Company Registration eService in Sweden - ifib.de · 1.6 Learning points and conclusions 16 1.7...

Prepared for the eGovernment Unit

DG Information Society and Media

European Commission

Case study prepared by Ralf Cimander and Herbert Kubicek (ifib, Germany), in co-operation with Daniel Sjöberg from Bolagsverket, Sweden.

Good Practice Case

Company Registration

eService in Sweden

Case Study

21 July 2006

eGovernment Unit DG Information Society and Media

European Commission

Table of contents

1. Company Registration eService in Sweden 3 1.1 Case Summary 3 1.2 Problem addressed 4 1.2.1 Specific Problem 4 1.2.2 General Background 6 1.2.3 Policy context and strategy 6 1.3 Solution 8 1.3.1 Specific Objectives 8 1.3.2 Implementation 8

- Workflow description 11

1.4 Features making it a candidate for good practice exchange 13 1.4.1 Impact 13 1.4.2 Relevance of the case for other administrations that could learn from the experience 13 1.4.3 Transferability 14 1.5 Results 15 1.6 Learning points and conclusions 16 1.7 References and links 18

Annex 1: Assessment Questionnaire for the MODINIS Case Descriptions 19

GP Case: Company Registration in Sweden 07-2006, vs. 1.0 2

1. Company Registration eService in Sweden

1.1 Case Summary

The creative man, the one with ideas and vision is essential for the society. With the joint eService provided by Bolagsverket (responsible for company registration issues) and Skatteverket (responsible for company taxation issues) it is now easier for her or him to start a business and do the necessary register changes as the company grows or changes. Foretagsregistrering.se is a single place for the whole procedure around registration matters of companies; it saves time and money for the clients as well as for the concerned authorities.

The e-service foretagsregistrering.se provides a one-stop-shop for electronic registration at one place instead of filing paper form, in sequence, to two separate authorities.

To establish this e-service a work was done identifying fields and data in a number of forms used for company and tax registration. Next step was to trace back to the legislation and the need for each information part. Then efforts were made to combine and reduce the number of data needed.

The processes were identified and the information was structured into XML-Schemas and a common taxonomy decided. All this work was done in co-operation between the Swedish Company Registration Office (Bolagsverket) and the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket).

An upcoming law in Sweden will make it possible for even more electronic signed applications and also electronic filing of annual accounts from the companies. At the moment work is in progress at Bolagsverket to extend the e-services to also include electronic filing of annual accounts from companies based on XBRL, eXtensible Business Reporting Language.

The cooperation between the two agencies started as a way to develop good service and creating greater value for the customer. A project was formed and alongside the project cooperation in the information and communication area also started. The idea was to meet the customer together with the relevant information and service, no matter which agency is responsible; a one-stop-shop perspective.

Interoperability is one key of the joint service, on a real down to earth way. By really looking at the forms and the legislations for the two agencies differences were brought up on the table. Is it necessary to register addresses in different way? And with different terminology?

The result is good. The numbers of users are constantly increasing and the effect is starting to show. It's easier for the customer, it's more cost efficient for the agencies and it is a kind of test-platform for creating joint e-services depending on interoperability.


1.2 Problem addressed

1.2.1 Specific Problem The old structure with separate government agencies dealing with just their narrow, or broader, part of or from the citizens or companies view is just one process is causing delays and extra administrative burden. Bolagsverket, Swedish Companies Register, and Skatteverket, the Swedish Tax Agency had some particular processes were this problem was very obvious: the start of a new company.

Service: • Registration of a new

company, and changes in running companies

• Services and communication related to running businesses and business taxes

Both authorities needed to be contacted and have separate forms sent in; first to one, then to the other in a serial sequence. Time and resource consuming for all parts involved.

Specific problems addressed:

Some rough figures from Bolagsverkets and Skatteverkets area:

− Total number of registered companies in the business register: 980,000

• From the users viewpoint: change of a sequential organised service into a one stop service

− Number of new companies per year: 55,000

− Number of changes in the business register per month: 21,000

• Provision of cooperation between two different agencies adhering to different ministries

− Number of new tax for entrepreneurs registrations (f-skatt) per year: 65,000

− Number of companies registered for VAT and PAYE (Pay As You Earn): 500,000

• Preparation of a legal framework allowing electronic data exchange between the involved agencies and also with businesses

Behind these figures there are many hours of work for every company to fill in forms and for having communication in different ways with the authorities. According to a study from NUTEK and SCB, the Swedish Business Development Agency and Statistics Sweden, 64% of the companies use up to one hour peer week for filling in forms and having contacts with the authorities (not only Bolagsverket and Skatteverket), and 24% use two to four hours. (Företagens villkor och verklighet 2002).

