XML-based Process Representation for e-Government Serviceflows

Addressing new public challenges such as the one-stop government and improved service quality, we introduce serviceflow management as a generic concept to coordinate cross-organizational e-government processes. Aiming at a serviceflow management infrastructure for networked service providers we present an XML-based process representation of serviceflows as well as a four layered IT architecture for realizing serviceflow related applications. The research presented is exemplified by the case of citizens applying for postal vote through the web portal of the city state of Hamburg (Germany). The discussion includes how XML-based process representations for egovernment serviceflows enable governmental actors to enter the network age without high investment burdens, but with many options for creating the service-oriented government of the future. 1. THE PUBLIC CHALLENGE: ONE STOP – MANY SERVICE PROVIDERS We are used to speak of “government” or “administration” in the singular even though we know from experience that there is a multitude (if not a “jungle”) of institutions and hosts of employees each responsible for one small portion of the governmental/administrative “business”. Now, with e-government the singular notion has received new emphasis: – citizens are looking for a one-stop government with single entry points for personalized services (authority-to-citizen, A2C) – government departments as customers and commercial providers strive to align through centralized web-based market places (business-to-authority, B2A) 2 Ralf Klischewski, Ingrid Wetzel 2 – co-operation among government departments and among governments (authority-to-authority, A2A) needs to establish channels and network structures corresponding to a clear understanding of what are central nodes of the network by which one can reach members of the respective subnets. In this paper, we concentrate on citizens’ expectations to contact the relevant government unit through one single point of entry or access (one stop) which will enable the fulfillment of whatever concern he or she might have. With regard to content, the administrative challenge then is to realize those “single points” which • provide the unmeasurable amount of (context dependent) information on government and administrative issues (information) • offer to make contact with the vast number of actors and institutions which are all competent authorities (communication) • let citizen enter in the countless variations of administrative processes (transaction) This challenge is multiplied by the need for many “single points” of access with respect to the government’s layered structure (e.g. federal/state/municipal or international/national/local level) as well as for a division of competence according to geography or function. In addition, these “single points” must support access through different channels such as web portals, call centers, face-to-face service counters or even one central postal address. Meanwhile, nearly all governments are publishing information online, including contact information. Also, there are services that select relevant information and/or competent authorities according to the citizen’s personal needs (owing to e.g. time restrictions, disabilities). Many authorities have started to provide transaction services (e.g. filing tax returns). However, up to now there is a lack of organizational concepts and system architectures matching the special requirements of governmental transaction services as well as the restrictions of governmental service providers. Addressing these requirements we introduce serviceflow management as a universal concept to coordinate cross-organizational e-government processes, present an XML-based process representation to support those serviceflows, and discuss IT architectures for service points suitable to realizing serviceflow related applications. The research presented is exemplified by the case of citizens applying for postal vote through the web portal of the city state of Hamburg (Germany). In summing up, we will consider how the concepts and solutions introduced here apply to e-government challenges in general. 1 E.g. KPMG (2000, 21) states “in the public sector (...) the challenge is to manage customer relationships through a single channel”. 2 E.g. the “direct citizen information service” of Hamburg, DIBIS, http://dibis.dufa.de