---

Written from a data-centric perspective, Information Systems for eGovernment presents a methodology that is grounded in computer science, but leveraged by sociological, organizational, economical, juridical analyses and methods. Examples and case studies are included, which illustrate the relevance of the approach.

---

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.

---

Part I eGovernment: a complex challenge.- 1 The different facets of eGovernment initiatives: paradigms and approaches.- 2 Data Governance.- 3 The eG4M methodology at a glance.- Part II Strategic planning.- 4 eGovernment vision elicitation.- 5 State Reconstruction.-6 eReadiness Assessment.- 7 Quality Assessment.- Part III Operational planning.- 8 Definition of priority services and value targets. 9 Choice of Projects.- 10 A Reference Technological Architecture. 11 Specification of New Administrative Processes.- Part IV eGovernment in Mediterranean countries public administrations: case studies.- 13 Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture planning of new services and information systems integration. Part V Appendixes. A Information Integration Technologies. B Business Process Managemen. Index. References.

---

From the reviews:

"The book centers on using the multidisciplinary planning methodology from the Italian eGovernment for Mediterranean Countries (eG4M) project, which emphasizes the stakeholder-experienced quality of identified governmental services. ... This book concentrates its attention on a part of SOA that commonly is weakly done: the planning of SOA projects. Hence, it offers worthwhile reading for managers and project leaders who are or may become involved in SOA projects." (Ned Chapin, ACM Computing Reviews, August, 2011)

---