Another challenge was to prepare the legal framework to make the service possible to implement. This included acceptance of electronic signatures for the specific registration procedures and also issues with the two principles of information and data at the two agencies. At Skatteverket most filed information are secret and under privacy protection. And at Bolagsverket it's the other way around, all information is public and possible to share.

These e-services from Bolagsverket and Skatteverket have been a forerunner in many ways.


The specific requirement concerning interoperability would be a mixture of a horizontal and vertical integration. Bolagsverket and Skatteverket share the same customer and claim some common data. From the customer perspective the service from Bolagsverket and Skatteverket are different stages in a chain of services that could be more integrated for the customer.

Basic organisational model employed: Set up of a shared e-service on the internet acting as a clearinghouse. However the lines of jurisdiction, assignment of personnel etc. are unchanged.

IOP requirement 1: IOP between two agencies on national level providing connected services based on same user data

IOP between front-offices when the service for the customer is considered

Service delivery model 1:

BLV: Bolagsverket

SKV: Skatteverket

A main objective of the new service provision is to create greater value to the customer by relieving them from administrative aspects, i.e. from the sequential organised services by a "merged" one-stop-shop for electronic registration at one place. Hence, from a customer point of view the focus was on the service re-organisation in the front-office to front-office processes. This one-stop-shop is realised by the set up of a shared e-services on the Internet acting as a clearinghouse (foretagsregistrering.se). However no changes in the duties and responsibilities for the various services took place and remain at the same authorities as well as the assignment of personnel etc.

BLV: Bolagsverket

SKV: Skatteverket

www: world wide web

Service delivery model 2:

From the viewpoint of both authorities, a front-office to back-office integration took place since data fields of forms were aligned, information structured into XML-Schemas, and common taxonomies decided. Hence data entered into the web-form by customers are integrated in the legacy systems of both authorities.

IOP between front-office and back-office when the service from the viewpoint of the authorities is considered


1.2.2 General Background

Attention and efforts to simplify and to have more efficiency in the public administration has a long history. For the two Swedish governmental agencies, Bolagsverket (formerly the Companies Department of the Swedish Patent and Registration Office - och registreringsverket) – who is the Swedish authority for business register operating under the Ministry of Industry, and Skatteverket (former Riksskatteverket) – the Swedish Tax Agency operating under the Ministry of Finance, this have especially been focused on reducing the administrative burden on SME's. Discussions on cooperation over the borders of the two agencies have over the time been on different levels, and also a lot of cooperation has been done in mainly the information area, i.e. common brochures and distribution of information.

Types and level of agencies involved: • Bolagsverket

(Companies Registration Office -Swedish authority for business register)

A project was formed to go some step further and crossing the borders to create a better service for the customer. NUTEK (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth) participated as a financing partner in the first project phase. Today it's Vinnova (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems) who has the former role of Nutek. The project was initiated on the highest level of the participants and also in dialog with the ministries.

1.2.3 Policy context and strategy

Information and communication technology (ICT) is seen in Sweden a powerful tool for improving and rationalising public-sector activities, enhancing access to key community services, facilitating public control over and participation in decision-making processes, and stimulating the business sector's competitiveness.

• Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency)

Framework: • Foundation of a "24/7

Delegation" focussing on the development of e-services in Sweden

• Task force to harmonise data and to reduce its quantity in the public sector

ICT in Sweden thus enables sustainable economic growth, prosperity for all citizens nationwide and a thriving democracy to be promoted.

A government delegation has therefore been appointed to stimulate the development and use of electronic services in the public sector (public e-services).

• Use of the Swedish eID standard for e-legitimation

This "24/7 Agency Delegation" is to focus particularly on e-services capable of generating major benefits for the public and businesses, and of making the public sector more efficient. One of the Delegation's tasks is to try out new ways of boosting cooperation between central and local government (municipalities and county councils), and also between the public sector and other actors. The Delegation's efforts are to be action-oriented, and it is to report continuously to the Swedish Government on the outcome of its work. (The Cabinet Resolution Dir. 2003:81 explaining this strategy in detail can be obtainded from


Legal framework • Cabinet Resolution for

the "24/7 Agency Delegation"

http://www.24sju.se/index.php?dir=25. There, also the various Government Bills concerned by this strategy are summarised.)

