Concluding Session: Concluding remarks from the Steering Committee
Chair: Wm.(Bill) Barnhill, Booz Allen Hamilton & Secretary, Steering Committee OASIS eGov Member Section
Randeep Sudan , Practice Leader for e-Government, Global ICT Department, World Bank
Very interesting sessions - trying to highlight the key takeaways:
Open standards are important, interoperability is really important - but open standards should be viewed as part of a framwork, not isolated, long term stability is vital
Importance of security- risk management framework is a vital approach, a structured way to look at security issues; there’s a whole range of stakeholders involved, all of them should be mentioned in the framework
Cloud computing - new approaches, developing countries should start experimenting & using the cloud
Suggestion - connect experts in the field to share experience
Speaker: Daniel Burton, Senior Vice President, Salesforce.com
100% computing center, providing computer power in the cloud
There’s a lot of standards
Wouldn’t it be great to run your operations on the internet and let someone else care for the standards?
Using all the services in the internet is possible without purchasing software or undergoing a training
Question: consumer platforms (Amazon, eBay, …) are intuitive, fast, … - why can’t business organizations have similar services?
Nowadays: applications and platforms are moving to the cloud - no software needed anymore
It’s not just consumers - industry, governments are also moving to the cloud
Characteristics of the cloud:
Multi-tenant
Pay-as-you-go
Elastic
No Capital Expense
Modest Operating Expense
Scales With Your Business
Client-server: complex infrastructure vs. cloud computing: no infrastructure
If you don’t have broadband access - cloud computing is not going to work for you
Security: “my data is somewhere else, how can I know it’s not being shared or hacked?”
Only information with own tags is shown
real time security
Reliability: very high
Transparent system status
Real-time integration of various applications
Salesforce offers an open API for interoperability
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Interoperability, Web and Mobile Applications: Opening the Door to Access and Sharing
Speaker: Kevin Novak, Vice President, Integrated Web Strategy and Technology, The American Institute of Architects (representing W3C)
Electronic Government work: started in 2008 - 30 different governments as members
Charta of the groups focuses on 3 areas:
uses of web standards
Transparency and Participation
Seamless Integration of Data
So far
A lot of collaboration with partners
Dealing with existing standards
Identifying gaps in these standards
Use cases
…
What is Interoperability in Government?
ability of organizations, individuals, and agencies to share and exchange information via electronic means
ability for agencies, different levels of government to share and exchange information with other organizations and individuals
Challenges:
Proprietary systems
no understanding for audiences & uses
open standards
How Can Interoperability be Achieved?
develop common standards & frameworks
Issues & limitations
Privacy, security, legal aspects
open standards, open source, openness & transparency
semantics, culture
Benefits of interoperability:
easier for the citizen
few documentation
fast communication
automation
Next steps for the W3C Electronic Government Group:
continue working with standard bodies
maturing and developing issues
validate existing use cases & develop new ones
listen to the community
Q & A:
Q: In the past information was power - but today information is still power - but we’re trying to figure out how to get to it.
Q: Isn’t interoperability also exposing yourself to a security risk?
A: Each company has to make the decision themselves which information to put where.
A: Often solutions which are easily technologically feasible require months of negotiations with privacy concerns.
Q: What is the recomendation for governments: build their own cloud or stick to salesforce or google
Q: Do you have applications for hosting data for your customers?
A: Yes, the applications are already in the cloud.
A: You can also outsource your application to a cloud hosting service.
Q: What about jurisdiction in cloud computing? What if information is split over different nations?
Q: What is the recomendation for governments: build their own cloud or stick to salesforce or google?
A: We should start experimenting with cloud computing. Especially the governments should look at clouds.
A: To experiment it’s a good idea to start with something low risk.
A: One of the issues of developing countries as well is that internal development capacity is lost when the applications are outsourced. Salesforce & co can help you set up your own cloud and consult you. It’s an important questions how to transfer the knowledge to the own countries.
A: There needs to be more investment to bring ICTs to more countries of the world. It is absolutely critical to provide the “last mile” of internet access.
Bill Piatt: Everybody - in his personal as well as professional world - should think of how to use existing standards and how to build new standards.
At the end of the day our data plugs and plays same as our networks plug and play.
