Social Networking for eGovernment: An Initial Assessment of Web 2.0 Tools Used by the Kosovo Central Government

The social media have introduced new methods for communication and are providing new opportunities for users to engage in community participation as powerful tools for citizen inclusion in government processes and trust towards eGovernment services. The question raised is to what extent the central government institutions (CGIs) understand the functions and roles of ICT and how they should be utilized for both strengthening the public administration institution they represent and for building relationship with stakeholders and citizens, which will allow the emergence of the second generation of e-participation. This paper analyses the status and provides an initial assessment of eGovernment implementation at central level in the context of usage of social media (SM). The insights emerging from the review of 28 CGIs show a gradually increased use of social networking tools and indicate several differences and similarities in the use of Web 2.0 between different CGIs. Implications and importance of findings are discussed.