The Ministry of the Interior is launching IT for the 21st century: in six months it has prepared two key projects – the modernization of reference registers and the renewal of internal systems – and alongside this it is planning a major intervention in the infrastructure. The aim is to eliminate technology debt, improve data quality, and simplify the work of officials as well as services for citizens and businesses.
Registry modernization: RegOb 2.0
The largest project of the past two decades concerns the modernization of the reference registers, especially the population register and the register of natural persons. Today these are two separate systems on different technologies, which complicates integrations and lowers the quality of the data provided. Their consolidation is being prepared, along with the unification of the data base and connections, including open interfaces for connecting other organizations. The result should be easier sharing of reliable data and fewer complex dependencies between systems.
The modernization will not be just a "like-for-like copy." An intervention is planned across all layers: from the renewal of servers to adjustments to user applications at workplaces, including improvements to the user experience and workflows. Old hardware from the OPIS era is already out of support, so it will be replaced along with officials' workstations to handle the new systems. A "life events" approach will also be applied, enabling simplification of the processing of administrative agendas in as many as eight areas that directly relate to the registers.
Back office: optimization and digitization
The second project focuses on the internal systems that underpin the ministry's operations and are built on the SAP platform. It affects as many as 31 areas of public administration according to the state code list MetaIS. The process is divided into stages: the zero and first phases are underway with technological adjustments and analysis, after which a deeper technological upgrade will follow. Subsequently, applications will be adjusted and missing features added according to the results of process optimization.
The goal is not just to replace databases or hardware, but above all to improve how the work is actually performed. Several tasks remained on paper after the ESO reform or were handled manually, which slows down processes and increases error rates. Digitization will move them into systems and cut the number of steps for officials as well as the interconnections between processes. This will ultimately translate into faster services for people and businesses.
Infrastructure for the 21st century
The third line concerns infrastructure, where a significant technology debt has accumulated. Modernization will proceed along three streams: renewal of hardware in the data centers, updating the technology layer (licenses, libraries, software), and replacement of ICT equipment at workplaces in contact with citizens. Obsolete components are no longer supported, so replacement is necessary for reliability, security, and performance. The new workplaces will be ready to communicate seamlessly with the modernized registers and internal systems.
The common denominator of all the steps is the consolidation and transformation of public administration so that data are high-quality, processes simpler, and technologies sustainable. Projects for the public and for the back office run in parallel and support each other. This is a major overhaul intended to deliver less paperwork, faster services, and stable IT for years to come.