If we can make eletricity work around the world, we can also make all the applications interoperable
Provided business services are based on a common infrastructure model
Federal Identity and Access Management
U.S. Government Four Authentication Assurance Levels
NO confidence
SOME confidence
HIGH confidence
VERY HIGH confidence
If assurance increases, costs increase as well - for the transactions as well as the credentials
Applying a standard framework with all projects
Interoperability:
it’s not possible to get a single product
GSA definition of interoperability: “…Two or more devices, components, or systems to exchange information in accordance with defined interface specifications and to use the information that has been exchanged in a meaningful way”
Starting gate:
common protocols
standard data models
reference implementations
standard testing for interoperability
…
IAE - goals:
simple integrated business processes
increase data sharing
unified approach to obtain modern tool
IAE - business areas & transactions:
create standards for registration/sharing points & for transactions - “common language”
provides transparency, efficiency, synergy to government procurement
supply chain integration
Why standards?
Enhance connectivity and interoperability
Generate trust
More competition
More transparency
Increased ROI
Enhance efficiency and flexibility of public procurement
Privacy fears - some incidents happened, it IS dangerous
Standards and eGP
various standards
HTTP, HTTPS, UDDI, ebXML
Use of Open Standards/Open Source by 14 leading eGP governments:
only few usage of Linux/Apache/MySQL, …
Standards/FOSS and agile system development
Short design time for eGovernance systems
resulting system: black box
limited configurability
vendor lock in
monopoly on pricing
limited interoperability
This has to change!
Using open standards and agile development can provide major improvements in eGovernment systems
Ideal systems: industrial-strength eGovernance systems that are also easy to change, interoperable, social, knowledge-oriented, community-driven…
What can MDBs do?
develop lending instruments and procurement procedures for agile system development
level procurement playing field
reference good practice standards
recommend standards
Closing thoughts
“Standards enhance economy, efficiency, competition, transparency and evolution of eGP
Free and Open source SW (FOSS) facilitates and accelerates use of open standards
Open standards/FOSS facilitate fast, iterative development of eGovernance applications which now take too long and are very risk-prone.
Governments cannot afford to build the organic, social applications of the future only with proprietary standards/technology.
MDBs can be far more proactive in referencing, recommending and sometimes even requiring Standards.
MDB’s need to create level playing field for procurement of FOSS and for contracting of agile application development. “
If you want to do eGovernment well, the only way to do it is via open standards
.
Q & A:
Q: Will there be a forum for issues considering open standards development?
Eduardo Talero: There is awareness that there is a discussion needed, you are welcome to join.
Q: How do governments contribute to open source solutions? At some point governments have to address the copyright issues.
Q: Are there off-the-shelf e procurement products, not to start from scratch? Could you name which country/ies has/have implemented them with demonstrable good results?
A: Two systems on Sourceforge. But there is nothing which could for example replace SAP.
Q: How come that Open source is not popular yet in eGovernment initiatives?
Eduardo Talero: I don’t know any major system - and it does not really make sense, the role is to foster development, not to provide a whole system.
Q: Which developing country already implemented eGovernment initiatives
A: None has implemented the whole framework, but some have implemented certain parts - e.g. Vietnam, Sri Lanka.
Speaker: Colin Wallis, Identity Standards Manager, New Zealand Government, OASIS eGov Steering Committee, OASIS eGov Steering Committee
Clues, what New Zealand has got and how the development took place+
Life would be easy with just one standardization organization, but there are several such bodies - net sector SDO, sector standards, jurisdiction, protocols - “standards soup”
Some of the organizations:
W3C - founder: Tim Berners Lee, important for standards
IETF - Internet Engineering Task Force
ISO - International Organization for Standardization
We want to get to Web 3.0, Identity 2.0 and Government 2.0 - but first we have to reach Identity 1.0, Interoperability 1.0, Convergence 0.0
eGov profile of SAML - differently applied in different countries
It’s vital to ensure that the applications in different countries “talk to each other”
Speaker: Ron Ross, Senior Computer Scientist and Information Security Researcher, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Security is at the core of making the technology work
Security is not an impediment, but an enabler
Security is a combination of management, techical & operational aspects
We need to establish a standard on due diligence
Business relationship: how do I know that I can trust my partner?
Common language to describe security
Open standards for security
There is big business in destroying customers, breaking into systems, stealing intellectual property, …
It’s important to make a global effort for enhanced security
Today we are so dependent on technology, security should be our first concern
Important parts of an enterprise security concept - framework for managing risk:
Security plan
Security assesment report - did we do a good job managing riks?
Plan of action and milestones - how to manage vulnarabilities
.
Q & A:
Q: When you have providers in the country, is there also a drive for identity management across the borders?
Bob Sunday: Of course - but you have to define the work “identity”, Canada has gone away from credintialing, anonymous credentialing has big strengths.
A: Standardization around identity management is possible.
