ICT, public values and transformative government: A framework and programme for research

•Public sector values are conceptualized as desirable modes of behaviour.•ICT induced transformation in government can be seen in changed behaviours.•A new taxonomy of public sector values is presented.•The potential impacts of ICT on a number of these values is examined.•A research programme into the impact of ICT on public sector values is proposed.

Many adjectives are used in the context of transforming government including making it more open, transparent, participative, agile, responsive and so forth. Most, if not all, of these adjectives are either in themselves public values or reflect one or more underlying public values. This paper examines the relationship between information and communications technology (ICT), transformative government and such public values and proposes a framework for further research. A study of the literature on public values is used to develop a typology of public sector values likely to be affected by ICT. This impact is examined for a number of these values. For others hypotheses about the impact of ICT on other values are then posited. It is argued that ICTs can and do have transformational impacts on public values, though not always for the better, concludes that values are a potential powerful lens for considering such impacts and sets out a programme of research into these relationships.