Nine rules for building effective digital infrastructure
A self-help guide for governments all around the globe
By Yurii Kopytin, Senior Expert
In today’s interconnected world, digital infrastructure is no longer an option – it’s a foundation for growth, efficiency and innovation. Whether you’re offering swift e-services to citizens, streamlining internal processes or enabling data sharing across borders, robust digital systems allow your country to stand taller on the global stage. But success doesn’t happen by chance; it’s guided by clear rules.
Just as individuals need principles to navigate life effectively, governments need a road map for building strong digital ecosystems. The following nine rules each combine two perspectives: a guiding principle for digital infrastructure and a concrete example from Ukraine’s groundbreaking experience with Trembita, its flagship interoperability platform. Embrace these lessons, adapt them to your local context and lead your country toward a digital future that benefits everyone.
Rule #1: Make interoperability your priority
Interoperability is the grand conductor in your digital orchestra – a must-have for orchestrating data exchange across ministries, agencies and platforms. Without genuine political will behind it, your systems will remain fragmented, crippling efficiency and innovation. Make interoperability a top-level priority: treat it as a key performance indicator for senior officials, bake it into your national strategy and ensure it has champions at the highest levels of government. When leaders believe in interoperability, officials will follow.
In early collaborations with the Ukrainian government, eGA experts highlighted the vital role of seamless data exchange in e-government success. Together with the State Agency for Electronic Governance, eGA’s and Cybernetica’s experts embarked on building the Trembita interoperability system enabling secure data exchange. Since its launch, Trembita has expanded further under the leadership of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and with the support of the European Union. Other ministries were nudged to use it in their processes, and chief digital transformation officers (CDTOs) became regular participants in training sessions. The result? Trembita’s adoption skyrocketed, making interoperability an integral part of how Ukraine delivers public services.
Rule #2: Approach interoperability in a secure and systemic way
Building digital government capabilities is like designing a house: without proper blueprints, you risk a fragile structure. Interoperability is the load-bearing wall of that house – get it right, and your foundation is secure for any future innovations. Proper architecture balances technology, data volumes and cross-border interaction needs. Before you launch a data exchange system, ask yourself: Will it be centralised or decentralised? What are our security requirements? By clarifying the big picture, you ensure stability and longevity.
Long before deploying Trembita, Ukraine conducted in-depth studies to define requirements and explore architectural possibilities. From 2014 onward, with support from international donors and experts from e-Governance Academy, they evaluated different models of interoperability, weighing security demands and local needs. This careful planning laid the groundwork for a secure, flexible and decentralised system, ensuring that Trembita could meet the evolving demands of both government agencies and citizens.
Rule #3: Be ready for change
Digital transformation demands open minds and flexible systems. Agencies must be willing to share data in carefully controlled ways, granting access only to the relevant data fields rather than wholesale datasets. This shift in mindset – relinquishing tight control over information – can be daunting, so prepare your teams through training, clear communication, and policy directives. Resistance often stems from fear of the unknown; dispelling myths about data misuse or lack of security will smooth the transition and promote trust.
When Ukraine started implementing Trembita, a significant challenge was assuring agencies that “opening up” would not compromise sensitive information. Through over a hundred seminars, officials from various ministries learned precisely how their data would be accessed and safeguarded. Experts from e-Governance Academy helped orchestrate these sessions, allowing Ukraine to overcome scepticism. As soon as organisations understood that only specific data sets would be exchanged, and only for legitimate purposes, many agencies began to embrace Trembita rather than resist it.
Rule #4: Create a brand – make your life easier
Government projects can be swamped in jargon – “web services”, “gateway”, “interoperability” – that intimidates stakeholders. A clear, resonant brand identity cuts through that confusion, making your digital project more memorable and relatable. Think of it like a rallying banner: simple, catchy and rooted in local culture. This sparks public enthusiasm and makes explaining complex processes a whole lot easier.
