Prerequisites for the Adoption of the X - Road Interoperability and Data Exchange Framework: A Comparative Study

Data Exchange layer X-Road successfully implemented in Estonia is a key enabler for secure data exchange and interoperability in public and private sector. Other countries are adopting the similar interoperability and data exchange framework as a part of e-governance solution. To ensure successful adoption of previously named framework it is important to identify crucial prerequisites influencing the process. In current paper, we analyse the practice of nine different countries. First, we define possible prerequisites in combination with relevant literature, data and documentation analysis. Second, we validate these prerequisites through qualitative expert interviews and identify additional prerequisites. The focus of this paper is on X-Road adoption critical prerequisites, in this context we analyse X-Road deployment wealth indicators, the impact of prerequisites in accelerating X-Road implementation, and procedures to assess countries readiness to adopt X-Road. Research results presented in this paper offer initial assessment framework to investigate the country's readiness to adopt systems similar to X-Road.