The Digital Governance Gap in Southeast Asia: A Comparative Study of Indonesia, India, and the Philippines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71435/643063Keywords:
Digital Governance , Institutional Capacity, Policy CoherenceAbstract
Purpose: This study examines the digital governance gap in Southeast Asia through a comparative analysis of Indonesia, India, and the Philippines, aiming to understand how institutional dynamics shape the uneven progress of digital transformation across developing democracies.
Subjects and Methods: Using a qualitative comparative design, the research integrates institutional capacity theory with digital governance maturity models and draws on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with policymakers, ICT officials, and academic experts conducted between 2023 and 2024.
Results: The findings reveal that-differences in digital governance performance stem largely from institutional and governance factors rather than technological capacity. India’s centralized coordination under its national digital strategy ensures strong policy coherence but limits local flexibility; Indonesia’s decentralized framework fosters innovation but leads to fragmented implementation; and the Philippines’ localized experimentation enhances participation yet struggles with continuity. The discussion emphasizes that digital transformation succeeds when institutions balance standardization with adaptability and participation with authority, underscoring the role of leadership stability, bureaucratic learning, and inclusive policy design.
Conclusions: Overall, the study contributes to the broader understanding of digital governance in emerging democracies by demonstrating that effective digital transformation requires building adaptive and coherent institutions as much as technological infrastructure. These insights have significant implications for policymakers seeking to promote equitable, sustainable, and participatory digital governance across Southeast Asia.
References
Akopian, V., Zakharenko, K., & Zhyzhko, T. (2024). The Postmodern Paradigm: Shaping the Philosophy for the Future Landscape of Public Administration. Philosophy & Cosmology, 32. https://doi.org/10.29202/phil-cosm/32/5
Andrews, M. (2013). The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development: Changing Rules for Realistic Solutions. USA: Cambridge University Press.
Bhatia, A., & Bhabha, J. (2017). India’s Aadhaar scheme and the promise of inclusive social protection. Oxford Development Studies, 45(1), 64-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2016.1263726
Camorongan, J. (2023). The Pledge of Smart City Development: The E-Governance (Under) Development in the Philippines. International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.54476/ioer-imrj/042507
Cordella, A., & Tempini, N. (2020). E-government and organizational change: Reappraising the role of ICT and bureaucracy in public service delivery. Government Information Quarterly, 37(1), 101–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2015.03.005
Evans, P. (1995). Embedded Autonomy: States and Industrial Transformation. AS: Princeton University Press.
Fung, A. (2015). Putting the public back into governance: The challenges of citizen participation and its future. Public Administration Review, 75(4), 513–522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2015.03.005
Gil-Garcia, J. R., Dawes, S. S., & Pardo, T. A. (2018). Digital government and public management research: Finding the crossroads. Public Management Review, 20(5), 633–646. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2017.1327181
He, T. (2024). East Asian authoritarian developmentalism in the digital era: China’s techno-developmental state and the new infrastructure initiative amid great power competition. Asian Survey, 64(6), 942-972. https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2024.2328247
Janssen, M., & van der Voort, H. (2016). Adaptive governance: Towards a stable, accountable and responsive government. Government Information Quarterly, 33(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2016.02.003
Kibria, M. G., & Hong, P. (2024). E-government in Asian countries: a conceptual framework for sustainable development. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, 18(4), 616-637. https://doi.org/10.1108/TG-01-2023-0003
Kniazieva, T. V., Kazanska, O. O., Orochovska, L. A., Tsymbalenko, Y. Y., & Dergach, A. V. (2023). Analysis of the impact of digitalization on the quality and availability of public services in Ukraine–a comparative approach with insights from Estonia. Statistics, Politics and Policy, 14(3), 375-398.
Kutkov, O., Zolotov, A., Akimova, L., & Akimov, O. (2025). Digital Transformation of Social Governance: Economic Challenges and Opportunities of Smart Cities. Economics, Finance and Management Review, (1 (21)), 17-28. https://doi.org/10.36690/2674-5208-2025-1-17-28
Madon, S. (2021). Digital governance and development: A framing analysis. Information Technology for Development, 27(2), 227–245. https://doi.org/10.38035/dijemss.v5i5.2868
Malhotra, C., Anand, R., & Soni, V. (2020). Creating public services 4.0: sustainable digital architecture for public services in India. Indian Journal of Public Administration, 66(3), 327-342. https://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120957421
Margetts, H., & Dunleavy, P. (2013). The second wave of digital-era governance: A quasi-paradigm for government on the Web. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 371(1987), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2012.0382
Mariani, I., & Bianchi, I. (2023). Conceptualising digital transformation in cities: A multi-dimensional framework for the analysis of public sector innovation. Sustainability, 15(11), 8741. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118741
Mian, A. S., Vlahu-Gjorgievska, E., & Shen, J. (2025). Examining the Collaboration Framework for Achieving Government Performance: A Qualitative Case Study on Digital Transformation. Digital Government: Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1145/3734696
Munajat, M. E., & Irawati, I. (2025). Digital sociocracy: Navigating governance challenges in Southeast Asia. Policy & Governance Review, 9(1), 106-124. https://doi.org/10.30589/pgr.v9i1.1220
Norris, P. (2001). Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide. Cambridge University Press.
Priharsari, D., Abedin, B., Burdon, S., Clegg, S., & Clay, J. (2023). National digital strategy development: Guidelines and lesson learnt from Asia Pacific countries. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 196, 122855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122855
Pritchett, L., Woolcock, M., & Andrews, M. (2013). Looking like a state: Techniques of persistent failure in state capability for implementation. Journal of Development Studies, 49(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2012.709614
Sundari, W., & Sartika, I. (2025). Advancing Public Service Quality through Indonesia’s Electronic-Based Government System. Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin Indonesia (JIM-ID), 4(8), 902-911.
Umeanwe, C. M. (2025). Corruption, Good Governance and The Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities. Crowther Journal of Arts and Humanities, 2(3).
Verma, A. (2018). Digital transformation in administration: Its prospects and challenges. IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review, 6(8), 1601-1609.
Waara, Å. (2025). Examining Digital Government Maturity Models: Evaluating the Inclusion of Citizens. Administrative Sciences, 15(3), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15030073
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Asian Digital Governance Problems
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
