Towards the Adoption of Smartness in the Public Sector; African Perspective

Digitalization in the public sector has evolved into smartness, focusing on smart governance, smart cities, and smart government. This concept offers opportunities for agile and resilient public sector operations through the adoption of emerging technologies. The internet of Things (IoT) is a key enabler for innovation in the public sector, with potential applications in safety, justice, healthcare, traffic solutions, and waste management. However, research on IoT's role in public sector innovation is limited. This paper provides a development strategy for a functional smartness framework for the public sector, with Africa as a case study. It investigates the role of IoT-enabled innovations in several government sectors, as well as their technological benefits. The guidelines place an emphasis on digitally aware governance and the business benefits of creating such a framework. The study reviewed the literature on public sector innovations, addressing issues such as low broadband penetration, regulatory hurdles, and a lack of standards. The suggested guideline for developing smart frameworks aims to assist the public sector in adopting smartness in a thorough and guided manner, emphasizing the benefits of adhering to a guided framework for realistic implementation.