Special Research Report

The age of digital transformation, including the evolution of early e-government efforts towards a more holistic anduser-centered approach, has arrived. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) includes afocus on governments’ digital transformation potential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Todate, governments’ input and resources for digital transformation have mainly been in the introduction of specifictechnologies. The changes remain mainly at the level of the central government. As a result, it is difficult to find aclear consensus on the concept, goals and strategies of digital transformation at the local level. Discussions ondigital transformation in local governments have been neglected. This handbook introduces the concept of digitaltransformation to policymakers and public managers who are contemplating the digital transformation of localgovernments. It introduces various organizational management elements required for successful digitaltransformation, including the leadership, human resources and organizational structure of the digital innovator,which are said to be the most essential elements for digital transformation. Examples of successful efforts fromseveral countries also are included.