ACTIVITIES :: eGovernment :: Policy :: Key Enablers :: Interoperability

Interoperability provides accessibility

Government agencies hold substantial records on citizens and businesses. If their separate databases cannot share information, co-operation between different agencies is difficult. Improving interoperability between such systems saves time and money, and makes our relations with government organisations easier. In the European single market where individuals and firms increasingly need to deal with public agencies outside their home country, systems need to be compatible across national boundaries, as well as within.

Dealing with different government departments and agencies can be hugely frustrating for citizens and firms. A company seeking a grant, or bidding for a government contract often needs to show its registration, prove it is up to date on tax and social security payments, and has no court judgments against it. In the past, the company concerned would have to obtain all these documents from separate public agencies, before submitting them to a further government office. If the different agencies’ systems could communicate with each other, they should be able to verify all the relevant information directly, so the applicant firm can focus on the quality of their bid rather than the administrative annexes.

Interoperability between government bodies’ Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) systems requires them to be compatible in several ways:

• software and hardware systems need to be capable of exchanging information;

• secure infrastructure to transmit data is essential;

• systems have to have the same understanding of the data they share.

• When data are in different languages, eGovernment systems need to be able to match the data to labels in their own language, and if necessary translate them before they can process them.

• Organisations wanting to collaborate, and share data electronically, may need to alter their internal structures to be able to do so efficiently. This is particularly the case for public bodies dealing with people or companies from other countries, whose qualifications or documents often do not exactly match those required from nationals, or appropriate documents may not exist at all. Processes have to be adapted, to ensure that non-nationals are not discriminated against in the internal market.

Electronic ID

Electronic identity (eID) is one of the cornerstones of eGovernment services. Just as governments have developed their own practices and standards for issuing traditional identity cards and passports, different eID systems have developed in parallel in Member States. If eID is to have any value outside its country of issue, governments need to work together to ensure their different systems are made interoperable. That means not only that the information about the person concerned can be accessed, but that security is maintained.

The questions thrown up by the introduction of eID need to be resolved by governments acting together. Without high levels of interoperability, common understanding and trust, the rollout of eID could frustrate citizens and businesses which wish to take advantage of the single market.

Framework for change

To support the delivery of Europe-wide eGovernment services, the Commission and Member State experts have agreed the European Interoperability Framework (EIF). The framework includes a set of policies and standards for public organisations across the Member States to ensure that ICT systems and applications are interoperable. The European framework complements national interoperability frameworks in each Member State.

An eGovernment Interoperability Observatory has also been established to support EU policy. It will act as a reference point for stakeholders – especially those in local and regional government – providing a forum where they can discuss the latest developments and share experiences. Users can read about the latest recommendations for future research and search for project collaborators. The site gives the latest news on interoperability issues, and provides information about courses, workshops and events in the field.

In 2008, the Commission will launch pilot projects (with funding from the ICT Policy Support Programme) to demonstrate new approaches to interoperability in government services, in the fields of eID and authentication, eProcurement, secure document management and archiving.