INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS: A CONFIGURATIONAL ARCHITECTURE OF DIGITAL CAPABILITIES
TL;DR
A configurational architecture linking digital state capacities, data governance, strategic leadership, intergovernmental coordination, digital inclusion, and public value is proposed, which shifts attention from isolated technology adoption to institutional combinations that support different trajectories of digital transformation across states and municipalities.
Abstract
This article examines the institutional conditions associated with converting digital transformation into institutional performance and public value in subnational governments. It assumes that infrastructure, digital services, and data use expand administrative capacity but do not ensure consistent outcomes. The study proposes a configurational architecture linking digital state capacities, data governance, strategic leadership, intergovernmental coordination, digital inclusion, and public value. It adopts a qualitative, theoretical-analytical approach supported by a structured review of literature on digital government, public administration, and configurational theorizing. The synthesis supports five constitutive relationships and one configurational proposition, recognizing that distinct institutional combinations may lead to similar outcomes. Technological maturity operates as a supporting condition rather than a sufficient explanation of performance. Converting digital resources into administrative outcomes depends on organizational integration, strategic direction, governance, and coordination; public value also requires access, understanding, participation, and trust. The architecture shifts attention from isolated technology adoption to institutional combinations that support different trajectories of digital transformation across states and municipalities.