The cooperation between Bolagsverket and Skatteverket fits well in this Swedish government plan for "the 24/7-agency". Foretagsregistrering.se is a joint solution providing a one-stop-shop utilising ICT for a higher service level. And it is highly connected to the European Community policies (e.g. the eEurope 2005 Action Plan) to provide benefits and simplification for the businesses and citizens. Within this ambition is also to set the stage for harmonisation of what data that is to be collected and to reduce the quantity. This answers a lot of the intentions pointed out by the SLIM task force, the initative to pinpoint areas of possible simplification of legislation and general anministrative burdens.

Some of the development stages have partly been funded by a programme that supports innovative development in public sector. The main goal for that was also to have a sort of a pilot project that could pave the way for others.

Foretagsregistrering.se is also using the adopted standard for use of eID, e-legitimation, in Sweden. This part of the cooperation between the authorities is one key factor for successful e-government development in Sweden.

The legal platform for the e-service are the allowance for electronic filing using digital signatures. This is regulated separatly for each agency and also separatly on each service. For instance registration of a sole trader can be done completely electronical while other forms of companies still must file manully signed documents. The adoption of the legal framwork is on the way and soon also companies limited by shares can file documents completely electronically.

• Service development adheres to the European Community policies to provide benefits and simplification for businesses and citizens

• Allowance for e-applications incl. digital signatures(e-ID) is regulated separately for each agency and service

• Some types of registration applications can already use e-ID. The adoption of the legal framework to allow e-applications for more types is on the way

• Data sharing between the agencies was already allowed and legally regulated

The sharing of data between the agencies needed for this service did already have support in the legal framework and needed no change in regulation.


1.3 Solution

1.3.1 Specific Objectives

At the start a rather ambitious long term objective was set out. The two agencies wanted to create a standard, and provide a technical solution, for collecting data from companies and citizens to the public sector in Sweden in general. The goal was set outside the two participating entities, creating a general "B2G" gateway.

Objectives to be achieved in general: • Creation of a standard

and provision of a technical solution for the collection of data from companies and citizens ("B2G" gateway)

The narrower objective was to build a web-based interface for the businessman-to-be to register the company and apply for tax registration and web-based filing of changes etc. for the running of companies. This is a one-stop-shop for start-ups and running companies in Sweden. The tax authority added in parallel the objective to open a web-service for filing of VAT and PAYE (Pay As You Earn) return from companies. Again this is to reduce the administrative burden on companies and citizens, and speed up the registration procedures.

1.3.2 Implementation

The objective with creating a full one-stop-shop for company registration issues have been dealt with in three separate projects so far. These three projects have released the service on the web and upgraded it:

- The first Företagsregistrering eService (then named Kontakt-N) with joint service from Bolagsverket and Skatteverket for start-ups, i.e. registration of a new company and registration for VAT and other taxes.

- Second release of Företagsregistrering eService (project K2), including the electronic submission and also support for changes in running companies.

- Third release of Företagsregistrering eService (project K3), including more possibilities for electronic submission, more support for changes in running companies, fetching of already registered information and two-way communication within the processing of a case.

The real key-point of Företagsregistrering is the interoperability between the government agencies. Both Bolagsverket and

Specific objectives to be achieved: • Creation of a web-

based interface for company and (company)-tax registration

• Provision of a one-stop-shop for company related issues

• Opening of a web-service for filing VAT and PAYE

• Reduction of red-tape and speed up services


Skatteverket have several internal core ICT-systems that needed secure connection with the new front-ends. For both agencies it was a new challenge to build the bridges needed. There was also a need to change some of the internal processes in order to start the manual handling in parallel in both agencies instead of in sequence, with the user in between sending forms and documents from one to the other.

The Företagsregistrering eService consist basically of three parts,

- information and guidance,

- registration of new company,

- registration of changes.

The first part, information and guidance, is essential for a new company and also for SME's in general. The content of this is closely connected to other governmental initiatives to promote and guide people in the start-up process, company owners and self employees. NUTEK, the Swedish Business Development Agency, has call-centre and web portals for guiding these categories to all kinds of relevant information and Bolagsverket and Skatteverket work together in this area now to improve the information and to make the access to it easier. One specific function developed in this part is the possibility to easily and dynamically evaluate the different forms of business in order to choose the right one.