Q: Is Ghana a leader in eGovernment and are you willing to share with other African countries?
Sam Somuah: We are quite far ahead, definitely we are willing to share our experiences.
Q:Why is seperation of credential providers necessary?
Bob Sunday: Seperation of credential providers because it’s a commercial market for credential providers - it’s a way to make it more competitive. We don’t want to force the citizins to have a certain credential.
Q: How is membership in OASIS organized?
A: Your membership will be a government membership, so everybody can join there. OASIS is made up of its members, they decide.
Q: Explain more this quote: “We want Web 3.0, Identity 2.0 and Gov 2.0, but 1st: Identity 1.0, Interoperability 1.0, Convergence 0.0″
A: There’s a lot of people looking ahead to what’s in the future - but the developments right now should be to “get the engines going”, the basics have to be in place to start further advances.
Q: Is Cloud Computing already relevant in this enterprise architecture discussion?
A: Just short: it’s much more complex than people think.
Currently in the second year of an 11 year plan, good collaboration with the World Bank
e-Ghana project: improve delivery of eGovernment services & leverage ICTs for economic growth & poverty reduction
e-Government Interoperability Framework (eGIF) - “A set of Policies, Technical Standards, as well as Guidelines covering ways to achieve interoperability among MDAs and other Government organizations”
How are open standards used?
All activities are highly formalized
There exists legislation to ensure compliance with standards
Why does Ghana want to go the direction to apply an international interoperbility framework?
increased efficience
more investments
All agencies, new projects, … have to comply to the standards
All the standards & guidelines conform to open standard principles
Guidelines:
Internet & WWW standards
XML as standard
Browser as key interface
Adopt open standards supported by the market
Scope of e-GIF: all sectors, from G2G (government to government) to G2C (government to citizen)
Several working groups under the guidance of Ghana ICT Directorate (GICTeD)
It is important to assure to have good guidance
Issues that are adressed concerning technical standards:
e-services Access - standards for different hardware
Interconnectivity - standards for connecting systems
Security - standards for encryption
Business Areas - standards for business specific content
Discovery - standards for locating resources
Data Exchange & Integration - standards for metadata
At the country level there are a lot of beneftis of open standards - improving quality of contact to citizens, but also business impact
It is planned to implement a government portal
Conclusions:
“ICT provides Ghana with opportunity to meet development Goals
The e-Government initiative on Interoperability will support improved service delivery to citizens; reducing the cost to government of delivering services and sharing information; and delivering greater economic efficiencies for the wider economy
Collaboration with bodies such as OASIS, W3C etc will facilitate GoG efforts”
Introduction of the viewers worldwide: Ghana, Kenya, Moldova, Russia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania
Outcomes at local workshops discussing the topics in advance:
Russia: developments in the last 10 years in the IT sector, quite impressive number of projects; but Russia is lacking behind in open standards & interoperability because there is a lack of guidelines
Sri Lanka: discussion open standards especially at the architecture level; how to get more people to apply standards
Tanzania: different starting points - issues of vendor/buyer relations, awareness, procurement, legal environment; how to make the local IT industry support the standards; documentation is often inadequate; workgroups for the evolution of standards - contribution of international organizations; raise awareness for the need for open standards; create instruments to empower people; cross border interoperability - ideas: compliance to international standards bodies, interaction between regional bodies, formalizing as quickly as possible
Opening Keynote Session: Open Standards for Government Transformation
Workshop moderator: Randeep Sudan, Practice Leader for e-Government, Global ICT Department, World Bank
Introduction of speakers;
It’s vital to involve developing countries in the process workshop today is part of government transformation initiative - provide a network for developing countries to assist in eGovernment increasingly open standards are getting mentioned a lot.
Welcome and Introduction:
Laurent Liscia, Executive Director, OASIS
Very fond of worldwide audience - right question were asked
OASIS - organization which promotes open standards;
open source is not open standards; open source has different versions which don’t interoperate; open standards make sure that everything interoperates;
examples for created standards: ODF (open document format - Star Office, Open Office), ebXML, …
everybody should become a member to profit from these standards and the increased interoperability
Han Fraeters, Manager, GDLN/ Knowledge Exchange, World Bank
World Bank Institute - trying to reach more scale by doing things in partnerships, also with business;
trying to change the approach to learning - it’s not only about technical things, but also about social processes;
it’s important to identify the potential and capacities, constraints, the momentum for change; understanding the local conditions is vital to build a reform process
IT is an enabler for change in governments
learning is important - but not the kind which happend in the classroom, but through exchange of experience
Randeep Sudan, Practice Leader for e-Government, Global ICT Department, World Bank
if we think of interoperability, organizational issues are as important as technical ones
there is an increasing awareness on open standards - UK has come up with an action plan on open standards, Indian government is also planning on transforming to open standards
.
