Software development for governmental use utilizing free and open source software

The Icelandic government is about to release its policy on free and open source software. Many governments around the world have either already released a similar policy or have one planned. The policy of the Icelandic government deals with both the use and the development of free and open source software. This paper takes a close look at the free and open source software policies, particularly the Icelandic one, from a software development perspective. The goal is to show how governments can utilize free and open source software when customized software is required. The paper also touches upon licensing issues for free and open source software by discussing the European Union Public License. Governmental project management and services of small software companies and the free and open source community are the focal points of the research. The basis of the research is the i2010 policy framework of the European Commission. The paper concludes by proposing a suitable methodology to use for governmental software development and recommending tools that foster both development and management, with emphasis on the latter.