SIMAPS – seamless semantic interoperability of your digital public services

In the context of our IMAPS action, SIMAPS (Semantic Interoperability Assessment of a Digital Public Service) is a user-friendly online questionnaire, designed as a self-assessment tool to assist public service owners in the semantic interoperability aspects of their digital public service.

Why is semantic interoperability important?

Public administrations across Europe are exchanging data and information when delivering digital public services to citizens and businesses, which occur in a cross-border context. 



In the current COVID-19 crisis and the digitalisation of daily life and work in all aspects, the expectations of European citizens and businesses towards public administrations to effectively and efficiently make public services accessible online are high. 



Exchanging data requires a common understanding of the data to be exchanged between different public administrations. Using common data formats, standards and specifications can help to ensure an effective data exchange between public administrations. Applying transparent and well-documented metadata policies also helps to align approaches.

What value can SIMAPS bring to public administrations?

SIMAPS can help public administrations to ensure that their digital public services are interoperable in semantic terms and to uncover opportunities for enhancing their semantic interoperability.



Upon completion of the survey, the public service owner receives an interoperability maturity score and recommendations on how to improve the service to ensure seamless semantic interoperability. The survey is fully compliant with the latest version of the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) and therein promotes interoperability good practices.



SIMAPS has been developed as complement to the IMAPS survey which provides insight into the overall interoperability maturity of a digital public service. SIMAPS allows public service owners to assess specific key interoperability aspects from a semantic viewpoint.

SIMAPS assesses the following behavioural aspects of a digital public service looking at its service consumption and service delivery (see visual below):

• specifications of data, information and knowledge delivered and consumed by the public service and its end users or other client services;
• capabilities that enable either the delivery and consumption of data, information and knowledge by the digital public service and its end users or other client services, or the discoverability of the public service or other client services;
• manifestations of the public service delivering and consuming data, information and knowledge (manifestations can be performance, results, user experience).

 SIMAPS behavioural interoperability viewpoint

Improving interoperability and, in particular, semantic interoperability is a continuous activity that requires commitment and effective collaboration among public administrations. SIMAPS can help public administrations navigate the semantic interoperability challenge by providing valuable insights and guidance.



For more information, please visit SIMAPS online and start your assessment.

How does it work in practice?



Case: Electronic health record exchange

The digital public service allows citizens to exchange their electronic health record information via the eHealth portal. Authenticated users can access, obtain and exchange their own patient data when consulting a specialist or receiving emergency treatment in another EU country. 



SIMAPS perspective: The health record information should be understood in a similar way among the various EU countries regardless of the country of origin and the local health system. 



The electronic health record exchange consumes services and data from other systems, such as e-signature services, identity and access management services, laboratory data and payment services.