The launch of the GovTech initiative in 2019 was in direct response to the growing demand by World Bank client countries for support on how to design and improve advanced digital transformation programs to increase government efficiency and the quality of service delivery. One of the products developed was the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) introduced in 2021, to better understand GovTech maturity in client countries and identify entry points for future interventions.
According to the GTMI, the Republic of Korea is one of countries in the group of GovTech leaders. Also, there are continuous demands from client countries to introduce government systems and applications of Korea, such as an Integrated Financial Management Information System (dBrain and e-Hojo), Human Resources Management Information System (e-Saram), and Government Workflow Management System (On-nara).
The Korean government’s efforts for digital transformation in the public sector are well aligned with three aspects the GovTech approach emphasizes. In 2021, the Korean government announced the Digital Government Master Plan 2021-2025 that aims to ensure a whole-of-government approach. Also, they have tried to expand the citizen-centric public services through adopting new innovative technologies into the public sector based on the simple, efficient, and transparent government systems.
As part of the GovTech Talks Series, this webinar will present policies and cases of digital government in Korea based on the three aspects of the GovTech. The Digital Government Master Plan 2021-2025 includes government-wide strategies and key tasks with a vision of “Digital, the door to a better world”, so it can facilitate the engagement and coordination of all players. The Virtual Assistant Service for the Public (GoodPy) launched in 2021 is an example of the citizen-centric public services. It informs citizens the administrative information they need in advance and handles inquiries based on the Artificial Intelligence and Private-Public Partnership. The e-Government Standard Framework (eGovFrame) provides a predefined set of features and functions required for the development and management of public information systems to enhance the efficiency of ICT investment and interoperability of government systems.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Opening remarks | Ed Olowo-Okere, The World Bank
Moderator | Tracey Lane, The World Bank
|
PRESENTATIONS |
Presentation I | Whole-of-government approach: Digital Government Master Plan 2021-2025 Sungjoo Son, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Republic of Korea
Presentation II | Citizen-centric services universally accessible: the Virtual Assistant Service for the Public (GoodPy) Da-yun Kim, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Republic of Korea
Presentation III | Simple, efficient, and transparent government systems: e-Government Standard Framework (eGovFrame) Jin-Won Choi, National Information Society Agency, Republic of Korea
|
DISCUSSION |
Discussant | Kimberly Johns, The World Bank
|
Ed Olowo-Okere, a Nigerian national with three decades of experience working on governance issues around the world, leads the World Bank’s Public Sector and Financial Management team in the Governance Global Practice. This group is focused on helping countries build capable, effective, accountable, transparent, and inclusive institutions that deliver citizen-centric services, facilitate private-sector growth, and build trust in Government. The group provides expertise on governance issues, ranging from public financial management, domestic resource mobilization, state-owned enterprises reform/ corporate governance, public institutions reform, decentralization/subnational governance to anti-corruption policies, fiduciary assurance, political economy analysis and GovTech (i.e. leveraging technology to modernize the public sector and improve service delivery to citizens and business, and increase efficiency, transparency and accountability). Mr. Olowo-Okere joined the World Bank in 1998 and has held various positions in operations, including Director of Governance overseeing Africa, MENA and ECA regions, Senior Advisor in the Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions practice group, and Director of the Core Operational Services Department in the Africa region. Before joining the Bank, Ed held public- and private-sector positions in Nigeria, Britain, and New Zealand. Ed holds a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honors) Degree in Accountancy from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters’ Degree in Accounting, with Distinctions, from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He has a Ph.D. in Management with a specialization in Change Management and Public Financial Management from the University of Bath, United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He has researched and published in reputable international journals and lectured at undergraduate and graduate levels in Nigeria and New Zealand on accounting and finance.
Tracey is the Practice Manager for Public Administration and Institutional Reforms in the Governance Global Practice. She has been working with the World Bank for 20 years, starting out as a young professional in 2001. Tracey has held several positions across the Bank both in Washington DC and in Country Offices. These include: the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management network, the Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions where she was the Program Leader for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti based in Cairo. Tracey has extensive experience in government expenditure, fiscal policy and managing public finances. In addition, she has worked on open government and fiscal transparency, tax and revenue policy and administration, and public service delivery. Prior to joining the World Bank Tracey worked in the U.K. Government and held economist positions in the Prime Minister’s Policy and Innovation Unit, the Department for International Development, and the Department for Transport. Tracey’s regional experience also covers Latin American and the Caribbean, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Pacific. In addition to Cairo, London and Washington DC; Tracey has lived and worked in Fiji, Kenya, and Bangladesh. Tracey has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Economics from the University of Essex, U.K.
Sungjoo Son is a Director for the Digital Government Cooperation Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea. He has worked in the field of digital government since he joined the civil service in 2007. He has diverse experience including, but not limited to digital transformation strategy, data policy, cloud computing, application development, and government data center. Currently he is in charge of international cooperation regarding digital government. Before joining the government, he worked as a senior researcher at a Korean software company, SOMANSA Co, Ltd. He holds a BSc in computer science and engineering from the Seoul National University and a Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) from the University of California, Berkeley.
Da-yun Kim is a Deputy Director for the Public AI Policy Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea. Since 2020, she has held several technical positions at the Ministry, including the management of government telework service (GVPN), establishment of public AI policy. Currently she is in charge of Public Secretary service project management. She holds a BSc in computer science and engineering from the Seoul National University
Jin-Won Choi is a Senior Manager of the National Information Society Agency (NIA) that manages and operates the e-Government Standard Framework (eGovFrame) in Korea. He is currently in charge of eGovFrame technology applications and technical training for SW developers so that engineers of private sector can improve their capacity for the eGovframe technology. He also worked on policies to supply eGovframe at public sector and support developer community.
Kimberly Johns is the Global Lead for Govtech in the World Bank’s Governance Global Practice and Co-Task Team Leader of the World Bank Group’s GovTech Global Partnership. Her work focuses on whole of government digital transformation, digital governance, service delivery and citizen engagement. She has over 15 years of experience working on topics of technology and solutions development, institutional and policy reform. Since joining the World Bank Group in 2007, she has led investment projects focusing on e-government and service delivery in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East and has contributed to a number of reports targeting governance issues including administrative burden, accountability and corruption. Before coming to the World Bank Group, Kimberly worked in the private sector as an ICT programmer and database administrator developing online applications in Chicago, Illinois. Kimberly holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration (specializing in Science, Technology and Information Policy and Research Methods) from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science in Public Service Management from DePaul University. She has published on topics of digital citizenship and has lectured at the graduate level on topics of policy design and analysis, policy implementation and research methods for public service.