Before e-Governance and e-Government, Back to Basics! The Case of the Caribbean

This conceptual article discusses the opportunities and challengespresented by e-government and e-governance in the Caribbean. An understanding of theissues inherent in these phenomena is crucially important, particularly for thegovernance systems of small island developing states in the Caribbean. In practice,however, they are rarely discussed,—not least because their complexity is oftenmisunderstood or inappropriately unacknowledged as new directions by politicalscientists and policy planners. Moreover, the foundational debate on information andcommunication technologies (ICTs) and their impact on governance and the widerimplications for development remain muted owing to the theatrical commotion in other“pressing” aspects of Caribbean political life. As a consequence, this articlecontextualizes the debate by bringing to the fore a discussion on the importance ofunderstanding the broader political, social, and economic issues and the implications ofthe use of ICTs and development. In the analysis, a balance is struck to avoid the oftendisproportionate technocratic parables of a future technological cornucopia beingpeddled by some international development agencies and officials in the region. Such amacro discussion is necessary if as development advocates and citizens, we are torealize any gains while acknowledging the limitations an enabling e-government ande-governance environment could portend