PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
(April, 2006) |
Under the directive of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai School of Government was launched with the vision to become the leading research and teaching institution for government studies in the region. As part of the growth and development process. We now invite expressions of interest for the following vacancies.
With a mission to develop the public sector in the Arab World and improving public sector management through research and education, the Dubai School of Government ( DSG) was established in 2004 in cooperation with John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Expressions of interest for the following vacancy are invited from qualified and experienced personnel. All positions require the candidate to be fluent in Arabic and English
PR Assistant
You would assist the PR Department from strategy development to the day to day management of press releases / events. The ideal candidate will possess first class Arabic writing skills, with the ability to copy write and produce written material in Arabic for publishing. You will be the key liaison point between DSG and its appointed PR & Media agency. Being highly organized, creative and a team player with the ability to take initiative is a plus. Understanding of regional and international media usage is also important You should be a graduate in Business/ Marketing/ Communications with minimum 2-3 years of experience in PR / Media Relations. Previous experience in a PR agency is a distinct advantage.
send your CV with a covering letter to recruitment@dsg.ae by the 10 th May 2006. Research Assistant: The successful applicant will be required to provide research and administrative support for all research initiatives and think tanks within the school. This vacancy is reserved for UAE National graduates with at least one year of work experience in research. Research Associate/ Research Fellows
– E-government/Energy Policy/Public Policy: The main activities of these researchers will include working with international bodies, researching and documenting local case studies, and publishing reports and papers on key areas of public sector management related to either e-Government. Energy Policy or Public Policy. While developing and leading research initiatives in coordination with the Dean, the role envisages undertaking applied research with regional governments with also presenting and publishing research results. The candidates for this research position should be degree holders, preferably at doctorate level and have a minimum of 5 years experience in research and associated activities in mentioned fields. Fluency in written and spoken Arabic is also a must. |
| |
| To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to recruitment@dsg.ae For more information, please see our website www.dsg.ae |
The event was inaugurated today by the UAE's Minister of State for Finance and Industry, Dr Mohammed Khalfan Bin Khirbash and is hosted with the sponsorship of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Naturalization and Residency Administration in Dubai.
The forum provides an opportunity to discuss region-wide governance in preparation for the 7th Global Forum for Reinventing Government that is to take place in Austria in 2007. The event is being held in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the Program on Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
'This is an unprecedented opportunity for the Arab world to discuss how we can enhance the quality and effectiveness of governance' said Nabil Al Yousuf, Executive President of the Dubai School of Government.
'We are extremely proud at the Dubai School of Government to be able to bring this opportunity to the region, in partnership with global expertise from the UN. A forum of this nature for the Arab world is long overdue and the Dubai School of Government, as the region's first school of government, is well positioned to host it.'
He added that the event is also an area of particular interest to the
UAE which has taken a strong lead in promoting regional debate on the subject.
The forum will unite ministerial-level delegations from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
UAE and Yemen and delegates from UNDESA and UNDP-POGAR as well as International experts from the USA, Canada and Europe.
The Arab Forum for Reinventing Government will focus on three key themes: Policy Management - enhancing coordination, participation, transparency and accountability; Decentralized Governance - effective delivery of public services; and, Innovations in Governance - ensuring renewal and adaptability to changing situations. It will comprise presentations from international speakers and from Arab countries in addition to panel discussions on various themes and action plans for follow-up.
'Our key objective is to discuss issues in strengthening sound governance and public administration to achieve the United Nation's Millennium Development goals and wider economic development' confirmed DSG's Executive Dean, Dr Yasar Jarrar. 'We will also seek to develop a framework and strategy for future innovations in governance. We expect this to be a highly interactive meeting with tangible policy recommendations at the closing of the event that can stimulate further discussion on regional reform.'
The policy recommendations that emerge from the forum will be included in a report to be submitted to the Global Forum in Vienna in 2007. Dr Jarrar noted that the event will also provide a platform to discuss global case studies in government reinvention and will look at how these might be applied to the Arab world. It will also aim to promote cooperation among governments, the private sector and civil society organizations.
