Abstract
Geospatial data and geospatial e-services require governance and coordination between different governmental organisations. This article aims to understand what governance, and specifically what coordination, is used in Belgium for geospatial e-services and data. The Belgian case, with a focus on the regions and federal administration, is researched by making use of a document analysis, interviews with key stakeholders and an online survey. In contrast to the federal and Walloon administration, the Flemish administration and the Brussels Capital Region administration have a clearly developed governance model. Flanders combines hierarchy with network governance, whereas the Brussels administration is known for its hierarchical way of working. The transposition of the INSPIRE Directive had a strong influence: The Brussels Capital Region became more network-oriented, and the Walloon Region developed a form of network governance. The federal level, however, struggles to make the connection between geospatial data and e-services. From an inter-organisational perspective, the coordination can be labelled as a weak form of network governance: Cooperation exists, but only in a few areas. Nevertheless, geospatial data are exchanged within and between regions and the federal level. Geospatial e-services are also developed but there is a clear influence of the degree of organisational coordination on the development of geospatial e-services.
Highlights
The section addresses the third research question: What types of coordination mechanisms are used in the field of geospatial data and e-services? The three regions and the federal administration all have their own means of coordination in the field of geospatial data and e-services, whereas the intergovernmental coordination between the four actors appears to be organised via a weak form of network governance
The transposition of the INSPIRE Directive had a strong effect on the governance model of the administrations in the Walloon Region, the Brussels Capital Region and at the federal level
The Flemish Region is an exception as a clear governance model had already existed since the start of the 21st century, and can be labelled as a mixture of hierarchical and network governance
Summary
Geospatial data have high value for administrations, citizens and businesses. They have high potential for actors in various domains, and administrations often own a lot of data, sometimes without even realizing it [1]. Governments and administrations are today increasingly aware of the possibilities offered by technology and develop e-services for their internal relations and their relations with citizens and businesses. Those administrations often build on existing ways of working, and combine or build on existing technology. Affisco and Soliman [2], underlined that it is necessary to connect all the different e-services that have been developed since the beginning of the 21st century. The focus of this article is on geospatial data and e-services, as the data are highly valuable and necessary for the development of geospatial e-services
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