Interoperability: Networking software for the public sector

interoperability: networking software for the public sector

In an more often digitized world, the ability of different systems to communicate seamlessly is crucial.

This applies in specific to the public sector, where efficiency, clarity and civil friendliness are at first place. The key to this is a concept known as interoperability.

But what exactly does that mean, and why is it so important for modernising the administration?

The challenge of fragmented systems

In an more often digitized world, the ability of different systems to communicate seamlessly is crucial.

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Historically, island solutions have often emerged in public administration.

Each authority, department and sometimes even every single work area uses its own expert applications that cannot communicate or can only communicate inadequately.

This fragmented IT landscape leads to considerable problems:

• Data silos: Important information is trapped in custom systems and cannot be used across the board.
• Medienbruch: Data must be transferred manually from one system to another, which is susceptible to errors and time-consuming.
• Redundant data management: The same data is stored at several locations, which leads to inconsistencies and increased storage needs.
• Inefficient processes: Teamwork between authorities is made more difficult, leading to long processing times for citizens and firms.

These inefficiencies not only cost time and money, but also hinder the rollout of citizen-oriented digital services, as provided by the Online Access Act (OZG).

A modern public sector software must overcome these obstacles.

Core principles of interoperability

Short: Interoperability is more than just a technical interface.

Interoperability is more than just a technical interface. It can be divided into different levels, all of which must be fulfilled to ensure smooth teamwork.

Level	Description
Technical interoperability	The ability of IT systems to exchange data. This concerns technical standards and protocols for communication.
Semantic interoperability	Ensure that the exchanged data is interpreted equally by all systems. It is about uniform data models and vocabularies.
Organisatory interoperability	refers to the planning of business processes and workflows between different organisations to achieve common goals.
Legal interoperability	Includes harmonisation of laws and regulations that regulate the exchange of data between authorities, in specific with regard to data protection.

The advantages of a networked administration

The creation of interoperable systems in the public sector offers a variety of benefits for administration, citizens and the economy alike.

• Increased efficiency:

References and further reading

The following separate references complement the topics in this article:

• Bitkom – German digital industry association.
• German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
• European Commission – Digital strategy.
• MDN Web Docs (Mozilla)
• W3C – World Wide Web Consortium.

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