Strategy
Abu Dhabi is committed to developing a service-oriented government and to holistically improve its government services – this aspiration crystallises into its strategic vision: "To be a high performance government delivering world-class services to the benefit of all its customers". This vision distills into four strategic themes: 1-End-User Focus, 2-Efficiency Focus, 3-Government-wide Design and 4-Cross-Entity Design. By virtue of an encompassing E-R-U framework the strategy addresses all three strategic eGov dimensions: Environment i.e. the emirate-wide context factors relevant for service provision and usage; Readiness i.e. the administration’s capability to deliver services; and Usage i.e. government interaction with its various customers.
First accomplishments are:
Development of a tailored, world-class IT reference architecture for the enablement and delivery of electronic government information and services
Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC) has worked closely with its technology partners to develop a world-class IT reference architecture to facilitate effective electronic delivery of government information and services in Abu Dhabi. In November 2006, ADSIC distributed the first fully developed government IT architecture and standards documents and publications in the Arab World. These represent a corner stone for new eGov services as their adoption will bring far reaching benefits to all government entities by providing clear direction for ensuring security, interoperability and reusability across all IT systems and processes within the Government of Abu Dhabi. In June 2008, an updated version of the government IT architecture and standards will be released along with policy guidelines for their application.
In February 2007, ADSIC launched its citizen-centric government portal with descriptions and links to more than 500 services provided by Abu Dhabi government entities. The portal features an entity location map as well as a frequently most asked questions (FAQs) list to ease navigation.
Unified platform for all government e-services
By the end of 2007 ADSIC launched the second phase of the Abu Dhabi Government Portal Platform. To be launched in June 2008, this phase of the eGovernment initiative will deliver a unified platform for all government e-services and facilitate full transactional services.
An appropriate legislative and policy framework
To ensure that Abu Dhabi Government can leverage the full potential of automated, online service provision while also ensuring privacy and security are maintained, a comprehensive framework of e-laws has been developed and used in analyzing relevant existing laws in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. This framework lays out rights, obligations, and applicable procedures for seven overlapping areas of law, namely:
- Protection of Personal Data
- Consumer Protection
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Electronic Transactions and Documents
- Electronic Commerce
- e-Crime
- Internet / IT Governance & Standards
In addition, functional laws and regulations will be assessed to improve practices in procurement and the civil service and to maximize efficiency in the delivery of services and take full advantage of technical capabilities.
At the portfolio level, entity specific policies will be reviewed and updated as appropriate to reflect the new service-oriented approach and leverage the electronic infrastructure available to administer government services in a more efficient and effective way.
Prioritising online services for the first phase, with an expanding suite of functions to be rolled-out over time
By the end of 2006, ADSIC had already made the following government services available online:
- Business set-up services
- Export/import certification and payments
- Birth and death certificates
These constituted part of the first set of prioritized services identified in the eGov strategy development phase. Remaining services to be placed online as part of this first set covered
- Land administration services
- Virtual job market
By late 2007, a land management system for the Abu Dhabi Municipality was developed, integrating for the first time both administrative and GIS records. This system is being expanded to cover all land administrative services for the three municipalities (Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Western Region) in Abu Dhabi, with a target completion date of November 2008. On the virtual job market front, a first version development was completed in early 2007 with a state-of-the-art platform leveraging solutions from regional commercial job sites planned for June 2008.
Adding to these services, a building permits services solution was developed for the Abu Dhabi Municipality in late 2007 with a completion target for September 2008. Also, an encompassing business center initiative based on the business-setup services project and covering all other commercial licensing services is under development and will be completed by January 2009.
Further services will be made available online over time, based on technical applicability and consumer demand. It is envisaged that further phases to the project will automate components of the following interactions for example
- Health Services
- Visa and Residency Services
- Education and e-Learning Services
- Leisure, Culture and Sports Services
- Legal Services
- Government Employee Administration Services
- Government Employee Professional Development Services
- Visitor and Traveler Information Services
- Civil Security Services
- Environment Protection Services
- Zakat and Charity Services
A government-wide e-payment platform
Today the majority of government entities accept only cash or cheques as payment, limiting customer choice and convenience while hindering the development of a wide variety of e-services. While some entities have implemented e-payment services, these services are not compatible and offer a different range of payment methods. In 2006 ADSIC worked with the Department of Finance to develop, test and commission a centralised government e-payment service, available to all government entities.
In 2007, ADSIC focused on the establishment of the governing body/team needed to administer, improve and expand the e-Payment service. Also, a standard credit card contract was developed for banks and eCompany. To date, Customs and the Department of Planning and Economy have implemented the e-Payment solution with the Department of Municipal Affairs soon to follow.
Public awareness campaign to generate understanding and support
ADSIC is delivering an ongoing targeted public awareness campaign to educate the public on the eGov strategy, its key benefits, and deployment plans and achievements. This is critical to generate support for the initiative and prepare the public for a seamless uptake of online government services. Perceptions of the project in its early stages will have longer term impacts on its success. Early signs are promising, as over one million people have visited the eGovernment portal since its launch in February 2007.
Technical training and education for public sector employees
The eGov project will enhance the overall level of IT proficiency among public sector employees involved in the delivery of eGov services. It will also provide a greater understanding of the capabilities of technology, and in doing so promote the more service-oriented approach outlined above in other areas of the public sector.
Specifically, an International Computer Driving License (ICDL) program was launched in 2006 and is being used to address gaps in technological capabilities - providing basic computer training and ongoing development for public sector employees. This initiative is intended to deploy benefits across all portfolios and agencies. To date, some 4,000 civil servants have been trained in the first 2 phases of this project, with further training planned for the third phase. Training and implementation are conducted through the Department of Civil Service (DCS).
Complimenting the ICDL training is a more encompassing advanced ICT skills development program that is targeted for government entity leadership, managers and IT staff to ensure a government-wide cross-entity IT capabilities build-up for all levels. The target design for this program will be done in May 2008 with implementation to begin shortly thereafter.