his report summarises the e-government context in Karlstad, based on interviews with staff from the city, and identifies factors that they feel shape their local e-government context and their involvement in the Smart Cities project. The local e-government environment varies tremendously across the North Sea Region of the EU, with municipal strategies being shaped by very different national, regional and local policy contexts and political and technological agendas. This is the third of a series of six reports summarising the local e-government environment in six municipalities from six different countries who are participating in the Smart Cities Interreg IVb project.

1. Understanding e-government
in Karlstad
Summary & Context
The local e-government environment varies tremendously across the North
Sea Region of the EU, with municipal strategies being shaped by very different
national, regional and local policy contexts and political and technological Project Context Map
agendas. This series of reports summarises the local e-government environment
in six municipalities from six different countries who are participating in the No.3
Smart Cities Interreg IVb project. The reports allow project partners to review
their local e-government context, and helps us identify to common factors
across project partners, along with areas of difference between partners. This
report summarises the e-government context in Karlstad, based on interviews
with staff from the Kommun, and identifies factors that they feel shape their
local e-government context and their involvement in the Smart Cities project.
In meeting these aims, the report draws upon two diagrams and a supporting
table, these being:
• The main policies underpinning Karlstad’s involvement;
• Those projects supporting Karlstad’s involvement in Smart Cities;
• The source material underpinning Karlstad’s involvement in the
Smart Cities project and supporting them as drivers for change.
The information in this document is derived from publicly available descriptions
supplied by Karlstad and the University.
Key Facts:
The Smart Cities project Karlstad
Figure 1 illustrates the organisations that Karlstad has identified as being City Council (Kommun)
significant to the City’s involvement in the Smart Cities project. within Värmland County,
in unitary state (Sweden).
The main top level driver for Karlstad’s participation in the project (along with
all project partners) is INTERREG IVB North Sea, funded by the European Populations:
Union (EU). The INTERREG initiative is designed to strengthen economic City – 84 000
and social cohesion throughout the European Union, by fostering the balanced
Värmland County – 277 000
development of the continent through cross-border, transnational and
interregional cooperation. A principal aim of the Programme is to expand the Sweden – 9 341 000
scope of territorial cooperation and focus on high quality projects in innovation,
the environment, accessibility, and sustainable and competitive communities.
The 2007-2013 Programme connects regions from seven countries around the
North Sea, incorporating policy level planning and the long lasting and tangible
effects of projects. The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 works
with cutting edge policy areas in regional development through transnational
projects.
Smart Cities
This is one of the projects funded through the programme. The general aim of
the Smart Cities project is to create an innovation network between governments
and academic partners leading to excellence in the domain of the development
and take-up of e-services. The city’s involvement in the project’s work is focussed
on one work package: customer services (WP3). Karlstad is not taking part in
the wireless services workpackage (WP4) nor customer profiling (WP5). E-CLIC
is another relevant INTERREG project, Although Karlstad Kommun itself is not
taking part, Värmlands region and Karlstad University are, so E-CLIC has been
included as part of the project context

2. Europe
European Union Regional Development
INTERREG IVB
Efficiency and cost
SIS Standards
savings
Compliance ITIL
Improved customer
services
Sweden
eGovernment Strategy for
Central Delegation Government
Government agencies
ESV
Action plan for
Municipal Associations eGovernance
Sambruk
CommITS SKL
Single face
to industry
Economic Devel
Region Environment
Värmland Culture
County
Admin Board
Economic Devel
eHealth in
E-CLIC
Region Värmland
Customer service Compare
Ease of use
Electronic forms
Secure login KAU
Karlstad
City of Karlstad
Action Plan
2009 - 2011
Smart Cities
Fig 1:
Main policy drivers for City of Karlstad
NB All items are linked to or supporting Smart Cities

3. Smart Cities is one of the projects funded through the programme. The general
aim of the Smart Cities project is to create an innovation network between
governments and academic partners leading to excellence in the domain of the
development and take-up of e-services.
The city’s involvement in the project’s work is focussed on one work package:
customer services (WP3). Karlstad is not taking part in the wireless services
workpackage (WP4) nor customer profiling (WP5).
E-CLIC is another relevant INTERREG project, Although Karlstad Kommun itself
is not taking part, Värmlands region and Karlstad University are, so E-CLIC
has been included as part of the project context.
Fig 2:
eGovernment Projects most relevant to Smart Cities
for Karlstad.
Delegation
SIS
Programmes &
KAU Projects
Strategy Citizen
Communication
Unit Standards
Compliance
eOffice
Citizen oriented
organisational
Karlstad development
Kommun
Customer
Contact Centre
Action Plan
2009-2011
IT Department Website
Personalised login
karstad.se
Task-based
Services
Service Catalog
Enhanced Services
Smart Cities
WP3

