Metadata and eGovernment The Danish Approach and Experience Palle Aagaard National IT and Telecom Agency, Denmark ERPANET training Seminar September 3-5, 2003; Marburg

About the speaker Chair of the Danish eGovernment WG for Information and Documentation (metadata) Member Advisory Committee Dublin Core Member Advisory Board for MIReG (Management Information Resources for eGovernment) Co-chair Dublin Core Government WG Has worked with Danish eGovernment usability guidelines for public web-sites Has a background in information and library science

About the next 30 minutes Metadata and Danish eGovernment The past and the present The building process and organization International relations The projects and initiatives Something about the future

The metadata approach in eGovernment The purpose Interoperability Free flow of information

The metadata approach in eGovernment Why interoperability? Improve quality: Connecting ”all” information and resources Improve possibilities for the use of information and resources from different sources and stored in different ways Minimize costs : Easy re-use of information and resources ”Full automatic” handling the information and resources

Why interoperability. Example free flow Information Resource Document ERM system ERM system CMS Interne t Publishe d Paper Publishe d Paper Archive system Library Co-operation of institutions Exchange of information

Why interoperability. Example free access to information Internet Archive system Library system ERM system CMS Metadata + resources Metadata Metadata + resources One access to information

The metadata approach in eGovernment What was/is the challenge Interoperability - free flow of information: not depending on media not depending on system not depending on sector or administrative level not depending on content or type of information

The metadata approach in eGovernment What was illustrated about free flow and free acces – interoperability - is only possible with: Standardized metadata

The metadata approach in eGovernment The ideal situation A comprehensive metadata element model and framework is defined and established – ´a priory ”Users” know about the model and framework and just pick from it when needed The metadata model and framework in use is internationally standardized

The metadata approach in eGovernment The real situation Only some models exists – and they are often not co-ordinated (mapped) If models exist they are often not in use by actual working systems If there are common European models and framework – there is only little knowledge about them

The past in Denmark How was the situation There was already launched several projects for services etc. Some very succesfull But they was not co-ordinated In the metadata-area there was no common eGovernment standard eGovernment was isolated islands of information

The past in Denmark Some initiatives OIO preliminary metadata survey – spring 2001 (OIO = Open public Information Online) A decision for using XML when transporting data between IT-systems – summer 2001 An organization for the XML initiative The Infostructurebase was initiated. A XML- schema and eGov standards repository

XML-initiative in Denmark The organization XML-Committee XML- secretariate Standardization group DokForm Standardization group Key-elements Infostructure database XML secretariate Board State, Municipalities, Counties Experts from State, Municipalities, Counties COP COP = Community of Practise. Domain specific work Standardization groups Basic and central work The Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation is the vital factot in it all

2 years of work The XML infostructure database was established – launched March 2003 The workgroups finished their initial standardization work Several projects and work groups delivered XML schemas to the Infostructurebase describing data-interfaces

The present in Denmark XML and the Infostructurebase

The present in Denmark Infostructurebase repository

The present in Denmark Metadata models in the standards repository

XML-initiative Denmark DokForm group The Danish Government WG for Information and Documentation Tasks at the moment: Metadata standardization regarding information – elements and encoding schemes Metadata core for exchange between ERM systems Standardization (mark-up) for documents and legislation

DokForm group How do it work Use international standards: Dublin Core MIReG (from EU IDA programme) Moreq (from EU IDA programme) Use local expertise: Experts in the group Hearing industry – solution vendors Hearing relevant community

DokForm group What was/are the obstacles MIReG (Managing Information Resources for eGovernment) the EU-IDA work item was not finished. Risk: lack of international interoperability An almost total lack of appropriate encoding schemes (except for dates and language). Risk: lack of interoperability Standardization in areas with a lot of practise but no standards. Risk: a lot of discussion and some has to change registration rutines and perhaps gets extra work

The metadata approach in eGovernment A Danish example 1 Task: Make a metadata core for exchange of metadata between ERM systems Ressources: 7 meetings. 2 public hearing processes Time: A little year Results: Agreement about 17 elements. And the knowledge that many encoding schemes do not exist

DokForm group What is the outcome Metadata core for exchange between ERM systems – in XML Metadata core for exchange between ERM systems – in XML OIO subject scheme – in XML XML schemes for the structure of letters, mails, notes, agendas and minutes XML schemes for the generic structure of Danish legislation Chosen the authority file for corporation and institution names (”encoding scheme”) Chosen the authority file for corporation and institution names (”encoding scheme”)

Standardization in the area of eGovernment information and documentation Future work Endorsing MIReG Look more closely in the area of encoding schemes A comprensive metadata model for an almost complete ERM systems Maintaining the core for ERM systems for special use

The metadata approach for eGovernment in Denmark Relevant links