Robotic Process Automation as a Precursor to e-Government in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

A lot of research has been done focusing on adoption of e-Government by individuals and businesses in the different parts of the world. Despite that being the case, there is a clear gap in understanding the different nuances of ubiquitous e-Government especially in the realm of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) where automation and intelligence is emphasized. In Africa and other resource-constrained environments, there is a clear knowledge void with regards to unique challenges faced when attempting to design and implement contemporary e-Government. The chapter is anchored on descriptive informetrics as a philosophical orientation. This orientation enables it to employ a detailed bibliographic analysis of work published in scholarly and policy outlets. This enables it to ground the discussion using both formulaic and conceptual definitions of key concepts explored. This chapter is as a result of continuous research in e-Government that has been going on for the past decade. This research intended to explore the emerging dimensions of e-Government in the realm of 4IR. The chapter discusses the emerging model of public service delivery given the growing enshrinement of 4IR in public service delivery platforms. Finally, a conceptual framework that can be used as a blueprint in the design of automated public services especially considering Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is proposed. Fundamental concepts leading to the understanding of 4IR, AI and RPA are adequately explored in the chapter.