Methodology (WP 2 Academic network SCRAN)
led by Edinburgh Napier University (Edinburgh, UK)

The academic network will be led by Edinburgh Napier University . Their major role is to offer hands-on support to the government partners, to qualify good practices and to accurately translate the pilots in transferable good practice, white papers and methodologies. Outputs will be presented to the epractice.eu network (DG Info), academic publications and central governments. For WP3, WP4 and WP5 is an international conference planned.

Customer Services and Service Platform (WP 3 Customer services)
led by city of Kristiansand (Norway) and the city of Kortrijk (Belgium)

A. Joint architecture of workflows and information systems

Although local and regional governments have access to powerful and well-established technologies, one of the key challenges is the architecture the information system. The partners will benchmark each other approaches and co-design solutions.

B. Joint development of localized, personalized, pro-active services

Citizens expect e-services are localized, personalized and pro-active. Smart Cities will test out a new methodol-ogy co-designed with target groups instead of designed by administrations. In year 2 all partners will offer a simi-lar set of geoservices (‘tell me where you are and I inform you about the neares services/shops/…’) which will be an example for the whole NSR. The co-design methodology also will be used for reduction of red tape (Regula-tions Pressure) by looking at forms, procedures and services through the eyes of citizens and business.

C. Defining service declarations and product catalogues

The UK ESD-Toolkit is a well-established solution used both in England and Scotland. The solution (methodolo-gies, instruments, service model) will be transferred to all regions in close co-operation with national authorities.

D. Developing Standards and Indicators

The academic partners will develop common methodologies to allow governments to analyze their digital case handling processes. Indicators for evaluation of processes and quality of administrative services will be developed to assist managerial reporting. An output is the common definition of a service connector.

Wireless City Services (WP 4 Wireless services)
led by city of Groningen (Netherlands)

The wide use of mobile phones and the emerging of wifi-networks in cities enable local governments to deliver new services, or to adapt existing e-services to bring them closer to citizens or workers on the move. Research shows that e-services enabled for mobile phone manage to reach social groups who currently make limited use of public e-services.

There will be co-designed pilots about providing timely information on public transport (Bremerhaven), offering access to back-office services in public areas (Kortrijk), co-designing projects together with police (Groningen) and wireless broadband for all (Norfolk). Results: New mobile services, shared experience and adaptation of these services, benefits capture (efficiency, costs).

User Involvement, Profiling and Take-up (WP 5 Customer profiling)
led by Norfolk County County (UK)

Often new e-services are technology-initiated. Smart Cities starts with the user. Sociology, marketing and eco-nomic science has a lot to offer to developers of e-services. Combined wit the methods of co-design the Smart Cities partners will have a strong mix of knowledge and practices to do a better customer profiling and channel choice. This will result in the development of common indicators, white papers and an international conference.
Edinburgh will above this focus on third party support.

Mainstreaming (WP 6 Mainstreaming)
led by intercommunale Leiedal (Belgium)

Goal of the mainstreaming activities is to get central governments involved in the project in such a way that they really understand the potential of pilots and methodologies. This will facilitate a translation of these bottom-up pi-lots to national strategies with the potential that the solutions are rolled-out nationwide . Twice a year an Interna-tional Mainstreaming Group is planned where the decision makers judge the work done and will be able to steer the project. There is a commitment from all 7 central governments to get involved in the project.

Over 20 regional E-Government Academies are planned.

Another target group is the European administration (DG Info, DG Regio). A community will be launched on the epractice.eu framework solely focused on proven (and well documented) transfer of good NSR e-practice across national borders. The North Sea Region will be set as an example for the whole European Union.

Project management (WP 1 Project Management)
led by Intercommunale Leiedal (Belgium)

This involves:

• Training financial officers partner regions
• Ongoing write-up and analysis of on-going activities and lessons learnt
• Organisation of the International Mainstreaming Group (IMG)
• Organisation e-Services Boot Camps
• Organisation of Technical Meetings