Information technology for development research: are we investigating new phenomena or well-known facts?

ABSTRACT: The paragraph describing Diego Navarra’s paper in the Editorial for Volume 16 Issue 2 should have read as follows: Diego Navarra’s paper entitled “The Architecture of Global ICT Programs: A Case Study of E-Governance in Jordan” is the third paper in this issue. The focus of this paper is on e-governance policy initiatives in Jordan as a case study of the architecture of ICT programs and of the global transformation of government. In this paper, the concept of global ICT programs are defined as programs that include the development and use of portals, interactive applications and also other ICT programs which aim at providing electronic government services to citizens. The question this paper investigates is what are the assumptions upon which the evaluation of the recent trends of ICT programs and initiatives should be based? Following analysis of electronic governance in Jordan, this paper concludes that by addressing these issues as in the context of broader government objectives, global ICT programs could cater for a more inter-disciplinary policy direction of future e-governance initiatives. This could also assist in evaluating the extent to which the architecture of global ICT programs can contribute to the ambitious targets set by the Millennium Development Goals

Keywords: e-governance policy, ICT programs, electronic government services, e-governance initiative