Complying with E-GIF and XML

Report on the Kable E-GIF conference

Alison Gibney, Consultant, Cimtech Ltd

FROM a document manager’s perspective the Kable E-GIF conference, Complying with E-GIF and XML, on 13 May was more about data than documents, focusing as it does on the electronic exchange of transaction data with and between public sector organisations. It was encouraging, nevertheless, to hear that many of the emerging data standards have now ‘gained traction’ in marketing terms, with take-up by substantial numbers of suppliers.

Office of the e-Envoy
John Borras of the Office of the e-Envoy (OeE) outlined the changes to be found in version 5 of the Electronic Government Interoperability Framework which was published in April: E-GIF v.5 is divided into Part 1 Framework and Part 2 Technical Specifications and both parts are available on the www.govtalk.gov.uk site.

So, what’s new in e-GIF v.5?
• specifications for smartcards
• specifications for e-learning
• advice on wireless networks
• change control procedures

Version 5 introduces us to the need for compliance assessment, both for products and for public sector organisations, but draws the line at the Herculean task of providing an assessment service. Instead, the National Computing Centre at Manchester University will provide a subscription service offering online information and tools for self-assessment. The three main questions in compliance testing will be: “Is the system fit for purpose?” “Does it contravene any policies or specifications?” and most importantly, “Is the component or supplier replaceable?” To complement this service the NCC will set up an accreditation scheme for e-GIF professionals.

The OeE now considers the 2005 Electronic Service Delivery target to apply to ‘key’ rather than all services. Just over half of all public sector services are currently available online from around 2,500 public sector websites. The emphasis is changing from the number of services available online to achieving higher take-up of those services, which is where the benefits for both parties will come in. XForms (XML forms) are replacing Word, HTML and PDF forms as the way of the future but are not mandated yet. Many public sector organisations will be interested to hear the advice on wireless networks, which is to avoid them until standards have been tested!

A records manager and no doubt auditors too must ask which of the many electronic forms and transactions need to be kept as records. Are we happy to let the data disperse into business applications or should e-forms be kept as a record of what was sent or received? The records management answer must be an individual appraisal of each type of exchange, assessing the value of the form as a record of business activity, its statutory retention requirements or its potential as legal evidence. The fear is that IT departments in their rush to meet e-government deadlines will overlook these hidden decisions made along the way.

The OeE has not neglected documents. Most of its efforts in this area have focused on web content metadata. A new version of its e-Government Metadata Standards (e-GMS) will be published shortly to prescribe metadata to tag documents for search purposes, records management, Freedom of Information and Data Protection purposes. The format and content of documents have not previously been addressed but the OeE has set up working groups to look at methods of document transfer and standards for workflow compliance.

Office of Government Commerce
Meanwhile, Office of Government Commerce has been looking at standards for e-procurement. Martin Leverington of the OGC described latest developments. The OGC is forming a data model of the whole procurement process and is supporting ways to simplify the ‘many-to-many’ relationships between buyers and suppliers with central solutions such as e-Sourcing, e-Auctions and Purchase-to-Pay systems. Still in the feasibility study phase are plans for an e-Hub to capture data of who is buying what from whom and to provide a single point of access for security and accreditation. The early stages of the procurement cycle, which are the knowledge, specification, tender and contract phases, are as yet too varied to standardise but the later stages of selection through to payment will be suitable for standardised formats and methods.

For central government delegates Adrian Brown from the National Archives provided long-awaited information on how electronic records from government departments will be collected and preserved. The National Archives (previously the Public Record Office) will accept documents and data in all formats: a big and brave step from the previous restriction to HTML, SGML, TIFF and PDF. The National Archives are taking upon themselves the complex challenge of the permanent preservation of the many and often temporary formats it will receive. A PRONOM database is being set up to record all file formats and the software which creates them. Options for preservation include bulk conversion to XML and using viewer technology to maintain access to obsolete formats.

Examples of the use of e-GIF standards in action included the Cambridgeshire Community Network portal and the Department of Health’s Road Traffic Accident section, for which the Department for Work and Pensions collects accident information from hospitals in order to recharge costs to insurance companies. Both case studies showed practical examples of how e-GIF standards can be used and how in some cases they need to be adapted and extended. In the real world change can rarely be achieved in giant steps. Legacy formats and transport systems must continue to be supported alongside new standards until all parties in the process catch up.

E-GIF v.5. www.govtalk.gov.uk

IM@T Online July 2003