XML in European Parliament.

• reflections on public sectors approach to using XML
• relations with contractors and vendors
• good use of XML is about management not technology -- a "particular bugbear of mine".

EU Parliament: several sites, many members, 11 languages.

Information Resources Management

Responsible for:

• data standards, naming conventions, metadata standards, I18N, process managements, KM and semantic web standards, editorial standards. internal norms and guidelines.

Policy is: everything in XML.

policy frameworks; intero forum; external co-operation (not unique but unusual) -- EU orgs, parliaments, consortia, etc.

necessity for permanent point of references, stability, accessibility.

Objectives

• Information and service access -- no "wrong door", multiple access points. Keep content management separate from resource navigation/discovery; security/quality
• Independence -- no vendor lock-in; must track technology
• Interop -- standards; reduce complexity and improve economies of scale
• Interaction -- e-Literacy; semantic solutions

Challenges and Problems

• Resource limitations -- cost/benefit analysis
• Contractual constraints -- v.slow; procedural burden
• Little culture of co-operation
• Politics and hierarchy.
• Complex IT infrastructure
• 'Enlargement' -- EU taking on more member states, 13 new members within a decade, 25 new languages
• Possibilities for coop limited -- culture, hiearchy, resources
• Contractors not limited, but aren't taking opportunity to work together.

Possibilities and Solutions

• Political initiatives: WAI, WCAG, full-comply by 2003.
• e-Voting (cf: OASIS work)
• Interop audit -- tie funding decisions to conformance.
• Administrative initiatives -- XML; standards

ParlML

Conceived as common vocab for parliamentary and legislative work.

Two profiles: one standardisation (RDF schemas, XML schemas), the other ("bricks and tricks) is best practices and common patterns. Chose the latter.

Will be looking at common vocabularies and semantic web technologies. Common concepts and understanding of them, that could build semantic layer over other systems.

MIReG

collaboration for work on common metadata standards.

early consensus on need for 'sound' metadata standards; vocabulary control systems (tools; constraining vocab); supporting software. Lead to broadening of scope to "information resources".

• metadata framework
• thesauri
• ontologies
• web services

Central role of XML.

EU-level metadata framework is chosen approach.

Conclusions

• Role of "contractors" -- supplier/solution providers. Commitment to recognised standards; expertise; stability; XML avoids both vendor lock-in and 'lock-out'.
• Carrot or stick?
  • Favour contractors that demonstrate commitment to standards
  • Exclusion criteria
• Role of consortia and standards bodies -- participation by public bodies; recognision of legislative powers of public authorities; participation by proxy?
• Value of collaboration
• How to get underway, where to start?

XML by Stealth