1. Open Standards Policy in Belgium
Peter Strickx

2. AGENDA Objectives Definitions Directives Open Source
Open standards & Open source

3. Fedict Develop & Implement e-gov strategy
Support other departments in their implementation
Develop & Implement Standards - Guidelines
Create a common infrastructure
Manage the Inter-Gov Relationships

4. Office of the e-Envoy (UK)
E-Government
“E-government focuses on better services for citizens and businesses and more effective use of the Government’s information resources. It sets a strategic direction for the way the public sector will transform itself by implementing business models which exploit the possibilities of new technology”
Office of the e-Envoy (UK)

5. The Belgium Context Belgium is a federal State
3 authorities at the same level
federal
3 Communities (lang., person)
3 Regions
10 Provinces
589 municipalities
Federal Government has little direct interaction with its customers (citizens, enterprises) except for Social Security and Finance (Taxes)
Competencies are divided across many authorities
Community:
Education
Culture
Healthcare
Region
Lodging
Environment

6. Objectives Total Solution Transparent (hide the internal org.)
Create virtual government
interoperability within and between governments
based on open standards / open specifications
Transparent (hide the internal org.)
“I will say it only once” – Unique Data Source (even between governments)
Limit the Administrative formalities
No extra cost
Privacy
No digital divide

7. Integrate the Back-Office !

8. AGENDA Objectives Definitions Directives Open Source
Open standards & Open source

9. Definitions Open Specification Free Specification
An « open specification » must be free of charge (media cost), available on-line and detailed enough to develop a reference implementation
Free Specification
A « free specification » must be open and must not involve legal restrictions that complicate implementation, distribution and/or use.

10. Definitions Open Standard
An « open standard » is a « free specification » and must be approved and governed by an independent standards organization.

11. Definitions Proprietary platform
A « proprietary platform » is defined as a computing system (hardware, software or a combination of both) where the applications depend on elements for which there are no open specifications and/or open standards.

12. AGENDA Objectives Definitions Directives Open Source
Open standards & Open source

13. Directives New applications archiving information exchange
with external parties
data formats and communication protocols
Legacy applications
agreed upon migration schedule

14. Directives “Custom-built software”
federal government has “ownership rights”
“co-ownership” is possible
source code & no licensing rights
available as “open-source” to other federal administrations.

15. Directives / Recommendation
Purchasing software based on
TCO & value for money
comply with other directives
Recommendation
The federal administrations will seek to avoid lock-in to proprietary platforms.

16. Governance Governance Consensus model within PICTS study impact
determine migration schedule
Proposed/Recommended/Mandatory
PICTS recommends to “Chairmen”
Chairmen recommend to “Council of Ministers”

17. AGENDA Objectives Definitions Directives Open Source
Open standards & Open source

18. Open Source Free redistribution Availability of source code
Derived works
Integrity of the author’s source code
No discrimination against persons or groups
Distribution of license
License must not be specific to a product
License must not restrict other software
License must be technology neutral
More info:

19. Open Source Within federal government Apache/Tomcat JBoss/Struts
Eclipse
Linux
OpenOffice
......

20. AGENDA Objectives Definitions Directives Open Source
Open standards & Open source

21. Open Standards & Open Source
open-source implementation available ?
documentation/installation scripts similar to open-source projects
New Recommendation ?
Several “open source” pilot projects
NO obligation to use “open source”
SourceForge for government applications ?
Coding standards (JJGuidelines)

22. Summary
E-gov is about better service provisioning for our customers NOT about developing software/services
One virtual government implies interoperability
Open standards / Open specifications as a prerequisite for interoperability
Open Source : use where/when appropriate

23. peter.strickx@fedict.be www.belgium.be/fedict