New Guidelines on e-Government Interoperability Developed by Governments for Governments
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KUALA LUMPUR, 12 December 2007 - Automating public services with technology can save countries a significant amount of money, as well as make citizens feel connected to their government. However, to be effective in the long term, the rollout of technology needs to be well planned using a Government Interoperability Framework (or GIF) blueprint that is based on the use of ‘open’ and universally compatible computer standards not controlled by any one vendor. Otherwise, ICT expenditures in government rarely meet the transformative promises of e-government for good governance and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
That's the key message in three new publications authored and announced today at the Third Global Knowledge Conference (GK3), by members of the UNDP GIF Study Group comprised of government officials from 14 countries.
These 14 countries worked collaboratively over the past six months, sharing and reviewing the pro's and con's of existing GIFs, recommending guidelines for GIF development and revisions, and concluding that open standards are essential components of these roadmaps. Open GIFs can help countries coordinate well internally and externally during times of both crisis and tranquility, effectively preserve electronic public records, incorporate new technologies seamlessly, remain accessible to the average citizen, and stimulate competition among computer vendors for low cost, innovative technologies.
All too often, today's e-government deployments can resemble a hand-stitched patchwork of incompatible ICT solutions rather than flexible and reusable assets that provide essential building blocks of services for citizens.
“In our work on ICT for development in Asia and the Pacific, one of the key challenges we have identified is a patchwork of ICT solutions in different government offices that are unable to 'talk' or exchange data,” says Lars Bestle, Programme Specialist of UNDP’s Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (UNDP-APDIP). “In the process of digitization, government processes and systems are, in many instances, reinforced rather than transformed. As a result, citizens continue to visit different departments to access public services, even after the introduction of ICTs, as systems are not interconnected.”
The GIF Series explains how interoperability allows for better adaptability, flexibility and innovation in government and reveals that without interoperability based on open standards, public administrations will be less responsive to changing technology and demands of their citizens.
“By making systems 'talk' to one another, the need for new systems is reduced, if not eliminated,” says Dr. Emmanuel C. Lallana, UNDP-APDIP GIF Advisor. “We have seen this in the case of Brazil where interoperability among the ICT system saved the federal government from building an expensive, common system.”
To help countries, especially those in the Asia-Pacific region, reverse the trend of fractured ICT projects by developing and promoting GIFs, UNDP created a study group of government officials from 14 countries, supported by a team of experts from IBM, Oracle and the International Open Source Network. The UNDP GIF Study Group includes representatives from the Governments of Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as the European Commission and a standards expert from the United States.
“The UNDP GIF Study Group process was very important in shaping our thinking in terms of how we updated our interoperability standards document,” says Mr. Aslam Raffee, Chairperson, Government IT Officers Council, OSS Working Group, Department of Science and Technology.
The GIF series will officially be launched at GK3 on Wednesday, 12 December, 12:45 – 13:00, at the GK3 Centre Stage in the Conference Hall.
A panel session on Ensuring e-Government Interoperability will take place at GK3 on Thursday, 13 December, 14:00 – 15:30, in Function Room 302.
The series of three publications on e-Government Interoperability is available at UNDP’s Exhibition Booth at GK3.
Publications
e-Government Interoperability: Overview [PDF, 720kB]
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The Overview introduces and guides policy makers to the what, who, why and how of e-government interoperability. Through a question-and-answer format, the publication walks its readers through the vision, rationale and value of GIF and a National Enterprise Architecture (NEA). It answers some fundamental questions such as what are the resources required, who should be involved and what are the key factors for its successful development and operationalization. It also looks at open standards and what they have to do with GIF. This Overview is particularly useful for senior officials in governments who are starting to implement their e-government strategies and for those who are planning to develop a GIF or NEA. |
e-Government Interoperability: Guide [PDF, 725kB]
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The Guide is a practical tool for technical officials and policy makers in governments who plan to draft or revise a GIF to ensure e-government interoperability among national government agencies. It is a comprehensive guide giving details on the approaches and principles of a GIF, and the standards categories and selection processes. It provides a step-by-step guide to developing and revising a GIF, illustrated with relevant case studies. This Guide also provides guidance on operationalizing the GIF, examining key issues related to implementation, compliance, enforcement and capacity development. |
e-Government Interoperability: A Review of Government Interoperability Frameworks in Selected Countries [PDF, 1MB]
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The Review provides a comparative analysis of eight existing GIFs of Australia, Brazil, Denmark, the European Union, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It serves as a useful resource for government officials, the corporate sector and civil society involved in the development or revision of a GIF. This Review focuses on how GIFs in different countries were developed, the principles that animate them, the technical standards they mandated and/or recommend, the way these GIFs are managed, and the implementation and compliance mechanisms they established. |
Related Links
Government Interoperability Frameworks
APDIP e-Note 20 on GIF and Open Standards - 4 September 2007
Press Releases on the GIF Project
GIF Project Launch - 19 December 2006
Last modified 2008-01-17 04:08 AM
