International organizations’ role in domestic public sector digitalization: a proposal for a typology examining directions and instruments of influence

This article examines how international organizations (IOs) contribute to orienting public sector digitalization by analyzing the directions and instruments through which they influence domestic reforms. Building on the literature on policy rationales, it develops a multidimensional typology combining supranational policy instruments with rationales of digitalization. The typology is applied to a dataset of 135 policy initiatives promoted by the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the European Union (EU) between 2000 and 2024. The findings show that digitalization strategies are not neutral but reflect politically embedded rationales aligned with institutional mandates. Market-oriented rationales dominate, although human rights-based approaches have gained prominence following the COVID-19 pandemic. Soft instruments prevail, with limited but increasing use of financial and regulatory tools in response to crises. Illustrative national-level evidence further suggests that the degree of influence varies by instrument type and its interaction with domestic implementation capacity and political willingness. The article contributes by extending the analysis of digitalization rationales to the international level and offering a framework applicable across governance contexts.