E-Government Evolution Priorities from a Web 2.0 Perspective: An Exploratory Field Study

Integrating Web 2.0 technologies in e-government creates opportunities to improve online public services quality and potentially can contribute to achieve e-government strategic objectives. This paper presents and analyzes results from an exploratory field study conducted recently with experts and practitioners of e-government services in France. Our objective is to identify e-government development trends and to study the actual impact of Web 2.0 on these trends. Using an enriched Delphi method, six proposals emerged as highly relevant, they serve as a basis to analyze the actual development of e-government in France. Our analysis exploits recent official reports handed to the government concerning the future of public e-services. Our findings highlight G2C critical issues such as digital identity and data authentication, and reveal important questions in terms of G2B and G2G services. Furthermore, Web 2.0 potential seems insufficiently acknowledged by public authorities. This work contributes to a better understanding of e-governments´ future in France, and is a first step in understanding public organizations´ transformation and the emergence of the government 2.0 concept.