Government Worth Having: A Briefing on Interoperability for Government Leaders

Theresa A. Pardo, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, SUNY, and G. Brian Burke, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, SUNY

12/15/2008
(Original Publish Date: 10/7/2008)

Interoperability is a key enabler of the information and knowledge sharing necessary for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to deliver on the promise of government transformation. Interoperability is not an end in itself; interoperable systems deliver value to the public through the opportunities they enable. Value is realized through better coordination of government agency programs and services and through opportunities for information to be shared among, and used by, networks of government, private sector, and other key actors to serve the priorities of society and its institutions. The United Nation's Millennium Development Goals1 offer a "blueprint" for bettering the world's poorest countries and interoperability contributes to the critical foundation necessary to meet those goals. Interoperable systems cannot replace basic supplies like food and shelter; but they can assist nations in their efforts to make the best use of scarce resources and provide services to citizens in new and innovative ways. This paper focuses on why interoperability is an issue for government leaders, and what must be done specifically by these leaders to build the critical foundation of interoperability.