The two following parts are the front ends to the real application. It includes the possibility to store information on a server before it is ready to be submitted. The submission is done electronically with digital signatures using eID (e-legitimation).

For some types of businesses the law is not in place yet so a form needs to be printed out, signed manually and sent in as well. Case capitalises

mainly on following layers of IOP: • Technical IOP

(government e-Link, SHS)

• Semantic IOP (standardisation of terms and data used by both agencies)

• Syntactic IOP (set up of XML-Schemas and common taxonomies by utilisation of standardised data sharing protocol)

• Organisational IOP (Cooperation between different authorities, implementation of a commonly used web-portal as one-stop-shop)

To serve these parts there are functions implemented in the system. These are for instance the possibility for the user to save and recall data before signing and submitting to the authorities, the possibility to fetch already registered information from the authorities' back-end systems in order to make the necessary changes easier. It's also possible to have communication with Bolagsverket regarding specific cases, for instance if the proposed name of a company can’t be accepted.

The ICT-development has been done in-house with some help of consultants.

From the specific interoperability point of view, all layers of interoperability are concerned by the case. The organisational layer of interoperability can be described as an effect of the work with the e-service itself. The large part of the workflow in each agency are unchanged so far since from a internal perspective the e-service is just representing one more in-basket for the work. But in management perspective steps of interoperability has been achieved by defining the common service, seeing the customer together etc.


Semantic interoperability was a necessity in order to set up the common e-service for registration and filing. It began with identifying data and terms on paper forms. Syntactic interoperability has been achieved by structuring information by XML-Schemas and defining common taxonomies.

The technical layer of interoperability was utilised by using the standard government e-Link, SHS, defined by the Swedish Agency for Public Management, Statskontoret. This is an infrastructure for information exchange primarily between authorities in the public sector. Since 1st of January 2006 it’s the new Swedish Administrative Development Agency, Verva, who has taken over the role of Statskontoret.

The e-service provides security and privacy by the use of secure protocols like https and by clearly defining in what step the user submits the information to the agencies. Before that step the data can only be seen and used by the user her/himself with her/his own username and password.

Awareness and Marketing Marketing activities have been undertaken along the way, mainly to create awareness internally. The change from the old traditional bureaucratic authority towards the new eGovernment service organisation is challenging. Building new websites etc. is just one part. People need to walk along, accept it and promote it.

Warranty of security and privacy: • Use of secure

protocols like https • Clearly defined steps

for data submissions by users

Awareness and Marketing: • Internal activities have

been undertaken • Intermediaries as an

important target group have been identified for more efficient marketing of the eServices

They have done it, but they are not ready yet.

To market the eService on the market they have identified the intermediaries as an important target group. Intermediaries can benefit from eService too by using it as a tool when dealing with their clients. They are also a group that can be identified and reached more easily than the group of potential new company starters.

• TV commercials for the marketing of the eIDs

In order to improve the spread of eID which is one important key to get the usage to grow, a TV-commercial campaign was running during spring 2005 which resulted in a high take-up of these eIDs.



When the registration is completed, the client receives a registration notice from Bolagsverket as well as from Skatteverket.

If everything is in order, the company will be registered and a notification forwarded to Skatteverket. With this notification Skatteverket now carries out the taxation registration process which was initiated by the online-form entered by the client. Skatteverket checks the registration data with their databases and integrates the client data into their taxation database.

The business enterprises and the persons to be registered are checked whether they meet the requirements of the law. They compare with the population register, to see if the persons in a business enterprise really exist and have reached the age of 18. Bolagsverket is also notified when a person has been declared bankrupt, has been banned from carrying on business or has died.

At Bolagsverket, the proposed business name is examined, to ensure that it cannot be confused with any other business name in the same branch. The name must not be misleading or appear to be someone else's family name. They also examine other details in an application. For example, a limited company must have a minimum share capital of 100,000 SEK.

With the new e-service a business is started by registering it with foretagsregistrering.se. In the case of a limited company, a trading partnership or an economic association, this is absolutely necessary, as these forms of business enterprise do not really come into existence until they are registered. By filing the offered web-form, the application is forwarded to the company registration authority Bolagsverket and at the same time to the taxation authority Skatteverket.

