e-governmente-government

Dubai eGovernmentDubai eGovernment

e-governmente-government

In the 2008 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (Undesa) UN eGovernment Survey, UAE was ranked fifth in terms of transactional services. And this was achieved primarily because Dubai's government departments are e-enabled. When can we see this kind of initiative rolled out on a federal level?
It depends on how they [Federal ministries] handle this. The portal has been ready for launch for more than a year. All government ministries should plug in and offer their information and services to make this happen.

Two years ago, we signed an agreement with a federal ministry, which was in charge of e-governmente-government. We then started developing the criteria, its template and strategy. And we collected the content and created the portal for them. Then the ministerial changes happened and a new ministry took over the e-governmente-government initiative. They put it aside and later gave it to another minister who, unfortunately, has been moved out. The project was somehow lost. So we are now waiting for the new minister.

Will the strategy be similar to what you have done in Dubai?
Developing this initiative in Dubai was not easy. But there was a will behind it. We know what we are trying to achieve and we know we are being evaluated. It is a different ball game when it comes to the federal level as most services are being done at the local level. The local departments are the ones heavily interacting with users. There are only a few ministries that interact with individuals or businesses such as the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD).

Was there a steep uptake of electronic services by Dubai residents and visitors?
In e-pay - one of our programmes, which acts as a payment gateway between Dubai residents and the government - the number of transactions has gone up to 555,562 with revenue worth more than Dh602 million at the end of August 2008. The number has jumped as we began with 205 transactions amounting to Dh120,000 in 2003. We are growing almost five folds every year, which is actually very good.

The UAE has the highest web measure index in the region and is also ranked 32nd among 192 UN member states in the 2008 eGovernment Readiness Index. What else needs to be improved?
Our focus now is how to improve government services. We have created more than 140 e-services quality criteria to gauge each e-governmente-government service of every government agency. We need to improve not only the technology but also the processes such as availing more information online and updating new information. There are so many rules here and they change constantly in the government department or across the board. Those information have to be properly disseminated and be availed online and should be easily accessible to everyone.

People here are interested in hearing anything related to immigration policies. Can we see more news from your side in this regard?
DNRD is handling it. We have control over all government departments in Dubai except the DNRD, which is not within our territory. We do liaise and work with them and provide services for them. However, we cannot impose things on them or restrict some of what they do. It is up to them.

What about posting the news, at least on Dubai.ae?
Dubai.ae is a piece of our project that we are not very happy about. We are going through ups and downs. Maybe because we focus more outwards than inwards. Now we need to have a serious makeover for Dubai.ae in terms of its look and content. Towards the year-end, hopefully, you will see a different Dubai.ae.

If government departments don't comply, do you have imposing powers to oblige them?
It is bad enough if we put them at the bottom of the ratings list. Nobody wants to be the last. The e-services quality evaluation is done every year.

Profile: Salem Khamis Al Shair Director of eServices at Dubai eGovernment
Al Shair was appointed member of the Dubai eGovernmentDubai eGovernment executive team by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for setting up the Dubai eGovernmentDubai eGovernment portal and leading the transformation from governance to eGovernance, while raising the community's e-literacy to facilitate a new knowledge-based society in Dubai.

Born on March 13, 1962 in Dubai, Salem graduated with a BSc in computer science from California State University, and began his early career at Dubai Municipality in 1987. He was quickly promoted to head the User Support Unit at the Information Technology Centre and later as Head of GIS project.

In 1993, when the Department of Economic Development was initiated, Salem joined the executive team that was assigned to set up the department, and then became Joint Director of the IT and finance administration division.

By Karen Remo-Listama

© Emirates Business 24/7 2008

 

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