ICT Governance Practices and Industry 4.0 Technologies in Support of Decision-Making in Brazilian Smart Cities in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Facing uncertainty catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision-making of information and communication technology (ICT) managers in smart cities has become essential for technological development. This exploratory study describes the effects of ICT governance practices and the use of Industry 4.0 technologies on the decision-making of technology managers in Brazilian cities considered smart in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, 39 municipalities were selected based on classifications of Brazilian smart cities, and data were collected through the electronic citizen service system and a survey application. It identified the use of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and the ICT Master Plan (PDTIC) as the cities’ ICT governance practices. Regarding Industry 4.0 technologies, the use of business intelligence (BI), cloud computing (CC), and open data was verified. Furthermore, the need to develop a planning culture and the need for internal training of professionals in the face of new technological resources emerged. The results showed that ICT governance practices and Industry 4.0 technologies have positive effects if used holistically according to the alignment with the municipality’s strategic objectives. The senior management of municipalities must see the importance of making constant investments in infrastructure and the technical capacity of professionals to achieve greater effectiveness in the use of technological resources.