Data warehousing and the organization of governmental databases

Data warehousing is a technology architecture designed to organize disparate data sources into a single repository of information. As such, it represents a strategy for creating the architecture necessary to support the vision of e-government. Data warehousing enables a new type of "decision intelligence" by providing access to historical trend data, typically difficult to retrieve through operational database systems. Government data warehousing is complex, expensive, and often fraught with data privacy and security issues. E-government goals may be met through a successful data-warehousing project, be it in the form of a more efficient, informed government or as a result of increased public access to information. But given the substantial barriers to success, a thorough planning and investigation process is necessary.