A WSMO-based Framework Enabling Semantic Interoperability in e-Government Solutions

The paper presents a software framework that was designed and implemented within the FP6 IST EU project Access-eGov to integrate governmental services of various types, i.e. on-line (electronic and web services), as well as off-line (i.e. traditional, face-toface) services by means of enhancing the service description with semantic information. The user-centric approach of life events is employed for presenting complex workflow sequences to the end users. The system architecture, functionality, and structure of underlying ontologies is described together with a mechanism for the orchestration and choreography of semantic web services in WSMO. The framework includes tools for the maintenance of semantically enriched services and for presenting the services to the citizens via customisable web interfaces. The paper concludes with an outline of the results obtained from the testing and evaluation of the implemented Access-eGov platform in real settings within public administrations in Slovakia, Poland, and Germany.