Exploring IT Opportunities: The Case of the Dutch Elderly Policy Chain

Copyright © 2008, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. oRGaNIzaTIoN BaCkGRouNd It can be recognized as a recent trend that national and European governmental organizations, as well as supranational organizations such as “Brussels,” put priority on the improvement a public customer service, that is, strongly anticipate their citizen’s needs and wishes. Clearly, this is driven by citizens that are more articulate and more aware of what governments can do for them. Also, citizens have access to information that has never been easier to disclose. The result is a need for better anticipation through what can be labeled as “demand driven policy” or “participatory policy networks” (Bongers, 2000; Mayer, 1997). On various levels we see governmental policies that want to adapt to the needs of their inhabitants. Like in many countries, most of the Dutch initiatives to reform public organizations originate from bridging the “gap” between government and citizens. Looking specifically at the elderly citizens in The Netherlands, we observe that the rapid growing number of aged people have a dynamic life pattern, high expectations for the future, changing needs, wishes, and specific information demands (Ewijk, Kuipers, Ter Rele, & WesterExECuTIvE SuMMaRy