Workflow description


Receives and checks request

USER

Workflow of Company Registration eService

Receives registration confirmation Forwards registration

results to user

Processing and register checks

Registers for taxation

SKATTEVERKET (TAX AUTHORITY)

BOLAGSVERKET (COMPANY REGISTR.)

Receives and checks request

ONE-STOP-SHOP: FORETAGSREGISTRERING

Registers company

Processing and register checks

Forwards registration results to user

Storage of data, available only for user

Check of digital signatures

Check and distribution of request

Logs on and fills in company registration

on foretagsregistrering.se

Signs and submits application

1.4 Features making it a candidate for good practice exchange

1.4.1 Impact

Performance: • About 10,000 users per

week (foretagsregistrering.se)

Today foretagsregistrering.se has around 10,000 users a week and it is growing rapidly since the latest upgrade and marketing activities. Bolagsverket handles large volumes of information. They register slightly more than 55,000 new business enterprises every year and process a total of 600,000 cases per year. The percentage of online-applications via the new one-stop-shop to Bolagsverket is 20-30% and is growing rapidly. The impact is over expectation at this time. During 2005 around 8% of the total of 100,000 applications regarding registering for VAT etc. filed to Skatteverket came through foretagsregistrering.se and for the applications regarding changes the figure was 16% of the total of 17,000.

The service awareness was measured to 60% among SMEs in Sweden. It's a very high figure that makes it one of the absolute top of eGovernment e-services towards SME:s in Sweden.

A measurement made at Bolagsverket shows that the time for deal with an application and make the decision is reduced by 30% for applications coming via the eService. This was for the less complicated application; other types will show a higher effect. This is to be added to the big and general timesaving that is made by the instant electronic submission instead of mail and the parallel action towards both authorities. Two weeks is saved.

1.4.2 Relevance of the case for other administrations that could learn from the experience

The very innovative part is actually not really new but very efficient. The two existing authorities have only been "combined" by a common single interface for the provision of e-services. At the beginning, the questions were in the foreground whether - at that time - the current way of service delivery is an effective one, i.e. whether it is necessary to register addresses twice, in different format and with different terminology for the same purpose of registering a company respectively of dealing with company issues with the public administration?

Since the answer was "no", the two responsible authorities which belong to two different Ministerial departments sat together negiotiating and agreeing on common syntaxes and datasets for the company registration processes. Hence, they are now able not only to offer a commonly used registration form for companies and companies taxes, but also to remain the possibitlity to directly

• 20-30% of applications to Bolagsverket now electronically and growing rapidly

• 8-16% of applications to Skatteverket now electronically

• Faster processing of eServices at Bolagsverket by 30%

• General time savings of eServices compared to the traditional application of about two weeks

Outreach: • Full outreach in

Sweden and name recognition of service is up to 60%

Innovativeness: • Creation of a

commonly used single interface for existing authorities in order to communicate

• Rethink the effectiveness of existing processes

• Collaboration across departmental borders and agree on common structures


integrate the user data of the registration forms into the legacy system.

Innovativeness: • Check from a legal

point of view which user data are actually needed and which not (but though required by the form)

• Though workflow changes, the existing legacy application is still used

To make this possible, fields and data in a number of forms used for company registration and taxation had to be identified. Then they traced back to the legislation and the need for each information part. Efforts were made to combine and reduce the number of data needed.

In the domain of company registration/taxation it was and still is always possible to cooperate, to work around problems such as laws, different cultures in different organisations etc.

1.4.3 Transferability

This case can be reproduced in the same area in another county but also within other fields of government service. What they have done was to create a common single interface to two existing authorities. Only thing that can stop other to transfer this type of service provision is the will.

Transferability: • Technical IOP: easily

adaptable by use of government e-Link, SHS

• Syntactic/Semantic IOP: certainly standardisation of XML –Schemas, taxonomies (core elements), terms and data had to be adapted or defined from scratch for other service domains or organisations

From the intoperability point of view beside the technical issues like the use of e-Link and SHS the service specific syntactics and semantics certainly have to be defined for other services and domains from scratch or at least had to be adapted to a certain extend. The most important part is the organisational issues, i.e. the way they did it by re-thinking the existing processes and to collaborate though the adherence to different government departments.

The project team will share its knowledge and experience of problem solving on the level of data interchange, semantic interoperability, official secrets legislation etc. to every interested party. They can attend meetings and tell about their case or they could even participate in reference groups in other projects. If possible they are willing to share parts of their developed software.