'This is a unique and exciting opportunity for regional governments to move their development strategies to the next level and take a long hard look at the structures and mechanisms of Arab governance. We believe this event will provide a regional benchmark for the way forward in Arab public sector institutional development and hope this will become a regular forum for assessing progress and sharing best practice,' concluded Mr AlYousuf.
The Arab regional Forum for Reinventing Government will take place at the Dubai School of Government in Dubai.
Abdulhakim Malik, Director of Information Technology Department.
Dubai Municipality has announced a new electronic service as part of its e-Government initiative to provide the public with visual information products and services including images and videos, through the civic body's web portal: www.dm.gov.ae.
Abdullah Al Shaibani, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality, said the initiative is the result of a new major public-private partnership between Dubai Municipality and Photint Technology. The joint alliance will be known as Dubai Photint, and the roll-out program and deliverables will be branded and marketed as Oyoon.
'The new venture is a natural and logical extension of e-Government services and its purpose is to introduce and provide state-of-the-art visual information products and services,' he said.
Through a marriage of skills and resources - the Dubai e-Government initiatives, Municipality archive library, its data reserves, access to present and future infrastructure developments, and Photint's breakthrough image capture and processing technology - a family of Services and Products will be made available through Oyoon for use by other government authorities, commercial enterprises, educational and charitable institutions, and eventually the public at large, Al Shaibani explained.
He noted that work has also begun on developing the Middle East's first, branded, multi-lingual, multi-format image collection. Using Photint technology and the Dubai Government's image archives, this image bank will tell, through the eyes of the camera, the story of Dubai - its historic past, the evolving present and its undoubtedly iconic future. The new initiative will act as a global platform for independent publishers and photographers to distribute their creativity to the global audience.
Abdulhakim Malik, Director of Information Technology Department, said:
'As e-media enters the mainstream of the mix, it is of huge importance that Dubai, with its exponential growth and increasing world focus and interest, is presented in the most creative and visually exciting manner, and with Dubai Photint we can ensure that the interactive 'Virtual Tours' match the real experience.'
'The Oyoon products and services recognize that 'content is king' and richer the content greater will be the impact and more deserving will be the reward. It represents the nurturing and acceleration of existing assets, which will grow and be leveraged in many ways and directions, by a gamut of mixed users,' added Malik
Tim Brookes, of Photint Technology said: 'We will, in essence, be providing the most contemporary and imaginative imaging technology to visually represent the most contemporary global societies. Through a 360 approach, not just to content capture but also to the way in which images are enhanced, delivered and distributed, our mission is to do justice to past, present and perhaps, most importantly, future Dubai. A first in the series of Oyoon deliverables will be the production of DVDs containing the very first interactive, highline 360 degree still and video capture of Dubai City.'
Electronic Government, an International Journal (EG) Volume 3 - Issue 2 - 2006 Table of Contents | Pages | Title and authors | | 113 - 126 | M-government, from rhetoric to reality: learning from leading countries
Sang M. Lee, Xin Tan, Silvana Trimi | | 127 - 138 | Citizen-centric e-government: a critique of the UK Model
Ailsa Kolsaker, Liz Lee-Kelley | | 139 - 157 | The contribution of e-government to the modernisation of the Hellenic taxation system
Panayiotis Tahinakis, John Mylonakis, Nicolaos Protogeros | | 158 - 173 | Successfully implementing e-government: fundamental issues and a case study in the USA
Lori Klamo, Wayne Wei Huang, K.L. Wang, Taowen Le | | 174 - 189 | E-government impacts on effectiveness: a survey study of an e-official-document system
Szu-Yuan Sun, Teresa L. Ju, Pi-Yu Chen | | 190 - 203 | Development of a matrix methodology for database reengineering and improvement: an e-government case study
Gary P. Moynihan, Robert G. Batson | | 204 - 224 | Key challenges and policy implications for governments and regulators in a networkcentric healthcare environment
Dag Von Lubitz, Nilmini Wickramasinghe |
| |
21 April 2006
Dubai eGovernment’s ePay system enhances payment channels by adding MasterCard and AMEX
Total transactions through ePay touch AED 12.5 million in 2005
Dubai eGovernment (DEG) has announced that ePay, the electronic payment system developed by DEG, now enables online payment of public utilities and fines using MasterCard and AMEX (American Express) credit cards. ePay already facilitates online payment via Visa and eDirham cards.
