UNDERSTANDING PROCESSES IN eGOVERNMENT: INTEGRATING HIGHER EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN AN INTERNATIONAL BLENDED LEARNING PROGRAM

Abstract

Abstract: eGovernment seems to be a popular answer to the tough demands for change on the public administration of today. But eGovernment cannot be efficiently and effectively be integrated into the public institution, if there is no understanding of the underlying processes and the ways of enhancing them with modern Information and Communication Technologies. Hence, public administration institutions have a high demand for a sustainable qualification of current and future employees. This paper works out an eGovernment qualification program on the basis of a blended learning arrangement. It integrates four educational dimensions (intersectoral, interdisciplinary, international education and different learning arrangements) in a holistic approach and proposes a pattern based approach as a tool for the designer of a concrete qualification program. The overall concept presented here derives its basis from the empirical case-based research in the EU TEMPUS TACIS SCM project IQeG – Integrative Qualification in eGovernment (No. SCM-T037A05-2005). The findings show, that it is possible to implement an integrative eGovernment qualification program in the near future by using the courses designed as additional courses in present higher education institutions. Nevertheless it should be possible to further enhance the concept and build up an international eGovernment executive master program building upon the results of this paper. 1. Motivation