Manama, November 2 / BNA / The Chief Executive Officer of the Information and e-Government Authority, Muhammad Ali Al-Qaed, led the opening of a forum aimed at studying the digital transformation plans of Bahraini government agencies for the year 2022. To implement high-level directives to accelerate the pace of digital transformation, from 1 to 4 November 2021 at the headquarters of the Information Authority And the e-government in Muharraq with the participation of the undersecretaries of the ministry, assistant. Undersecretaries of ministries and senior officials represent 28 government agencies.
The forum is organized in line with a decision announced by the Council of Ministers to achieve a comprehensive digital transformation at the government level. The plan was implemented under the supervision of the Information and e-Government Authority and in accordance with clear and carefully studied strategies, and the plan includes all government services, with the aim of further improving their quality through the dissemination of the latest technologies approved by the Supreme Council for Information and Communications Technology (SCICT) and the Ministerial Committee for Financial, Economic Affairs and Financial Balance.
The Leader welcomed the attendees and thanked them for their efforts and continuous cooperation, which reflects their common ambition to achieve the vision of the leadership and government of Bahrain. He highlighted the acceleration of digital transformation during the pandemic, which he attributed to government directives and decisions taken by the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology, which helped enhance the quality and efficiency of the services provided. He pointed out the importance of working together on national digital transformation plans, including discussions on the initiatives of individual entities, and coordinating with the Information and eGovernment Authority to obtain the necessary support.
Al-Qaed explained that the forum provides a unique opportunity for participants to integrate efforts and aspirations, especially in light of initiatives such as the formation of the Government Services Improvement Committee, which is concerned with documenting government service procedures and requirements, and prioritizing what is proposed for them. Developing and developing operational plans to present them on the Internet in coordination with the concerned authorities.
The Leader also praised the recent cabinet decision to ratify and launch the new digital policies, which included the open data policy, the e-participation policy, the digital first policy, the digital services law policy, and the one-time data request policy. The decision will help enhance electronic services and simplify their use by various sectors in accordance with international best practices.
He highlighted the participants’ experiences in disseminating technologies and digital solutions that helped Bahrain combat the epidemic, praising their efforts to ensure the continued provision of government services without interruption.
Dr. Zakaria Ahmed Al Khaja, Vice President of the Information and eGovernment Authority for e-transformation, said that the forum plays an important role in achieving the goals of its senior participants. This event will help them formulate joint plans and boost the IT sector in line with government directives. This will help accelerate digital transformation and improve government performance with the goal of ultimately automating all services to better serve citizens and provide them with higher access and jobs, while reducing costs.
Al-Khaja revealed that the Information and eGovernment Authority, in cooperation with other parties, has succeeded in developing and launching 578 e-services available through its various electronic channels. Work is in progress to bring all of its 1,600 services online. He added that the Kingdom’s digital transformation has accelerated significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, as evidenced by the various Information and eGovernment Authority initiatives during that period, including BeAware Bahrain. digital transformation of financial, judicial and educational services; The infrastructure for remote work. This is in addition to improving ID card services and launching self-service kiosks.
The Information and eGovernment Authority presented the life cycles of government services, the journey of digital transformation of government, projects that ensure the continuation of government work without interruption, the development of financial transactions through the various digital channels of the Information and eGovernment Authority, and statistics on the number of users of the National Portal. The Information and eGovernment Authority launched 20 initiatives in total during 2021.
Other digital transformation initiatives that have been highlighted include restructuring internal processes, modernizing data systems, establishing channels that connect various entities, issuing digital transaction regulations, plans to abolish public offices, and digital transformation decisions related to government documents and certificates.
The Information and eGovernment Authority also provided an overview of the role of operations management and governance in developing strategic initiatives that support digital transformation and help create an advanced information technology infrastructure. While discussing the Government Data Network (GDN) project, he revealed that the Information and eGovernment Authority has completed procurement and signed contracts related to the development of the third generation wide area network (SDWAN), which is based on programmed technologies that define and support cloud computing requirements. Access to the application. Work is ongoing to link the new system to a central storage device and update existing systems so that they can accommodate the improvements.
The Information and eGovernment Authority emphasized the importance of cloud-based backups for government systems, adding that three backup copies will be created in two different locations, one of which is located outside the entity to ensure that nothing is lost.
The construction of a disaster recovery center has been completed, complete with servers, storage devices and an implementation plan to ensure the continued operation of government systems during emergencies. Work is ongoing on the Google Display Network and new servers are being provided. By the end of this year, the systems will be linked to the disaster recovery center and its operational procedures will be verified.
The participating entities presented the main ongoing digital transformation initiatives, including the electronic services they are working on and proposals to create electronic links with other entities. Participants were also invited to discuss and inquire about the Information and eGovernment Authority’s digital transformation initiatives.
NS