The project team believes in an open eGovernment development. They also believe that people make the difference more than paper and reports. Therefore this application doesn't try to cover everything.

• Organisational IOP: (Way of cooperation and agreement most important and recommendable. Idea and implementation of a commonly used web-portal as one-stop-shop is also highly transferable

Offers for interested parties: • Knowledge sharing • Presentations at

meetings • Participation in

reference groups and other projects

• Sharing of parts of their developed software


1.5 Results

Benefits: • Makes it easer to run

and start businesses

The service provides various benefits for the different users:

Benefits for the end-user: It makes it easier to start and run a business and it saves time and money.

Benefits for the government: It saves time and money. It is an effective way of transforming government roles into a new interface.

Existing legacy applications didn't had to be touched; hence protection of former investments could have been warranted.

User data of the "new" forms are directly integrated in the respective back-office applications.

Benefits for the economy: The creative man, the one with visions and ideas should be free of extra, unnecessary burdens to be able to do what (s)he is best to do: to run the business and create wealth.

Release from too much administrative work for the purpose of the public administration.

The wide spread of eID is one important key to get the usage to grow. Therefore a TV-commercial campaign was running during spring 2005. The first measurement of the success was the high number of electronically submitted income tax-returns to Skatteverket in 2005. Over 400,000 were using e-legitimating and 2.1 million in total were doing it electronically. This is a growth that shows a readiness for e-services like Företagsregistrering also. They now see a rapid growth on the use of foretagsregistrering.se. Partly as a consequence of the TV-commercial and partly because of the third release of the eService can serve more and is more complete.

As a quite new enhancement of the project, aktiebolag (companies limited by shares) does accept digital signatures since 1st of July 2006, both in law (companies act) and in the eService.

Next step for Företagsregistrering will be a new project partly funded by Vinnova (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems) which will start with the goal to build even more services in conjunction with Företagsregistrering. This aims to make the administration for a start-up and for a running business even more effective by adding connection to more authorities and offer value added services as online creation of business plans etc.

There is also a connection to a project on the European level, Brite, which involves creating interoperability between the official business registers. This in order to support the inner market by for instance creating pan-national connection between the authorities so companies can freely move their legal seat.

• Existing legacy applications didn't had to be touched

• Protection of investments

• Reduction of red-tape which saves time and money for all

• It is an efficient way of transforming government roles into a new interface

Performance: • 2.1 million electronic

filed tax-returns • > 400,000 were using

e-legitimating in 2005 for their tax-return

Impact: • The immense use of

electronic tax-returns incl. e-legitimating shows a high readiness among the population for e-Services in general


1.6 Learning points and conclusions Critical success factors for IOP:

Creating solution that can be used for wider purposes One thing learnt is that having a quite large ambition, reaching also out of the border of the own territory as a specific government agency, is important. It’s a driving force to have wide perspective and see the transforming of government into eGovernment in total. But at the same time it is the small and faster steps that make the development go forward. If Bolagsverket and Skatteverket had stand with only the first goal: to build a total solution including more or less everything in the communication and service between government and companies it’s not sure it would have succeeded. At least we know it would not been ready yet. With the approach to narrow the service created, but still keep the target of creating something that can be used for wider purposes, results could be produced and significant steps be taken.

Start in time in order to make up for delays possibly emerge while the adoption of laws and regulations The adoption of laws and regulations to support the new ways for citizens and companies to file applications and communicate with the governmental agencies are critical for the efficient use of ICT in the public sector. The law and use of ICT must follow each other. This project missed more than one year due to slow moving legislation. So, start in time.

Be ready for unforeseen consequences When starting new e-services it’s most likely the internal processes are affected and changes might take time and be complex. One small change in the chain might have unforeseen consequences. A learning point is that all eGovernment projects have to be ready to handle it when it arises. For this a wide support for the development and the objectives of the specific eService is needed on all management levels of the involved parties.

Adapt legal framework for e-IDs and e-signatures to the needs of companies Another conclusion is that the legal framework for electronic IDs and e-signatures must find a solution for companies to use representatives/intermediates filing the applications and statements electronically. Many companies have either employees or external accounting consultants that normally work with filing etc and they are not allowed today to file them electronically. Here there are still issues to be solved to fully take advantage of the possibility ICT gives for efficient e-services and transformation of Government.

