## 3 Research Design and Conceptual Model
### Research Constructs
This study examines the level of protection and the relationship the governance framework has with the government's intention to adopt cloud services and, therefore, proposes the governance framework as a construct ensuring compliance in influencing cloud services adoption in government. * Performance Expectancy Performance expectancy, which is one of the UTAUT variables, has been identified to influence behavioural intention to adopt and use information systems and information technology [90; 91]. According to [PERSON], [PERSON] [75] and [PERSON], [PERSON] [73], these attributes encompass the overall performance and features of technologies that influence adoption decisions. According to [PERSON], [PERSON] [18], one of the root constructs in determining performance expectancy is perceived usefulness (the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system or technology would enhance their job performance). Performance expectancy (PE) is the level at which users believe using cloud services will help achieve performance improvement [75] and efficiency in governance. [PERSON], [PERSON] [74] perceived the usefulness of cloud services in achieving performance (objectives) in governance through citizen participation and effective service delivery. This relates to the proposed research model, where the perceived usefulness of cloud services will positively enhance and influence the government's intention to adopt them. This construct variable positions an innovative organisation to have a significant advantage over others through the perceived significant influence of performance expectancy on government intention to adopt cloud services and has a strong validation influencing behavioural intention to adopt and use information systems and information technology within the study's contextual objectives and public sector contexts. Therefore, it is ideal to contend that the performance expectancy influences the government's intention to adopt cloud services. * Information Security Information security is critical to protecting critical citizen and government information stored and in transit in cloud computing. Information security generally focuses on protecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. [PERSON], [PERSON] [75] highlighted vulnerability within the virtual machine environment of a cloud model that reveals stored and shared data on a cloud platform, which constitutes a security breach that could affect the usage and intention to adopt cloud services for service delivery. The research highlighted various security risks that exist in the use of cloud computing, some of which are associated with cloud technology, misuse of the cloud application by the cloud providers (internal staff), and mismanaging cloud users' details. Information security is considered critical to adopting government cloud services. [PERSON] and [PERSON] [92] identified that the exponential increase in cloud users could lead to more significant security threats to cloud clients. Any successful attack on any entity could lead to a breach that allows unauthorised access to the data of all cloud users. This risk impact slows down the government's intention to adopt cloud services. These are heightened within the public cloud environment, especially where national data infrastructures are involved and public sector data are sensitive and related to national security, citizens' records, and other critical resources [87, 88, 89]. Therefore, information security was proposed to address the need to protect government information to ensure reliable cloud-based services, given the sensitivity of government data and the critical need to ensure robust security measures to influence citizen trust and the adoption of cloud services. * Perceived Risk Perceived risk was further adapted to moderate various identified variables related to the government's intention to adopt cloud services.