Beyond Digitalisation: Evaluating Citizen Experience in Romanian E-Government Services

Abstract

The digital transformation of public administration has been widely assessed in terms of technological development and service availability. However, less attention has been paid to the quality of citizen–administration interactions and the extent to which digital public services effectively respond to users’ needs and expectations. This paper addresses this gap by focusing on the evaluation of citizen experience as a central dimension of smart public administration. It argues that the effectiveness of e-government cannot be adequately measured solely through indicators related to digital infrastructure or service uptake, but must also consider how citizens perceive and engage with public services. Building on contemporary approaches to digital governance and citizen-centric public services, the study proposes an analytical framework for evaluating citizen experience in Romanian e-government. The research conceptualises citizen experience as a multidimensional construct, encompassing accessibility, usability, responsiveness, and perceived trust in digital public services. Methodologically, the paper adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining document analysis, exploratory qualitative evidence, and qualitative insights from institutional actors. The findings are expected to highlight structural and processual limitations in the current implementation of digital public services, particularly in relation to interoperability, feedback mechanisms, and user-oriented service design. The contribution of the paper lies in repositioning citizen experience from a secondary evaluative tool to a central component of digital governance, offering both theoretical and practical implications for public sector reform in Romania and beyond.