Added later (15:32 CET):
Philippe Dongier, Manager, Global ICT Department, World Bank
What could be a way to support many countries?
One way to answer: round table with the president of the world bank & business leaders - how to benefit from collaborations with the industry
A network which should be formed here - peer to peer networks of practitioners for various sectors such as eProcurement, identification, … - also with the private sector & organizations such as OASIS
World Bank wants to support these networks with whatever they need to do it right
Initiative: funding to support transforming strategies of governments of developing countries; working with a wide range of countres
We like to praise the availability of mobile technologies in African countries and to talk about the opportunities that emerged from the introduction of mobile phones. However, it is important to acknowledge that where there is much light, the shadow is deep. When we were in Africa last year to work on the UZI Africa project, we already encountered stories, where the mobile phone was responsible for family conflicts. For example somebody told us how a guy thought that his wife was cheating on him, because she was regularly calling a phone number he didn’t know.
Crystal Watley who lives in Kenya and works for Voices of Africa recently wrote about the negative consequences for family and social relationships at the MobileActive discussion group:
Cell phones make it easier to cheat on your spouse.
Cell phones GIVE away the secrets of the spouses that were already cheating thus causing household tension and domestic violence.
African men tend to be very jealous and often use mobile phones as a way to control their women monitoring every message and call.
Violence and jealousy is also caused between those who own phones and those who do not. Or between those with different model phones. Theft is rampant.
Surely this cannot be generalized, but it is important to keep the possibility of negative side effects in mind when designing technologies for the African market. Maybe technology can even be turned into a tool that helps to avoid and eventually eliminate such conflicts?
The documentary project about the emerging use of mobile phones in Africa, which we recorded in Zanzibar last fall, has now got an official premiere date. It will be screened at the fine old (100 yrs) cinema of Schikaneder in Vienna, the 8th of May, 19:30.
But this is actually just the kick-off of a world tour; we will also show the movie in Kampala/Uganda with the help of Jon Gosier and in Nairobi/Kenya with help of Ugo Vallauri. Also Florian Sturm will organize a screening in Ghana when he is teaching there this summer. We are as well working hard on getting it showed at the international film festival in Stone Town, Zanzibar, ZIFF.
So here’s a finished segment out of the video I just finished editing, buckle your belts & enjoy the ride.
Open standards are substantial to guarantee transparency, security and interoperability, especially in times of rapid technological development and increasing reliance on software tools for government interaction with their citizens.
Furthermore, as Paul Collier also stated in his book “The Bottom Billion“, in particular in so-called “less developed countries” open and internationally agreed standards can give governments a good guideline for reforms, increasing trust of citizens and investors.
Oleg Petrov, the eDevelopment group coordinator also wrote a blog post about the event, stating that the workshop
offers a unique opportunity to exchange experiences amongst professionals from the World Bank, leading public administrations, country clients and the private sector regarding the significance of open standards for public sector reform and efficiency. Issues surrounding public financial management, e-procurement, cloud computing, electronic identitification, security, and interoperability frameworks will be discussed. [from Open Standards for Government Transformation: Enabling transparency, security and interoperability]
ICT4D.at will attend whis event via webcast and twitter and blog live.
If you are interested in joining - please register online:
For the time being this is the last video interview that we will introduce through the MobileActive08 podcast series. And we have saved a really exciting interview to conclude this series!
In the video below Chris Williamson from Psitek (a South Africa-based innovative product development company) introduces Streetwise - a mobile computing device that aims to to provide students with lean Internet services, like e-mail or news. The entire device was designed and engineered by Psitek. It comes with a replaceable, durable keyboard and a GPRS antenna that provides Internet access through a SIM card. The device runs on a standard mobile phone battery, but can also be driven on a car battery.
Make sure to watch the second part of the video, where Chris shows this ground-breaking device and explains its features in detail.
Streetwise has also been mentioned recently on WhiteAfrican.com.
This is the 20th and last interview from our MobileActive08 video podcast series, shot at the conference in Johannesburg (organized by MobileActive and sangonet).
Stay tuned for the next video podcast series, which will start soon!
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Panel Two: Public Financial Management and e-Procurement
Cyber Security Issues Impacting Public Sector Financial Management
Panel One: Identity, Authentication and Security
Information Security Standards: Promoting Trust, Transparency and Due Diligence
