4
0
High levels of
0
4
0
0
3
0
0
3
0
poverty
Lack in natural
0,02
1
0,02
0,036
2
0,072
0
1
0
resources
Economic and
0,018
4
0,072
0,022
3
0,066
0
2
0
political
stability
Currency
0,19
1
0,19
0,033
1
0,033
0,4
1
0,4
outfl ow due to
fl
e-Commerce
Technological
0,09
1
0,09
0,15
1
0,15
0,018
1
0,018
inflow
fl
Scores: Lower=1,
Below Average=2, Over Average=3, Highest=4
Total
1
2,629
1
2,521
1
2,586
E-Strategic Management Lessons from Greece 233
Table 17.3 The IFE Matrix for the Greek Strategies
Internal Factors
Information Society
Digital Convergence
Digital Convergence II
Opportunities
Weight Rating Results Weight Rating Results Weight Rating Results
Training activities
0,11
4
0,44 0,068
3
0,204 0,016
3
0,048
Popularity
0,009
1
0,009 0,017
1
0,017
0
2
0
ICT contribution to 0,068
3
0,204
0,02
3
0,06 0,028
3
0,084
national growth
Telecommunica-
0,06
3
0,18 0,067
3
0,201
0
4
0
tions’ costs
reduction
Market liberation
0,2
3
0,6 0,118
3
0,354
0,46
3
1,38
ICT industry’s
0,1
1
0,1 0,041
2
0,082
0
3
0
growth
Income from
0,24
3
0,72
0,48
3
1,44
0,41
3
1,23
e-Commerce sales
Weaknesses
Weberian adminis-
0,041
1
0,041 0,023
1
0,023
0,02
1
0,02
tration structure
Organizational
0,1
1
0,1
0,06
1
0,06
0,02
1
0,02
change
Digital skills held by 0,044
2
0,088 0,034
2
0,068 0,016
2
0,032
the civil servants
national contribu-
0,004
4
0,016
0
4
0
0
4
0
tion (25 percent of
strategic funding)
Legal framework
0,008
3
0,024
0,01
2
0,02 0,006
1
0,006
adjustment
Complex public
0,008
1
0,008 0,032
1
0,032
0
1
0
procurement
system
Public Corruption
0,008
1
0,008
0,03
1
0,03 0,024
1
0,024
Scores: Lower=1, Below Average=2, Over Average=3, Highest=4
Total
1
2,538
1
2,591
1
2,844
234 Leonidas G. Anthopoulos, Dimitrios Triantafyllou, and Panos Fitsilis
Table 17.4 The CPM for the Greek Cases
Information Society
Digital Convergence
Digital Convergence II
Critical Success
Factors
Weight Rating Results Weight Rating Results Weight Rating Results
Citizen and supplier
0,24
1
0,24
0,48
2
0,96
0,22
2
0,44
demand
National political
0,125
4
0,5
0,14
4
0,56
0,24
4
0,96
willing
Objectives’
0,125
4
0,5
0,14
3
0,42
0,24
4
0,96
determination
Managerial
0,041
3
0,123
0,023
4
0,092 0,0137
4
0,0548
effi
ciency
ffi
Organizational
0,11
1
0,11 0,0684
2
0,1368
0,01
4
0,04
change
Eff ective
ff
planning
0,041
3
0,123 0,0232
3
0,0696 0,0147
4
0,0588
Skills and knowledge 0,114
3
0,345 0,0559
4
0,2236 0,0226
4
0,0904
ICT infrastructure
0,204
4
0,816 0,0695
2
0,139
0,239
1
0,239
Scores: Lower=1,
Below Average=2, Over Average=3, Highest=4
Total
1
2,754
1
2,601
1
2,843
The above results confi
firm the strong alignment of the Greek e-strategies to
the European ones. The fi
first e-strategy scores highest on the EFE matrix
since it aligned fully to the European directives. On the other hand, the
Information Society’s low performance on the IFE and the CPM matrixes
could be interpreted as low penetration and adoption of the strategic out-
comes. The IFE and the CPM matrixes rank best for the Digital Conver-
gence II; these calculations were based on hypothetical values, since strategic
objectives and budget assignments have not yet been determined. Further-
more, the Information Society performs worse at both the IFE matrix and
the CPM since it did not succeed in its targets, while many of its projects
shifted to the Digital Convergence strategy.
3.2 The Synthesis Phase
The strategy map visualizes the synthesis of the Greek strategies. Authors
studied the strategic documents and extracted the vision and the objectives,
and assigned priorities and actions to the respective pillars (Figures 17.2,
17.3, and 17.4).
E-Strategic Management Lessons from Greece 235
e-business
Financial
Administration’s
Migration
Productivity
cost reduction
to €
growth
Citizen
Citizen
Customer
centered
Service
Offices
Internal
20 primary
Broadband
Market
Infra-
Processes
digital
diffusion
deliberation
structures
services
National School for
Learning
ICT lessons
National ICT
Public
and growth
at schools
qualification
Administration
(ECDL)
Figure 17.2 The strategy map of the Greek Information Society.
Information Society’s strategic priorities were mostly fi
financial due to the
national priority of joining the Euro Group, while its internal processes
concerned mostly the ICT market deliberation. The Information Society
paid signifi
ficant attention on training activities and on ICT skills’ profi lin
fi
g,
but t did not support customer-oriented objectives.
Financial
ICT
Business
G2B
e-business
business
growth
services
growth
Citizen
Customer
Ermis
centered
portal
Internal
20 primary
ICT
Legal
Managerial
Processes
digital
observatory
framework
efficiency
services
ICT skills
Learning
Digital
Reintegration
by the
and growth
Content
support with
civil
the ICT
servants
Figure 17.3 The strategy map of the Digital Convergence.
