Exploring Semantic Interoperability in e-Government Interoperability Frameworks for intra-African collaboration: A Systematic Literature Review

While many African countries have called for ICT based intra-African collaboration, services, and trade, it is not known whether this call is technically feasible. For such intra-African based collaboration, semantic interoperability would be required between the national e-government systems. This paper reviewed the e-government interoperability frameworks (e-GIFs) of English and Arabic speaking African countries to identify the evidence and conflict approaches to semantic interoperability. The results suggest that only seven African countries have e-GIFs, which have mainly been adopted from the UK\u27s e-Government Metadata Standards (eGMS) and on Dublin\u27s Core metadata (DC). However, many of the e-GIFs, with the exception of Nigeria, have not been contextualized to the local needs. The paper, therefore, concluded that more effort needs to be placed in developing e-GIFs in Africa, with particular emphasis on semantic interoperability, if the dream of intra-African collaboration is to be achieved

Contextual Components of an Enterprise Architecture Framework for Pan-European eGovernment Services

Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks provide a wide range of architecture components. Contextual EA components provide the necessary guidance to design specific architectures in a given context e.g. for Pan-European Government Services (PEGS). Contextual EA components help to describe the background and scope of architecture work and provide a ground to tackle architecture challenges in an agreed way. The main contribution of this conceptual paper is to connect existing theoretical models as a basis to examine contextual components of an EA framework for PEGS. Three aspects are elaborated using a model-based approach: a Critical Success Factor Model, a Strategy Management Model and a Stakeholder Engagement Model. The identified models are aligned with EA standards and provide guidance to empirical research and to programs, projects and initiatives that wish to create interoperability architectures

e-Government interoperability frameworks : a worldwide inventory and comparison

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia e Gestão de Sistemas de InformaçãoDesde o final da década de noventa que se verificou uma proliferação das soluções de egovernment (e-gov), que partiu de um momento de mudança e grande melhoria nos canais de informação e comunicação disponíveis. Esta mudança de paradigma levou ao aparecimento de novas formas de trabalhar na administração pública. Na altura, verificava-se um ambiente de total falta de comunicação e de incompatibilidade entre os sistemas de informação da administração pública, cada agência funcionava como uma ilha totalmente separada das restantes. Para harmonizar as várias iniciativas de e-gov dentro de um país, tem-se assistido à publicação e adoção do que se chama Interoperability Framework (IF). O IF é composto por um ou mais documentos que contêm um conjunto de políticas, diretrizes e boas práticas. O primeiro IF foi lançado no Reino Unido, no ano 2000. Desde então foram vários os países que os adotaram, não só por os considerarem importantes, mas também devido a pressões politicas exercidas por comunidades internacionais, e devido a questões financeiras. Apesar de reconhecia a importância e disseminação da adoção dos IFs, não é conhecida a sua dispersão mundial, vários levantamentos foram já realizados, mas com âmbito restringido a grupos de países. Assim, foi identificada a necessidade de se catalogar as existências e inexistências dos IFs em todos os países do globo. Para o registo das existências dos IFs foi criada, no âmbito deste projeto, a tabela de recolha. Durante a primeira fase de recolha de IFs, foi possível obter 42 IFs. Para completar esta primeira recolha foi lançado um questionário, que permitiu ainda obter mais 2 IFs e registar 10 países como não tendo IF. Em paralelo com a necessidade de inventariar os IFs, foi identificada a necessidade de se criar um referencial comparativo compreensivo, que sirva também de ferramenta de comparação e avaliação dos IFs. Referenciais comparativos já tinham sido anteriormente criados, mas com limitações quer no seu âmbito quer na sua aplicação. Com a aplicação do referencial comparativo desenvolvido neste projeto, obteve-se a tabela comparativa. Nela figuram os 28 IFs que cumpriram os requisitos linguísticos que limitaram a aplicação do referencial. Terminada a tabela comparativa, foi tecida uma análise aos dados que nela figuravam com vista a perceber tendências, similaridades e diferenças entre os vários IFs.Since the late nineties, that there has been a proliferation of solutions for e-government (e-gov), which came from a time of great change and improvement in the information and communication channels available. This paradigm shift has led to the emergence of new ways of working in public administration. At the time, a total lack of communication and inconsistency between the information systems of public administration was the norm, each agency operated as a completely separate island from the rest. To harmonize the various e-gov initiatives within a country, the public administrations started to publish and adopt what is known as Interoperability Framework (IF). The IF is composed of one or more documents containing a set of policies, guidelines and best practices. The first IF was launched in the UK in 2000. Since then several countries have adopted the IF not only because they considered them important, but also due to political pressures exerted by the international communities, and due to financial issues. While recognizing the importance of the adoption and dissemination of FIs, their world spread is not known, several surveys have been conducted, but with restricted scope to groups of countries. Thus, a need was identified to inventory the IFs in all countries around the globe. For the record such inventory of IFs the collection table was created as part of this project. During the first phase of collection IFs, 42 IFs were obtained. In order to complete this first collection a questionnaire was released that allowed the collection of two more IFs and the record of 10 countries as having no IF. In parallel with the need to inventory the IFs, a need to create a comprehensive comparative referential was noted. This comprehensive referential will also serve as tool for comparison and evaluation of the IFs. Comparative referentials had already been created, but with limitations both in its scope and in its application. With the application of the comparative referential developed in this project, the comparison table was obtained. It included the 27 IFs that have met the language requirements that restricted the application of the standard. After the comparative table was completed, na analysis was made over the data included therein in order to understand trends, similarities and differences between the various IFs

A Comparative Analysis of National Interoperability Frameworks

Despite current advancements in online provision of eGovernment services, interoperability issues at national and crosscountry level that will facilitate fully integrated, both vertically and horizontally, one-stop, electronic services still remain unsolved. In this context, eGovernment Interoperability Frameworks try to continually extend their scope and to outline the essential prerequisites for joined-up and web-enabled e-government in order to effectively second the seamless exchange of information and the deployment of interoperable systems in the public sector. This paper presents the national interoperability frameworks that have been released by 9 countries (Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States of America) and have reached a certain degree of maturity. A comparative analysis among their contents is conducted in order to indicate the similarities and differences in their philosophy and implementation and to provide a set of recommendations for any interesting party embarking to design or update an Interoperability Framework