PHL gov't IT systems' interoperability still a pipe dream

Almost a decade after a blueprint for interoperability was presented by the National Computer Center (NCC), the IT systems of various government agencies remain fragmented and unable to talk to each other.

^{NCC managing director Julie Ana Sudario}

This is one of the conclusions reached during a recent “Government Interoperability Forum” held at the NCC, in which government IT executives admitted that interoperability has not progressed a bit even if it is no longer just a requirement but already a need.

In the forum, 64 representatives from 16 national government agencies agreed that data sharing within government information systems is a crucial element in the transparent and efficient delivery of government services.

The government agencies complained that vital reports for national projects and interventions are often unavailable. Untimely submission of reports, inaccuracy of data collected at the ground level, and lack of access to government databases have also caused delays and recurring problems in the implementation of different government programs across the country, they noted.

“You cannot have a good government without access to complete data,” said Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Richard Moya,

Moya said the DBM usually encounter problems in counter checking government projects due to the lack of reliable statistics.

The participants were in agreement that the interoperability of government information systems will facilitate data exchange among different government agencies.

“This will provide concerned authorities a common virtual platform that will give them immediate access to needed data. It will not just simplify data exchange but will also speed up government processes for citizens,” the organizers said.

^{NSCB director Jessa Encarnacion speaks during the forum}

“A person applying for passport may not have to go to NSO, NBI, and POEA, just to get his documents since DFA can access these databases when interoperability happens,” said Julie Ana Sudario, managing director of NCC during the presentation of the Philippine Government Interoperability Framework (PGIF).

PGIF is an initiative started by NCC nine years ago but has yet to be fully implemented.

Interoperability will also be able to promote transparency and accountability since transactions will be mechanized, the participants said.

Efforts on interoperability of systems have been attempted since last year with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) coordinating with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to obtain figures on the country’s land distribution for the National Household Targeting Survey (NHTS).

To make interoperability work, different government agencies must agree on a common data dictionary that will be used as the language for different government databases to communicate with each other, they said.

^{DBM Undersecretary and CIO Richard Moya}

National Statistical Coordination Board Director Jessa Encarnacion offered the NSCB data dictionary that they have as the common language for interoperability.

Moya also said that preparations for a national interoperability program usually take about five years. However, he said that if all government agencies would endeavor to promote it, interoperability could be operational within two months.

One major issue that was raised in the meeting – but was left hanging — was the question on which government agency will lead the initiative.

The forum was co-organized by the National Telehealth Center (NTHC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila which is currently gathering key maternal and child health indicators for its the Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS). — Newsbytes.ph