Department of Digital Transformation Agency for Digital Italy
Developers Italia
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Compare Software Solutions

Comparing the software currently available is a good practice for optimizing development timelines when solutions that meet your organization’s needs already exist.

Why Should the Public Administration Conduct a Comparative Evaluation When Procuring Software?

Article 68 of the Digital Administration Code stipulates that public administrations must procure software in accordance with fundamental principles, ensuring:

  • affordability and efficiency: Evaluate the total cost, including purchase, implementation, maintenance, and support

  • Investment Protection and Reuse: prioritize in-house, reusable, or open-source solutions

  • technological neutrality: Avoid favoring proprietary technologies without a valid reason

  • interoperability and the use of open formats: Ensure interoperability between systems

  • Security, privacy, and SLA assurance levels: including cybersecurity, GDPR compliance, and service levels

Only if no compliant alternatives are available may one turn to proprietary software, provided there is adequate justification and in accordance with the procedures specified by the Agency for Digital Italy.

 

How to Proceed

The selection process must be structured and transparent and include the following steps:

  1. 1

    Determining Needs

    • Identify functional, non-functional, and technical objectives (e.g., interoperability, GDPR)
    • Define the evaluation criteria, integrating them with the technical and economic criteria set forth in Article 68: cost, interoperability, security

    MATERIALS AND TOOLS

  2. 2

    Survey of Available Solutions

    • Analyze in-house, open-source, cloud-based, and proprietary software, as well as combinations thereof
    • Consult the Developers Italia Software Catalog and the European Software Catalog, and search for software available under open-source licenses using search engines or AI agents

    MATERIALS AND TOOLS

  3. 3

    Comparative Methodology

    • Weights and criteria: Assign weights to requirements (e.g., modularity, security, costs) and CAD criteria (total cost, interoperability, warranties)
    • Scores: Evaluate solutions using quantitative scales

    MATERIALS AND TOOLS

  4. 4

    Evaluation and Comparison

    • Technical and economic comparison
    • Clearly document results and rationale
    • Justify any exclusion of open solutions as required by Article 68

  5. 5

    Reasoned Decision and Approval

    • Choose the solution that best meets the criteria
    • Obtain internal approval and ensure traceability and transparency

  6. 6

    Post-Adoption Follow-Up

    • Assess service levels, security, costs, and interoperability
    • Promote the use of modular and reusable solutions (including in accordance with Article 70 of the CAD)

Specific Roles

For the Public Administration 

  • Plan the benchmarking in advance

  • Engage internal stakeholders (ICT, legal, privacy)

  • Use transparent and repeatable methods for weighting and evaluation

  • Documenting Decisions and Rationale: Who, What, Why, How

For Developers 

  • Supporting the public administration during the technical requirements definition phase

  • Collaborate on the preparation of weightings and the technical evaluation of solutions

  • Facilitate experimentation, testing, and comparison of technologies

 

Best Practices 

  1. Modularity and Rapid Iterations 
    – Favor short, incremental approaches rather than monolithic projects

  2. Long-Term Value 
    – Consider not only the initial cost, but also the costs of maintenance, upgrades, and disposal.

  3. Supplier Engagement 
    – Performance-based incentives: payments contingent on the achievement of objectives.

  4. Transparency and Documentation 
    – Prepare clear, public reports to facilitate audits and oversight

  5. Technology-neutral approach 
    – Avoid technological lock-in and support supplier diversification

  6. Pre-race Assessment 
    – Document the technological landscape and possible solutions before initiating formal procedures

  7. Post-Adoption Follow-Up 
    – Assess SLAs, costs, interoperability, and compliance with security and privacy requirements to ensure quality over time

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