Designing electronic government information access programs: a holistic approach

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Abstract

That electronic government information repositories are growing in number, use, and diversity is one manifestation of the emergence of e-government. These information-centered programs both shape and respond to user demand for electronic government information as computer-mediated user access has displaced traditional staff-mediated access. These programs are no longer concentrated in statistical agencies but increasingly are offered by a wide array of mission-driven operating agencies to complement their other services. This study identified the design dimensions of electronic information access programs by examining mature existing programs. These dimensions address users, uses, organizational capabilities, data characteristics, and technology. The study then explored the application and interdependence of these dimensions in three efforts to design and develop new access programs. The study produced an empirically based, testable model of observable dimensions that shape the cost, complexity, and potential performance of these programs. In addition, the article offers government managers some insight into the practical implications they will face in designing and operating electronic information access programs.

Introduction

A look at the e-government agendas of many states and the federal government shows that electronic information access strategies and programs are a consistent feature of e-government initiatives. The strategies and programs of interest here are those intended to provide new or enhanced electronic means for acquiring information from a government agency. The Bush Administration E-government Agenda, for example, consists of 24 initiatives grouped into four portfolios.[1] Each of the portfolios—Government to Citizen, Government to Business, Government to Government, and Internal Efficiency and Effectiveness—includes initiatives that depend on programs of electronic information access. A notable characteristic of these initiatives is their placement in the operating or mission agencies of government (such as the Social Security Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]), rather than in the so-called information or statistical agencies (among them the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau).

This trend is placing new demands on agency leaders for investments in information access programs that complement their service or regulatory programs. This demand for direct access to government information, from both inside and outside government, is influencing the design and management of these information services. They are becoming increasingly focused on electronic data and records as the format desired by users.[2] They are also shifting from staff-mediated modes of access to user-directed computer-mediated access, now made possible over the Web.[3] As programs move away from traditional concepts of centralized control and physical custody of information, public managers discover a need for different skills, more strategic investments in technology, a more distributed or collaborative method of management, and a broader understanding of users, their needs, and their capabilities.[4] In support of efforts to respond to these new demands, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other granting organizations are increasing investments in research and practical guidance for these efforts.[5]

Section snippets

Lessons from the field

Three cases reported in the public administration literature highlight the challenges facing those responding to demands for electronic information access programs. The experiences of the Vermont Human Services Agency succinctly summarize the interwoven organizational, technical, political, and data issues.[6] In creating its “Community Profiles,” the agency set out to gather and publish outcomes and indicators on many aspects of health, education, economic vitality, safety, and welfare. In

Current research efforts

These and similar experiences provide the foundation for a comprehensive framework to guide the design of the electronic access programs that are so visible in the goals of e-government. Yet research on electronic information services and repositories is almost entirely focused on deepening our knowledge of the individual components of these complex and interconnected enterprises. A review of the past two years of the Journal of the American Society of Information Science and Technology

Developing a holistic framework

The research reported here forms a bridge among three areas: the case studies reported in the public administration literature, the conceptual debates in the government information literature, and the research on individual elements of electronic access prevalent in the information science literature. It takes a holistic view, attending to users, uses, policies, organizational capacity, data characteristics, and technology, in the context of a complete program in which these components

The dimensions of electronic access programs

Fifteen separate but interacting concerns about electronic access programs emerged from the interviews (Fig. 1). Each one addresses a key program design factor. Eight of these dimensions address information users, suppliers, content, or use. Seven additional dimensions consider aspects of the access program and its organizational context. Together, they provide a broad overview of the factors an access provider must take into account in designing a new program or improving an existing one.

The

Interactions among the dimensions—lessons from the prototypes

While each dimension should be assessed independently at first, an understanding of their interaction adds crucial insight into possible priorities and options for program design. When the analysis indicates a problematic situation with one dimension, it is often possible to adjust others to compensate. The discussion below shows how different situations can be addressed by adopting policies or practices, setting limits, or establishing requirements. These brief discussions of the

Value of the research

Three kinds of value emerged from this research. The first is its multidisciplinary contribution to the study of government information strategy and management. We have drawn together concepts from information science, public management, and government information policy into a holistic framework for better understanding the nature, dynamics, and components of electronic access programs. By identifying and defining a consistent set of observable factors that shape the cost, complexity, and

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