ePay is a centralized payment gateway integrated with the payment systems of government departments, thereby enabling payment through different channels. Dubai eGovernment interfaces with eCompany for credit card payments through MasterCard, Visa and AMEX, and with the UAE Ministry of Finance for eDirham payments.
Salem Al Shair, eService Director, Dubai eGovernment, said, “In adding MasterCard and AMEX to the existing ePay portfolio of Visa and eDirham cards, Dubai eGovernment reinforces its commitment to provide multiple payment methods to customers. This would allow a greater number of customers to avoid physical visits to government departments to make payments, thus saving them time and effort.”
“Besides benefiting from faster and easier service, the customer would have the added advantage of being able to make payments anywhere, and at any time,” added Al Shair. “These measures are in keeping with Dubai eGovernment’s commitment to ease customers’ lives by bringing as many government services as possible to an online platform, and enhancing the scope of existing online services.”
Dubai eGovernment’s ePay service is being used by several government departments, such as Dubai Municipality, Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS), Dubai Police, and the eTQM College. In 2005, transactions worth AED 12.5 million were carried out through ePay, with 62 per cent of successful transactions made using credit cards and 38 per cent using eDirham cards.
Dubai eGovernment’s ePay system features the advanced 3D Secure (3DS) technology, which offers optimal levels of security for online payment. 3DS helps reduce the number of disputed online purchases, by enabling card-issuing banks to verify the authenticity of the customer making the e-commerce transaction.
About Dubai eGovernment
Dubai eGovernment is a pioneering initiative in the region to provide online services across the spectrum of corporate and community life in the emirate. It also has a vision to integrate individually automated government departments under the single umbrella of the eGovernment initiative, thus empowering employees across lines of businesses and levels of government, besides facilitating the lives of citizens and customers of the government. Dubai has taken a lead in the region in deploying eGovernment applications and is among the first few governments in the world to provide such integrated services to its citizens. The eGovernment portal (www.dubai.ae) is a single contact point masking the complexity of the bureaucratic procedures, and guiding access to all services in the easiest possible way. In addition, the eGovernment initiative seeks to improve and enhance procedures by maximizing the benefit from technology, so that users from all walks of life will be able to utilize the portal for their specific needs with considerable ease.
Total transactions through ePay touch Dh12.5m in �05
BY STAFF REPORTER
22 April 2006
DUBAI � Transactions worth Dh12.5 million were carried out through Dubai eGovernment's ePay, with 62 per cent of successful transactions made using credit cards and 38 per cent using eDirham cards in 2005, according to an official of Dubai eGovernment.
ePay, the electronic payment system developed by DEG, now enables online payment of public utilities and fines using MasterCard and AMEX (American Express) credit cards. ePay already facilitates online payment via Visa and eDirham cards, announced Dubai eGovernment (DEG).
Salem Al Shair, eService Director, Dubai eGovernment, said, �In adding MasterCard and AMEX to the existing ePay portfolio of Visa and eDirham cards, Dubai eGovernment reinforces its commitment to provide multiple payment methods to customers. This would allow a greater number of customers to avoid physical visits to government departments to make payments, thus saving them time and effort."
�Besides benefiting from faster and easier service, the customer would have the added advantage of being able to make payments anywhere, and at any time," added Al Shair.
ePay is a centralised payment gateway integrated with the payment systems of government departments, thereby enabling payment through different channels. Dubai eGovernment interfaces with eCompany for credit card payments through MasterCard, Visa and AMEX, and with the UAE Ministry of Finance for eDirham payments.
