ADMINISTRATIVE STRATEGY AND PUBLIC SECTOR EFFECTIVENESS: THE DIGITAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TRIANGULATION

Abstract

This study empirically examines the relationship between administrative strategy, digital information management, and public sector effectiveness in Rivers State, Nigeria, against the backdrop of persistent bureaucratic inertia and operational delays within government institutions in the Niger Delta. Using a descriptive correlational survey design, data were collected from a stratified sample of 350 administrative and technical personnel drawn from five public institutions. The study analyzed how strategic dimensions of process automation and data integration influence public sector effectiveness, measured through institutional efficiency and responsiveness. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and path analysis techniques. The findings reveal that administrative strategy significantly predicts institutional efficiency (R² = 0.617) and responsiveness (R² = 0.491).
In addition, digital information management systems were found to exert a substantial mediating effect, accounting for 56.6 percent of the variance in the relationship between administrative strategy and performance outcomes. The results demonstrate that improvements in public sector effectiveness depend on the alignment of technical infrastructure with a strategic information culture capable of transforming digital investments into actionable administrative outcomes. The study therefore recommends the institutionalization of cohesive digital governance policies and continuous workforce capacity development to enhance the accuracy, timeliness, and quality of administrative decision-making in Rivers State.