Argentina is not a new pin on the X-Road® global map. For some years already, the data exchange layer has been identified as a valuable tool to modernise public administration by changemakers in the region.
It wasn’t long ago that we were talking about the experience of the Province of Neuquén. Now, we move to the City of Buenos Aires, which is very populated and with a vast metropolitan area. Buenos Aires embarked on a transformative journey to digitise its public administration, leveraging the X-Road data exchange layer to enhance efficiency and service delivery.
A pivotal goal to attain for a municipal government that serves so many people. But not hard to reach, thanks to the work that many in the administration have already put into moving the process forward. Diego Fernández and Axel McCallum, respectively, Secretary of Innovation and Digital Transformation and Undersecretary of Administrative Innovation at the City Government, take us through past and future steps of this endeavour, illustrating how very large cities in Latin America benefit from adopting the solution.
Background and institutional framework
"X-Road in Buenos Aires represents the next step in the digital transformation of the city that we began almost 16 years ago. It marks our evolution from a government relying on paper-based processes and outdated legacy systems to one that is modern and digital-first,” Diego Fernández begins with.
Argentinians usually care to stress how massive the city is and how big it feels. And context, in this case, does matter indeed – Buenos Aires is a city-state akin to Washington DC or Mexico DF, with a significant population and a daily influx of commuters. Naturally, the need for an efficient and interoperable digital infrastructure is paramount. On par with that, the Buenos Aires City Government aimed to make public service delivery more efficient and user-friendly.
This quest led them to the X-Road data exchange layer, a tried-and-tested solution previously implemented in several countries, known for its open-source license and government-oriented design. Adopting X-Road, known locally as X-BA, marked a significant leap towards achieving a digital, interoperable, intelligent, and proactive government.
The initiative was underpinned by a solid legal and institutional framework, including decrees to establish an interoperability hub, mandating compliance for both public and private entities to ensure seamless data exchange across the city's vast digital landscape. Legal and policy adjustments were crucial, ensuring every stakeholder across the city's digital domain operated within a unified framework, eliminating data silos and enhancing cross-sector collaboration.
Initial explorations in 2021 evolved into active development and implementation by 2022, with the first use cases deployed by mid-2023. The project was governed under the realm of Diego Fernández, with the Secretariat of Innovation playing a crucial role. Each ministry and secretariat within the government had focal points responsible for administering their Security Servers and onboarding their services. Such a decentralised approach allowed individual departments to feel more empowered while maintaining overall coherence and alignment with the X-Road framework.
Needs and challenges
Buenos Aires faced several challenges in its digital transformation journey. The city's existing infrastructure comprised siloed systems that hindered efficient data exchange and service delivery. Additionally, the absence of a unified digital platform made it difficult for citizens to access services seamlessly. The city government also grappled with technical challenges, including integrating X-Road into an existing complex server network, including around 4000 servers and a sophisticated network security infrastructure.
Beyond the technological hurdles of integrating X-Road into an extensive and diverse IT infrastructure, the city faced significant organisational and cultural barriers. Training government staff and aligning various departments with the new digital strategy was vital. So, the initiative required not only digital innovation but also a cultural shift within the government and among the citizenry towards embracing digital solutions. Furthermore, the city had to address the challenge of data security, ensuring that the new interoperable system adhered to stringent standards to protect sensitive information.
Another layer of complexity was developing the human capital needed to support this transformation. The lack of local expertise in X-Road software meant investing in training and skill development. To this end, collaboration with international experts and being part of the global X-Road community became instrumental in navigating the intricacies of the mission ahead. "One of the strong points of X-Road is the quality of documentation and the availability of the community to support new users. This was crucial as we configured our system and overcame initial technical challenges,” McCallum notes.
The solution
Implementing X-Road in the City of Buenos Aires addressed several challenges by providing a secure, interoperable platform connecting diverse government systems, enabling efficient data exchange and streamlining service delivery. The initiative's success was marked by the rapid development and deployment of digital services, with plans for further expansion and integration, including increasing the number of services offered through X-Road and enhancing the digital platform for citizen engagement.
"By 2022, we were running the pilot program, installing the central components and Security Servers. It wasn't just about the technology stack; it was equally about the governance stack. 2023 instead was about liftoff, having our first use cases implemented and really starting to use X-Road on our platforms for administrative procedures, marking a significant point in our journey towards digital transformation,” McCallum explains.
The solution, X-BA, does mark a new era of digital governance in Buenos Aires. The city not only streamlined data exchange across government departments but also significantly enhanced the citizens’ service experience. Services that once required much-loathed paperwork could now be accessed digitally, reducing wait times and improving accessibility. “For example, enrolling a child in kindergarten required parents to provide a vaccination certificate, which was a cumbersome process. We saw X-Road as a solution that could streamline such processes and make the infrastructure more efficient,” Fernández points out. Birth certificate issuance, too, is a notable example of improved access, availability, and delivery of public services.
Scaling the solution involves ambitious plans. By mid-2023, the government had introduced several services through X-Road, aiming to increase this number significantly by the end of 2024. By then, the City of Buenos Aires seeks to have a significant portion of its government services digitised and 30% of government services running on X-Road, reflecting a substantial shift towards digital service delivery. Additionally, the city government plans to integrate more private sector services into the X-Road ecosystem and explore federated systems with other provinces for broader data interoperability.