Electronic Data Safes as an Infrastructure for Transformational Government? A Case Study

Abstract

This article introduces and explores the potential of an active electronic data safe (AEDS) serving as an infrastructure to achieve transformational government. An AEDS connects individuals and organizations from the private and the public sector to exchange information items related to business processes following the user-managed access paradigm. To realize the transformational government's vision of user-centricity, fundamental changes in the service provision and collaboration of public and private sector organizations are needed. Findings of a user study with a prototype of an AEDS are used to identify four barriers for the adoption of an AEDS in the light of transformational government: (1.) offering citizens unfamiliar services having the character of experience-goods; (2.) failing to fulfill common service expectations of the customers; (3.) failing to establish contextual integrity for data sharing, and, (4.) failing to establish and run an AEDS as a multi-sided platform providing an attractive business model. Abstract. This article introduces and explores the potential of an active electronic data safe (AEDS) serving as an infrastructure to achieve transformational government. An AEDS connects individuals and organizations from the private and the public sector to exchange information items related to business processes following the user-managed access paradigm. To realize the transformational government's vision of user-centricity, fundamental changes in the service provision and collaboration of public and private sector organizations are needed. Findings of a user study with a prototype of an AEDS are used to identify four barriers for the adoption of an AEDS in the light of transformational government: (1.) offering citizens unfamiliar services having the character of experience-goods; (2.) failing to fulfil common service expectations of the customers; (3.) failing to establish contextual integrity for data sharing, and, (4.) failing to establish and run an AEDS as a multi-sided platform providing an attractive business model. DOIKeywords: electronic data safes, transformational government, user-managed access, case study, barriers IntroductionIn many countries, electronic government (e-government) initiatives have been introduced that are progressing from the stage of information provisioning and simple transactions to more customer-centric stages of integrated service delivery [1]. Several egovernment maturity models and e-government definitions have been proposed [2] but, actually, many e-government initiatives resulted in digitizing existing practices and were not able to reach more mature stages. In recent years, the idea of "transformational government" (t-government) gained momentum which is defined as "[…] the ICTenabled operations, internal and external processes and structures to enable the realization of services that meet public-sector objectives such as efficiency, transparency, accountability and citizen centricity." [3] The realization of t-government entails fundamental ...

Exploring public sector planning for transformational government

“…Political rationality may allow governments to ensure that questions around "who gets what when and how" are negotiated and addressed collectively (Henriksen and Mahnke, 2005, p. 14). This approach involves stakeholders in project design and decision-making and thus addresses potential conflict that may hinder the implementation and adoption of the e-Government solution (Henriksen and Mahnke, 2005;Pfister and Schwabe, 2015). Also, extant research has argued that e-Government needs to move beyond a technocratic approach (Andersen and Henriksen, 2006).…”

“…ICT-enabled and organization-led transformation of government operations, internal and external processes and structures to enable the realization of services that meet public-sector objectives such as efficiency, transparency, accountability and citizen centricity (Weerakkody et al, 2011, p. 321). Pfister and Schwabe (2015) suggest that t-Government projects require a focus on usercentred design and the involvement of various stakeholders if they are to impact citizens. In principle t-Government is a purposeful focus on the realisation of benefits for citizens enabled by ICT through an appreciation of the environment and needs of citizens.…”