Title: Setting interoperability standards for e-government: an exploratory case study

Authors: Ernani M. Dos Santos, Nicolau Reinhard

Addresses: School of Economics, Administration and Accounting, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 908, sala H-122, Sao Paulo, SP 05508–900, Brazil. ' School of Economics, Administration and Accounting, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 908, sala H-122, Sao Paulo, SP 05508–900, Brazil

Abstract: Information sharing and systems integration are critical factors for the establishment of electronic government. And to achieve effective implementation of this process, it is necessary to define the compatibility standards to be adopted. However, setting these standards maybe a complex task, owing to the number of agents involved and the adoption barriers, among other factors. This paper discusses the management of the standardisation process in an electronic government environment. It presents the preliminary findings from a case study of the Brazilian interoperability standard (e-PING), based on documents content analysis, face-to-face interviews and direct observations. As a result, this study points out some aspects that may be conditioning the setting of these standards. It is believed that the understanding of this process allows addressing future actions for standards diffusion and evolution.

Keywords: interoperability standards; information technology standardisation; government information systems; systems integration; government information sharing; electronic government; e-government implementation; developing countries; Brazil.

DOI: 10.1504/EG.2007.015033

Electronic Government, an International Journal, 2007 Vol.4 No.4, pp.379 - 394

Published online: 05 Sep 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article