• Development of solutions that can be used for wider purposes

• Start in time to be prepared for delays of single working steps that build upon each other

• Provide support on all management levels in case of occurrence of unforeseen consequences

• Adaptation of legal framework for e-IDs and e-signatures to the needs of companies especially allowing representatives/intermediaries filing applications and statements electronically


Critical success factors for IOP:

High level initiatives that support the project help to overcome difficulties

• High level initiatives that support the project help to overcome difficulties by finding support in policies and goals set on a higher level

As being a collaboration project between two different governmental agencies with different ways of organising work, make decisions, prioritise etc. is rather complex. That makes the high level initiatives for transforming government important so that these kinds of project have chances to overcome difficulties by finding support in policies and goals set on a higher level. To change the old bureaucracy to modern eGovernment the people involved are the keys. In the end it is the power and will of people working within governments that will make the difference.

Collaboration on semantics preconditioned for success • Cross department/

authority agreement on data content and data interpretation has to be found

The agreement of data content of XML-Schemas and the data interpretation across different agencies and different services plays a key role. Each authority uses its own scheme and data structure based on historical use in order to provide public services. The authorities have to come to a common agreement which means that they have to effect a compromise even if they have to accept changes in their basic data bases. So negotiations e.g. about the interpretation of what is a name, what is an address etc. have to take place and commonly agreed.

Existing structures for data exchange and/or collaboration beforehand maybe useful

• Organisational IOP is easier to achieve when collaboration structures are already in place

Data sharing between the agencies was already allowed and legally regulated before the new e-services have been introduced. Also information for clients and brochures have jointly been compiled beforehand. So, organisational interoperability is easier to achieve when structures, even if not in an electronic way, are already in place.


1.7 References and links

All weblinks worked out at the last visit on 22 August 2006.

Shared platform for company registration e-services: https://www.foretagsregistrering.se

Bolagsverket (Swedish Companies Registration Office; the Swedish authority for business register): www.bolagsverket.se

Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency): www.skatteverket.se

eID in Sweden, e-legitimation: www.e-legitimation.se

The 24/7 Agency Delegation. Dir. 2003:81. Resolution at the Cabinet meeting of 18 June 2003 (promotion of e-services within the public administration incl. recommendation of e-identification as a common security solution): http://www.24sju.se/index.php?dir=25

Nutek (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth): www.nutek.se

Verva (Swedish Administrative Development Agency): www.verva.se

Vinnova (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems): www.vinnova.se


https://www.foretagsregistrering.se/

http://www.bolagsverket.se/

http://www.skatteverket.se/

http://www.24sju.se/index.php?dir=25

http://www.nutek.se/

http://www.verva.se/

http://www.vinnova.se/

Annex 1: Assessment Questionnaire for the MODINIS Case Descriptions

In order to ensure the case descriptions meet the information needs of stakeholders in interoperability at the local and regional level, we ask you to complete this short assessment questionnaire. Your feedback will be used to improve the next version of the present case and will also be taken into consideration when writing up more cases to be described in the course of the project. Case being reviewed:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….… 1.) Information content a) Completeness of description 1 5 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| only few all relevant relevant aspects aspects b) Detail of description 1 3 5 3 1 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| too right too many general level details 2.) Length of description 1 3 5 3 1 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| too right too short length long 3.) Structure / headings 1 5 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| unclear clear


4.) Margins 1 3 5 |----------------------|-------------------- --| misleading not necessary good orientation 5.) Learning potential 1 5 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| none at all many new insights 6.) Usefulness for your own work 1 5 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| not at all very much 7.) Transferability of case to your country 1 5 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| not at all very high 8.) Will you get into contact with the contact person? 1 5 |-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------| certainly for sure not Comments ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Your affiliation local/regional national IT academia government government business


Prepared by:

Ralf Cimander and Herbert Kubicek Institut für Informationsmanagement Bremen GmbH (ifib)

Am Fallturm 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany www.ifib.de

Tel.: (+49 421) 218 26 74, Fax: (+49 421) 218 48 94, email: [email protected]

http://www.ifib.de/egov-interoperability

European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA)

Center for Research and Technology Hellas / Institute of Informatics and Telematics (CERTH/ITI)

Prepared for:

European Commission Information Society and Media Directorate-General eGovernment Unit Tel (32-2) 299 02 45 Fax (32-2) 299 41 14 E-mail [email protected] Website europa.eu.int/egovernment_research

http://www.ifib.de/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ifib.de/egov-interoperability

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