236 Leonidas G. Anthopoulos, Dimitrios Triantafyllou, and Panos Fitsilis Financial
Solutions’ re-
Standardiza
Solutions’
Standardiza-
usability
tion
reusability
tion
Transparen
Accountab
Customer
Tr
cy
ansparency
A
ility
Accountability
ccountabilit
Digital
Internal
Greek e-
OpenGov
Digital
Signature
Processes
G
GIF
reek e-GIF
dire
Op ctives
enGov
Signature
Alliance
directives
Alliance
Learning
Open public
Excellency
and growth
content
Figure 17.4 The strategy map of the Digital Convergence II.
The Digital Convergence supported strongly the development of the national
ICT industry and delivered customer-oriented outcomes such as the Greek
one-stop government portal (Ermis). Moreover, iznternal re-organization
was supported with legal framework’s adjustment and with managerial effi-
ciency by the project organizations. Learning activities were weakened and
mostly concerned digital content production.
Finally, the Digital Convergence II makes a strong transition to the open
government directives. Accountability has been obtained with the publi-
cation of public spending (www.diavgeia.gov.gr), whereas transparency is
supported with projects such as the Urban Planning e-Service and with pub-
lic consultation of all political and administrative decisions (www.opengov.
gr). Moreover, this recent e-strategy pays attention to standardization via
the Greek e-GIF and with the determination of minimum standards for the
ICT systems and e-services. Internal processes’ transformation and integra-
tion are still bellow national expectations.
3.3 The Evaluation Phase
The Greek Information Society Observatory (www.observatory.gr) measures
projects’ deliverables and compares them to the European strategic objec-
tives. The Observatory follows multi-criteria evaluation models defi ne
fi d by
the European Development Cooperation Directorate (European Commission,
2005). Authors used Observatory’s reports and delivered the following:
• Ex-post evaluation of the Information Society shows a prioritization
on education, training, and employment, and 37 percent success to
e-Government objectives.
Weerakkody & Reddick 2nd pages.indd 236
8/28/2012 10:23:42 AM
E-Strategic Management Lessons from Greece 237
• Intermediate evaluation of the Digital Convergence (Information
Society Special Secretariat, 2010) returns difficulties in e-service
deployment and high operational costs, due to ICT national market’s
ineffi
fficiencies. Strategic spending is poor after a 3-year period due to
insuffi
fficient project planning and to complexities of the national pro-
curement system. Ex-post analysis is not available since it requires a
3-year period after completion.
Authors also performed ex-ante evaluations according to the European
Quality Grid (European Commission, 2006), which show that the Infor-
mation Society performed satisfactorily, whereas political and managerial
ineffi
fficiencies caused projects’ progress to be and a shift to the Digital Con-
vergence. The Digital Convergence had quite a clear strategic vision, and
its integrity was inelastic against external threats due to accurate strategic
objectives and to the inherited experience from the previous strategy.
Finally, the Digital Convergence II does not recognize the fi
financial
crisis although the European Digital Agenda—to which it aligns—does.
Since 2009, the international fi
&nb
sp; fiscal crisis has revealed chronic problems
of the Greek economy and of the public sector; however, a number of
initiatives that aim to transform public Administration have been under-
taken, such as (a) accountability (diavgeia.gr), (b) electronic prescriptions,
(c) new tax processing system (TAXIS), (d) use of the European Public
Procurement System (PEPPOL), and (d) the adoption of receipt citizen
smart card for purchases. Despite measures and initiatives the national
debt rose further.
3.4 The Implementation Phase
The implementation of the Greek e-strategies (Anthopoulos, Gerogian-
nis, & Fitsilis, 2010) and the major strategic deliverables were presented
in Section 2.2. The strategic organization was complex and consisted of various stakeholders whose duties were overlapped: (a) the Special
Secretariat for the Information Society had to provide with directives
and obligations the Ministers; (b) the General Secretariat for Informa-
tion Systems of the Ministry of Finance was responsible for tax based
services; (c) the General Secretariat for e-Government of the Ministry of
Interior was responsible for administrative services; and (d) the General
Secretary for Telecommunications was responsible for ICT market delib-
eration. This authorization’s overlap was accompanied by a complex
procurement system and with diffi
fficulties in contributing 25 percent to
national funding and lead to signifi
ficant implementation delays. In order
to visualize projects and budget distribution during strategic implemen-
tation, fi
fifteen major ICT projects (Table 17.5) of a total funding of €658
million were investigated and presented on (Figure 17.5), showing huge diff
fferentiation in e-strategic performance, with best ranking by the years
of 1999, 2006 and 2010.
238 Leonidas G. Anthopoulos, Dimitrios Triantafyllou, and Panos Fitsilis
Figure 17.5 Spending distribution during e-strategic implementation.
Table 17.5 Major Large-Scale Projects Funded by the Greek E-Strategies
Completion
Title
Client
Budget (€)
a
1999
ariadne
Ministry of Interior
76.077.649,84
b
2000
ulesse (odysseas)
Ministry of Education
2.436.806,46
c
2002
«taxis-net»
Ministry of Finance
13.908.382,76
d
2003
digital urban planning
Ministry for Urban Planning
4.244.144,05
e
2003
e-Meteo
Ministry of Transportation
14.398.694,11
f
2004
e-business
Ministry of Education
16.656.043,62
g
2004
ict for businesses (a)
Ministry of Commerce
37.984.070,32
h
2005
ict for businesses (b)
Ministry of Commerce
80.933.310,62
i
2005
syzefxis
Ministry of Interior
86.659.945,96
j
2006
e-business
Ministry of Commerce
181.497.114,61
k
2006
Public Sector Transformation Through E-Government Page 41