4. Värmland County
The main responsibility of the Värmland County Council is to provide medical
and dental care services for the inhabitants and visitors. It is responsible for
delivery of e-health, which is the biggest driving force in Sweden when it comes
to developing a base on which to construct more advanced e-services.
The county also provides a infrastructure for local organisation of services,
including Värmland Region, the public body responsible for promoting regional
development in Värmland. The general aims are to create competitiveness
and sustainable growth through initiating, coordinating and supporting regional
development. The organisation, which was founded in May 2001, consists of 16
municipalities and the County Council of Värmland.
The County Administrative Board implements decisions made by parliament
and the government. An increasing level of the Board’s work is concerned
with influencing the factors that form the basis for economic development and
employment, better protection for the environment and the conservation of
cultural heritage.
Karlstad
As Figure 2 shows, the involvement of the municipality of Karlstad Kommun in
the project is led by the e-office of its IT department. Projects/drivers relevant
to Smart Cities are Personalised login, Task-based services, Service Catalogue
and Enhanced services.
Karlstad’s Citizen Communication project aims to support Karlstad municipality’s
communication with its citizens through different channels such as contact
centres, website and e-services. It coordinates the development of the e-Office
(which links directly with the Smart Cities project) and the customer contact
centre and the municipal website, Karlstad.se.
At the local level, Compare, the IT cluster of Karlstad, plays an important role
in development. It consists of around 100 companies, which together offer a
broad range of competence that stretches from products to usability research
and telecom consulting. The cluster contains large international groups and small
family businesses.
Source information
The table below gives descriptions of projects and bodies related to the Karl-
stad City’s involvement in Smart Cities, together with links for further information
(some may be in Swedish).
Table 1 Name: Smart Cities
Details of significant entities
www.smartcities.info
The project aims to understand which e-services work best and why; it will
facilitate transfer of e-Government successes across national borders; it will
identify and support the real transformational impacts of such transfer of good
practices on local government; it will equip decision makers with the knowledge
and ambition to achieve further innovation in the delivery of e-enabled public
services; and will engage national authorities in this ambition. At the European
level, the project will support the creation and growth of communities of practice
across the NSR building organisational commitment to and capacity for inter-
regional government service sharing. Smart Cities will raise the bar in many
aspects.

5. Name: INTERREG IVB North Sea
www.northsearegion.eu/ivb/home
The Interreg initiative is designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion
throughout the European Union, by fostering the balanced development of the
continent through cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation.
The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 works with cutting edge policy
areas in regional development through transnational projects.
A principal aim of the Programme is to expand the scope of territorial
cooperation and focus on high quality projects in innovation, the environment,
accessibility, and sustainable and competitive communities.
The 2007-2013 Programme connects regions from seven countries around the
North Sea, incorporating policy level planning and the long lasting and tangible
effects of projects.
Name: E-CLIC
www.e-clic.eu
Project building a cluster in the North Sea Region in the area of broadband
services, media technology, broadband systems, usability and testing, while
maintaining a balance between competencies, industry and academia.
The consortium brings together 16 partners from six member states.
The partners have considerable expertise and experience in the fields of
interest to E-CLIC, and the project combines a unique set of partner skills.
Name: The Swedish government
www.regeringen.se
Name: Action Plan for e-Governance (Handlingsplan för eFörvaltning)
www.regeringen.se/sb/d/8595
The document highlights the prioritised policy areas until 2010, indicates the
responsible Government departments and defines the necessary coordination
with municipalities and regions (county councils).
The primary objective of the action plan is for Sweden to regain a leading
position within the eGovernment area by 2010 by having ‘the world’s simplest
Administration’ (http://www.epractice.eu/node/281686)
Name: eGovernment Delegation
www.en.edelegationen.se
Established to strengthen the development of e-government and create good
opportunities for inter-agency coordination. The e-delegation will coordinate
the IT-based development projects of government agencies and follow up their
impact on citizens, business operators and public administration employees.
A further task of the e-delegation is to coordinate specific IT standardisation
issues and assist the Government in the international work in this area.

6. Name: Kammarkollegiet
www.kammarkollegiet.se
The Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency.
Name: ESV
www.esv.se
The Swedish National Financial Management Authority.
Name: SKL Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions
www.skl.se
SALAR is an employer’s organization for municipalities, county councils and
regions. We look after the interests of our members and offer them support and
services.
We raise issues, act decisively and enlighten public opinion.
Our mission is to provide municipalities, county councils and regions with better
conditions for local and regional self-government. Our vision is to develop the
welfare system and its services.
Name: Sambruk
www.sambruk.se
Municipalities for Joint Development of e-Services.
Name: KommITS
www.kommits.se
ICT in small and medium sized municipalities.
Name: SIS
www.sis.se
Swedish Standards Institute For Swedish companies and organisations, it can
be essential to be aware of, to be involved in and to influence developments
in their respective markets. This happens through SIS - lobbying/training
organisation.
Name: Carelink
www.carelink.se
Unified IT services in health-care.

8. Name: Compare
www.compare.se
Compare, the IT cluster of Karlstad, Sweden, consists of approx 100
companies, offering a broad range of competence that stretches from
products to usability research and telecom consulting. The cluster
contains large international groups and small family businesses.
Name: Karlstad Municipality (Kommun)
www.karlstad.se
Responsible for areas including
• Environment, Housing & Traffic • Children & Education
• Caring & Support • Culture & Leisure
• Tourism & Conference • Business & establishment
Name: Citizen communication project
The project aims to support Karlstad municipality’s communication with
its citizens through different channels such as contact centres, website
and e-services.
Name: Karlstad University
www.kau.se
Karlstad University is providing research in business and service
development. They are dealing with the use of business process
modelling, goal modelling, launching and adoption of e-services,
indicators and measurements according to e-services and service logic.
www.smartcities.info
www.epractice.eu/community/smartcities
The Smart Cities project is creating an innovation network between cities and academic
partners to develop and deliver better e-services to citizens and businesses in the North
Sea Region. Smart Cities is funded by the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme of the
European Union.
Smart Cities is PARTLY funded by the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme of the
European Union. The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 works with regional
development projects around the North Sea. Promoting transnational cooperation, the
Programme aims to make the region a better place to live, work and invest in.
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