Multi-channel provisioning of public services - Department of ...

Discussion and evaluation
We can only fully figure out the meaning of new technology in business and
institutions after the fact; and that we plainly have to live with such impossibility
and such a state of ignorance.
Ciborra (2002)
A further decomposition of the design artefact for the purpose of evaluation is
interesting and possible. This could be done by constructing a series of demonstrators
that propose the isolated benefits of the design artefact and at the same time
demonstrate the network effect through the global availability of a working e-service
infrastructure. A decomposition or implementation based on the conceptual model is
neither the goal nor realistic within the time and resources of this study. The challenging
evaluation of an infrastructure will, however, need to be considered at some point.
Turning back to the IS success model of DeLone and McLean (2003) (Figure 3) and
aspects introduced by C1, a desired system quality relates to ICT as not being
considered as a barrier for change. In using this capability as a criterion for evaluation,
typical e-government case studies showing how life-event services can be implemented
is suggested not to be a sufficient means of evaluation, as the partial contribution of the
design is based on evolving processes and service transformation. Based on the scope of
the study the conceptual nature of the design artefact, the evaluation conducted
conceptually to support an informed argument 8 , in addition to the use of case studies.
The informed argument is supported by a deductive reasoning based on chapters 3 and
4, the material covered by P2 and P9. As C4 is based on C1-C3, acknowledging the
contribution of C4 implies accepting C1-C3. Chapter 3, P2, and P9 consider technology
affordances and cover the proposed direction for the implementation of C4. Evaluation
of design aspects of C4 related to choice of technology is partially provided implicitly
through aspects of the technologies prescribed for its construction. This is with
knowledge that the technologies used in the construction are mash-ups that cannot be
tested efficiently together, or which currently is not available at the level of
sophistication prescribed for the design artefact. These are related to the choice of a
service-oriented architecture and model-driven solutions in an open environment, which
are further primarily related to aspects of the PAIS discussed in P9. The PAIS aspects
are however considered to be one of several facets constituting the design artefact where
additional research is needed in order for them to operate as expected for use in the
CCPV. Chapter 4 considers issues related to the design and implementation of e-
government. Central topics supporting the reasoning behind the design artefact include
interoperability and capabilities for establishing virtual organisations for collaborative
service provisioning. In addition to providing an infrastructure platform for service
provisioning, and thus eliminating issues related to technology interoperability, the
design artefact aims to establish an interactive collaboration space around service
provisioning. This aims to enable interoperability at the organisational and semantic
level, through bringing the service providers together at the service instance level.
8 See Section 2.2.5
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