How Do We Meta-Govern Policy Networks in E-Government?

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, an explicit goal of most industrialized states has been to integrate electronic access to government information and service delivery, examples being ‘the 24/7 agency’ or ‘Joined-up governance’. This aim, which goes beyond the establishment of ‘single’ governmental websites, calls for both horizontal, as well as vertical integration of otherwise separate public agencies and authorities who are supposed to collaborate towards ‘joint’ and ‘needs-based’ electronic solutions to the benefit of citizens. While many authors have described this implementation of a policy aim in purely technical interoperability terms, we frame this development as a policy process of metagoverning self-regulating networks. This article is primarily a theoretical think piece in which we will present a systematic framework for the analysis of meta-governing the policy process of electronic government. In addition to the value of framing the process as a metagovernance process, we wish to discuss how the metagovernance approach also sheds light on whether or not the on-going process of vertical and horizontal integration leads to centralization. Our arguments will be supported by empirical illustrations mainly adopted from Scandinavian research.