Research note

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to introduce a European project CEES to develop a standard for the evaluation of Electronic Government (e‐Government) services from a citizen satisfaction perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe aim, objectives, methodology, and deliverables of the project CEES are detailed. Furthermore, the challenges of the development of a reference process model in different countries are addressed and academic and practical implications of the project for the citizen‐oriented evaluation of e‐Government services are discussed.FindingsA reference process model for the evaluation of e‐Government services from a citizens' perspective receives strong support from experiences in other similar areas such as software process and information systems governance. The reference model needs to overcome such challenges as the differences in culture, the maturity of e‐Government systems, and citizens‐government relationships.Practical implicationsThe research is expected to trigger international collaboration to develop international standards for the evaluation of e‐Government services.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature by enriching the views on e‐Government services and their evaluation via introducing a reference model concept. The CEES project will be the first attempt to apply the reference model concept in the information systems evaluation domain. Despite the wide adoption of reference models in software process, software design, and business process automation, the concept is yet to be applied to the IS evaluation domain.