Context
The GeFa (Gemeinsames Fachverfahren) project is an initiative driven by Germany’s federal government to streamline and modernise the country’s judicial system. Recognising the inefficiency of each state developing and maintaining its own file management solutions, the GeFa project aims to establish a uniform, nationwide programme for all courts, public prosecutor’s offices and specialised courts. This undertaking is crucial because fragmented systems hinder the potential for digitalisation efforts across the German judiciary.
Objectives
The project’s primary objective is to create a user-friendly and modern application that will standardise data recording, processing and management across all federal states. This will not only improve efficiency but also support roughly 100 000 end users, including legal professionals and administrative staff. The GeFa application will integrate approximately 20 external applications and operate across three distinct infrastructure environments, making it a complex and multifaceted endeavour.
Implementation
The GeFa programme leverages a combination of the agile methodologies (SAFe framework and Scrum), making it the first fully agile programme within the German justice system. This approach emphasises continuous development cycles, allowing for rapid feedback from technical and legal experts, as well as end users. The programme prioritises user experience through various measures, including professional user interface design, user group testing and accessibility compliance with EU regulations. Additionally, the project leverages cloud technology for cost savings, flexibility, and enhanced development and maintenance capabilities. Notably, GeFa also incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) to automate case management tasks, support user experience, and improve development and maintenance efficiency.