Can Be Small Municipalities Smart?

Open governance, the involvement of stakeholders in addressing local policy challenges, and local and municipal tools supporting the application of democratic principles in local self-government remain consistently relevant topics of research. With the influence of advancements in science and new information and communication technologies, public administration management tools are taking on new forms, posing a challenge at all levels of public administration, including local, regional, and national levels. The aim of this paper is to examine the potential for their use and systematic development within the small local governments of the Slovak Republic, as well as to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of modern tools in the practices of Slovak municipalities, which is based on an analysis of smart governance implementation. With regard to this, our research fills the gap, since most smart city studies are predominantly conducted on a sample of large cities. The paper presents findings of secondary research conducted on a sample of 253 municipalities in Slovakia with populations of up to 4,999. It discusses the factors that influence the concept of smart governance and define the challenges of smart governance development within the framework of small local municipalities.