Information Systems Integration in E-Government

Abstract

Through e-government, an increasing number of nations are making major commitments to modernize and reform government in an effort to achieve greater efficiency, broaden access to government services and improve service levels (Schware & Deane, 2003). Technology is seen as a key enabler for e-government (Elmagarmid & McIver, 2001). Ultimately, e-government seeks to centralize and make a cohesive and seamless set of government services available to end-users. Hence, the integration of information systems (IS), both within and between different government departments, will become a critical issue as e-government matures (Golden, Hughes, & Scott, 2003). As e-government matures, information systems (IS) integration will become critical to the ability to provide centralized and seamless online services. This article examines the different scenarios of IS integration, and discusses the critical success factors for IS integration. The architectures for achieving IS integration as also described. A roadmap for IS integration in e-government is proposed which provides a framework for more detailed project planning and technical decision-making.