%Strategic collaboration to promote and build citizen-centric Enterprise Architecture for public service innovation and transformation in resource-constrained countries%

Today, The Open Group, the vendor-neutral technology consortium, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), announced a collaboration to accelerate public service innovation and transformation for better citizen outcomes and optimal utilization of ICT infrastructure.

By working together, The Open Group and ITU will aim to promote, guide, and build capabilities for digital government strategies and citizen-centric Enterprise Architecture (EA) across the globe.

“Never before have digital public services had such a profound impact on the lives of citizens around the world,” said ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao. “With this partnership with The Open Group, ITU is redoubling its efforts to help governments everywhere accelerate the deployment and scaling up of impactful citizen-centric digital solutions in support of economic recovery and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

With the necessary guidance and materials, resource-constrained countries will be better placed to convert digital strategies into implementable large-scale systems. As such, the strategic alliance between ITU and The Open Group will fill the gap between digital investments and best practice architectural approaches for the achievement of the SDGs.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) of ITU said: “The use of digital solutions and technologies to upscale digital public services is fundamental for supporting the response to, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic. When it comes to designing, implementing, and rolling out digital public services at scale, adopting architectural approaches is key. EA allows governments to meet the needs of sectors with varying requirements, while at the same time facilitate the organizational change process and the modernization of government services as a whole. Alongside The Open Group, we can create the tools and guidance needed for countries to put an EA approach into action.”

The work undertaken as part of the collaboration will be executed by The Open Group Government EA Work Group. The Work Group will develop processes that enable seamless information flow across various government ecosystems, making existing EA resources – including guides, frameworks, use cases, and methodologies – easier to use and available to all. Through providing access to these resources, both The Open Group and ITU will help governments to build the capabilities needed to implement architectural approaches at scale, based on their country-specific needs.

Steve Nunn, President and CEO of The Open Group, commented: “The Open Group is proud to collaborate with ITU to transform digital public services and, ultimately, enhance the experience for millions of citizens across the globe. It is evident that the countries able to yield the best outcomes from digital investments are those that have created and adopted a fit-for-purpose digital government EA. This is why, together with ITU, we will strive to democratize the use of methodologies and tools required to establish future-proofed digital architectures and infrastructures, particularly for countries with limited resources.”

The Open Group and ITU will hold webinars to launch the collaboration on December 2 and December 9, 2020. Register here.

About The Open Group
The Open Group is a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives through technology standards. Our diverse membership of more than 800 organizations includes customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tool vendors, integrators, academics, and consultants across multiple industries. Further information on The Open Group can be found at www.opengroup.org.

About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established over 150 years ago in 1865, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. For more information, visit www.itu.int.

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