Electronic Government Systems Interoperability Model

Abstract

Electronic Government (e-Government) is an initiative to transform the public-sector delivery system towards providing high-performance services and becoming more citizen-oriented. The emergence of broadband and communications technology has become the catalyst for the growth of online systems that form the main thrust of eGovernment. However, the satisfaction level of e-Government systems among citizens is still low because of recurrent transactions in various isolated systems. This is due to the fact that most e-Government systems have yet to be integrated. Successful integration could only be achieved if interoperability factors are completely defined and introduced in the early stages of systems development. These requirements currently are not fulfilled. Previous studies have identified seven contributing factors towards e-Government systems interoperability. This study extends the findings further by confirming those factors through a qualitative approach. Semistructured interviews were used involving five highly experienced informants from various Government agencies. The empirical data were then analysed using the content analysis method. From the analysis, the seven factors were refined into respective elements, which delineate the characteristics of each factor. The factors and elements then together form an e-Government systems interoperability model.