The approach of senior public officials to information technology-related reform: Lessons from India

A review of global experience suggests that information technology (IT) has great potential to contribute to public sector reform. However, the Indian reality-like that for many countries-has been more problematic, with many failures of IT-related reform; failures that can be described as total, par tial or failures of sustainability and replication. Many factors help expla in such failure, but a key component is the approach to IT and reform adopt ed by senior public officials. A 'four Is' model of approaches is described : the non-IT approach of 'ignore' and the IT-related approaches of 'isolate ', 'idolize' and 'integrate'. Analysis of Indian cases suggests it is the l ast approach that is most likely to deliver reform objectives; yet it remai ns the least commonly adopted. Changes are therefore required in current st rategies for public administration training and in the planning and managem ent of change. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.