The aim of the Workshop was to explore the challenges addressed and faced by the EIF and what should come next.
The several sessions on the EIF evolution introduced firstly the EIF composed of 4 layers, 12 principles and 47 recommendations to the students. It was introduced with a practical case study of a service to be digitalised, child allowance, involving several organisations and where interoperability is fundamental. The students had 10 minutes to discuss in small groups the main barriers and interoperability challenges for the implementation of the case study. Right after the case study was solved by making clear links to what the EIF has in store for IT and policy makers likewise. Finally, the students had the possibility to express their views on the EIF, particularly on how it should evolve.
The main conclusions were:
- The EIF lack of a clear and “appealing” motivation to help convince policy makers and senior managers on its usefulness and applicability. Link to innovative technologies like blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.
- Some voices pointed out to the need of making a more binding framework at EU level, particularly for the implementation of cross-border services.
- The EIF could provide guidelines on how to create domain-specific frameworks.
- The 4 interoperability layers should be decoupled in smaller elements, particularly the technical one.
- Also important to explain in more detail the interactions between the 4 layers.
- Desirable to explain how to embed the 4 layers into the conceptual model.
- Having an observatory like NIFO is the right approach and a place to exchange and share best practices around the EIF.
- Useful to have guidelines on how to ensure an alignment of the interoperability maturity levels between organisations.
- Also mentioned that it should be reflected on the life cycle of each layer that is a dimension for choosing at which layer to address interoperability.
- Part of the audience was not so keen on a hard rule set on EIF and was of the opinion that it should be adopted on a voluntary basis as more flexibility is required for a complex topic, the rest of the room had no opinion.
- One student gave an idea to create a role game where students would take the various roles of the various actors through a set of use cases.
- Students welcomed the format of the workshop – the use case specifically. A bit more effort should be put to refine the use cases and make them available as standalone resources in the IOP academy platform.
- Finally, there were positive comments on the fact that the EIF is technology agnostic.
Presentation from the workshop is available here.
| Moderators | Facilitators |
| Miguel Alvarez Rodriguez | Peter Burian |
| Cécile Guasch | |
| Sander Van Dooren |