Framework for interoperable service architecture development

Interoperability is a key success factor for digital public services. Addressing the required interoperability principles in public service architectures is difficult, since a multitude of different layers of interoperability as well as of architecture development must be covered in complex real-world situations. Architecture development frameworks provide an instrument to systematically and holistically design and manage architectures of complex and interoperable digital public service contexts. Interoperable public service architectures resulting from the application of architecture development frameworks further need constant evaluation and modification to keep these architectures relevant and up-to-date. Different methodologies such as the “Design Science Research Methodology” (DSRM) or Enterprise Architecture Frameworks like “The Open Group Architecture Framework” (TOGAF) provide methodical foundations in the creation of interoperable public service solutions. However, these methodologies only target some of the needed aspects at a time. To address this challenge, the paper proposes an agile framework for the design, evaluation, and maintenance of interoperable public service architectures, based on DSRM, TOGAF, and other relevant approaches from literature. The “Framework for Interoperable Service Architecture Development” (FISAD) is designed following the DSRM. FISAD comprises seven phases, which integrate the four interoperability layers put forward in the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) and the architectural design phases (business, data, application and technology architecture) covered in the Architecture Development Method (ADM) of TOGAF in an incremental fashion along the DSRM. To demonstrate how it works, FISAD is applied to the use-case of harmonizing pre-qualification and Digital Purchasing Systems (DPS) processes in the pre-award phase of public procurement. The effectiveness of FISAD is verified on the use-case, providing further insights for the realization of interoperability along a systematic and holistic approach.