Burden reduction is a key issue in modern public administrations’ and businesses’ agendas. Compliance with mandatory regulations can have a direct impact on a country’s economic performance, growth, and development. Research in this area, contributes to a better understanding of the implications and context of administrative burden, and increases the efficiency of the strategies adopted to reduce it. The goal of this study is to undertake a review of the current state of the art on Administrative Burden Reduction (ABR), in order to gain a deeper insight about the subject, identify current gaps, and better plan for future research. A total of 122 papers were identified as relevant, out of a pool of 742 papers retrieved from the current literature. The relevant papers were analyzed across four dimensions: methodology, type and focus, and targeted stakeholders. Three key gaps were identified and discussed in relation to: citizen orientated services and burden reduction; empirical research and post-initiative re-evaluation; and, the role of stakeholders, interest groups and end-users in driving ABR. Lastly a conceptual framework model and next steps are proposed. The research is part of a larger project on ICT facilited Administrative Burden Reducation at UNU-EGOV. For more: https://egov.unu.edu/research/electronic-governance-and-administrative-burden-reduction.html#outline Authors: Morten Meyerhoff Nielsen, Nuno Ramos Carvalho, Linda Gonçalves Veiga, Luís Soares Barbosa Presented in http://www.icegov.org/track/four/ 7 March 2017, at ICEGOV2017 (www.icegov.org) 7-10 March 2017, New Delhi (India).

1. Administrative Burden Reduction Over Time:
Literature Review, Trends and Gap Analysis
MORTEN MEYERHOFF NIELSEN NUNO R. CARVALHO LINDA VEIGA LUIS S. BARBOSA
UNU-EGOV & TTU-RND UNU-EGOV UNU-EGOV & UMinho UNU-EGOV & UMinho

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Background
• Study (2016) found a scarcity of EGOV for ABR case studies.
• Arendsen et al. (2014) analyze the administrative infrastructure for business-to-
government information transfer in the Netherlands.
• Positive perceptions of the gains in terms of cost savings prevail.
• Organizational characteristics such as size, attitude and capacity of ICT staff, are
positively correlated with perceived burden reductions and effectiveness of
implementation.
• Organizational readiness is the key factor for adoption of electronic public
services.

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Objectives
• General objectives
• Deeper insight in the ABR literature
• Identify which sub-topics require further attention
• Specific objectives
• Identifying trends and patterns in the current literature
• Analyze case studies
• Perform comparative analysis
• Determine which models (esp. their quantification) are most popular

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Some Definitions
Administrative burden is…the cost to business or citizens of
carrying out administrative activities that they would not
carry out in the absence of regulation, but that they have to
undertake in order to comply with it… (OECD, 2008)
Regulation is…the act of regulating, i.e. an
authoritative rule dealing with details or
procedure, a rule or order issued by an executive
authority or regulatory agency of a government
and having the force of law… (Merriam-Webster)
Administrative cost…the costs to business or citizens of
carrying out administrative activities in order to comply with
regulations that impose information obligations (IOs)… and
compliance cost... the total costs incurred in complying with a
given regulation (OECD, 2008)

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Publication Patterns
Of 742 papers, 122 are relevant (16.4%). Number of relevant publications identified out
of total publications by year (1 January 1970 – 31 May 2016)

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Publication Patterns
Word cloud of words found in
relevant papers’ abstracts, by
frequency (bigger font size
implies higher frequency).

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Methodology Patterns
Prevailing methodologies used as a
percentage of relevant papers identified.
A large number of studies use a mix of
methodologies.
The dominating method is indicated.

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Methodology Patterns

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Type of Study Patterns
Type of studies as a percentage of
relevant papers identified.

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Type of Studies Patterns
Emergence of the SCM, have led to increased policy focus and increase in studies.
Comparative studies are limited often due to a lack of good quality data.

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Countries Covered by Single Case Studies
Comparative studies
tend to be empirical
studies and focus on
20+ countries or
groups of mainly EU
countries.

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Topics Covered of Total Relevant Papers
Overwhelming focus on business
related burdens, incl. growth, job-
creation, through reduction of red-tape
and increased backoffice efficiency.

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Topics Covered Over Time

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Stakeholders and End-users Addressed in Research
Overwhelming focus on backend
burden reduction followed by the
private sector related service areas.

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Stakeholders and End-users Addressed in Research

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Gaps and Conceptual Framework
Overview of the relevant
papers analysis, across the
four analyzed dimensions.

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Gaps and Conceptual Framework
1. Lack of empirical evidence, of cross-organizational and cross-country comparisons,
drawing good practice conclusions.
2. Limited focus on ABR initiatives benefitting citizens, citizen orientated public
service delivery and access, as well as addressing the UN SDGs.
3. The role of stakeholders, interest groups and end-users in shaping and influencing
ABR, either by proposing, instigating or driving ABR initiatives.

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Conceptual Model
• A context, content, process model
(CCP model)
• Four dimensions
• Micro-dimensions
• Stakeholders who influence it

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Next Steps
• Step 1 (currently ongoing)
• Address the three key gaps identified.
• Draw on the findings of existing research and practical experience.
• Revisit existing framework for ABR, ICT facilitated innovation .
• Step 2
• Develop a framework and toolkit.
• Test framework and toolkit (case studies and pilot-projects).
• Adjusted as required.
• Step 3
• Publish

20. THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS?
MORTEN MEYERHOFF NIELSEN
meyerhoff@unu.edu
MORTEN MEYERHOFF NIELSEN
United Nation Operating Unit for Policy-Driven Electronic Governance
Campus de Couros, Rua Vila Flor 166
4810-445 Guimarães, Portugal
Tel +351 93 05 97 009 / +372 59 06 07 09 / +45 23 92 22 91
Mail meyerhoff@unu.edu / morten.nielsen@ttu.ee / mortenmeyerhoff@gmail.com
Twitter @mortenmeyerhoff
LinkedIN mortenmeyerhoff