Information and Knowledge Management using ArcGIS ModelBuilder

Using Goal Modelling to Evaluate Goals for eService Development
in Government
Monika Magnusson and Marie-Therese Christiansson
Karlstad University, Sweden
Monika.Magnusson@kau.se
Marie-Therese.Christiansson@kau.se
Abstract: Public eServices have had a fast spread during the last decade. While eServices could enable cost
savings and improve customer service, the development may be costly and time-consuming, involving complex
challenges such as business process redesign, changes in organisational culture and customer behaviour. Adding
to the complexity is the hierarchy of goals for eServices at transnational, national and organisational levels.
Earlier research emphasise the importance of alignment between an organisation’s use of information technology
and its business goals. This complex structure of multi-level goals is often implicit and difficult to handle in practice.
The purpose of this study is to examine how goal modelling can be utilised to improve eService development
in government by serving as a tool for evaluation of goals. In a case study of a Swedish municipality’s eService
development project, we found goal modelling to be valuable for evaluating goal alignment between the municipality’s
local action plan, the national action plan and the project plan for the EU project Smart Cities. Other benefits
are e.g. the ability to detect missing or implicit goals and tasks and moreover to improve planning,
management and evaluation of eService development. The recommendation is to use goal models and an
‘alignment matrix’ to improve goal alignment and the overall goal quality.
Keywords: goal modelling, eGovernment, eService alignment, evaluation
1. Introduction
The increase of public eServices has been rapid during the last decades. This development is heavily
promoted at both EU and national levels as eServices accessible across the EU members states
strengthen domains such as e-Identification, e-Procurement, e-Justice, e-Health, mobility and social
security. (European Commission, 2010). Among the benefits for the public sector are cost savings
and improved customer service (Schneider, 2003; Boyer et al., 2002). However, the development
process may be complex and costly though it affects not only the information systems (IS) but also
the business processes and the strategies of the organisation. Furthermore, both employees and
citizens need to be willing to use eServices in their regular operations for the benefits to arise. A clear
understanding of the goals may facilitate a voluntary adoption of eServices. One success factor in
eService development is therefore the ability for organisations to communicate how eServices contribute
to citizens’ wellbeing and companies’ efficiency as well as the organisation’s own business
performance (Christiansson, 2011).
Adding to the complexity of eService development is the large bouquet of policies and goals at different
levels. In EU member states, there are goals at the transnational level that should be met. There
are also goals at the national level that at best are coherent with EU goals. In addition, each municipality
has their own goals. To achieve goals at superior levels, there needs to be intentional dependencies
where lower level goals can serve as means for higher level goals. Furthermore, eServices are
often developed in projects meaning in practice that four levels of goals must be met and aligned.
Goal modelling is an approach for capturing, expressing and making the goals in an organisation explicit,
thereby facilitating communication and providing a basis for change. The purpose of this study
is to examine how goal modelling can be utilised to improve eService development in government by
serving as a tool for evaluation of the goals. The research question investigated is: What are the
benefits of using goal modelling in evaluation of eService Development in Government?
2. Literature review
2.1 eGovernment
eGovernment can be described as governments providing administrative processes as eServices for
their customers (citizens, visitors, companies and other government agencies) through web sites; i.e.
an instance of e-Commerce (Schneider, 2003). Customers interact with governments through the
Internet to ask questions and get access to information and services (e.g. updated government regulations,
official documents, applications etc. (Alsaghier et. al 2009). An eService is here defined as “all
interactive services that are delivered on the Internet using advanced telecommunications, informa-
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