LAUSR

Abstract This paper examines digital public service innovation in developing democracies. Using set‐theoretic comparative analysis of 97 countries, it identifies a sufficient condition for digital transformation: the combination of strong governance steering and an open bureaucracy. Despite structural constraints – including weak state and fiscal-extractive capacities – the analysis demonstrates that these conditions jointly foster digital innovation. Two case studies, Argentina and Jamaica, further illustrate how such processes operate in practice. The findings challenge prevailing assumptions that structural conditions of developing democracies inevitably hinder (digital) public service innovation. The paper contributes novel insights into the literature on public sector innovation and digital governance.