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PROCEEDINGS of the International Conference InfoTech-2013
230
Proceedings of the International Conference on
Information Technologies (InfoTech-2013)
19-20 September 2013, Bulgaria
NATIONAL MODEL OF DATA AND PROCESSES IN THE
ADMINISTRATION (NMDPA) – A PART OF THE
SEMANTIC NETWORK OF THE ADMINISTRATION
Lyubomir Blagoev 1, Kamen Spassov 2
1 USW Ltd., 2 Dept. of Computing Systems, FMI, Sofia University
e-mails: 1 Lyubo@usw.bg ; 2 kspasov@fmi.uni-sofia.bg
Bulgaria
Abstract: The article presents the National Model of Data and Processes in
Administration (NMDPA) as a part of the integrated system of models constructing the
semantic network of the administration. Relationships between external models or
configurations of models and models of NMDPA are discussed. Semantic
characteristics of such configurations are described. It is given a general description of
the semantic network of the administration within the national specifics of the semantic
network of the country.
Key words: National Model of Data and Processes in Administration, Semantic
networks, Semantic models, e-Governance, Administration
1. INTRODUCTION
The National Model of Data and Processes in Administration (NMDPA) is
represented as a legal text in the e-Governance Act (EGA) [1]. The technological
description of NMDPA was discussed in the article National Model of Data and
Processes in Administration [2].The experience of NMDPA implementation
following the EGA was summarized and presented with some ideas for further
development at the Spring Scientific Session of Faculty of Mathematics and
Informatics [3]. A detailed analysis of NMDPA and proposals for improvement were
offered to Bulgarian Take care government in the Analysis and Recommendations for
Further Development of National Model of Data and Processes in Administration [4].
The final version of the NMDPA that resulted from the above mentioned works is
presented at Fig. 1.
19-20 September 2013, BULGARIA 231
Law Textual
semantic
entity
Primary
unified
data Segment Primary
e-service Complex
service
Document
template Paper
document
Complex
unified
data
Test
content Electronic
document Application
Term Nomen-
clature Value Unified
phase
Paper-
based
service RFP
Admini-
strative IS
Data
packages
RegisterStandard
Full set of (meta-) models for e-Governance
Technology
circumstan-
ce
Figure 1: The full set of meta-models in NMDPA
Two new sources of semantics were introduced:
1. Texts from Standards
2. Texts form Technology circumstances leading to creation of definitions of
unified data.
The first source actually is present in NMDPA and the novelty is its citation in
the models of Primary unified data and Complex unified data. The second source
Technology circumstance is added recently. In the semantic transfer flow it is at the
stage similar to the stage represented by the Textual semantic entity model.
Instances of Technology Circumstance model allow defining new data types
without semantic definitions in the legal texts or text in the standards. The need for
new data types arises most often in the process of optimization of the organization of
data from legal or standard sources.
Another adjustment is the simplification of the model of electronic service. The
model of e-Service is united with the technological definition of the service.
A model of administrative service application on paper is also introduced. It
represents the readiness of the administration to perform a developed service.
In Fig. 1 the amendments to NMDPA are colored in red. The improvements
come from two basic considerations:
1. NMDPA should not be treated as a static configuration. It might be
extended with new models, if needed.
PROCEEDINGS of the International Conference InfoTech-2013
232
2. It is possible to extend NMDPA including models that are already in use in
the administration.
Therefore the configuration of NMDPA to some extent is conditional by nature.
It is hard to define a complete model (there is not available definition of “complete”
yet), so we need to keep it open for improvements.
Following the research presented in Analysis and Recommendations for Further
Development of National Model of Data and Processes in Administration [4] the
thesis “NMDPA is a part of the semantic network of the administration” will be
presented and discussed in this article.
2. A GENERALIZED MODEL OF THE CONFIGURATION OF AN
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
Theoretically it is not difficult to present a configuration of an administrative
structure using a set of meta-models and relationships between them. These models
will be defined on the ground of available meta-models, models or their instances
stored in the registries of NMDPA.
The configuration of NMDPA by itself implies that semantic relationships are
totally independent of a hierarchy based on subordination of the type ‘Meta-models
Models Instances’. It indicates that NMDPA is a part of a semantic network.
Similar reasoning could be made for a possible generalized model of a
configuration of an administrative structure. But as far as NMDPA is "closed" in its
configuration and practically can exist without administration, this does not apply to
model configurations of administrative structures. They will have models that will
quote meta-models, models and instances that are supported in NMDPA but also in
registries of other administrations.
Obviously, the composition of these configurations will not be determined by
any technological, logical or similar circumstances, but simply by the laws
regulations. I.e. if we imagine that the model of the entire administration is created
without the boundaries of each particular administration, it will be a continuous
semantic network. If subsequently we encircle the boundaries of the administrative
structures in a 2D-graphical representation enclosing the relevant objects (meta-
models, models, instances) the structure can become surprisingly inconsistent
definition of the configurations of these administrative structures. Fig.2 represents an
example. We can see that it is possible to define a large number of administrative
configurations, based on the semantic network that represents the semantics of the
data and processes that are supported by four administrations. It happens because the
definition of an administrative configuration follows someone’s logic, not the optimal
support of data and processes delegated to an administration.
We should clearly point out that Figure 2 only illustrates the relationships
between the meta-models, models and their instances in compositions of
19-20 September 2013, BULGARIA 233
configurations of administrative structures. The links to external meta-models and
models are only implied.
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To external model
Administration 1
Administration 3
From external model
Administration 2
Administration 4
Figure 2: Administrative configurations defined in a semantic network
In fact the interface between administrations is represented in the best way
through the definitions of internal administrative services that administrations provide
to each other. The number of such services is commensurate to the number of
services that administrations provide to citizens and businesses. Therefore, for
example, the interface of a municipality administration represented via relationships
and services requested on paper and also requests for e-services will exceed the
number of 500.
