The new ICT strategy for public administrations was presented to Henna Virkkunen, the Finnish Minister of Public Administration and Local Government, on 17 October 2012. Among the 10 measures to support the identified ICT policy areas, interoperability plays a key role in 3 of them: ‘improved opening of information’, ‘interoperability for joint service points’ and ‘interoperability in Information Management Act’
The proposal for the sterategy to address challenges in central and local government information and communications technology (ICT) utilisation in Finland is available online in English and Finnish. The objective of the proposed ICT strategy is for central and local government to better utilise technology and bring services and information close to individual users, businesses and administrations.
The following paragraphs reproduce three measures included in the proposed Finnish ICT strategy which are particularly related to interoperability:
“[...] Measure 3 - Improved opening of information
A programme promoting the opening and use of public sector information, the Open Data Programme, was launched in autumn 2012.The programme will coordinate measures and projects aimed at increasing the opening and use of information. As part of the programme, a joint project of local and central government will be launched to establish an open metadata service and related support services. Common vocabularies and ontologies will be developed within the public sector to support the integration and interoperability of datasets. Policy area 2: Open information and joint use of information). [...]”
“[...] Measure 5 - Interoperability for joint service points
A review will be launched to determine the interoperability of the operational, information and technology architectures of public sector joint customer service points, which are to be established, and of authorities that offer services. The result of the review will be a proposal on an effective operating model approved by the different authorities. The review will be implemented in connection with the Customer Service 2014 project. (Policy area 2: Open information and joint use of information) . [...]”
“[...] Measure 8 - Interoperability in Information Management Act
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Finance, together with local and central government actors, a plan will be prepared by March 2013 on regulatory aspects of the Information Management Act (so-called regulatory strategy).The plan will contain concrete objectives and measures to improve the interoperability of information systems. The starting points for the plan are quality joint services and jointly prepared specifications. (Policy area 4: Clear information management structures) . [...]”
To know more
2012-10-19 - First common strategy to address challenges in public sector ICT utilisation - Press release
2012-10-31 - A proposal for the first common strategy to address challenges in public sector ICT utilisation (2012-2020) – in English and in Finnish
2012-11-02 - FI: Presentation of the first strategy proposal on the use of ICT in public administration (ePractice)
City/Location: Finland