KaPa programme less than budgeted – Suomi.fi services completed on schedule

OwalGroup has completed its independent final assessment of the National Architecture for Digital Services (KaPA) implementation programme. The programme is considered as having been successful as regards, among other things, its realistic purposes, being on schedule and resources. The programme was completed under the planned budget and the Suomi.fi services in the programme were completed on schedule.

According to the final assessment now published, the KaPA programme has successfully triggered an extensive change in organisational culture across public administration that helps public administration to be more customer-oriented and to focus on support services. The programme has also opened up new opportunities for central government and municipalities to work together.

The purpose of the programme, which began in 2014, includes simplifying and facilitating transactions by citizens, companies and organisations with the authorities. In addition, the purpose was to improve shared use of information and to promote corporate business opportunities with public administration. According to the final assessment, the purposes are considered as being “right or at least as guiding operations in the right direction”. It is estimated that the creation of new business opportunities for companies has remained in the background in the purposes.

The programme was commended for successfully keeping to schedule. The agile development model in particular supported achievement of the purposes. A committed and competent personnel were considered a strength both in steering and in operational work.

“It is great that the KaPA programme is seen as an important reformer of ways of working in public administration. We have drawn on new ways of working in the programme and this has contributed to the achievement of the purpose of the programme,” says Maria Nikkilä, Senior Adviser for Information Management, Director of the Digitalisation Unit at the Ministry of Finance.

KaPA Act has accelerated deployment

According to the report, the majority of the Suomi.fi services produced in the KaPA programme have been completed mostly on schedule and large central government organisations have been well included. The challenge with deployment is that organisations consider Suomi.fi services useful from the public administration perspective, but not from the perspective of their own operations. The entry into force in July 2016 of the Electronic Transactions Act (so-called KaPA Act) has significantly strengthened the importance and deployment of the services produced in the programme. Even though the Act has certainly accelerated deployment, organisations had hoped that deployment and services would be even more customer oriented.

According to the final report, internal communication between key persons worked well in the KaPA programme. While satisfaction was expressed with the various forms of communication online and at events, for example, it was felt that information was available in rather too many places. The report recommends that future communication to the organisations deploying Suomi.fi services should take a proactive and pragmatic approach. According to the assessment, it is important that the communication with citizens started this autumn is successful to pass on the message about the effectiveness of the programme.

Suomi.fi services ready – Suomi fi Identification and Authorisations in active use

Four projects have been completed in the KaPA programme: Data Exchange Layer, Service Views, e-Identification and Roles and Authorisations. All services have been completed in terms of their technical solutions during the programme period.

It is estimated that the Suomi-fi Data Exchange Layer and Suomi.fi Identification have largely exceeded their objectives. Myös Also Suomi.fi Authorisations has got off to an "impressive start", with the number of transactions on behalf of another person exceeding the million milestone in autumn 2017.

The Service Views project includes the Suomi.fi web service, Suomi.fi service Databases and importing register information to the e-service. It is estimated that Suomi.fi web service offers few new services so far and is still partly at the development stage. Deployment of the Service databases has gone better than expected, whereas less registry information than targeted has been imported to Suomi.fi.

“Deployment and development of Suomi.fi services will certainly not stop here, however. The Population Register Centre will in future have an increasingly stronger role as a promoter of digitalisation. The cornerstone of our work is digital customer-oriented services for citizens and organisations alike,” says Janne Viskari, Director General of the Population Register Centre.

The assessment recommends that the Ministry of Finance in future ensures adequate resourcing and guidance for the deployment of Suomi.fi services. At the end of the programme, the operating model must be clear to guarantee continuation of the services. Further development and communication of the services must take into account the perspectives of the organisations and end users.

National Architecture for Digital Services assessment report site at vm.fi

OwalGroup's independent final assessment is based on data analyses, interviews, e-surveys conducted for agencies, ministries and municipalities, and case analyses. The KaPA programme was also assessed in spring and autumn 2016.

Further information:

Maria Nikkilä, Senior Adviser for Information Management, Director of the Digitalisation Unit, Ministry of Finance, tel. +358 29 5530 514, maria.nikkila(at)vm.fi

Janne Viskari, Director General, Population Register Centre, tel. 358 29 5535 022, janne.viskari(at)vrk.fi