Interoperability of enterprise architecture

A key objective of the regulation on interoperability laid down in the Information Management Act (906/2019)Opens in a new window. is to promote the electronic disclosure of information between authorities. When disclosing information, it is important to preserve its meaning and usability and to ensure that authorities can receive the information they need from other organisations. 

Among other things, the Information Management Act obliges public authorities to

• maintain an information management model
• make use of datasets from other authorities
• disclose information through a technical interface (API)
• make their datasets available.

Section 5.2 of the Information Management Act (906/2019)Opens in a new window. contains provisions on the minimum content of the information management model. The Act does not specify the procedure or form in which the descriptions contained in the information management model must be created; they are left to the discretion of the information management units.  

Where applicable, the information management model can be described with the enterprise architecture method, for example, or with another description method. In addition to the minimum legal requirements, it is advisable to include the following in the information management model: 

• interoperability descriptions 
• integration into management systems 
• development plans for information management 
• development plans and descriptions of objectives for the enterprise architecture.  

More detailed descriptions can also be linked to the information management model so make them discoverable through the model for use in assessing the impacts of changes to the model.