Social Media and Service Delivery in government portals: An Analysis of how Government of Kenya uses Social Media for service delivery

Abstract

The sustainable development goals (SDGs), which are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, are closely interrelated. This integrated nature of the SDGs has shed new light on the need for integrated service delivery by various governments. One way for governments to achieve this integrated service delivery is through, Whole Of Government (WoG) approaches which should been accompanied by a more integrated approach to e-government and online service delivery. However, most e-government portals lack integration, interoperability and personalized service delivery. The purpose of this study was to investigate how social media technologies could be integrated into existing government portals for enhanced service delivery to citizens. The study employed design science research (DSR) research design to achieve its objectives. Purposive and censures sampling techniques were used in defining the sample. The target population consisted of experts involved in managing social media and portal service in government (94) and social media accounts on the eCitizen portal (4) Kenyan’s government national portal. Data was collected using automated social media analysis tool (social bakers), questionnaires and guided interviews. The study established that while government had already incorporated social media, social media with their portals, it was mainly being used for information dissemination and not to offer other services like public participation or transactional services. The study concluded by identifying measures and features that if implemented would improve integration of social media within government portals and also facilitate enhanced service delivery through social media.