The mechanisms of public service platformization: An analytical grid of endogenous and exogenous properties to assess the digital maturity of administrations

Abstract

This article explores the platformization of public services as an emerging sociotechnical paradigm. It defines this phenomenon as a digital ecosystem inducing profound organizational transformations within public administrations, though these transformations do not follow a single model. Their dynamics vary according to the endogenous and exogenous properties prioritized by each organization. It is through the interaction between these properties that we elucidate the underlying mechanisms of platformization and ultimately identify those that confer a particular structure on each platform. To achieve this, we adopt a progressive approach: questioning the conceptual foundations of platformization, distinguishing it from general digitalization to highlight its organizational synergies; analyzing its distinctive characteristics through a functional typology of public platforms and an identification of their endogenous and exogenous properties, in order to discern the dynamics and levels of maturity achieved (from minimal presence to transformative integration); illustrating these dynamics through cases drawn from the private sector, foreign public sector, and Moroccan context, revealing the diversity of organizational trajectories and persistent challenges.