Dubai eGovernment's ePay service is being used by several government departments, such as Dubai Municipality, Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS), Dubai Police, and the eTQM College.
Dubai eGovernment's ePay system features the advanced 3D Secure (3DS) technology, which offers optimal levels of security for online payment. 3DS helps reduce the number of disputed online purchases, by enabling card-issuing banks to verify the authenticity of the customer making the e-commerce transaction.
USTDA to Unveil Telecom and ICT Export Opportunities at Middle East and North Africa Project Forum
WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Export and investment opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa are the focus of a U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) conference for information and communications technology (ICT) providers scheduled to take place May 14-16, 2006 in Muscat, Oman. The event will bring government officials and private sector leaders from nine countries together with representatives of U.S. information and communications technology companies.
"Wireless mobile technologies have led to a dramatic increase in basic telephony in many Middle East and North African countries, while the next generation of services is poised for dramatic expansion," said USTDA Director Thelma J. Askey. "Significant opportunities now exist for U.S. vendors, service providers and investors to increase business in the region."
The Making Connections in the Middle East and North Africa project forum will provide participants with details on new project and export opportunities in the areas of telecommunications infrastructure build-outs, new license offerings, as well as regional e-government and e-education initiatives. The projects presented at the event are expected to be implemented over the next three years and range in value from $2 million to $200 million each.
The event is cosponsored by a number of trade and industry organizations including: the American Chamber of Commerce in Tunisia, the American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco, the Bilateral-US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, the Information Technology Association of America, the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, World Information Technology and Services Alliance, the Telecommunications Industry Association and the U.S. Telecommunications Training Institute. Motorola, IBasis and Microsoft are some of the U.S. ICT providers participating in the technology workshops designed to highlight relevant U.S. technology applications.
The conference will also address key policy issues and highlight efforts to expand telecommunications infrastructure, improve delivery of government services, and support the growth of e-commerce. Participating countries will include Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia and Yemen.
Also expected to participate are representatives of the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, the Federal Communications Commission, and Middle Eastern and North African companies interested in partnering with U.S. firms. Officials from U.S. and international lending institutions will also be on hand to discuss loan and insurance programs available for communications exports and investment.
Each U.S. participant will receive a resource guide on the projects presented, including critical economic information, export potential, time lines, equipment needs and key contacts. A series of pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings will also enable U.S. participants to meet privately with the project representatives. For more information or to register for the event, visit the conference website at
http://www.trademeetings.com/ , or contact Ms. Pamela Peseux at (202) 347-2725.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.
U.S. Trade and Development Agency
CONTACT: Donna Thiessen, U.S. Trade and Development Agency,+1-703-875-4357
Web site:
http://www.trademeetings.com/
Al Murooj Rotana | Dubai UAE | May 20-24 2006 
The 12th GCC eGovernment Forum will feature a wide line up of international experts and eGovernment decision makers and will discuss the challenges and best practices in eGovernment projects in the world. This biggest eGovernment forum in the region will be held from 20-24 May 2006 at the Al Murooj Rotana, Dubai, UAE.
Profile | Speakers | Registration | Sponsorship
Second European Conference on Mobile Goverment
Covering all aspects of mobile business and e-government:
research, practice and policy presentations
exhibitions and demos; tutorials and special sessions |
|
|
|
| |
| The conference will have two major streams: Research and exhibition/demo streams. The research stream will promote discussions and exchange of ideas on significant and recent research on Mobile Government. The industrial stream will have various exhibition and demo of Mobile government IT solutions, applications and services.  The Research & Development Sessions: This session aims to provide a forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, promote discussions and support wider reach of mobile government issues. There will be a number of high quality keynote, case study, policy and research presentations. Exhibition / Demo Sessions: The industry/exhibition/demo session aims to exhibit current developments in mobile IT solutions, and demo of mobile government applications and services. Various industry participants and government units will gather to create a showcase of the most recent mobile government solutions facilitating e-government and other public administration. | | |
|
|
s The conference will cover all aspects of mobile government, its technologies, services, implementation and implications for governments and society. All submissions should be written in English and should be covering any subjects related to all aspects of mobile technologies and e-government including mobile technologies as infrastructure for mobile government, mobile government applications and services, mobile government city and country cases, mobile society and implications for mobile government and public administration.
