Making democracy digitally accessible, for today and tomorrow
Industry _
Public Service
Location _
GER
The Transparency and Open Data Platform as a Key to a Vibrant Democracy
Together with the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, MSQ DX set the course for the digital transformation of public administration.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalisation (MASTD), working alongside the State Agency for Data and Information (LDI), needed a new solution: a low-maintenance, clear and easy-to-use portal for citizens and editors alike. The guiding principle was to foster transparency as the key to a vibrant democracy.
To get there, two existing systems were consolidated, modernised and migrated onto a single centralised platform: the transparency and open data platform open.rlp.de. A complex undertaking, and one only possible through close collaboration between MASTD, the LDI and MSQ DX. Agile project management kept the work on track, while a new, scalable system architecture gave the platform the technical foundation to succeed.
The challenge _
The LDI's requirements for the revamped platform reflected a clear vision - one designed to create real added value for citizens and government employees alike.
Two disconnected systems needed consolidating into one platform built to last
A content management workflow that made routine publishing harder than it needed to be for editors
More than 30,000 public data records that citizens should have been able to reach easily, on any device
A transparency mandate with nationwide implications, requiring a platform built to meet future requirements sustainably
Rhineland-Palatinate needed a platform that made transparency effortless for the citizens using it and the government teams running it.
The solution _
MSQ DX rebuilt the platform on a standardised, scalable architecture designed for government teams to run independently.
CKAN metadata platform publishing all datasets in a consistent, standardised format
TYPO3 content management system giving editors a flexible, easy-to-use publishing workflow
Horizontal scalability to absorb higher workloads without added complexity
New middleware and improved error management, cutting failure rates across data imports
Reduced manual intervention through Docker-based deployments, streamlining updates and maintenance
A clean separation of application and infrastructure, so the state can operate, maintain and update the platform independently
An agile, cross-disciplinary delivery model kept the project responsive as requirements evolved, with close coordination between MASTD, LDI and MSQ DX at every stage.
Implementation and Achievements
More stable data imports & API: Fault-tolerant thanks to new middleware and improved error management.
Reproducible deployments: a high degree of automation.
Seamless updates: Software can be updated with minimal downtime.
Usability: The site is mobile-optimized, accessible, and user-friendly.
Future-proof architecture: Microservices, clear responsibilities, easy maintenance.
The result: A robust, flexible system - technologically advanced and easy to use.
THE COMMERCIAL IMPACT _
How we made transparency practical, not just possible
Reducing complexity and consolidating data from various systems, in different formats, significantly simplified maintenance and upkeep.
13×
lower failure rates in import processes
240×
lower downtime during deployments
87%
reduction of custom code
Thank you very much for the excellent and close collaboration! We achieved a high-quality result in this project, with our specifications implemented very well. We are pleased that the public is enjoying a positive user experience on our new transparency and open data platform.
Project Management, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Transformation, and Digitalization
Project Management, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Transformation, and Digitalization
Technical Highlights
CKAN as a Metadata Portal |
TYPO3 as a CMS |
Docker Containers |
Mobile First |
Digital Accessibility |