Digital Government Transformation: Evaluating the Case of the Eastern Partnership Countries

This research aims to outline the trajectory of the development of digital governance in the EaP countries in 2016–2024 and update possible perspectives for digital transformation and the harmonisation with the EU digital space. The empirical basis of this investigation is the dataset from the UN E-Government Knowledgebase. Additional parameters were created and calculated to analyze the dynamics of the digital government transformations in the EaP countries (indicator deltas and gaps).The EaP region data (in the E-Government Development Index) was aggregated, focusing on the Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII), Online Service Index (OSI), and Human Capital Index (HCI). The Specifics of the national digital government strategies were examined by comparative analysis of EGDI sub-components and in time-based assessments of digital transformation dynamics in each country from 2003 to 2024. The electronic participation achievements of the EaP countries were represented, highlighting the governments' activity in three key areas: the E-Information, the E-Consultation, and E-Decision-making.The specific dynamics of its realization in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries in the parameters of basic components of the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) are revealed. The comparative analysis of EaP countries on the development of digital governance has shown that the general progress, based on the basic components (online service, telecommunications infrastructure, human capital), has significant differences in the development of electronic governance in each country from 2003 to 2024.The comparative analysis of the EaP countries by the E-Participation Index (EPI) found that the dynamics of development differed from the global trends. Instead of the significant progress in e-information inherent in most countries around the world, in the EaP region, the performance of this sub-index decreased in 2022-2024, except in Ukraine (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova). However, the design-making indicator increased sharply, and the trajectories of e-democracy dynamics in the EaP region have the maximum possible amplitude in the sub-index indicators from 0 (Azerbaijan) to 1 (Ukraine).