Sociopolitical Aspects of Interoperability and Enterprise Architecture in E-Government

Abstract

Enterprise architecture (EA) has been embraced by governments as an instrument to advance their e-government efforts, create coherence, and improve interoperability. EA is often viewed as a codified understanding covering elements ranging from organization till infrastructure. It is aimed at closing the gap between high-level policies of organizations and low-level implementations of information systems. Important elements of EA are a framework, tools, principles, patterns, basic facilities, and shared services. EA is influenced by the social interdependencies and interactions among stakeholders in which it is embedded. The survey among public organizations shows that current EAs are primarily product oriented, whereas sociopolitical aspects are often neglected. Architecture implementation also involves learning effects and requires effective communication among participants. The author argue that the architecture concept should be reconceptualized and can only be effective if they incorporate relational capabilities, clear responsibilities, and sound governance mechanisms.