A Systematic Literature Review on the challenges of digital transformation of public service delivery

A Systematic Literature Review on the challenges of digital transformation of public service delivery | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review A Systematic Literature Review on the challenges of digital transformation of public service delivery Tegegne Alemayehu Beyene (Ph.D candidate) This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9629890/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Challenges of public organizations digital transformation discussed by literatures but, different authors declare diverse concepts. Using systematic literature review with Bibliometric analysis and content Analysis within the SCOPUS database the study categorizes as internal and external challenges to public organizations digital transformation. Vosviewer software is employed the to analyze data as well as to display bibliometric maps. The bibliometric analysis of 297 articles from 2020 to 2024 adopted. The major internal challenges of public sector digitalization transformation include leadership commitment, digital literacy, data security, resistance to change, and resource constraints. Apart from the internal one also external challenge like lack of infrastructure, cultural barriers, and legal and regulatory issues were repeatedly reported. The study contributes to a broader body of knowledge of digital transformation challenges and suggests future research directions to guide public organizations in creating efficient, inclusive, and sustainable digital service environments. Evidence for Practice Investing in leadership training, fostering a culture of innovation and inclusivity is crucial to enhance digital literacy and strategic vision, enabling leaders to effectively champion and guide transformation initiatives. Ensuring Robust cybersecurity frameworks to address data security concerns, ensuring the protection of sensitive information and building public trust. Increasing funding for digital infrastructure and workforce development will bridge gaps in technology and human resources, supporting efficient service delivery. Collaboration with private sectors and policymakers is vital to address legal and regulatory challenges, creating an enabling environment for sustainable and inclusive digital transformation. Public Administration Digital transformation public service delivery Internal Challenges External Challenges Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files Supplementary.doc Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9629890","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":635457505,"identity":"ec97f46c-fea4-46fa-a57f-23bfadca080a","order_by":0,"name":"Tegegne Alemayehu Beyene (Ph.D candidate)","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA7ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNCCAgYGNvbmA0CWhAxBxTxg0oCBgZ/nWAJICw/xWiRn5BggBPABe/bjFx/8MLCJNjhz5vOrGzUWPAzsh49uwGsLT06xYY9BWu6G473brHOOAR3Gk5Z2A7/DctIkeAwO5244c3abcQ4bUIsEjxl+Lfxv0n/+Mfifu+FGzjPjnH/EaJFIP8bMY3Agd+aMHObHuW3EaLnxhllaxiA5t5/nmBlzbp8EDxshv7D3pz/8+KbCLreNvfnx55xvdXL87IeP4dUCtMcAxmKTAJP4lYPteQBjMX8grHoUjIJRMApGIgAAdLFJc1HbGFUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"School of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tegegne","middleName":"Alemayehu Beyene (Ph.D","lastName":"cand","suffix":"Ph.D"}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-05-06 11:37:01","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":true,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9629890/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9629890/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108674078,"identity":"1be3e79b-89de-41b5-a0f7-fed484f825df","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-07 08:13:19","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":434773,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ForPublication1.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9629890/v1_covered_ffa6348e-24e2-4add-872e-e899a4d12975.pdf"},{"id":108674010,"identity":"cda2ccf3-e83a-423f-a7b8-9220d688d4a7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-07 08:13:03","extension":"doc","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":48640,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplementary.doc","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9629890/v1/b44204ec17086b01c0ceb226.doc"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Systematic Literature Review on the challenges of digital transformation of public service delivery\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Huazhong University of Science and Technology","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Digital transformation, public service delivery, Internal Challenges, External Challenges ","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9629890/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9629890/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChallenges of public organizations digital transformation discussed by literatures but, different authors declare diverse concepts. 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