Project: Electronic Local Government (eLoGo)

Duration: January 2001-December 2003

Funding Organization: Brandenburg State Ministry of Science, Research and Culture

The project was carried out in cooperation with the Institute of Local Government Studies at the University of Potsdam and had two objectives:

1. To set-up a application-oriented regional, and national/international research network
2. Scientific support for and concomitant research during the introduction of eGovernment in the Potsdam-Mittelmark county

In addition to creating an eGovernment network for the state of Brandenburg, the following eGovernment projects were implemented within the scope of the project:

• Using eGovernment to enable cooperative method of the provision of services in the social services administration
• eGovernment in vehicle registration
• the development of certain IT components, including of the development of a forms portal for the municipalities and cities of the county

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Project: Met@logo: eGovernment and local economic promotion in Latin America

Duration: January 2004-August 2006

Funding Organization: European Union

The objective of the project was to develop eGovernment services which can support the process of decentralization, the development of local enterprises and technical development. The potentials of eGovernment were examined for the improvement of the local economic promotion. The project sought to lower administrative barriers to starting a business through innovative process design based upon eGovernment. Local governments in turn benefit from this process, because this increases the likelihood that businesses will settle or develop in the area and employment. Within the framework of this project, electronic services were implemented in 14 selected local governments in Honduras, Columbia, Chile and Peru.

The project was carried out in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) ("German Cooperation for Technical Assistance”), with the Vienna University of Technology, and with several universities and government authorities in Honduras, Columbia, Chile and Peru.

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Project: eGovernment potentials in Sub-Saharan Africa – Expert opinion on behalf of the German Bundestag

Duration: January 2006-December 2006

Funding Organization: German Bundestag

The IfG.CC produced two reports for the German Bundestag on the potential of eGovernment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

First expert opinion
In addition to the potentials of eGovernment in Sub-Saharan Africa, this opinion investigated the basic conditions necessary for its implementation. The state of eGovernment development in four African countries (Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda) was examined in detailed case studies and more than 20 interviews with employees of national and international developing organizations were carried out.

The second expert opinion
The second report examined the current relevance of eGovernment issues to German and international development organizations. One result was that eGovernment is becoming increasingly important in international donor organizations, for example the World Bank. But countries as Canada or the Netherlands not only address the subject in their development work, but also invest in applied research into the application of ICT in developing countries.

EGovernment has an indisputably high developmental potential. However, the subject is considered by German developing organizations – with a few exceptions – to be rather marginal.

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Project: "Rural eGov”: Training SMEs of Rural Areas on Using eGovernment Services

Duration: October 2006-October 2008

Funding Organization: European Commission, Leonardo da Vinci Program

The Leonardo da Vinci EU project "Rural eGov" aims to analyze the needs of small and middle enterprises (SME) in rural area regarding eGovernment services, so as to improve their use. In addition to German organizations, partners from Greece, Great Britain, Poland and Slovenia are involved in the project. The IfG.CC is primary responsible for the analysis of the needs of the target group as well as for the investigation of the relevant qualification needs. Another responsibility includes the provision of relevant training material for the target group to improve the use of e-services. In the project, the IfG.CC developed a survey method to evaluate the needs of SMEs in rural areas. On the basis of the survey results, requirements for training modules were developed and tested with the target group. At the end of the project, recommendations were compiled for EU authorities and national administrations, so that services can be made more appropriate to the needs of SMEs in rural areas.

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Project: Scientific Controlling of eGovernment projects in North Rhine Westphalia

Duration: December 2006-December 2007

Funding Organization: Informationsbüro D-NRW

The objective of the project was to conceive and implement new service structures based upon of electronic networks for a pilot or model region within specific administrative conditions in North Rhine-Westphalia. The main focus of the new service structures is the joint use of data, information and basic IT-functions, for example in document management systems or content management systems. Another base project component is the joint reorganization of business processes with regard to integrated and convenient local access to public services. Integrated multi-level and multi-organizational citizens’ service centers can play an important role in such efforts. The IfG.CC’s role in this project was the scientific monitoring of the implementation of networked service structures, in particular in the model regions. This should help to ensure the transfer of such solutions to other regions. Scientific monitoring also includes providing scientific support related to specific aspects of the project as well as the direct support of project management.

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Project: Reorganization of the public administration with industrialization and bundling potentials

Duration: August 2007-April 2008

Funding Organization: ISPRAT Institute

The goal of this project was to determine to what extent new forms of the bundling of public services are possible through eGovernment. The catchword shared services has recently gained the attention of public administration, often raising high expectations.

The project critically examined, to what extent shared service centers come into consideration in the reorganization of the public administration and which consequences shared services hold for governance structures. Shared service centers are largely independent organizational units which produce services, for example in the area of the personnel management or travel expenses for several internal customers. In addition to developments in Germany, examples of cases from Great Britain and Austria were also examined. A partial project was a detailed case study which investigated the development of shared service centers in the field of geographic data.

The project was executed in cooperation with the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin.

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Project: Scientific Controlling of the Implementation of Shared Service Centers at local level in North Rhine Westphalia

Duration: since January 2008

Funding Organization: Informationsbüro dNRW

The objective of this project is to set up local shared service centers in North Rhine-Westphalia in which particular support processes are bundled in independent centres. A total of four projects will be implemented:

1. Establishment of an inter-governmental local finance center (for the municipalities Nottuln and Havixbecke) which acts as a jointly-used independent shared service center and from which other municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia can purchase their accounting services.
2. Establishment of a human resources service center (Warendorf County and affiliated municipalities), in which certain services, for example time files or personnel files, sick leave reports and vacation reports, promotions etc. will be bundled for the county administration and the local administration. Personnel decisions will continue to be made on-site.
3. Establishment of a shared service centre for the electronic processing of mail (County Soest) which jointly processes incoming mail and outgoing mail for several municipalities using ICT.
4. Establishment a technical citizens service center for the region Nordlippe (including the City of Barntrup and the municipalities Dörentrup, Extertal and Kalletal), which bundles certain services for the citizens using new ICT.