Laur Mägi Department of Information Systems and Document Management eGovernment – solutions and initiatives in Estonia Laur Mägi Department of Information Systems and Document Management

About us Estonia is a small (1.5 M inhabitants) and newly (1991) reborn country giving us rather flexible position to implement innovative and sometimes even radical solutions At the same time, we have to be considerate of the needs and material opportunities of our key clients – citizens Main tasks for near future is integration of different solutions supporting the same general process and to satisfy growing needs of community

Legislative background Archives Act (1998) Government Degrees: “Common Principles for Document Management” (2001) “Archival rules” (2000) “Implementation of data exchange layer for information systems ” (2003) Riigi Teataja Act (State Gazette)(2001) Digital Signature Act (2000) Public Information Act (2000)

Solutions for citizens - identification The ID-card is the new generation's primary domestic identification document Start of issue:January 1, 2002 For now more than 350 000 holders personal data file authentication certificate digital signature certificate personal e-mail address: forename.surname_XXXX@eesti.ee (XXXX is the random four-digit number assigned to the person).

Solutions for citizens - communication Webportal for citizens – eCitizen Authentication with ID card or by electronic banking Different services for communication with government Document forms, rules, procedures Electronic tax declaration (from 1998) Taxes promised to be returned within 5 days this year Tax documents with digital signature accepted Portal for participation in legislative process Governments virtual briefing room

For governmental institutions Separate web-based back-office solutions for different stages in legislative process Information system for approval and coordination of legal acts between ministries Information system for Government sessions Information system for managing drafts of law in Parliament Electronic State Gazette System for connecting different official registers

Legislative process and supporting solutions PRESIDENT PARLIAMENT eParliament GOVERMENT VIIS Published Act eGazette MINISTRIES eJustice Draft of legislation Legal Act next

eJustice (2002) Legislative draft coordination and approval between ministries before Government Sessions Web-based system where: draft laws are presented for approval opinions about drafts are submitted approved drafts are presented for Government sessions citizens are able to search and read all documents Back to scheme

VIIS - Information System for Government Sessions (2000) Flexible solution where: agenda for the sessions is composed of legislative drafts from eJustice approval documents from eJustice other documents (either electronic or scanned) and links regarding the actual theme of the agenda point reference data about conduction of the session and decisions are inserted during the session in real-time Back to scheme

eParliament (1997) System for chancellery of the Parliament that keeps track on received or created legal drafts process of approval and during different stages Parliament sessions Database of drafts has also the public interface allowing citizens to follow the legislative process in Parliament Back to scheme

Electronic State Gazette Complex system for civil servants in different institutions to submit, control and manage approved legislative acts for publishing all citizens to access all legislative acts in force including consolidated texts containing all amendments to access acts that have been in force in past or will become in force in near future Back to scheme

System for connecting different official registers Called X-road or X-path– crossroad of different official databases in Estonia The aim of the project was to develop hardware, software and organizational methods for standardized usage of national registries Several state and private sector organizations and companies were connected to the project Government degree concerning the usage of the results was signed in December 2003 Governmental institutions should implement the principles of X-road by 2004

Latest things State compensation for parents with children under 1 yr old (law from the 2003) Parents can apply via eCitizen portal Authentication with ID card Applying process contains queries via X-road to different national registers Civil servant gives final approval based on this data Process between applying and approval takes 1-2 days

Strategies Document management programme of Estonian Governance 2000-2002 cooperation network principles for development, main standards and knowledge base Action plan on Development of Document Management and Archives (2002-2005). implementation of principles, regulation, methodology, common solutions For citizen – more services using ID card and X-road technologies

Participation in European programs and working groups Share and collect all experiences concerning electronic document management and electronic services for public (eEurope, Northern eDimension, eContent etc.) Priorities in IDA Standards of information exchange Data Preservation ID-card and digital signature Publishing and sharing information via Internet, e-services E-Procurement

Future developments Standardization for interinstitutional communication – legislative process needs Developing connections to information sources in EU More public services using existing technologies – ID card, X-road, digital signature