.5. Make a comprehensive contract considering all detail made to prevent failures and to optimize implementation of future E-
Government development projects:
Overall, this indicator was not approved as part of the Fuel Smart
Card project and only the following five sub-indicators were 1. The government should establish an organization for program-
approved: “a careful introduction of the two sides of the contract ming, supervising, implementing, and controlling E-Government
and defining the contract's subject,” “determining the time needed development projects.
 M. Sharifi, A. Manian / Government Information Quarterly 27 (2010) 63–69 69

2. Appropriate and up-to-date infrastructure is essential for the 8. The role of the contractor's counselor is different from that of the
development of E-Government so that the technologies can be supervisor, but they both assist in the evaluation of all implemen-
applied and used successfully. Developing an inter-agency net- tation stages and present regular reports.
work of systems and software, network, hardware and organiza- 9. In Fuel Smart Card types of projects, which are mostly imple-
tion is an important element of this stage. An equally important mented to give service, the service phase begins right after the
element of the pre-implementation stage is the proper manage- implementation phase. As a result, the rules and regulations of
ment of the network once it is developed. Other important factors giving quality of services should be considered. These services,
are attracting the attention of the country's senior managers and which should be offered equally to all citizens in the country,
officials and providing the financing needed to meet project's require identical rules and service-providing methods.
implementation requirements. When an integral infrastructure is 10. It must be noted that as part of our research for this study, we
developed, defining and implementing E-Government projects attempted to survey some indicators for pre-implementation
become significantly easier. activities of Iran's E-Government development projects indica-
3. E-Government development is based on the trust and belief in the tors. Most of these indicators are forgotten or ignored by top
value and success of such projects and macro-projects that is managers in implementing such projects that after implementa-
instilled in government officials and in the consumers of such tion will show their influence. It is hoped that top managers, and
projects. The more such projects are accomplished successfully, others who are key decision makers in government, will make full
the more likely it is that senior officials within the government use of this document's conclusion.
will trust and ultimately support and finance E-Government
development projects. Another factor determining the trust- Since this study has focused only on pre-implementation indica-
building process is the extent to which consumers trust the E- tors, interested researchers may investigate post-implementation
Government products, projects, and facilities. The development is indicators or the indicators influential during the implementation of
useless and only wastes the government's budget if the consu- E-Government development projects and compare and contrast these
mers do not believe in such projects. In order to facilitate and indicators. The study of these indicators is essential to a successful
build this trust, many activities should be carried out to secure implementation of E-Government projects. In addition, such topics as
and stabilize the network; ignoring this factor only wastes money. CRM, Call Center, and Help Desk are among the subjects that can be
4. Holding professional training courses, using foreign and domestic studied by future interested researchers.
professionals and college professors, and cooperating with orga-
nizations that have significant experience in E-Government deve-
lopment projects are among the activities that prevent mistakes
before, during, and after the implementation of such projects. References
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