The examples of the topics and sessions of the conference include but not limited to the followings:
The transition from e-government to m-government:
- E-government and m-government integration
- Public and social pressures leading to m-government
- Technological pressures leading to m-government
- Evaluation of M-government in the context of e-government
m-Government Technologies as the Infrastructure
- Mobile device penetration
- Evolution of mobile internet technologies
- Mobile Standards and Protocols
- Mobile Government Integration
- M-Government portals
- Inter/intra government applications data exchange
m-Government Applications and Services
- Email / SMS
- Information/communication applications
- Participation applications
- Mobile Government Field Force
- Mobile Enforcement
- Mobile Health
- M-payment applications - Bill, Loan, Fine Charges
- Context-aware and Location-based Services
Adoption of mobile internet applications and services.
Mobile Content
Mobile Devices
Mob Society
- Security and privacy
- Legal issues and m-government
- Mobile Politics
- M-democracy
- M-Voting
M-government and Public Administration
M-government’s impact on Government Organizations
M-government and Development
M- Country cases
M-Government and City cases- mCities
M-government Best practices
M-Government Business Models
mG2C,mG2G and mG2B models
The Future and the potential of M-government.
| "في السباق نحو التميز ليس هناك خط محدد للنهاية" | | صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم | |  |
| |
This summer, over 500 senior government officials from UK central and local government, international organisations and NGOs (including the United Nations, the European Commission and the Council of Europe) from over 70 countries will join with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in a major new International Symposium to share expertise on the growing convergence between e-Government, Social Inclusion and e-Participation.
To ensure genuine international input from every level of government and all key sectors, the Symposium will take place in both Budapest, Hungary (26-28 July, 2006) and Baltimore, USA (2-4 August, 2006). Budapest will set the stage for discussion and debate around the critical challenges stakeholders face as they struggle to deliver the full potential of e-government. ‘The Budapest meeting presents an ideal opportunity to take the discussion on e-Participation and e-Government forward,’ states the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Baltimore will take the discussion further by exploring new and emerging e-applications in the country that pioneered the art of online campaigning but now faces the challenge of translating these tools into more inclusive governance.
Local e-Government is moving onto the next stage of the e-journey, by focusing attention on e-Participation and how to use technology to effectively engage and empower citizens. Strategies of e-Government have delivered the infrastructure to deliver transactional services. The next step involves utilising technology to enhance and facilitate engagement for citizens in their everyday lives. Local e-Government Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick says: ‘The Symposium meetings will be major events, where policymakers and practitioners from around the world will get together in shaping a new policy agenda.’
The opportunity to use new technology, such as m-Government is being explored in the UK and overseas. The Budapest and Baltimore events afford the opportunity for officials, experts, academics and practitioners to assess the best way forward to benefit everyone.
ODPM participation at the Symposium includes workshops on the status of the UK Digital Challenge and how to promote Social Inclusion via e-Participation. It will also include the international showcasing of new ODPM e-Participation solutions such as the VOICE toolkit, a brand new suite of easy-to-use interactive tools for creating and developing e-communities where citizens, communities and authorities can come can come together online to discuss issues, work in partnership, and share information and ideas. The VOICE toolkit includes e-participation, e-consultation and website publishing tools to support the e-enabling, as well as develop existing e-enabled parish and town councils, the voluntary community sector, neighbourhood groups and other local initiatives.
The United Kingdom is currently ranked number one by the United Nations Global e-Participation Index and recently ranked number one globally in e-Participation in an index prepared by the World Economic Forum to measure an economy’s readiness to effectively use information technology.
