German Federal Data Atlas – the Superior Data Catalogue for the German Federal Administration
The German Federal Administration works with exponentially growing databases on a daily basis. A huge amount of resources are tied up in researching, processing and collating relevant data in the fragmented administrative landscape. In response to this challenge, the German Federal Data Atlas is creating a metadata catalogue for administrative data.
German Federal Data Atlas: First Cross-Departmental Provision of Metadata
The German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) has commissioned Bundesdruckerei GmbH to develop the German Federal Data Atlas – a joint metadata catalogue for the Federal Administration – for all federal ministries and subordinate agencies. This is a central instrument in the German Federal Government’s data strategy in the 20th legislative period – intuitive to use, transparent and geared to the needs of employees in the German Federal Administration. The aim is to promote data expertise and provide a better overview of all Federal Administration databases.
The platform visualises metadata that provides information about the characteristics of a database while revealing nothing about its content. For example, users can find out which agency provides a database such as a register in which format and who is responsible for it. This facilitates the cross-departmental searching and exploration of databases. The data atlas is already yielding extensive results : Several hundred databases are now described with metadata in the German Federal Data Atlas and published within the administration. The platform is therefore the first instance of the German Federal Administration creating transparency for databases across all departments.
How the Federal Administration Benefits from Data Atlas
The German Federal Data Atlas increases the efficiency of data research and promotes the flow of information throughout the Federal Administration. At the same time, it makes it easier for employees in the administration to prepare information in a standardised way, assess its relevance and make it accessible independently within the administration.
Within the data atlas, the relevant data sources for a search query are identified, and links between data sets are shown. Users are guided quickly and intuitively to the desired result and the responsible office.
How the Data Atlas Helps Users in the Administration
The German Federal Data Atlas is an internal platform that is exclusively accessible to employees of the Federal Administration (ministries and their divisions) and tailored to their needs. Using metadata, it clearly displays where each database is available. This makes it easier to search through relevant data and helps anyone seeking to plan and implement data-driven projects. The German Federal Data Atlas is already simplifying the day-to-day work of various professional groups within the Federal Administration:
- It allows data scientists and data engineers at public agencies to improve the structure of their own databases. It also provides them with a quick overview of otherwise unknown databases and the responsible experts.
- Teams involved in specialised procedures can use the data atlas to identify whether there are connections and interfaces with other specialised procedures.
- Data protection officers receive information on the extent to which personal data has been processed in a database.
- Anyone wishing to assess the consequences of a new or amended law can quickly find data sources on relevant topics in the German Federal Data Atlas.
- Employees who answer minor enquiries can use the metadata to find out directly which contact persons can provide which information.
- Anyone wishing to make open data available to civil society or other companies can use the German Federal Data Atlas to see which databases in their own area of responsibility are suitable for this purpose.
- The ministries’ data labs can plan new projects in a more expedient manner thanks to being shown departmental databases in a clearly organised manner.
Increased Data Expertise with the German Federal Administration’s Data Atlas
The amount of relevant data in the German Federal Administration is constantly increasing. If it can be organised efficiently and made accessible to employees in the administration via a shared platform, this will lay the basis for collecting and using the data with the help of automation and AI.
As the central metadata platform of the Federal Administration, the German Federal Data Atlas provides a comprehensive overview of its databases. Thanks to the user-centred platform with its intuitive, clear presentation of data sources, the atlas creates the basis for data-driven, efficient and transparent administration. It puts an end to time-consuming and laborious searching for contact persons and maintenance of duplicate data sets. At the same time, it enables administrative staff to develop and strengthen their data expertise. Anyone working with the German Federal Data Atlas will quickly learn how to find metadata quickly and systematically record it on their own. In addition, the platform is capable of accelerating projects for utilising existing data sets from the outset, as existing relevant data can be easily identified via a systematic search.
The project was divided into three phases:
- Pilot project (December 2021 – February 2024): As part of the pilot project, a prototype of the data atlas was developed for the Federal Finance Administration, and a standardised procedure for data collection was tested. This resulted in a target image for the data atlas and the model for a standardised procedure for nationwide implementation.
- German Federal Data Atlas (April 2024 – December 2024): The prototype was further developed into a minimum viable product (MVP) by December 2024, and the tested procedure for metadata collection in the departments was extended to the entire Federal Administration. Bundesdruckerei GmbH enables the individual departments to independently collect metadata and maintain it in the data atlas. Each department has technical access to the data atlas and can search for data sets and create its own.
- Continuation of the German Federal Data Atlas (since January 2025):
Further development of the data atlas of the German Federal Administration until March 2025
Operation and preparation for migration to the ITZBund
Agile development of the data atlas of the German Federal Administration by Bundesdruckerei GmbH
The German Federal Data Atlas is a central digitisation project of the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), developed by Bundesdruckerei GmbH. It serves as an internal metadata platform for the entire Federal Administration and supports the implementation of the Federal Government’s data strategy (2021 and 2023). Bundesdruckerei GmbH is contributing a wide range of expertise to the development of the data atlas.
Agile development methods were established in interdisciplinary teams right from the very start – at the creation of the concept, the development and evaluation of the prototype and the transition to MVP status. To develop the data atlas, the company is relying on the open data philosophy and integrates technologies such as artificial intelligence and language models. It also brings particular expertise to bear in the areas of anonymisation and pseudonymisation.
The current and future users – the employees of the German Federal Administration – have been closely involved in the entire development process.
Accessibility
While developing the data atlas, Bundesdruckerei GmbH attached great importance to barrier-free implementation. The platform is compatible with the requirements of the Barrier-free Information Technology Ordinance (BITV 2.0).
Questions and Answers about the Project
The data atlas contains a central, clearly visualised metadatabase that provides a standardised, transparent and easily accessible overview of the existing databases in the administration. This makes it easier for employees of the German Federal Administration to identify relevant databases. They also have access to detailed information about the data sets and contact details of contact persons. They can therefore contact the relevant departments more quickly if they wish to use the databases. This increases the efficiency of data utilisation.
The data atlas only contains metadata that describes the databases in functional, technical and organisational terms. Please note: The actual user data is not accessed via the data atlas itself, but only in coordination with the responsible authorities. It is not specified which databases must be catalogued in the data atlas. As a rule, the relevant databases are those of the German Federal Administration that are either processed due to a legal basis or are important for political planning and decision-making processes and government work. Databases that are of interest for fulfilling tasks of other organisational units can be included as well.
The general rule is that there should be no duplicate collection of metadata as part of the project. However, utilising existing information may well be useful. The decisive factor here is whether this information is sufficiently up-to-date, whether its format is suitable and whether the anticipated added value justifies the effort involved in connecting it to the interface of the German Federal Data Atlas.
The data atlas has been introduced department by department, starting with the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) and the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI). Each department has been technically equipped with access to the data atlas. The procedure is based on the experience gained from the pilot project at the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). Within each department, implementation is divided into three steps: initialisation, data collection and use of the application. These phases can sometimes run in parallel. In the long term, the goal is to bring about within the German Federal Administration an awareness of relevant databases and their cataloguing in the data atlas so that new databases can be recorded independently.
The German Federal Data Atlas can be accessed by authorised ministries and agencies via the Internet and the German Federal network. Employees of German Federal agencies can register themselves in the data atlas and then use it as a web application.
Do you have any questions about the German Federal Data Atlas?
Write an e-mail to datenatlas@bdr.de.