3. INVARIANCE OF THE SEMANTIC NETWORK OF
ADMINISTRATIONS
With Fig. 2 we just illustrate the internal organization of administrative work.
Actually it is not as amorphous as it looks in the picture. The Ordinance on the
Internal Electronic and Paper-based Document Flow in the Administrations [5] of
EGA introduces regulations for use of specialized information systems so called
PROCEEDINGS of the International Conference InfoTech-2013
234
Administrative Information Systems (AIS) in the administration. The ordinance
includes about 95 meta-models of data and data structures and basic functions
supporting them. Later we will present some of these models to indicate their relation
with the models in NMDPA.
The general relationship of the models included in NMDPA with other models
of the semantic network of the administrations includes relationships with multiple
models of data supported in the registries of administrations. Bulgarian legislation
regulates support of more than 200 models of data in the registries of administrations.
Here it may be noted that the AIS are essentially systems for managing
unstructured data, regardless of what their models i.e. whatever is the semantics. This
procedural aspect sharply differs from the register maintenance that due to uniformity
of the register items is essentially maintenance of structured data.
The Ordinance [5] introduces a data processing procedure in the administration
that defines the AIS as a mandatory input/output interface to any records maintained
by an administration. In other words, if we itemize the generalized model of an
administration using a generalized model of AIS and models respectively supported
by the administration in registries, we will come to a sample of the semantic network
with a visual display similar to that in Figure 2. Instead of configurations of
administrations we could imagine semantic configurations of AIS with appropriate
configurations of registries. Because these configurations are regulated by the law,
their configurations are sustainable. The general semantic relationships will remain
sustainable including the relationships with modes from NMDPA.
It is obvious that these relationships depend only on the semantics presented
with samples of the semantic network of administrations and did not depend on the
specific maintenance of the structured or unstructured data presented in these models.
4. MODELS IN THE CONFIGURATION OF AN AIS AND THEIR
RELATIONSHIP WITH NMDPA
Models in the configuration of an Administrative Information System are
regulated with the Ordinance on the Internal Electronic and Paper-based Document
Flow in the Administrations [5]. They are rooted in the models and instances of
NMDPA.
Fig. 3 represents the relationship between the definition of electronic service
supported by AIS in the departmental nomenclature of services and procedures and
respective instances of models supported in the NMDPA registries. The definition not
only of an e-service but also of a service requested on paper, but performed entirely
by processing information in electronic form is used to adjust the AIS-workflow
mechanism.
19-20 September 2013, BULGARIA 235
AIS
primary
service N
Primary
service N
AIS
phase A
NMDPA
AIS
phase B
AIS
phase i
Unified
phase A
Unified
phase B
Unified
phase i
AIS- registry support
Figure 3: Relationship between a definition of an electronic service in AIS and procedures and
respective instances of models in
This approach manages the execution of a paper based service with manual
processing. The same methodology with a similar setup manages the execution of e-
services in an automatic, or mainly manual or a mixed mode. In fact, in the first phase
of an electronic service, the reception of the application for the service always runs in
automatic mode. The next phases can be performed in manual or in automatic mode,
depending on the availability of appropriate technology options and eligibility under
the respective legal regulation.
5. CONCLUSIONS
We discussed the semantic relationships between models and data supported by
the administrations at a macro level: relationships between NMDPA and
administrations. We also examine the semantic relationship between components of
these configurations and NMDPA. We illustrated this with a legally regulated AIS
configuration. It is a definition of a standard information system for the
administrative purposes in regard to support provisioning of services in paper or
electronic form.
PROCEEDINGS of the International Conference InfoTech-2013
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EGA allows using also so-called “specialized AIS”, which according to the law,
maintain a subset of the data in the standard AIS. Specialized AIS are intended to
implement simplified procedures concerning the maintenance of various registers, if
it is legally permissible. Obviously for these specialized AIS applies the above
mentioned: the data supported by specialized AIS are also part of the semantic
network of administrations.
As far as all those theses raised so far does not affect any specificity of the
models, apparently they are also applicable to data models supported by arbitrary
registers. This is not only supporting the idea of a unified semantic network
representing the data models and processes in administration, but it also has a
retroactive effect. If we build a model of the data and processes in administrations
and if it does not fit into the generalized semantic network (including the creation of
new models or instances of models in the registers of NMDPA), this model is not
correct.
As far as "correctness" of a constructed model can be achieved by creating new
models and instances of models, apparently it is always feasible. But the analysis of
the additional constructs in this case may indicate the lack of optimality of the
generated model. It seems better to replace the estimation for "correctness" with
evaluation of optimality, which is extremely important in the reality.
ABBREVIATIONS
AIS – Administrative Information System
EGA – e-Governance Act
NMDPA - National Model of Data and Processes in Administration
Register – a structure that contains identical elements, for each of the elements is generated a
unique register ID
REFERENCES
[1] E-Governance Act, State Gazette 46/12.06.2007
[2] Blagoev L., Automatics & Informatics, 3/2011, National Data and Processes Model in
Administrations
[3] Blagoev L., Spassov K., Development of the National Model of Data and Processes in Bulgarian
Administration, Sofia University, Spring Scientific Session of Faculty of Mathematics and
Informatics, 13.03.2013
[4] Blagoev L., Spassov K., Manolov S., Dimitrov G., Antonova A., Analysis and
Recommendations for further development of National Model of Data and Processes in
Administration, E-Governance Laboratory, Bulgarian Academy of Science, May 2013
[5] Ordinance on the Internal Electronic and Paper-based Document Flow in the Administrations,
State Gazette 48/23.05.2008
