NIFO Factsheet

NIFO Factsheet – Austria
The main online sources for the Austrian Interoperability Framework are:
-
The Digital Austria platform: http://digital.austria.gv.at/
The e-Government Bund-Lander-Gemeinden platform: http://reference.e-government.gv.at/
Administration on the Net - The ABC guide of eGovernment in Austria: http://digital.austria.gv.at/DocView.axd?CobId=44576
The eGovernment Act: http://www.digitales.oesterreich.gv.at/DocView.axd?CobId=19380
Main interoperability highlights
Austria currently has no explicit named National Interoperability Framework (NIF) document
available but is applying a document1 describing the Austrian approach for eGovernment interoperability. This document describes the main elements typically found in a NIF.
Summary of the NIF
The document ‘Austria minds about interoperability’ introduces eGovernment interoperability
approaches and its advantages to citizens, business people, and public administration collaboration models. The Austrian eGovernment strategy is based on basic concepts, base components and (open) standards, which serve as guidelines for the implementation of electronic
services and the creation of the underlying infrastructure. Next to this document, the ‘Administration on the Net’ document2 serves as guideline for the implementation of electronic services
and the creation of the underlying infrastructure.
The HELP.gv.at3 and usp.gv.at4 site as "one-stop shopping" portals for citizens and entrepreneurs and the application of the citizen card (e.g. Mobile Phone based identification and signature) as a uniform system of electronic identification and signature contributed significantly to
the success of eGovernment in Austria. Entire procedures can be carried out electronically
without changes in the type of media (e.g., switching between electronic and paper format),
starting from applying authentication and paying fees, to internal processing (ELAK) and delivering official documents and notifications via electronic delivery service.
The eGovernment Act5 forms the legal foundation for electronic communication with public bodies. Austria stresses the importance of a modern, secure, flexible and expandable IT infrastructure for eGovernment. The high level of security and data protection has been affirmed multiple
times through numerous international awards.
1
200911 Austrian minds about Interoperability Reichstädter.pdf; Reichstädter, Peter; Vienna; November 2009
Administration on the Net: http://digital.austria.gv.at/DocView.axd?CobId=44576
3 https://www.help.gv.at
4 https://www.usp.gv.at
5 The Austrian E-Government Act , 2004, http://www.digitales.oesterreich.gv.at/DocView.axd?CobId=19380
2
Austria
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The Federal Platform Digital Austria6 was founded in 2005 by the Austrian Federal Chancellery
as a countrywide platform to help coordinate on a uniform eGovernment strategy (including
interoperability) for the Federal Government, the provinces, municipalities and local authorities
and businesses.
The platform reference.e-government.gv.at7 is the main collaboration platform of the e-Government in Austria stakeholders for organisational, semantic, technical and legal artefacts, issues
and services, which was agreed in the Austrian e-Government strategy. Furthermore, it contains and documents the approaches of the different working groups existing today in Austria.
Alignment NIF/EIF
Austria is fully aligned with the EIF on the conceptual model and interoperability governance. It
has a strong alignment on the principles and a fair alignment on the interoperability levels and
the interoperability agreements.
Austria aligns fully with seven of the twelve EIF principles. These seven principles are: Usercentricity, Inclusion and accessibility, Security and privacy, Transparency, Reusability, Technological neutrality and adaptability, and Effectiveness and efficiency. The remaining principles
are partially aligned with the EIF.
Austria is fully aligned with the EIF on the conceptual model. Austria describes a communication
architecture containing typical eGovernment components. The exchange of information between the parties is carried out over a dedicated communication platform Elak. Elak functions
as a hub, using web services, integrating different applications and data sources. The Electronic
Data Interchange Format (EDIAKT) is used for information exchange between different electronic record systems.
6
7
http://digital.austria.gv.at/
http://reference.e-government.gv.at
Austria
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Austria is partially aligned on the interoperability levels. A number of basic legal frameworks
exist forming a foundation for more comprehensive regulations addressing specific legal requirements. To achieve semantic interoperability, Austria puts forward XML structures for business objects, a XML toolbox, a XML structure for personal data and the EDIAKT format.
Austria is fairly aligned with the EIF on the interoperability agreements. On the reference.egovernment.gv.at platform many standards can be found covering the four levels of interoperability.
No governance framework was observed. However, Austria puts forward the Federal Platform
Digital Austria (PDA) as centre stage for coordination and strategy of eGovernment in Austria
by the Federal Government. All eGovernment projects in Austria now run under the Federal
Platform Digital Austria designation.
More detailed information on NIF / EIF alignment is provided on the NIFO Community on JoinUp
on the Compare NIFs page.
Example of alignment – EIF Conceptual model: authentic sources of information available to
others
In Austria, this criteria is aligned with the EIF as follows:
- Registers and Special Applications: The difference between registers and special applications
is that registers are created to fulfil a legal mandate. In many cases, the data in the registers
must be made entirely or at least partly available to the public in accordance with legal regulations. Special applications, on the other hand, are primarily tools that make it easier for public
administrations to carry out their legal mandates. Today, registers and special applications are
implemented as Web applications. More and more frequently, they contain Web service interfaces based on the SOAP protocol. To make cooperation in eGovernment projects easier, data
structures were normalised for non application-specific cross-sector elements which were introduced in the communication architecture section. These elements are responsible for communication between authorities’ applications, such as sending personal data, searching for information or returning error messages.
- The United Nations Public Service Awards are a prestigious international recognition of excellence in the public service. The annual competition promotes the role, professionalism and visibility of public services and rewards creative achievements and contributions of public service
institutions. The final evaluation of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) has revealed that two EU Member States have been awarded in the Category
“Improving the Delivery of Public Services”. In the regional category for Europe and North
America, Austria has been awarded the first place for with their Data.gv.at platform.
See: http://workspace.unpan.org/sites/Internet/Documents/2014%20UNPSA%20List%20of%20Winners.doc.pdf & http://www.unpan.org/dpadm/unpsdayawards/unpublicserviceawards/tabid/1522/language/en-us/default.aspx
Other initiatives on interoperability
No other initiatives have been identified.
NIF responsible contact person for Austria
Peter Reichstädter ([email protected])
Peter Kustor ([email protected])
Austria
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