A Framework for Cloud ERP System Implementation in Developing Countries: Learning from Lower Local Governments in Uganda

Local government entities like municipalities are challenged to provide services efficiently and effectively and hence increasingly consider ERP systems to support their operations. Successful implementation of an ERP system depends on several factors including having a viable framework to guide the organizational effort. This research aims to examine the nature and content of a possible framework to implement ERP system that could be useful for developing countries. To this end, it adopts an exploratory methodology involving focus groups to understand the activities essential to successful municipality ERP system implementation in a developing country, Uganda. Our finding shows that even when adopting cloud computing model, implementing ERP system in local governments in developing countries should take into account the specificity of the developing countries’ context. This research offers a framework integrating monitoring and evaluation with contextualization, implementation, transition and realization categories of activities to successfully implement a cloud ERP system in a developing country local government. The findings support decision makers and ERP vendors to reduce the total or partial failure rate of ERP implementation in developing country local governments.