Local e-Government in Sweden - Municipal Contact Center implementation with focus on Citizens and Public Administrators

Abstract The aim of the article is to analyze the implementation of municipal contact centers (CCs) – an e-government initiative on the local level- from the perspectives of citizens and public adiminstrators. This article is based on case studies from four Swedish municipalites. The results indicate that the CCs: contribute to increased access to municipal service, localize public services and combine different services into a one-stop practice striving to provide a “holistic” approach to the individual citizen in her local context. However, the quality of the service also depends on the organization of the work within the back office of the municipality. All issues from citizens were registered which contribute to increased knowledge about the citizens’ needs and perceptions regarding municipality services and planning in urban issues.