This paper is available online at www.jtaer.com DOI: 10.4067/S0718-18762011000100010

Version 1.0

Abstract. The paper describes an approach to semantic interoperability of eGovernment services applied within the FP6 IST Access-eGov project. Within Access-eGov, software tools (called Annotation Tool and Personal Assistant Client) enabling service integration as well as a methodology providing guidance to the user-driven process of creating ontologies were developed. The Annotation Tool supports semantic annotation of available government services (i.e. specification of functional and non-functional properties of the services using concepts in the ontologies) in a user-friendly way. Having annotated the services by public servants using the Annotation Tool, citizens can access the Access-eGov system via a web application- Personal Assistant Client. The Personal Assistant Client supports browsing, discovery, and execution capabilities of services for citizens and businesses according to a selected life event or goal. The methodology and the first versions of the software tools were tested in first trials within three pilot applications in Slovakia (“Building permit ” scenario), Poland (“Establishing a company”) and Germany (”Getting married ” scenario) in real settings of public administrations in late 2007- early 2008. Feedback of users participated in the first trails was used for the upgrade of the SW tools, which will be subsequently tested in second trials planned for late 2008. 1.