- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2023
Reform of Civil Status Registers in Croatia using advanced technological solutions as a Precondition for a Modern and Agile Public Service
The European Commission aimed to support the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration to integrate the civil status data registries comprised of birth, marriage, life partnership, citizenship and death registry, into one single registry providing accurate and up-to-date data, with the use of advanced technological solutions.
Context
Civil data registers in Croatia, comprised of birth, marriage, life partnership, citizenship and death register, were being handled through one application (Državne matice), but were implemented as five separate databases, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Administration and Judiciary. The ‘book-like’ digitization presented a huge obstacle in providing public services. There were inconsistencies in the structured data in different registers, while the textually entered data (notes) were not machine readable.
In addition, most services provided in digital form still required a ‘human intervention’, which could lead to errors and delays in service delivery.
Support delivered
The project supported Croatia’s civil status registry modernization through a comprehensive AS-IS analysis, assessing legal frameworks, governance, data consistency and interoperability weaknesses, while proposing advanced technology-driven reforms and comparative insights from EU case studies. A requirements’ catalogue defined principles for integrated registries and business needs for AI/blockchain integration. A gap analysis aligned current and future states, while a business case evaluated cost-benefit scenarios for digital transformation. Moreover, a To-Be model visualized streamlined workflows, validated through stakeholder consultations. The final Action Plan outlined a phased roadmap for implementation, ensuring alignment with legal, technical and operational priorities.
Results achieved
The project successfully advanced digital transformation in administrative processes, achieving significant milestones. First, the e-Baby system fully automated the registration of newborns in the administrative system, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring seamless integration of vital records. Second, the e-Marriage/Life Partnership system streamlined marriage and life partnership registrations, enabling real-time digital recording of marriage dates and improving the accuracy and accessibility of legal documentation. Lastly, at least 80% of administrative data is now machine-readable, enhancing interoperability between systems, reducing processing times, and supporting data-driven decision-making for public services.
More about the project
You can read the documents related to the project here: