PS-DigQual: scale development and validation for digital public service quality

This study aims to develop and validate the PS-DigQual scale, a multidimensional instrument specifically designed to assess the quality of digital public services from the citizen-user perspective. The research followed a rigorous four-phase sequential design: initially, a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 177 articles were conducted to propose a conceptual framework. In the second phase, qualitative validation through a focus group and an expert panel refined the dimensions and items. The third phase involved exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with a survey of 343 users to evaluate the preliminary 26-item pool. Finally, the fourth phase employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and invariance testing using a quasi-experiment with 338 participants. The findings provide robust empirical evidence for a final scale comprising 20 items distributed across three core dimensions: System Quality, Operational Quality, and Information Quality. Notably, System Quality emerged as a higher-order construct composed of ease of use, trust, and usability. Invariance analysis confirmed that the scale’s structure remains consistent regardless of the users' level of prior experience with digital platforms. Unlike models adapted from the private sector, PS-DigQual captures specific public sector nuances such as transparency and institutional trust. It provides a validated, context-sensitive tool for public managers to monitor performance, enhance accountability, and guide strategic decisions in digital governance.