Ukraine recognised that the term “System of Electronic Interaction of State Electronic Information Resources” would hardly capture hearts. So officials held a nationwide eGA-backed naming competition. The winning name was Trembita, inspired by the traditional Carpathian horn once used for broadcasting important news across vast distances. This cultural connection resonated with both the public and government bodies, transforming a technical, abstract concept into something instantly recognisable and a source of pride.
Rule #5: Kick off with popular and widely used services
You only get one shot at a first impression, so make it count. Launch your data exchange system with high-impact, popular services that solve real-world problems and showcase the system’s capabilities. By choosing projects that are widely used and rely on multiple government registries, you demonstrate reliability and effectiveness early on, building trust and encouraging more agencies to join.
When Trembita launched, adoption was initially slow – major players were hesitant to commit to an unknown system. To overcome these doubts, Ukraine’s leadership made the strategic choice to debut Trembita on significant projects. The e-Baby service and the COVID certificate were two high-profile initiatives that showcased Trembita’s ability to handle both complex data interactions and high-volume workloads. This proof of concept silenced sceptics and motivated more stakeholders to leverage Trembita for their services.
Rule #6: Prioritise basic services – build a solid foundation
Basic services – verifying the identity of citizens, confirming legal documents, validating civil status – underpin more complex e-services. By focusing on these building blocks first, you establish reliability, ensure compliance with regulations and pave the way for advanced digital services in healthcare, education or social support.
Ukraine’s first Trembita interactions revolved around core registries, such as those containing personal identification and civil status data. These systems are fundamental for a wide array of services, from passport checks to driver’s license renewals. By ensuring accuracy and stability at this foundational level, Ukraine created a stable platform upon which dozens of additional, more sophisticated services now thrive.
Rule #7: Be ready to negotiate and persuade
Rolling out a secure, nationwide data exchange is not just about technology – it’s about cooperation. Each government agency has unique perspectives on which data to share and how. Negotiations are inevitable: What specific data do we exchange? Who hosts the web services? Which protocols best suit each system? Expect resistance from those who fear losing control or who worry about privacy breaches. Address these concerns head-on through legal frameworks, financial incentives and a clear demonstration of benefits – both immediate and long-term.
In Ukraine, data exchange integrations often began with careful, sometimes tense, negotiations between agencies. Officials from the Ministry of Digital Transformation, along with international experts, facilitated dialogues around precisely which data sets were needed, how they would be structured and who would build the technical components. To streamline this, Ukraine developed a robust legislative framework, offered regular training and set up a Trembita service catalogue that made it easier for agencies to see what was already available. Over time, these structured conversations replaced guesswork and opposition with clarity and cooperation.
Rule #8: Be ready for constant development
Digital infrastructure is not a “set it and forget it” enterprise – it is an evolving ecosystem. Just as individuals must continually sharpen their skills, governments must refine and upgrade their systems. Expect to develop new web services, integrate novel security features, and accommodate regulatory changes. A flexible architecture, ongoing funding and supportive policies ensure your system remains relevant in a changing world.
Trembita is anything but static. Each year brings new functionality, such as support for updated digital signatures or the Personal Data Access Monitoring Module. Specific services, like those for civil status checks or criminal record information, have undergone multiple revisions to meet new regulations and user demands. Right now, Ukraine is preparing to launch Trembita version 2.0 within the EU-supported DT4UA project. This major upgrade addresses emerging security threats and adds advanced tools, all guided by eGA’s and Cybernetica’s experts.
Rule #9: Measure your results
What gets measured gets managed. After pouring resources and energy into building your interoperability framework, you must track your progress through metrics and reporting. Regularly evaluate how many agencies are connected, how many transactions occur and how efficiently data is exchanged. Transparent, quantifiable feedback helps identify areas for improvement, justify budgets, and illustrate successes to stakeholders and citizens.
From the moment Ukraine started building Trembita, it monitored key metrics, from the number of agencies connected to the volume of transactions handled. These reports reassure donors and the government that funds were well-spent. Ukraine developed a sophisticated quarterly monitoring system through the EU-supported EU4DigitalUA and DT4UA projects, analysing everything from the number of registries integrated to the performance of separate services. This data-driven feedback loop continuously refines Trembita’s operation, ensuring its long-term viability.