Interoperability for Cross-Border Services Delivery - is it still a problem? Walter Castelnovo

1. Interoperability for Cross-Border Services Delivery - is it still a problem? Walter Castelnovo DepartmentofTheoretical and AppliedSciences UniversityofInsubria

2. The long pathtowardcross-borderinteroperability

3. The long pathtowardcross-borderinteroperability Report on the conclusions of the Sandham Conference (2001) (…) To implement e-government services an agreed interoperability framework for Europe is a pre-requisite. This is required to underpin the fast and efficient development of e-services. In addition to technology, this framework must also address both procedures and content.

4. The long pathtowardcross-borderinteroperability • European eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015 (2011) • European Commission’s main responsibility is to improve the conditions for development of cross-border eGovernment services provided to citizens and businesses regardless of their country of origin. • This includes establishing pre-conditions, such as interoperability, eSignatures and eIdentification.

5. Whatinteroperabilityisabout • Definition of interoperability • (EIF 2004) • Interoperability means the ability of information and communication technology (ICT) systems and of the business processes they support to exchange data and to enable the sharing of information and knowledge.

6. Whatinteroperabilityisabout • Dimensions of interoperability • (EIF 2004/2010) • Technical interoperability • This covers the technical aspects of linking information systems. It includes key aspects such as open interfaces, interconnection services, data integration services and middleware, data presentation and exchange, accessibility and security services.

7. Whatinteroperabilityisabout • Dimensions of interoperability • (EIF 2004/2010) • Semantic interoperability • it encompasses two aspects: • Semantic interoperability: is about the meaning of data elements and the relationship between them. It includes developing vocabulary to describe data exchanges, and ensures that data elements are understood in the same way by communicating parties. • Syntactic interoperability is about describing the exact format of the information to be exchanged in terms of grammar, format and schemas.

8. Whatinteroperabilityisabout • Dimensions of interoperability • (EIF 2004/2010) • Organizational interoperability • Organizational interoperability is concerned with how public administrations in different Member States cooperate to achieve their mutually agreed goals. • Organisational interoperability implies integrating business processes and related data exchange. • Organisational interoperability also aims to meet the requirements of the user community by making services available, easily identifiable, accessible and user-focused

9. Whatinteroperabilityisabout • Dimensions of interoperability (EIF 2010) • Legal interoperability • Legal interoperability amounts to the alignment of the different legislationsso that the legal validity of the information exchanged to provide cross-border services is maintained across borders and data protection legislation in both originating and receiving countries is respected.

10. Whatinteroperabilityisabout • Dimensions of interoperability (EIF 2010) • Political context • Political support is necessary for cross-border interoperability efforts to facilitate cooperation among public administrations. For effective cooperation, all stakeholders involved must share visions, agree on objectives and align priorities.

11. Is interoperability still a problem? Digital Agenda for Europe (2010)

12. Is interoperability still a problem? Action 26 Member States to implement European Interopera-bility Framework Action 27 Member States to implement Malmö and Granada declara-tions

13. Is interoperability still a problem? Howtoachieveinteroperability (EIF 2010) Formalise cooperation arrangements in interoperability agreements (for each level of interoperability). At legal level, agreements are rendered specific and binding via legislation At organisational level, agreements can take the form of MoUs or SLAs At semantic level, agreements can take the form of reference taxonomies, schemes, code lists, data dictionaries, sector-based libraries and so forth At technical level, agreements include interface specifications, communication protocols, messaging specifications, data formats, security specifications or dynamic registration and service discovery specifications

14. Is interoperability still a problem? Problem In Europe, most public services (not only eGovernment services) are provided at a city or regional level by Municipalities or Regional Institutions Is the signingofcooperation/interoperabilityagreementsenoughtoguaranteeinteroperabilityovertime at alllevelofgovernment?

15. Is interoperability still a problem? Averagenumberofinhab-itants: 5630

16. Beyond EIF’s interoperability Sourcesofheterogeneity (within and among MS) Legal interoperability • different legislations • different strategies • different priorities • different objectives • different administrative traditions • different management styles • different procedures • different work practices • different public servants’ skills • different languages Political “interoperability” Organizational interoperability Differentfrom the EIF’s “organizational” interoperability

17. Beyond EIF’s interoperability Howorganizationalheterogeneityimpactscross-borderservices • Top-down interoperability governance and adoption • Online delivery of cross-border services that require some offline activities to be performed (exchange of paper mail or personal visits) • Offline delivery of cross-border services, as required by the principles of inclusion and accessibility

18. Beyond EIF’s interoperability Organizationalinteroperability The (online and offline) delivery of seamless cross-border services requires different public administrations not only to share information efficiently and effectively, but also to operate in a so seamlessly integrated way to be perceived as parts of a single (virtual and networked) system of European public administrations. organizational compatibility (organizational interoperability)

19. Beyond EIF’s interoperability organizational compatibility organizational interoperability (as defined, for instance, in the context of joint and multinational military operations) Cooperability non-technical interoperability aiming at the successful bridging of differences in doctrine, organization, concepts of operation, and culture so that different organizations can function together essentially as a single organization with no loss in effectiveness

20. Beyond EIF’s interoperability Whypursuingorganizationalinteroperability? • Strengthening inter-organizational (cross-border) cooperation • allows increased efficiency and effectiveness in the (online and offline) delivery of cross-border services, which represents a value for the users of those services. • allows European citizens to interact with public administrations in different Member States as if they were all members of a (virtually) integrated and networked system of European public administrations, which contributes to strengthening the European citizens’ perception of living and working in a single Market.