E-Government towards Transparency : a comparative analysis applied to the Italian Public Sector

Recently, the issues concerning the complex area of the performance assessment applied to the Public Institutions have shown a continuing and growing interest: these processes also have a valid support in the development of ICT applications inside the Public Sector, also referred as Public Management Information Systems (PMIS). Moreover, the analysis of the quality of websites can have a particular significance that is the ability to respond appropriately to the needs of citizens and enterprises, profoundly changed by the present global financial crisis. The aim of this research is to explore how the quality of websites (and related online services provided by the Public Institutions) can also be considered a valid support to improve the administrative transparency. The research has been conducted through a comparative assessment applied to two sectors of the Italian Public Administration: the field of Fiscal Agencies and that relating to the municipalities, capital cities of the Italian Regions.