How can citizens’ data be submitted just once, recorded in a standardised manner, and exchanged securely? On data quality, data security and digital sovereignty.

The ‘once-only’ principle is intended to speed up administrative processes, improve data exchange and reduce the burden on citizens by ensuring that data is submitted only once. These objectives are set out in the digitalisation package presented by the Federal Government as part of the reform partnership. A key part of the initiative is ‘Project X’, under which the existing data hub ‘Digital Austria Data Exchange’ (dadeX) is to be expanded into a central data management infrastructure.

The aim of ‘Project X’ is the consistent implementation of the ‘once-only’ principle in Austria. Guided by the key principles of data protection, data security and purpose limitation, the aim is not only to increase administrative efficiency and standardise data structures, but also to strengthen citizens’ right to informational self-determination through transparent and traceable data access. Furthermore, high-quality data and appropriate data structures provide the basis for the effective use of automated decision-making and AI tools.

On behalf of the Austrian Parliament, the ITA is organising an interactive workshop on the objectives and implementation of the reform programme for data management infrastructure. The workshop will focus on whether, how, and with what consequences administrative efficiency can be enhanced, digital sovereignty promoted, and cooperation between the federal government, the Länder, local authorities and self-governing bodies optimised.