With over 70 countries expected to be represented, participation in the forthcoming Symposium provides a timely celebration of the UK’s success in this important field, and opportunity to share good practice and lessons learned globally.
Notes to editors:
The International e-Participation and Local Democracy Symposium: Promoting Social Inclusion via e-Participation is a series of collaborative conferences with a number of key partners and partners.
Key Partners:
- Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy
- Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
- United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs
- The Council of Europe
- National Association of Secretaries of State
Partners:
- De Montfort University
- Association of Electoral Administrators
- Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials
- The Public Forum Institute
- University of Maryland Baltimore County
- National Association of State Election Directors
- Politech Institute
- America Speaks/Global Voices
- American Association of People with Disabilities
- North Lincolnshire Council
- Swindon Borough Council
- Scope
The International Symposium was announced by the Under Parliamentary Secretary of State for the ODPM, Jim Fitzpatrick M.P. on the 29 March at an event to celebrate the success of the UK Local e-Democracy National Project. The Symposium will be part funded by the Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy and the other key partners in association with 21c Consulting Limited, a professional company.
The same meeting also saw the announcement by the Minister of the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy and the introduction of a new product entitled VOICE: empowering citizens and communities. VOICE will be a suite of products aimed at assisting communities to build and manage their own websites with a host of other facilities using the products and learning from all other projects in the Local e-Gov Programme. This is available for immediate roll out on a free basis to all local authorities in England and for sale, on a low cost basis to councils and communities overseas.
The Symposium will be run concurrently with the United Nations meeting of the e-Government and e-Democracy Experts Group Meeting. This meeting will be seeking to define a new conceptual framework for defining and measuring e-Participation across the world.
The International Symposium will be chaired by the new Centre of Excellence president, Andrew Pinder CBE, the former UK e-Envoy.
The Symposium will seek to establish the language and debate for this future policy area of e-Government, including how it can really strengthen and enhance a healthy democratic society. It will also seek to share best practice and learning in line with the Ministerial Declaration made at the EU Conference in Manchester in November 2005.
The United Nations Global e-Government Readiness Report 'from e-Government to e-inclusion' 2005 and 2006 list the United Kingdom as number one in the world for e-Participation.
For more information on these unique events you can now visit our new website at: www.edemocracysymposium.org
The Program's administration expressed its satisfaction with the results that the Program has achieved since its inception eight years ago.
Particularly the growing number of government departments and establishments winning the awards reflects well on the Program in securing it's prominence as one of the key driving forces of excellence in Dubai government organisations.
The Program also crystallizes the level of government organisations' commitment to utilising criteria of the DGEP as a key tool for benchmarking organizational excellence.
Results of the 2005 Dubai Government Excellence Program were announced as follows:
Best Results in Customer Satisfaction (Mystery Shopper) went to the Dubai Land and Property Department, which achieved a score of 82%. The Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority won the award for the Best Result in Employee Satisfaction polling 78% in employee satisfaction.
The Dubai Ports World (DP World) received the Distinguished Government Department - Golden Category, for its outstanding work and achieving the highest recorded average. This is the second time for DP World to win the same award.
The award for Distinguished Government Department went to the Dubai Economic Department for its constant progress and its role in serving the community in addition to its positive performance results.
Dubai Police Headquarters was named the Distinguished E-Government Department for offering multiple options for online transactions and services. The recognition also came for the department's active involvement of the general public in evaluating these services.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's Human Resources department was honoured as the Distinguished Government Division for implementing an advanced human resources management systems and achieving exemplary results.
Dubai Police Headquarters' Criminal Investigation Team (Arson Lopen) was named the Distinguished Team. The award came in recognition of the team's excellent record of achievements and the excellent level of co-operation amongst team members. The award was shared with a team of Dubai Financial Market which has played a central role in exposing the share scam at the Market. The team was commended on its breakthrough investigation and its ability to prevent a negative impact on the exchange.
The Distinguished Management Initiative Award went to 'Measuring Training Impact' of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. The programme was awarded for its effective approach based on key principles of effective management.
