Page 49 - SAMENA Trends - August 2019

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The UAE is the First in Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity

Index

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has to enhance the country’s progress in
been ranked first in the Arab region government services provided through
in Government Electronic and Mobile all available channels.” In turn, Salem
Services (GEMS) Maturity Index, according Al Housani, Acting Deputy Director
to a report issued by the United Nations General for Information & e-Government
Economic and Social Commission for Sector, said: “This achievement comes
Western Asia (ESCWA). This indicator is a one year after announcing TRA as the
measuring tool of progress at the national entity responsible for smart government
level in achieving transition to digital and digital transformation of the UAE’s
services. GEMS Maturity Index measures model of digital government maturity.”
the maturity of government services He added: “The UAE model of digital
provided through online portals and government maturity is a unified reference
smart Apps in the Arab countries. It seeks for electronic/digital government in
to bridge the gap of most international the UAE, which guides the work on the
indicators, in terms of identifying the various pillars of digital transformation,
service development, usability and and measures the capability to create a on three main pillars: service availability
user satisfaction. Commenting on this digitally mature government and maintain and sophistication, service use and
new accomplishment, Hamad Obaid Al its stability. TRA has launched the Digital satisfaction, and public outreach.
Mansoori, The Director General of the Government Maturity Model to achieve GEMS Maturity Index complements
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority the National OSI, and to reach the first the e-Government Development Index
(TRA), said: “Smart and advanced services position globally in OSI.” The ESCWA launched by ESCWA in 2001, which
are the key to customer happiness, report highlights the UAE’s leadership indicates the availability of services,
therefore, we develop our government in all pillars of the indicator. According infrastructure and resources, while GEMS
services in the UAE, inspired by the to the report, the availability of services Maturity Index indicates the services use,
directives of our wise leadership, which in the country reached 90%. As for the satisfaction and public outreach. The
emphasize on people as the goal and access to services, the report showed that UAE Government provides about 3730
aim of the overall process of digital 80% of the UAE population have access federal and local online services through
transformation. Achieving the first position to services. GEMS Maturity Index allows its official portal. It also provides more
in GEMS Maturity Index is the result of the to track the progress in the transition than 270 procedural services at the federal
collective efforts of the UAE Government to e-channels for government service level. TRA assesses the digital maturity of
towards full digital transformation. We provision, by annual comparison of the local government through six main pillars:
work as one team in federal and local national performance. It also allows leadership, strategy, governance, emerging
governments and we have a unified work comparison between different countries technologies, technology and regulatory
mechanism, namely the Executive team and entities in e-services transformation. legislation.
of Online Services Indicator, which aims The index evaluation process is based

Public Services to Go Digital By 2022

Oman is planning to digitalize 59 public services provided by
different Omani government ministries and institutions over the
next four years as part of a strategy to develop the Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) industry. The Information
Technology Authority (ITA) is spearheading the project with the
support of a wide array of government agencies and institutions,
reported Oman Observer. The private sector will play a key role
in the initiative, notably by financing this landmark project under
a PPP-type framework. Plans for the digitalization of key public
services stem from a month-long ‘Lab’ hosted earlier this year
by the ITA with the support of the Ministry of Transport and
Communications and the Implementation Support & Follow-up
Unit (ISFU) of the Diwan of Royal Court.

49 AUGUST 2019