E government efforts across the Caribbean

Mona  School  of  Business  University  of  the  West  Indies,  Mona  Campus  17  October  2014  

e-­‐Government  Efforts  across  the  Caribbean  

Agenda  

•  A  quick  look  at  e-­‐govt  generally  

•  How  the  Caribbean  performed  on  latest  e-­‐govt  survey  

•  Select  e-­‐govt  ini=a=ves  from  across  the  region  

•  Summary  

5  modes  of  e-­‐govt  delivery  

C2G  

G2G  

G2C  G2E  

G2B  

Source:  Jeong,  2007  

Results  of  latest  e-­‐Govt  review  2014 Rank

2014 EGDI Country

59 0.5933 Barbados 60 0.5927 Antigua & Barbuda 78 0.5200 Grenada 90 0.4980 Saint Kitts and Nevis 91 0.4932 Trinidad & Tobago 92 0.8089 Bahamas

104 0.4525 Saint Lucia 107 0.4481 Dominican Republic 109 0.4388 Jamaica 110 0.4338 Dominica

113 0.4158 Saint Vincent & Grenadines

115 0.4045 Suriname 116 0.3917 Cuba 120 0.3774 Belize 124 0.3695 Guyana 176 0.1809 Haiti

Online Service Index

Examines the scope and quality of service offered by a cross-section of government websites, based on a 4-staged online services development process scale.

Telecoms Infrastructure Index

Examines telecoms connectivity with regard to fixed-line, mobile/cellular, fixed broadband, wireless broadband subscriptions, along with Internet use, per 100 inhabitants.

Human Capital Index

Examines adult literacy gross enrolment ratio, expected years of schooling and mean years of schooling across all levels of the education system.

Breakdown  EGDI  by  indices  

E-­‐Govt  in  the  Caribbean  is  not  new  •  ASYCUDA  (regional)  

–   Automated  System  for  Customs  Data    –  computerised  customs  management  system  designed  by  UNCTAD  –  Has  been  used  in  over  90  countries,  territories  &  regions  –  Used  by  16  Caribbean  countries,  except  Jamaica  

•  SIGTAS    (regional)    –  Standard  Integrated  Government  Tax  Administra=on  System  –  Used  in  20+  countries  –  In  Caribbean  since  1990s:  Jamaica;    Barbados;    Guyana;    Hai=;    OECS    

•  FINMAN    (Saint  Lucia)  –  Launched  in  1997  using  SmartStream  suite  of  programmes  –  To  implement  a  broad  range  of  Financial  Management  reforms,  

including  a  govt-­‐wide  computer  system  for  the  management  of  Government  Accounts  

Recent  e-­‐Govt  efforts  

Jamaica:  GovNet  

•  Will  allow  the  seamless  transfer  of  info  between  Govt  ministries,  departments,  agencies  and  other  stakeholders    

•  The  key  pillars  of  the  design:  –  Authen=ca=on  Services  –  Endpoint  Access  and  Security  –  Connec=vity  of  MDAs  via  the  NWA  high-­‐speed  

fibre  network  and  communica=on.  

OECS:  EGRIP  •  EGRIP  -­‐  Electronic  Government  for  Regional  Integra=on  Project      

•  Launched  in  2009;  ends  2014  •  Project  amount  USD  7.2M  •  Countries  covered:  Dominica,  Grenada  and  St.  Lucia    

•  Major  project  components:  – Horizontal  E-­‐government  Interven=ons    –  Ver=cal  E-­‐government  Interven=ons  –  Project  Management      

Saint  Lucia:    Electronic  document  system    

•  Main  project  components:    –  establishing  electronic  document  produc=on,  exchange  and  file  management  subsystems  

–  through  systems  analysis,  developing  government  processes  and  standard  opera=ng  procedures  associated  with  the  produc=on  and  use  of  electronic  documents  

–  improving  the  systems  management,  maintenance  and  opera=onal  capacity  of  ICT-­‐related  personnel  in  St.  Lucia  

•  Project  start  1  Jan  2013;  Comple=on  31  Dec  2016  

Trinidad  &  Tobago:  GATE  eService  

•  Government  Assistance  for  Tui=on  Expenses  (GATE)  

•  Intended  to  automate  the  processes  of  student  applica=ons,  Ter=ary  Level  Ins=tu=on  (TLI)  verifica=on  and  Clearance  approval  of  GATE  applica=ons    

Trinidad  &  Tobago:  e-­‐Government  &  Knowledge  Brokering    

•  Ongoing  IADB  project    •  To  promote  more  effec=ve  and  greater  u=liza=on  of  ICTs  to  increase  compe==veness  and  provide  govt  services  in  a  more  efficient,  responsive  and  transparent  manner  

•  Key  components:  – Knowledge  brokering  – Delivery  of  e-­‐govt  solu=ons  

Other  e-­‐govt  iniVaVves  •  Government  portals  

–  Bahamas,  Trinidad  and  Tobago  –  Broad  range  of  services  and  resource  available  

•  Barbados    –  Government  Wide  Area  Network  (TBC)  –  Electronic  Document  &  Record  Management  System  (2010)  

•  Cayman  Islands    –  General  Registry  introduced  for  the  Companies  Register  in  October  2013  –  Next-­‐day  electronic  scanning  of  all  Trade  and  Business  files    –  An  Online  Planning  System  enables  clients  to  submit  Planning  Department  

inspec=on  requests  online  –  A  Request  for  Proposals  for  electronic  vehicle  registra=on    –  A  system  for  the  automated  processing  of  Tobacco  Licensing    –  Online  Crew  Compliance  System  for  Mari=me  Authori=es  

Summary  •  Across  the  Caribbean  efforts  are  being  made  to  move  towards  e-­‐

govt  

•  Some  countries  are  more  enthusias=c/aggressive  than  others  

•  In  many  instances  changes  are  incremental  –  These  improvements  can  all  add  up  –  But  for  the  most  part,  cri=cal  mass  has  not  been  reached  

•  It  is  not  en=rely  clear  the  extent  to  which  countries  have  a  comprehensive  plan/strategy    –  Ini=a=ves  might  be  dependent  on  what  donor  agencies  are  prepared  

to  support  –  Also,  planning  and  development  process  can  be  quite  protracted  –  Hence  Caribbean  might  almost  always  appear  a  step  behind    

Any  QuesVons?  

Michele  Marius  Blog:    ict-­‐pulse.com  FB:  facebook.com/ICTPulse  Twiier:  @ictpulse