Ewa Ziemba and Tomasz Papaj
layer interoperability maturity. Holistic approach models for e‐Government projects are designed to be applied in e‐Government services development projects. They support the integrated modeling of e‐Government services and their adjustment following the digital progress in order to provide electronic services pertinent to arising needs. Furthermore, these models identify various indicators, determine whether an e‐Government project will be successful and they focus on ex‐post and ex‐ante assessing( after and before implementation) benefits and impacts of e‐Government projects and proposals. Models of e‐Government evolution enable to evaluate the readiness of government agencies to render e‐Government services to different stakeholders and at different levels of maturity. It is a key ingredient in the successful development of e‐Government. These all models integrate the technological, organizational, operational, and human capital capabilities of e‐ Government. Moreover, they have gained popularity as a tool for comparing and benchmarking the advance and success of e‐Government implementation.
2.3 European Union maturity model of e‐Government
The described above maturity levels of e‐Government are coherent with the European Union proposal. A model developed by Capgemini is used in the European Union countries in order to assess the maturity of e‐ Government sophistication( The user …, 2007; Digitizing …, 2010). This model reveals the degree of technological sophistication and the degree of organizational transformation in government agencies. In particular, the five levels in this model reflect how businesses and citizens can interact with government agencies and how government agencies can cooperate and communicate. Those levels are the following:
• Level 1, called information, corresponds exclusively to the online availability( usually on the government websites) of the general information( e. g. information about necessary documents) required to start the procedures to obtain government services;
• Level 2, called one‐way interaction( downloadable application forms), involves the possibility of obtaining paper application forms from the publicly available government website in an electronic way( e. g. by downloading and filling in application forms electronically) which are necessary to start the procedures related to government services, but handing in the documents takes place in the traditional way;
• Level 3, called two‐way interaction( electronic application forms, e‐forms), represents the possibility of taking forms electronically in order to obtain government services. It is also possible to check, advice on and deliver the application forms to government agencies electronically. However, the delivery of government documents, certificates, receiving decisions, decrees and the payment of dues and fees all take place in the traditional way;
• Level 4, called transaction( full electronic), means a full electronic delivery of government services. Forms necessary to obtain government services are delivered to government agencies electronically. However, government documents as well as the payment of fees or dues can also be arranged electronically; and
• Level 5, called personalization( targetisation / automation), represents full electronic government services and introduces two concepts: pro‐active and automatic. Moreover, there is no need for citizens and business to request government services and they can obtain some government services and appropriate government documents automatically. There is the possibility to receive application forms that have already been filled in by government agencies( the appropriate data for application forms are usually in governmental databases) to the extent permitted by law. Examples of these kinds of government services are: tax and contribution declarations, which can be filled automatically because government agencies have the appropriate data in governmental databases. The 5th stage of maturity was introduced in the European Union in 2007.
The 4 th and 5 th levels can be referred to as“ full online availability”. E‐Government service at a maturity level lower than above mentioned levels does not mean that the stakeholders are not able to complete it electronically. For example, 3 rd level of e‐Government services denotes that the stakeholders may obtain information on this government service, download appropriate application forms, fill them in and submit electronically but also that they have to reach the premises of the responsible government agency to receive official permits, certificates, decisions or any other documents afterwards. Government services at the 5 th level of maturity are the most mature and of destination. Their implementation, however, is a very complex and a difficult undertaking, requiring a variety of problems to overcome of organizational, legal, informational and technological nature( Digitizing …, 2010).
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