Guide to duplicate electronic headquarters

The presence of several electronic offices on municipal websites can generate confusion, duplication of information and legal uncertainty. This guide offers a clear proposal to correct this problem, based on current regulations and the services that the AOC Consortium makes available to local entities. The objective is to facilitate a coherent, secure and legally guaranteed digital experience for citizens.

1. Regulations, problems and risks

Applicable regulations:

• Law 40/2015, art. 38: establishes that the creation of an electronic office requires a specific administrative act.
• Royal Decree 203/2021, art. 11: regulates the coexistence of electronic sites, requiring agreement on creation and access to content.
• Law 40/2015, art. 38.2: The owner of the headquarters is responsible for the veracity, integrity and updating of the published information.

Problems and risks

The coexistence of several unregulated electronic sites, with the consequent duplication and/or divergence of content, leads to a lack of legal certainty and generates confusion among citizens regarding the identification of official information and vàlida. Likewise, this situation makes it difficult for the responsible administration to exercise its functions of control, supervision and maintenance of the published content.

2. Objectives

The aim is to guarantee the unity and coherence of administrative action in the digital field by creating a single electronic office that concentrates all the procedures and services available. The objective is also to integrate and harmonise specific modules, such as the FUE (Single Business Window) procedures, the module for employees and public officials and the collegiate bodies.

Finally, the aim is to strengthen the citizens' experience in their electronic relationship with the administration, through more intuitive navigation, the availability of centralized and reliable information, and guaranteeing compliance with the principles of legal security and transparència.

3. Common models and services

There are two models to avoid duplication of electronic headquarters. The Model 1 consists of the electronic office service offered by the AOC with integrated private provider modules, while the Model 2 It corresponds to an electronic office provided by the private provider with AOC services incorporated. 

Both models share the use of Transparency portal i WAS Local, AOC services. 

With the Transparency portal compliance with Law 19/2014 and Decree 8/2021, which establish the obligation to active advertising, according to which public bodies must publish certain information ex officio. This service incorporates all the obligations of active advertising in the form ofitems, which can be automatic, when information is published directly from data sources and records, or manuals, when they require explicit action from the entity. However, some case managers also include portals for transparència own, which can lead to the coexistence of two portals and affect citizens' ability to access truthful and coherent public information. 

Regarding the WAS Local, through the service Etram, the provisions of article 23 of Law 18/2020 on the Facilitation of Economic Activity apply, which establishes that it is the responsibility of the AOC to offer local entities the technological solutions necessary to provide these services. However, local autonomy, recognized in the First Additional Provision, allows local entities to use their own solutions, provided that interoperability with the Generalitat's systems is guaranteed.

Likewise, local systems must guarantee compatibility with the services of the Business Management Office (OGE), managed through the Business Channel and the Guided Procedure Search. The use of electronic procedures available in the Local FUE guarantees regulatory compliance and interoperability with Canal Empresa.

A) Model 1: AOC e-Seo with supplier modules

This model is based on the use of AOC services as the basis of the electronic office, integrating specific modules provided by the private provider.

Services used by the AOC:

• Seu-e (Open Government)
• Portal of Transparència (Open Government)
• WAS Local
• Etauler (optionally, an electronic bulletin board solution provided by the provider can be used as long as both are not published to avoid duplication)

Common specific modules provided by the private provider:

• Collegiate bodies
• Public employees and officials
• CSV document validation

Setup instructions

Step 1. Access the Seu-e editing module

• ThroughEACAT > Applications > “Open Government / Etram"

Step 2. Create or edit items to integrate the provider's modules

To integrate the provider's modules into the AOC's e-Headquarters, you must create or edit items in the corresponding spaces. The following indicates where to locate each module:

• Collegiate bodies
  • Location: Open Government and Transparència > Services and Procedures > Services
• Public employees and officials
  • Location: Open Government and Transparència > Services and Procedures > Procedures
• CSV document validation:
  • Location: Open Government and Transparència > Services and Procedures > Procedures

Prior considerations:

1. The modules Collegiate bodies i Public employees and officials they must create as new items within the spaces indicated.
2. The module of CSV document validation already exists as a generic item. Therefore, no need to create it again, you just need edit it to add the link to the provider validator.

The following explains the step-by-step process for configuring the supplier modules in the AOC electronic headquarters.

Check the FAQ: How can we create our own item?

Step 3. Editing the item

Check out the FAQs:

• How to show, hide, redirect or indicate the status does not apply to an item?
• How to edit an item transparència?

Recommendation: use the “Show it” option if you want to offer an explanation or combine several links within the same item.

Step 4. Final result

B) Model 2: supplier's electronic headquarters with AOC services

This model is based on an electronic headquarters provided by a private provider, but incorporates essential AOC services to guarantee the regulatory compliance and the interoperability.

Coexistence of services:

• Electronic office, procedures portal and bulletin board from the supplier
• Transparency portal i WAS Local of the AOC

Common vendor-specific modules:

• Collegiate bodies
• Public employees and officials
• CSV document validation

Setup instructions

Step 1. Request modification of the Open Government service

It is necessary to request the modification of the Open Government service so that only the following AOC services are activated: Transparència, El Meu Espai and Open Data.

You will find the procedure at EACAT> provider Consorci AOC, CAOC Service – Request for services > Procedure “Request for registration and modification of AOC services”.

Step 3. Request registration for the FUE Local service (if the city council is not a user)

If the city council is not a user of the local FUE service provided by the AOC, you must request theservice registration and select within the form, in the “Service access method” section, the option “Through Etram 2.0 where we will activate the necessary procedures to become FUE"

If you are a user of theEtram, you just need to hide the procedures that are not FUE (Generic instance, Request for access to public information, etc.) by following the steps in the FAQ – How to hide a procedure, highlight it or mark it as overdue?

We offer you one demo environment about e-TRAM 2.0, which includes the different FUE procedures (grouped in the "Industry and commerce" family), adjusted to the Facilitation Law (18/2020) in case you want to consult them.

Step 4. Deactivate old FUE procedures and link to new ones

In the electronic headquarters, the current FUE procedures must be replaced by the procedures of the Local FUE service facilitated by the AOC.

4. Advice and support

For any queries related to the implementation of these recommendations, local entities can contact the AOC Consortium Territorial Dynamization and Advice Unit through the mail dinamitzacio@aoc.cat, or with your regional representative of the Regional Council, who can offer you advice and direct guidance.