”Why don’t they automate?”

”Why don’t they automate?” Arne Krokan / Solveig Midtbust

Today’s situation • Norwegian citizens are used to find private services available on the Internet (bank, airplane tickets, etc) • Some public services has been automated/digitalized • The ”eNorway 2009 plan” says the public departments must change • Why? • Better availability , 24/7 • More satisfied users • Lower costs

Problem definition Is the slow eGovernment adaptation rate due to: • Technological obstacles? or • Organizational obstacles?

Case selection Requirements: • Easy to automate • Not done before • Few stakeholders Selected organization and service: • Department of Roads and Traffic (DRT) / Statens vegvesen • Service: Temporary registration plates on motor vehicles

Methodical approach • Qualitative interviews • Sample • Generalization

Is the slow eGovernment adaptation rate due to: • Technological obstacles? or • Organizational obstacles? Why has not the temporary registration plate service been automated? Is it due to: • Technological obstacles? or • Organizational obstacles?

Development of eGovernment solutions • Where is DRT now? • Where is DRT headed for? • DRT objectives • National objectives

Challenges • Intra versus inter organizational processes • Public organizations versus private organizations: • Customer turnover • Monopoly services • Change has to be rooted in the organizations itself

Findings • Reorganization • a ten percent reduction of the workforce • great regional differences • ICT equals workforce reductions • Customer turnover • Inter organizational processes are difficult • Existing IT-system over 25 years old • Management does not understand what is going on at the frontline of the organization • The temporary registration plate service is possible to automate

Conclusion and further work • The probability that this is an organizational problem rather than a technological problem is high • More research is needed

”Why don’t they automate?”