From Static Audits to Dynamic Intelligence: Operationalizing Sustainable Computing in Local Governments as a Precursor to Smart-City Energy Analytics

Abstract

The digital transformation of public services, while enhancing administrative efficiency, imposes a critical environmental externality on urban energy grids and material lifecycles a contradiction that directly threatens the net-zero ambitions of smart cities. Despite global sustainability pledges, empirical, granular data on the computing-energy nexus within Local Government Units (LGUs) remain conspicuously absent, particularly in rapidly digitizing developing regions. This mixed-methods study addresses this empirical lacuna through a diagnostic audit of Information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and operational behaviors within the LGU of Odiongan, Romblon. Leveraging face-to-face surveys (n=15 departmental representatives) conducted in May 2023 and triangulated with thematic policy analysis, we uncover a severe implementation gap: while 100% of offices utilize grid-powered desktop/laptop infrastructure, 85.7% lack consistent power-management discipline, 88.9% resort to improper e-waste disposal, and 80.0% have never conducted a carbon-footprint assessment. Paradoxically, we find nascent cloud adoption and formal sustainability policies, indicating institutional readiness for structured governance. To bridge this divide, we propose a novel Sustainable ICT Performance Framework a layered architecture integrating energy metering protocols, life-cycle procurement standards, and annual reporting dashboards. Crucially, this framework provides the empirical baseline and logical blueprint for future AI-driven predictive energy audits and real-time IoT sensor integration, transforming passive municipal compliance into active, data-driven urban energy intelligence.