Interoperability as a Lever for Inclusive and Equitable Public Service Delivery: Challenges and Opportunities

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) has become an important strategy for revolutionising public service delivery for many governments worldwide. Last year’s G20 Digital Economy Working Group highlighted ‘interoperability’ as the flagship parameter that sets DPI apart from other forms of (global) technology initiatives. Defined as the ability of two separate computer or software systems to exchange information through commonality in syntax, semantics, or protocols, interoperability is seen as a key lever to drive efficiency, quality, and inclusivity in the platformisation of public services. The proposed benefits of interoperability include enhanced inter-departmental coordination, service accessibility, fiscal savings, preclusion of vendor lock-ins, and reduced carbon emissions. These assumptions have increasingly shaped how egovernance initiatives are designed and implemented. However, many operational issues arise in practice, which can compromise its contribution to more effective and inclusive service delivery - especially for countries without established data creation and collection traditions, and departmental desiloisation.

Building on the last G20, this policy brief provides insights into challenges in operationalising interoperability across low– and middle-income countries. It also provides recommendations for the G20 on how to support DPI governance in ways that help countries build effective and inclusive interoperable systems from different foundations and starting points.