Feasibility study of E-readiness to of creating smart municipality (case example of Nasim Shahr)

The smart municipality, or in other words, the electronic municipality, is considered one of the basic infrastructures of a smart city, which provides the necessary substrates and bases for the formation of a government and electronic town planning. Today, the smart municipality is considered one of the best solutions to simplify business and administrative processes, deal with the increase in administrative bureaucracy, reduce intra-urban traffic and, consequently, reduce the pollution in the major cities. This research aims to assess NasimShahr's cultural, managerial, social, and electronic readiness to create a smart municipality and provide solutions for its realization.

This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive survey in nature. The data collection tools are questionnaires, interviews, document reviews, forms and documents, and organizational information sources. The statistical population of the research consists of three groups: municipal managers, IT experts, and Internet users in NasimShahr. Therefore, a questionnaire was used in the field research to collect data and information on the conceptual model for all three groups of Internet users, IT experts,  and managers. Data analysis was done using the confirmatory factor analysis method.In order to determine the conceptual framework of the research, the research literature, related models, and then the field background of the research were collected and studied. From the total of these studies, more than 400 raw and unscreened indicators, in general, and partial, were extracted to create a smart municipality. Then, to complete the studies and more accuracy, the websites of several smart municipalities, including the cities of Raleigh, San Francisco, London, and Boston, which were ranked the best in the international rankings of electronic cities of the world, were examined and reviewed in a structured way. Finally, according to the cultural and social conditions of our country's organizations, about 56 indicators were selected for the studied society. Of course, because some indicators overlapped, only 43 indicators were selected, and questions were designed and distributed for them.

Confirmatory factor analysis was done for data analysis due to the small number of initial models. Then, path modeling was done again based on the factors obtained from confirmatory factor analysis. Smart-PLS software was used to model the structural equations of the questionnaire models of managers and specialists of IT experts due to the small amount of data. Amos software was also used to model the structural equations of the internet user questionnaire model. Finally, to test all the hypotheses using SPSS software, a one-sample t-test was performed.

Data analysis was performed using the confirmatory factor analysis method. The research results show that there are no necessary and adequate preparations to create a smart municipality in NasimShahr. Therefore, the best solution is to provide the essential measures, infrastructures, and substrates to justify and realize the possibility of implementing the plan.

Creating a smart municipality, first of all, requires urban governance in all its dimensions. Exciting research in 2022 in Brazil shows that smart cities that focus solely on technology rarely succeed. Other key factors contribute to the success of a smart municipality, the most important of which are: the precise assessment of needs, strategic leadership, the role of facilitator of local governments, and providing the necessary resources and the appropriate infrastructures.According to the results obtained from the analysis of the data, it can be concluded that currently, due to the limited facilities, the lack of preparation of the various platforms and infrastructures, as well as the absence of an appropriate structure for the integration of administrative departments and information sources, there is no electronic preparation needed to create a smart municipality in NasimShahr.Therefore, based on the findings of the research, the analysis of the conditions with open questions at the end of the questionnaire, and the final survey of urban affairs experts, IT experts, and Internet users, we conclude that before the implementation of such a plan, a series of integrated measures should be implemented. We offer some of them as suggestions:1- Integration of administrative structures, information sources, and organizational processes in the municipality;2- Development of ICT infrastructures, such as databases, networks, and information highways;3- Establishing a reliable and integrated statistical system for urban and municipal affairs;4- Simplifying and making smart processes with a re-engineering approach;5- Creating remote work systems and developing web services in the municipality;6- Cultivating and explaining the importance of smartening urban affairs for employees and managers who resist new projects;7- Increasing the electronic security factor of systems, information sources, and software used in the municipality.And finally, for the researchers who want to conduct relevant and practical research for this city in the future, along with this issue, it is suggested to conduct a study regarding the "requirements and solutions for designing or creating an electronic municipality in NasimShahr.”