Policy-Practice Contradiction: Case of Cloud Computing Adoption in the Malawi Health Sector

TL;DR

This paper investigates the disconnect between policy and practice in cloud data storage within Malawi's health sector, revealing that contextual factors influence actual practices contrary to official policies.

Contribution

It provides an empirical case study showing how TOE factors lead to policy-practice contradictions in cloud computing adoption.

Findings

Data storage practices often contradict policy due to TOE factors.

Cloud adoption is driven by contextual realities rather than policy directives.

Policy implementation gaps are influenced by local technological and organizational contexts.

Abstract

This paper examines the dynamics of policy implementation and how policy contradicts reality on the ground when it comes to practice. The paper finds that despite having well-laid out policy; the actual practice is contrary. Taking data storage policy within the Ministry of Health in Malawi as a case study, the paper highlights that the contextual realities of where Ministry of Health (MoH) data is stored depends on a number of Technology-Organizational-Environmental (TOE) factors. In the wake of cloud computing; some of these factors act as causative factors for data to be stored in the cloud; contradicting the data storage policy.