The practicality of public service integration

The concept of public service integration constitutes the current tendency in the context of joined up government initiatives. Integration enables public agencies to share their objectives across organizational boundaries, whereby information and services can be shared among ministries and government entities in a way that avoid data redundancy, boost up the efficiency of internal government processes, increase employees' productivity and ultimately provide citizen with high quality services and better level of governmental interaction. Jordanian government is now challenged to deliver an expanding set of services to a growing number of constituents whose expectations are in increase. Recent geopolitical, economic, health and social conditions are rapidly changing on the landscape, and have been impacted by the surrounding political unrest, resulting in Jordanian government having to overstretch its capabilities and cope. In this paper, the practicality of integrating online public services is investigated from government employee's views, in specific ministries for certain services. Licensing services have been considered in this paper, and that because those services have been flagged as the most commonly used online services by the study participants, and currently offered through several dispersed portals and service providers. The study aimed at answering questions related to the practicality of integrating public services in Jordan. Five areas have emerged as major themes in the context of this paper: The misconception of the definition of public service integration with electronic Government, Drivers and Barriers from intraorganisational view, the readiness and willingness towards integration, and potential services where integration may occur. The preliminary results emerged from this paper show that there is a necessity to push further in the public service integration process, especially for specific services that require the involvement of several service providers. Integrating health and social services have been highlighted through the data analysis, especially for the recently established Syrian refugee camps in Jordan. Overall data analysis has revealed that the level of support provided by the E-government program plays a vital role in eliminating possible barriers stand out against public service integration, and promotes a better understanding of e-government integration. The result of this study pointed at service integration as the key element to more cost effective service delivery.