Exploring E-government projects in East Timor

Abstract

This paper discusses the initial approach for a study that will explore e-government projects in East Timor, one of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) in the world. We present a candid account, as conceived during the early stages of research, which describes our aim. The paper sets the scene for research focusing on how differences of key project stakeholders' perceptions, assumptions and perspectives towards the technology deployed in least developed countries by foreign entities are managed, and how current practices contribute to successful project implementation or to the failure of these projects. The paper describes the adopted research methodology for our study and its potential contribution to the information systems literature on least developed countries. We also argue for the need for exploratory research that is open to the needs and perceptions of the participants, rather than imposing pre-conceived views of classic project management practices and theories in the complex political and social environments of developing nations.