NEW GUIDELINES ON E-GOVERNMENT INTEROPERABILITY DEVELOPED BY GOVERNMENTS FOR GOVERNMENTS
Recommend roadmap based on flexible, universally compatible technologies for
good governance and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
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.
For e-versions of the publications, please visit
http://www.apdip.net/projects/gif
UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and
connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people
build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 166 countries, working with
them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.
As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide
range of partners.
Contacts:
Lars H. Bestle, Programme Specialist
Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme
UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +66 2 288 2737
Christine Apikul, Programme Specialist
Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme
UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +66 2 288 2712
