The kick off meeting on June 19 inspired new ideas on the conduct and purpose of the project. In light of the common understanding of the European Commission, and the project team adjustments will be made to the original proposal. Here below we describe the main conclusions of the meeting and their effect on the conduct of the study. Chapter 2 will give a detailed description of the research approach and how it will be adjusted to address these requirements

1.1 General guidelines for the project:

1) Context: This project should be seen within the framework of the eGovernment action plan and the 'High impact services' and Efficiency and Effectiveness of eGovernment in particular.

2) Goal: Create a pan-European vision for the future of European e-Government initiatives;

3) Objectives:

• Making the business case for pan-European (innovative, adaptive) services as part of the European competitiveness agenda.
• Develop a sound method for determining what the key (high impact) services are on which it should focus in developing its eGovernment policies.
• Increase understanding of pan-European eGovernment services and their importance among new actors.
• Contributing 2 composite indicators on impact and an impact assessment framework for pan-European eGovernment services.

4) Form: The study is not an academic piece of work, and will deliver concrete outputs. The number of deliverables may be reduced to concentrate of delivery of the central objectives.

5) Synergies: The team will be pragmatic and build on work already available and to seek for synergies with other projects where feasible and effective. For example: coordinate selection of experts and case studies; presence at conferences, work shop timing.

1.2 Specific guidelines

1) Definitions (WP1): The project will define key concepts up front:

• Innovative (design, process, delivery, outcome)
• Adaptive (transferable, adjustable, flexible)
• Pan-European (cross border, Trans-European, pan-European)
• Services (transactional, decision making support, etc.)
  

2) Case studies (WP2): Selection of case studies will be related to the themes of the eGovernment Action Plan

3) Timing (WP3): Early in the project, but no later than March '07 the project will present composite indicators on impact and readiness to inform discussions on the eEurope benchmark indicators for 2008.

4) Communication/dissemination:

• The website will be developed in the first months of the project and all files and capabilities will be transferable to the EC eGovernment website.
• Brochure for the project will be produced - following the EC design example - in a low cost folder format, containing basic information and contact details.
• Communication plan: distributing results and engaging/informing the stakeholder community.
• All presentations will conform to the EC eGovernment style incorporating relevant logos
  

1.3 Lay out of the project

The essential elements of activity in the study are proposed as follows:

1. Define concepts. Establish the state of play, likely future developments (drivers, enablers, barriers, etc), in the development of pan-European eGovernment services, also taking account of the political context (e.g. autumn 2007 eGovernment conference in Portugal). Who and what are the key drivers? Provide first indication of the likely high impact services that could be rolled out at a pan-European level? (WP1)

2. Identify a long list of 12 and a short list of cases and conducting 6 (may be less) case studies; describing what the key services should be; find effective examples and study their essential features, the motivations of key actors and to build the argument why the EC would develop these services and how they can be made 'pan-European'. (WP2)

3. Develop an impact assessment framework to build the business case for developing these services. (WP3)

4. Design measurement tools to track progress and measure impact: develop composite indicators on readiness and impact (WP3)

5. Ensure adaptability and transferability of these services and their implementation solutions across Europe and between different layers of government (i.e. interoperability issues, adaptability to new information, trends, technology) - EC will clarify further what it means exactly with adaptability (WP4)

6. Disseminate project outcomes to encourage wider buy in and ownership from stakeholder community (WP5)