Truong Minh Thuan, Director of the Department of Information and Communications of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, highlighted the importance of implementing a common set of IT and interoperability standards as soon as possible to support the local and central government’s ambitious ICT plans.

Having a set of common IT and interoperability standards enables organisations to achieve better management, integration and coordination of its various internal IT systems. It helps decision makers address technical problems such as incompatible computers and computer programs, disjointed administrative processes and the lack of institutional protocols for data sharing between agencies.

“There are several State entities using different software products on information systems. This has made it difficult to connect and exchange documents among State agencies resulting in inefficient and redundant pan-agency processes and workflows,” he said. Adding that failing to connect information systems among state agencies will be a hindrance to the goals of the e-government roadmap.

Meanwhile, according to Chu Tien Dung, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh Computer Association, the absence of IT and interoperability standards has resulted in unsynchronised or even conflicting IT applications. Because of this, many State agencies at all levels are making IT investments separately and inconsistently.

In this aspect, Thuan urged the Ministry of Information and Communications to undertake efforts needed to set up standards that will dictate protocols and uniform practices to help agencies develop suitable IT systems.