Title: Framing human capabilities in digital government: a thematic analysis of policies and strategies

Authors: Ermias Abebe Kassa; Jan C. Mentz

Addresses: School of Information Science, Addis Ababa University, Algeria Street, College of Business and Economics Campus, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Department of Information Systems, University of South Africa (UNISA), Science Campus, Corner of Christiaan de Wet Road & Pioneer Avenue, Florida, 1709, South Africa ' Belgium Campus iTversity, 138 Berg Avenue, Heatherdale, Pretoria, 0182, South Africa

Abstract: In this paper, we explored the ways in which human capabilities were interpreted and framed in digital government policies and strategies. This research can be viewed as a prospective analysis of the extent to which digital government promotes human capabilities. Using the human capabilities approach (HCA) as a theoretical frame and template analysis as technique, we developed the codebook used for thematic coding through an iterative process of deduction and induction. The themes were then used to analyse policy and strategy documents from four countries to determine what, how, and to what extent human capabilities have been integrated into digital government. We found that all national digital government policies and strategies address human capabilities, albeit with variation in emphasis. Despite their relative order, the ubiquity of the themes in national policies and strategies reflects the universality of human capabilities.

Keywords: capability approach; digital government; document analysis; electronic government; human capabilities; human capabilities approach; HCA; policy analysis; prospective analysis; public value; template analysis; thematic analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/EG.2025.147194

Electronic Government, an International Journal, 2025 Vol.21 No.4, pp.339 - 362

Received: 12 Jul 2023
Accepted: 11 Apr 2024
Published online: 11 Jul 2025 *

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