The modernisation of specialist procedures within public administration is a key requirement under the Online Access Act, with the aim of making all public services available online in future. Specialist procedures generally encompass all manual and electronic processes required to complete a specific administrative procedure, from the submission of an application through to processing, decision-making and documentation. An example from local government is the processing of planning applications – from the submission of the application, through the examination of documents and consultation with other authorities, to the decision and the issue of the planning permission. The individual steps of all administrative tasks are supported by bespoke specialist applications and corresponding software solutions.
The future of specialist procedures lies in the cloud
New specialist procedures are already being developed as cloud-native today. By connecting these specialist procedures to the Sovereign Cloud, they run on a central platform that makes the online specialist procedures – once developed – available according to the ‘One for All’ principle. The centralised cloud platform therefore makes it easier and more secure to exchange data between authorities. This is particularly important in areas where cross-agency cooperation is required, such as in state-wide infrastructure planning or civil protection measures.
At the same time, improved collaboration and data integration ensure greater scalability and adaptability of the specialist procedures. With the help of cloud technology, public authorities can respond quickly to changing requirements. This means that resources can be scaled up or down rapidly as needed – which is particularly beneficial in the face of fluctuating demands, such as seasonal peaks or unforeseeable events. More efficient data processing and storage, the elimination of the need for hardware investment, and precise control over operating costs lead to cost savings.
Furthermore, cloud services offer advanced security mechanisms that protect sensitive data from cyber threats. And the shared data space makes it easier to reuse and combine components of individual specialist systems. This provides additional safeguards for investments made by public authorities. Thanks to its standardised integration with local and European data protection regulations, the Sovereign Cloud already essentially meets compliance requirements. This allows for a greater focus on the actual implementation of specialist procedures.
Criteria and standards for implementing specialist procedures in the Sovereign Cloud
Aspects such as data protection, security, interoperability and compliance are essential. Where possible, solutions should be based on open-source products and accessible via open and widely used interfaces to ensure a high level of compatibility and flexibility for future adaptations, extensions and integration into the existing landscape of specialist procedures.
The maturity model recently introduced in the IT strategy supports the modernisation of business processes by setting the barriers slightly lower, depending on the specific business process and the criticality of the software in question. This enables public authorities to move towards implementation more quickly overall and to benefit from the advantages of cloud-based business processes.
Many paths lead to cloud-based specialist procedures: route planning using the 6R approach
To make specialist procedures cloud-ready, various approaches are recommended:
- Rehosting (lift-and-shift: moving applications to the cloud without modification)
- Refactoring (adapting the code for cloud optimisation without a complete redesign)
- Rearchitecting (fundamentally changing the application architecture to improve cloud-readiness)
- Rebuilding (completely redeveloping the application with cloud-native features)
- Replacing (replacing existing applications with cloud-based alternatives)
- Retiring (decommissioning applications that are no longer required)
Another important aspect is the use of appropriate software and system architecture approaches, as well as associated container technologies (e.g. Docker/Kubernetes), to enable easier portability and scalability of the applications.
Furthermore, the use of methodological approaches such as our Journey2Cloud Public is helpful in supporting the cloud migration and cloud transformation of applications as a strategic process. These established approaches help, amongst other things, to avoid a vendor lock-in situation. This is because dependence on a specific provider significantly complicates the switch to different technologies and operating models, the implementation of new standards, compliance with legal requirements, or even a change of cloud provider.
That concludes our exploration of the Sovereign Cloud in the context of specialist procedures. You can also find out more about the Sovereign Cloud in our webcast on 29 November from 12:00 to 13:00. Robert Knapp will be addressing questions relating to the Sovereign Cloud. Please feel free to register here.
More on the ‘Sovereign Cloud’ series:
Part 1: The Sovereign Cloud drives
digitalisation in public administration; Part 2: Ready for the Sovereign Cloud? Public sector data centres in the spotlight
Part 3 Cloudy with a chance of specialist procedures: How the Sovereign Cloud is revolutionising
public administration Part 4 New perspectives: GIS goes Sovereign Cloud
