Service description frameworks and relevant metadata appear as a key enabler that assists management of resources related to the provision of personalized, efficient and proactive services oriented towards the real citizens’ needs.
As different authorities typically use different terms to describe their resources and publish them in various Digital Service Registries that may enhance the access to and delivery of governmental knowledge, but also need to communicate seamlessly at a national and pan-European level, the need for a unified digital public service metadata standard emerges.
This approach presents an ontology-based extended metadata set that embraces services, documents, XML Schemas, code lists, public bodies and information systems. Such a metadata set formalizes the exchange of information between portals and registries and assists the service transformation and simplification efforts, while it can be further taken into consideration when applying Web 2.0 techniques in governance.
Problems faced during the adoption and application of the metadata schema in the Greek National Interoperability Framework and Government Service Gateway (www.ermis.gov.gr) were not trivial - the update from public officials being among them - and have to be to be taken in mind during relevant attempts by government officials and practitioners. The adoption of a common “governance policy” over metadata appears as a worthwhile track towards this direction. Language issues also need to be taken care of early in the process, as the provision of pan-European Government Services is already on the way. Finally, adequate time and effort should be spent for educating and working together with government officials at various levels, for obtaining a common perspective over the metadata set.
See the presentation made in the 1st International Workshop on Modelling Methodologies (SMART) in 2010 Service Wave: http://slidesha.re/hU7MxU
The full paper is under publication by Springer LNCS. Find a related article here: http://www.springerlink.com/content/x48j0l4h0nw3657q/
