Pulling it all together at the country level
Many of our GovTech projects incorporate all three aspects of citizen-centric service delivery, citizen engagement, and core government operations.
In Albania, as part of the Citizen-Centric Service Delivery Project, we are supporting the Government to address service delivery challenges through interoperability, re-engineering and simplifying business processes, expanding online services, and developing mechanisms for citizen feedback to provide real time data.
In Djibouti, as part of the Public Administration Modernization Project, we are supporting the creation of digital ID, improvements in the tax administration system and expanding service access points, again with citizen feedback mechanisms.
Data as a Commodity: Links to Job Creation and the Digital Economy
Further, every online transaction creates valuable data, and by making this open and accessible to the public it can increase transparency, but also promote value and job creation by supporting local GovTech ecosystems in developing products and services. Key examples include weather alerts to farmers, urban transportation information, location of medical services, etc. However, using technology responsibly and protecting users’ data is very important to the World Bank Group. When dealing with government systems and personal information, misuse of data has significant potential to erode trust between government and citizens.
Building Blocks of GovTech: Key Foundations and Analog Complements
The foundations of GovTech include connectivity, digital ID, e-payments and national data registries. Taken together, these foundational platforms support social, financial, and economic inclusion. Digital ID is a key building block for platforms and systems for public service delivery, civil service personnel and payroll management, taxation and fees for public service. These digital IDs can not only identify people, but also reduce the administrative burden for beneficiaries and facilitates service access from multiple channels. From the government perspective they increase efficiency, reduce potential for fraud and corruption, and ensure better targeting and delivery of government services to citizens among other benefits.
To be successful, digital transformation requires critical analog complements: legislation, regulation, capacity and coordination across government. Particularly important is leadership and change management, to ensure that internally, governments are organized and have the capacity to migrate to new ways of working. We are working on all these aspects within the context of the GovTech Global Partnership.