Case:E-Enabling Life Event Data
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Contexts
This case is an example from the EU Goodpractice Framework.
Basic outline
Civil Registration Modernisation Programme The Civil Registration Modernisation Programme is a joint project between the Departments of Social and Family Affairs and the Department of Health and Children (with responsibility for the Civil Registration Service) aimed at introducing a modern Civil Registration Service. This was a major undertaking involving the:
- Introduction of technology - online registration/electronic certificate production/capture of digitised
signatures.
- Redesign of business processes and procedures.
- Capture and retrieval of paper based records in electronic format.
- Reform of legislation.
A key step in the process was the publication of a consultation document entitled 'Bringing Civil Registration into the 21st Century' (www.groireland.ie), setting out the context and proposed future approach to civil registration and related services.
The registration of an event includes:
- The allocation of a Personal Public Service
Number (PPS No.) to a child at birth.
- Registration, the setting up of a child's public service identity.
- The creation of family links on the national central database for all citizens.
- Client Records System - administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
- The sharing of event data with other Government Agencies.
REACH Inter-Agency Messaging Service (IAMS)
An agency called REACH was set up by Government to develop a framework for the integration of public services. A key building block underpinning the integration of public service delivery is the capacity to share data between Government Agencies. A project to develop an Inter-Agency Messaging Service (IAMS) to facilitate the e-enabling of life event data was undertaken.
Child Benefit System Re-design
The Child Benefit system is concerned with the administration and payment of child income support for some 1,100,000 children. The redesign of the Child Benefit System encompasses the implementation of a new service delivery framework which involves the re-engineering of back office systems - business (processes/ procedures) and technology (architecture, tools, development platform, redesign of legacy systems) around customer access channels and the adoption of a pro-active/automated approach to delivering customer services. Central to the pro-active/automated approach is the electronic transfer of birth registration data to DSFA using the REACH Inter- Agency Messaging Service (IAMS).
The introduction of the new Civil Registration system is therefore a flagship project in providing life-centred services to citizens. It enables a citizen to register an event e.g. birth, electronically and securely at a location of convenience - hospital or local office. In conjunction with the redesign of the Child Benefit system and the development of the REACH IAMS it facilitates the automatic triggering of the payment of child benefit thereby providing a convenient and efficient service for the citizen.
Formulated Goal
The e-enabling of life event data through the modernization of the Civil Registration Service is primarily a customer service initiative. The focus being to:
- Deliver on Government's objectives of providing more convenient access to services and information.
- Streamline the administration of the Civil Registration Service, redefine roles, responsibilities and authority to improve the legal adequacy of data, processes and procedures.
- Provide an enhanced customer service by allowing for the registration of events and the production of certificates in the citizen's district of choice rather than in the specific district in which the event occurred.
- Reduce the reliance on paper certificates for Government service purposes through the electronic sharing of life event data.
- Use life event data to provide seamless integration of services across Government Agencies data e.g. the auto-generation of child benefit claims by the DSFA following receipt of birth registration data and the allocation of the PPS Number, thereby eliminating the need for the parent to procure a birth certificate and submit an application for child benefit.
- Use modern technology to radically transform the way services are provided for the citizen e.g. browser based.
- Provide a platform for external access and services via the the internet for citizens.
- Streamline the administration of schemes/services - use life event data to trigger the review of continued entitlements under various Government programmes.
- Enact a new body of legislation.
Case Issues
Stakeholders
Technology
The Technical Solution is a three-tier web based OLTP system built on the Microsoft platform. It uses leading Microsoft technologies including Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Internet Information Server 5.0, Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Microsoft BizTalk Server 2000 and Microsoft Message Queue. In addition to the Microsoft Technologies, the system employs the Avanade Connected Architecture (ACA). ACA is a structured set of implementation classes and runtime services that support the development of web solutions on the Microsoft platform. This architecture was developed by Avanade (a joint venturebetween Accenture and Microsoft) and provides a framework for rapid development of reliable and performant systems. The solution is a browser-based "thin-client" application, which has the advantage of enabling quick and efficient rollout to registration offices nationwide, as well as ensuring that any upgrades that need to be made to the application will have no affect on the client machines. Key features of the technical solution are as follows:
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI):
The solution uses Baltimore Technologies to provide security, user authentication and messaging. PKI is integrated into the online system by means of Java applets to ensure user authentication and nonrepudiation of data entered onto the system.
- Access Control:
The solution supports sophisticated role-based access control. Access groups have been identified and users are assigned to an access group based on their role. Buttons or hyperlinks to system areas appear disabled if a user does not have the appropriate access rights. - Network connectivity: Authorised users access the system via the Irish Government VPN (the first OLTP system to do so) - Historical Imaging: The solution supports integration with a 2TB repository of scanned registration records, stored as TIFF images. An ActiveX component integrated into the system enables users to view, manipulate and print these TIFF images from their web browser, thereby supporting the issue of certificates for registration records, dating back as far as 1845. - Interfaces: The solution uses BizTalk Server to interface with a number of external agencies for the purpose of data sharing. XML files are passed securely and reliably to Government Departments and Agencies via the REACH IAMS. - Digitised Signatures: The solution enables customers to digitally sign birth, death and marriage registrations using an electronic pad and pen, known as an ePad. The ePad interacts with the system via an ActiveX control and the digitised signatures are then stored as part of the registration record. - Comprehensive Reporting Tool: The Business Objects Suite is used to generate management and administrative reports and supports query reporting and analysis. Reports are accessed by users through a web-based interface. - On-Line Event Certificate Generation: Crystal Reports is used, in conjunction with a custom built Active X control, to print client-side certificates, letters and receipts. An additional feature of the printing architecture enables the system to differentiate between printer trays. This is because certificates are printed on specially designed, highly secure preprinted paper, while all other material is printed on plain paper. Open Standards and Interoperability The system is a combination of both custom development and off-the-shelf software, all of which use open technology standards both internally and for their interoperability with other system components. The main open standards used by the system are as follows:
The approach taken to sharing data across government departments has been to make significant use of open standards e.g. XML, SSL and TCP / IP for the transfer of data. The use of open standards ensures the solution can interface with systems built on a range of different technology platforms in use across Government Departments and Agencies.
Scalability The system was designed and built on the basis of a three-tier architecture. This means that the application can be scaled "out" as easily as it can be scaled "up". The system has been designed so that extra servers can be added to any of the physical layers, thus giving the application the ability to further distribute the load and scale out through incremental addition of machines. The server hardware can also be upgraded by adding processors and memory, which provides the ability to scale up.
The system software itself has been designed for scalability and performance, it has been built using the ACA framework (mentioned above), which supports the delivery of scalable and performant applications proven by Avanade through extensive testing of both scale-up and scale-out scenarios.
