Ota Ward Office (Address: 5-13-14 Kamata, Ota-ku, Tokyo; Mayor: Yoshio Nishino) is setting out to integrate all of its systems, including existing resources, with a view to providing a higher level of administrative services. As a first step, the systems integration infrastructure that will support the overall system will be created during fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2005. In conjunction with the integration work, project management support and the design and development of systems integration infrastructure have been entrusted to The Japan Research Institute, Limited ("JRI"; Address: Ichiban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Shunichi Okuyama). JRI will support Ota Ward in its drive to achieve greater efficiency of local government management and operation and provide a higher level of services to residents, through the provision of SI services from consulting.

This full-scale integration of all Ward Office systems is the first initiative of its kind among local government bodies.

Background

Against a backdrop of ever-tighter finances, local government bodies face a range of challenges, which include increasing the quality of the services they provide to residents and coping with the fall in personnel numbers from around 2007, as the dankai baby boom generation reach retirement age. One of the keys to achieving a speedy solution to these problems is the strategic use of information systems.

With a view to increasing the efficiency of their work, local government bodies have been introducing stand-alone systems adapted to particular tasks since the 1960s, especially in work supervision areas. However, these existing systems in many cases prove to be an obstacle to the creation of an operating infrastructure whose construction would normally be made possible by a more sophisticated use of integrated systems (such as the creation of processes which, like general service counter services, offer a new service to residents and the creation of systems for the management of a high level of administrative operation).

Under the "Ota Ward Vision for the Computerization of Administration", drawn up with a view to promoting the realization of the objectives of its long-term basic plan "Ota Plan 2015", Ota Ward Office has set itself the following three objectives:

1)To provide a high quality of service to Ward residents
2)To work with residents for the growth and development of Ota Ward
3)To promote greater sophistication and efficiency in administration

With a view to realizing these objectives at an early date, Ota Ward has decided to integrate all of its systems, including existing resources, thereby allowing a more strategic approach to the use of information systems. When drawing up an implementation plan, Ota Ward considered what model of administrative operation would be best on the basis of the EA (Enterprise Architecture: principles of design for overall optimization of systems) methodology advocated by the central government, before setting out systems integration infrastructure requirements, development standards, etc.

Purposes of Systems Integration

The major purposes of systems integration are as follows:
1)To increase the sophistication and quality of administrative services
2)To achieve greater efficiency in the internal processes of administration
3)To reduce overall IT costs
4)To improve standards of administrative operation and management
5)To strengthen the protection and security of personal information

What is Systems Integration Infrastructure?

Systems integration infrastructure incorporates a wide range of infrastructure, including functions that link all Ward Office systems in an organic manner, personnel ID verification, security, business support functions used by all personnel, and information. (Note: Access will be subject to restrictions.)

To avoid dependence on any specific vendor, the development of this infrastructure will, as far as possible, use open-source software that will run in a multi-platform environment, and technology conforming to international standards.

Issues for the Future

Issues for the future include automating, to as great an extent as possible, the entire work process from front office to back office, including Internet and general service counter services, by linking the systems integration infrastructure with Tokyo Metropolitan Government's jointly operated system (electronic application systems, etc.), and reviewing key systems run on host computers (resident records, national health insurance, taxation matters, etc.) with a view to further improving services provided to Ward residents and reforming work processes.

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