This report is part of an initiative supported under the Capacity Development of Local Governments (CDLG) project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka with the financial assistance of the European Union (EU).

CDLG is a four-year project (2020-2023) targeting the Eastern, Northern, North-Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka. It is part of the European Union’s STRIDE (Strengthening Transformation, Reconciliation and Inclusive Democratic Engagement) programme focused on strengthening the capacities of local government authorities to be inclusive, responsive and accountable, and improve service delivery.

The study provided a detailed analysis of the institutional and technical challenges and gaps for adopting the e-Systems at subnational and LA levels; prevailing set-up, usage, efficiency, linkages and benefits of available e-Systems; best practices that would enable access to all, including persons with disabilities, youth, and women; and policy analysis of impediments at the legal and policy level. Leveraging results from the study to drive policy and systems change will help drive progress towards strategic and well-informed digitalization
of public administration and support to address disparities in the usage of e-Government between national and subnational levels. The implementation of suggested improvements to e-systems will go a long way towards facilitating a more active role of local governments in providing public services, revenue generation and resource allocation and ultimately contribute to enhanced economic growth and greater downward accountability to the people.