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UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry holds E-government vision and strategy workshop
Technical implementation of the E-government project is due to be launched in 2004
Abu Dhabi, December 14th, 2003: The UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry is today organizing a workshop about the vision and strategy of the E-government and the pre-requisite technical and legal systems needed to implement the project. Senior federal government officials and members of the E-government coordination committee are to attend the one-day even which is being held at the Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Commenting on the workshop, Mohamed Qambar, Director of Information Systems Department at the Ministry said: “We organized this workshop as part of the training program, for administration officials in the ministries and federal authorities. The aim is to familiarize them with the E-government strategy and they will also be briefed about the tools and programs that are required to implement the strategy. The technical implementation of the project across the UAE is set to start in 2004.”
A team of the E-government project and IBM experts will conduct the workshop and will discuss the progress of the E-government project, including both its strategic and technical sides. The workshop will also focus on the overall E-government vision and the roles of the E-government champions.
Maha Al Aidarous, Deputy Director of Information Systems Department, added that: “The Ministry of Finance and Industry is driving the E-government project which will impact all government operations and procedures. This program involves more than just information technology as such. It is a multiphase program that aims to transform the way the Government works, including all federal ministries and authorities.”
UAE E-Government Steering Committee meets to assess the progress of E-Government program
Aims to transform the way the government works
Dubai, October 22, 2003: The Steering Committee for the UAE E-Government project met today to assess the progress of the E-Government project following the completion of an overall assessment of the readiness of the UAE Federal Government in this respect. The assessment was conducted in two stages comprising first a strategic analysis and secondly a technology analysis.
Speaking about the process, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Khalfan bin khirbash, UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry, and Chairman of the Steering Committee said: “The strategic analysis examined the services and activities of the Federal Government and the existing data as compared to best practices in various countries around the world. Currently the Steering Committee is prioritizing the different E-Government initiatives that will be adopted by government institutions. The technology analysis included a comprehensive analysis of available, as well as needed, technologies in the federal government.”
Dr khirbash explained that the Steering Committee is now putting together a general framework for the government to work more effectively and efficiently through the application of technology through E-Government.
The Minister commended the high level of co-operation and commitment displayed by all the ministries and agencies involved in the project: “Since the beginning of this project all ministries and government agencies have worked cooperatively together supported by a team of international and regional specialists in the fields of government transformation and E-Government. There is an unprecedented consensus regarding the need to use E-Government as the means to transform the way the Government works, to maintain and improve the international competitiveness of the country.”
Following on from the latest meeting, the E-Government project will develop a detailed transition plan, road map and blueprint for transformation. The Government will subsequently decide which specific projects will be implemented as pilot projects.
The Steering Committee was established under a cabinet resolution (1/631/2001) of the UAE Federal Government.
UAE E-Government Steering Committee Meets To Finalise Project List
Dubai, 2 July, 2003: The Steering Committee for the UAE E-Government project met today to finalise the selection of e-government related opportunities that are ready for implementation under the E-Government Strategy and Foundation Project. The project is an overall assessment of the readiness of the UAE Federal Government to transform into an electronic government and forms the first phase of the government’s overall e-Government initiative.
His Excellency Dr Mohamed Khalfan bin khirbash, UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry, and Chairman of the Steering Committee said that the 450 different services currently being reviewed for ‘readiness’ are being assessed according to specific factors. “Those services selected are chosen on the basis of five criteria: their ability to be integrated into government systems, their level of coverage, how “doable” they are, how “measureable” they are and how “transformational” they are. The chosen projects represent high value added opportunities that will make a tangible contribution to the e-government transformation process.”
Projects will also be assessed on the basis of costs, challenges and schedules as well as the expected benefits. Implementation will take place in 2004 under the second phase of the e-Government Project. In parallel, members of the IT team will also prepare new Intranet and Internet standards which will define IT operational policies for managing all e-Government activities.
Mr Musabah Al-Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Information Systems and Administration of the Ministry of Finance and Industry, thanked the various ministry representatives for attending the meeting. “We are very pleased with the level of commitment we have seen thus far from all our colleagues,” he said. “There has been an excellent and very active contribution in terms of data collection and we very much hope that we continue to see this level of cooperation in the coming months.”
Federal entities have been actively participating in three data gathering cycles covering both their business and IT set up. The main focus of the data collected was the services currently being offered by the government to business (G2B), public (G2P) and other government entities (G2G).
Various ministry officials in addition to other members of the managing team including IBM Business Consulting Services and Smart Square, the project manager, attended the meeting. The overall project involves all ministries, authorities, institutes and agencies of the UAE Federal Government.
A clear and strategic selection process was developed at the last meeting of the Steering Committee held in Abu Dhabi on 11 May. During the meeting criteria for the future selection of e-Government related opportunities for implementation were defined. The UAE Government has undertaken extensive studies to build a comprehensive e-Government and has visited other countries undertaking similar initiatives to draw on their experiences. An official government delegation visited Australia and New Zealand to discuss implementation priorities for e-government.
The Steering Committee was established under a cabinet resolution (1/631/2001) of the UAE Federal Government.
