Transformational government in europe: A survey of national policies

Abstract

Transformational government (t-Gov) is often defined as the stage of eGovernment evolution characterized by the radical restructuring of the public sector towards efficiency. In this paper, we investigate the level of t-Gov sophistication in Europe by assessing the eGovernment policies of 18 EU Member States. First, we attempt to understand t-Gov. By reviewing the relevant literature, we suggest that t-Gov embraces nine defining elements, namely user-centric services, joined-up government, one-stop government, multi-channel service delivery, flexibility, efficiency, increased human skills, organizational change and change of attitude of public servants, and finally, value innovation. Based on this understanding, we examine 18 national eGovernment policy documents to determine the degree of t-Gov sophistication. The results suggest that most strategies have set objectives referring to the development of user-centric services, increased efficiency, breaking out of silos and creating joined-up government structures. However, to exploit the full potential of t-Gov, a multi-perspective approach is needed. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.