Launch of eCare Framework v1.0 Release
The eCare Framework v1.0 Release was launched in May 2006.
The eCare Framework is the name given to a cohesive set of technology standards, architectures, infrastructure and software that enables multi-agency information sharing within the public sector in Scotland.
This release provides the capability to address the technical barriers and costs to data sharing by agreeing a standard technical architecture.
The key components include a set of agreed technical standards and architectures. These include strategic technical approaches for citizen identification and citizen identity management, citizen consent and legal disclosure for data sharing in a multi-agency environment.
Based on a federated data model, individual data sharing partnerships manage and extend their own common data holdings.
Also included are matching tools to enable partnerships to manage the reliable and robust identification of citizens between agencies and a tool that can be embedded within local systems to enable practitioners to view the data disclosed to the multi-agency environment.
Managed Service Model
It has been agreed that sites which have not started implementing a locally hosted multi-agency store will move to a solution whereby the eCare Framework products will be centrally managed. The first central stores will be up and running in 2006. Other projects will migrate to this centrally managed service as their locally hosted servers come up for renewal. This does not mean that one single central database is created; the federated model that has been consistently adopted by the eCare Framework is retained.
Provision of services from a central data centre offers a number of advantages in terms of economy and quality of service provision, support, planning and development. Being located in the data centre means that a system is part of an enterprise-class physical, data and system security environment. Having fewer system components, with consolidated processing and storage requirements, means that the same level of service can be provided and supported more economically, and makes contingency planning and management of future
development and growth easier. Centralisation of the system's processing and data also makes it possible to develop business processes that would be impractical in an environment of locally-stored data.
This co-location of servers has an additional potential benefit, in terms of system audit and the collection of performance indicator data, which is currently being explored.
This managed service solution will be funded centrally, with no initial or ongoing costs falling to local data sharing partnerships.
Evaluation
An independent evaluation of the eCare Framework, conducted by ACS ( UK) Ltd, stated:
"This review has confirmed that the Framework has been written to high standard. The code conforms with previous versions of the Framework and has been produced to a high level of quality, following clear coding standards to provide a consistent well structured and easy to read style.
"The code is complemented by the publication of Web Service Design specifications, which provide a valuable overview of each web service as well as a more detailed design. These documents are (like the code) written in an easy to read and consistent style, providing a solid foundation for development and testing.
"The high level security review indicates that security has been designed up front and the Framework conforms to many of Microsoft's security best practices, particularly with regard to securing Web Services.
"Finally, the examination of the unit test documentation and results gives a good level of confidence of test coverage, and in fact 390 individual test cases is an impressive effort."
Together, the eCare Framework and the Managed Service Model form an efficient and effective business solution to the challenge of sharing personal data in a disciplined, accountable way.
For further details, please contact Blythe Robertson, at blythe.robertson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk