The State Digital Solutions Agency, together with its partners, is implementing the project “Development of a Data Governance Model”, project No. 02-009-P-0001.
Project implementation period
11 October 2022 – 30 April 2026
Project value
EUR 16,270,760.26
Project objective
The aim of the project is to develop and begin implementing an operating model for the data architecture management infrastructure of State Information Resources (SIR), establish a governance model for SIR data, and create centrally managed technical tools. These tools will enable managers and processors of State Information Resources to prepare and provide data and metadata from information systems and registers (IS/R) for public governance purposes, as well as make it easier to find and access data managed by public sector institutions for business development and non-governmental initiatives.
Main project activities
- Development of a metadata standard and a model for the creation and management of application programming interfaces (APIs);
- Development of a software tool for generating metadata and its deployment in 15 information systems and registers, as well as the creation of a centralised metadata repository and API repository, populated with metadata and APIs from 15 IS/R;
- Deployment of the metadata generation tool in information systems and registers and population of the centralised metadata repository with their metadata;
- Population of the API repository with APIs from information systems and registers.
Expected project results
- A metadata standard will be developed;
- A data governance model will be introduced;
- A metadata generation software tool will be deployed in 376 State information systems and registers;
- APIs will be implemented in 376 State information systems and registers and included in the API repository.
The project contributes to the implementation of Objective No. 1.7, “Promote the Digitalisation of the State”, of Lithuania’s National Progress Plan, through Progress Measure No. 05-002-01-07-07 “Promote Data Accessibility and Re-use” under the 2021–2030 State Digitalisation Development Programme of the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania.
The existing institutional structure of the State and established working practices mean that data within State Information Resources are created and managed separately by individual institutions according to their respective areas of responsibility. Historically, State Information Resources were developed without sufficient consideration of how their data should function within the wider national information ecosystem beyond individual institutions.
Until now, data exchange between systems has often been uncoordinated, with developers of each new system independently determining how data exchange should be organised. Changes are therefore needed to meet the modern needs of public administration, citizens and businesses and to adapt decentralised data models for consistent and efficient use across the State.
At the same time, EU institutions are promoting interoperable European digital services in order to support the EU Digital Single Market, the free movement of citizens and access to electronic services. Legislative initiatives concerning the development of State Information Resources have also been introduced. Lithuania therefore needs to be prepared to participate in the common lifecycle of information resources across EU Member States.
Problems addressed by the project
- Required data are difficult to find, especially when they need to be obtained from another organisation;
- Data exchange procedures are complex and time-consuming, often involving lengthy coordination and the need to allocate funding for integrations in future budgets;
- Implementation of digitalisation solutions is insufficiently standardised, lengthy and expensive;
- A comprehensive inventory of State Information Resources has not yet been completed, and there is no complete centralised overview of what data are held and how they are stored;
- Documentation relating to information systems, registers and their data content is not fully digitised, standardised or systematically organised;
- There is insufficient regulation and established practice for data and data architecture governance, including the allocation of roles and responsibilities and measures for ensuring data quality.
These challenges can be addressed by developing a common national data and governance model. This includes establishing an effective organisational structure for managing State Information Resources, creating the necessary legal and methodological framework, standardising metadata management and data exchange, and enabling more efficient management and use of State data as well as integration into the European Union data space.
The project also aims to establish requirements for information systems and registers that will be developed or upgraded in the future, ensuring that they comply with the modern State data model. Appropriate tools will also be adapted for information systems and registers that are already in operation.
Benefits of a unified data model
- Data will be easier to find, while a unified data model will help reduce duplication;
- Data exchange will be possible using standardised tools and solutions;
- A common data model will improve data integrity and data exchange and accelerate the implementation of digitalisation solutions;
- A unified metadata model will ensure that data within State Information Resources are designed from the outset for shared use and exchange between different systems, improving both the pace of digitalisation and data accessibility.