Bender, Benedict | Heine, Moreen

Government as a Platform? Constitutive Elements of Public Service Platforms

Abstract

Digital platforms, by their design, allow the coordination of multiple entities to achieve a common goal. Motivated by the success of platforms in the private sector, they receive attention in the public sector. However, different understandings of the platform concept prevail. To guide the development and further research a coherent understanding is required. To address this gap, we identify the constitutive elements of platforms in the public sector. These are architectural components, governance mechanisms, and ecosystem participants. This study contributes through a uniform understanding of public service platforms. Despite constitutive elements, the proposed framework for platforms in the public sector may guide future analysis. The analysis framework is applied to the German platform for the provision of public services. The example illustrates how the analysis framework can be applied and which questions and issues may arise when applying the platform concept.