The success of public sector investment in eGovernment initiatives strongly depends on effectively exploiting all aspects of ICT systems and infrastructures. The related objectives are hardly reachable without methodological frameworks that provide a holistic perspective and knowledge on the contexts of eGovernment initiatives. Yet public administrators usually have a mix of legal and administrative knowledge, while lacking an information systems background.

With this book, Viscusi, Batini and Mecella provide a comprehensive methodology for service-oriented information systems planning, with special emphasis on eGovernment initiatives. They present the eG4M methodology which structurally supports the development of optimal eGovernment plans, considering technological, organizational, legal, economic and social aspects alike. The approach is focused on two pillars: the quality of the provided services and related processes, and the quality of the data managed in the administrative processes and services.

The book is written for public administrators, decision-makers, practitioners, ICT professionals and graduate students, providing a comprehensive perspective of the challenges, opportunities and decisions related to strategic and operational planning of service-oriented information systems in eGovernment.

Zusammenfassung
Motivation for the Book This book aims to describe a comprehensive methodology for service-oriented inf- mation systems planning, considered in particular, in eGovernment initiatives. The methodology is based on the research results produced by the Italian project eG- ernment for Mediterranean Countries (eG4M), granted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research from 2005 to 2008. The concept of service is at the center of the book. The methodology is focused on quality of services as a key factor for eGovernment initiatives. Since its grou- ing is in a project whose goal has been to develop a methodology for eGove- ment in Mediterranean countries it is called eG4M. Furthermore, eG4M aims at encompassing the relationships existing between ICT technologies and social c- texts of service provision, organizational issues, and juridical framework, looking at ICT technologies more as a means than an end. eG4M satis es a real need of constituencies and stakeholders involved in eGovernment projects, con rmed in the eG4M experimentations and in previous preliminary experiences in the Italian P- lic Administrations. A structured process is needed that provides a clear perspective on the different facets that eGovernment initiatives usually have to challenge and disciplines the complex set of decisions to be taken. The available approaches to eGovernment usually provide only one perspective to public managers and local authorities on the domain of intervention, either te- nological, organizational, legal, economic, or social.

Inhalt

eGovernment: A Complex Challenge.- The Different Facets of eGovernment Initiatives: Paradigms and Approaches.- Data Governance.- The eG4M Methodology at a Glance.- Strategic Planning.- eGovernment Vision Elicitation.- State Reconstruction.- eReadiness Assessment.- Quality Assessment.- Operational Planning.- Definition of Priority Services and Value Targets.- Choice of Projects.- A Reference Technological Architecture.- Guidelines for the Specification of New Administrative Processes.- eGovernment in Mediterranean Countries Public Administrations: Case Studies.- eGovernment Initiatives in Italy.- Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture Planning of New Services and Information Systems Integration.