Powershifts, organisational value, and water management: digital transformation of Ghana's public water utility

Amankwaa, Godfred ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0334-5867; Heeks, Richard; Browne, Alison L.. 2024 Powershifts, organisational value, and water management: digital transformation of Ghana's public water utility. Utilities Policy, 87, 101724. 10, pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2024.101724

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Abstract/Summary

There are fundamental unresolved questions about the nature of the interplay between digital innovations and water management processes. However, there has been little research on how increasing digital transformation impacts water management and infrastructure in the Global South. This article draws on a socio-technical lens and primary field data to analyse the digital transformation of water management in Ghana's state water utility company. Digital water innovations were found to be recent and delivering relatively limited impacts yet, with value mainly accruing at the utility's operational rather than strategic level, and incremental, not transformative. Digitalisation and datafication also present avenues for power shifts, internal and external struggles, and changes in water management structures and responsibilities. The paper ends with a brief discussion of the implications for water service governance and research and suggestions for using data and information generated from digital water infrastructure to improve services.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2024.101724
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	0957-1787
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	digital water, digital transformation, digitalisation, value, power, Ghana
NORA Subject Terms:	Hydrology Computer Science Data and Information
Date made live:	12 Feb 2024 11:52 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/536883

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