Super Pilots, Subsidizing or Self-Organization: Stimulating e-government Initiatives in Dutch Local Governments

Abstract

Like many other western countries, the Dutch central government has several programs to stimulate E-government development in local governments. The constitutional relations between central and local governments in The Netherlands, however, are such, that the development of online service delivery is part of the autonomy of the local authorities. Central government has little formal authority to command development efforts on a local level. Through a PR-offensive, subsidy programs and intervening as a market party, the central government tries to convince the local authorities to invest in the development of online service delivery. This paper describes three different approaches used by the Dutch central government to stimulate E-government initiatives in local governments. The central question is to what extent each approach contributes to the e-government aims of central government.