The Distinguished Technical Project went to the Department of Civil Aviation's Suspect Baggage Tracking System and Dubai Municipality's Virtual Reference System.
The Distinguished Government Employee award went to Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Head of Overall Quality in Dubai Police. The award was granted to Dr. Al Awar in appreciation of his accomplishments, and his range of initiatives as well as his contributions in police activities and in promoting principles of quality.
Lina Mofleh Al Qudah of Dubai Municipality won the Distinguished Administrative Employee Award for her commitment to her responsibilities and determination on developing her own skills as well as her voluntarily work.
Dubai Municipality celebrated two more award-winning members, with Abdul Karim Al Hajj Abdul Karim awarded as the Distinguished Financial Employee and Ahmed Hashim Bahrozian, who was named the Distinguished Technical/Engineering Employee.
Both winners have proven successful in their fields whilst implementing the latest systems and increasing the outcome of their work and reinforcing good sportsmanship.
The winner of the Distinguished Employee in Specialized Jobs went to Hamad Juma Khamis from Dubai Police for his exceptional efforts in solving criminal cases. The Distinguished Field Employee was awarded to two people - Khalil Al Mansouri from Dubai Police and Rashid Al Muhairbi from Dubai Ports World.
Aisha Majid Bin Thaniya from the Dubai Customs won the Distinguished Female Employee for her role in designing and planning.
Distinguished New Employees were presented to three employees, Hessa Al Bastaki from the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, Mona Mirza from DP World and Saeed Al Mulla of Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone.
The Special Recognition Awards went to DP World for gaining recognition in the global trading sector and to the Dubai Land Department for achieving the highest average in performance amongst all the departments for in 2004 and 2005.
Oman moves closer to 'digital society' dream
From Ravindra Nath (Our correspondent)
17 April 2006
MUSCAT — Oman's vision to transform itself into a 'digital society' in which every citizen and resident has access to a vast range of convenient, cost-effective and customer-oriented electronic services is another step closer to becoming a reality with the launch here on Saturday night of a countrywide e-government awareness drive, a key component of the ambitious project.
The campaign, titled 'eOman', aims at providing improved services to the public that will empower them and change their lives for the better, key officials overseeing the programme explained. They said it would lay down an "effective government-community-citizen infrastructure."
The mega launch ceremony, at the Majan Ballroom of the Al Bustan Palace Hotel, was attended by royal family members, ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, IT heads and professionals and other leading dignitaries from the public and private sector. Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool bin Ali Sultan was the guest of honour.
The highlights included the unveiling of the eOman logo and official mascot 'Arif' and web site www.itec.gov.om. A multimedia film showing the Sultanate's foray into e-Government, various eOman initiatives and their benefits was also screened.
The eOman strategy, spearheaded by the National Economy Ministry's Information Technology Technical Secretariat (ITTS), mainly focuses on educating the public on the potentials of harnessing information and communication technology (ICT) in all walks of life. It seeks to enhance IT awareness, spread IT literacy and training manpower.
Initially, this will take the form of a series of road shows to be launched soon, comprising seminars and e-Government orientation sessions in seven regions of the country. The project will also involve skills development and training programmes spanning all sectors of the society. One of its major pillars, in fact, is the empowerment of citizens with ICT skills. ITTS has already signed an agreement with the Ministry of Civil Service to conduct training courses for government employees to develop their core IT skills and prepare them for participation in delivering government services electronically. These are due to start on September 1.
Under another arrangement with the Ministry of Education, state-run schools will make available their computer laboratories after working hours in all regions, wilayats and cities to conduct training and awareness programmes for the public.
"eOman will offer every citizen, business and government entity in Oman a wide variety of convenient, cost-effective and customer-oriented electronic services that will empower and transform life for the better," Mohammed bin Nasser Al Khusaibi Secretary-General of the National Economy Ministry said. "The futuristic 'Oman 2020' economic development vision aims at expanding and diversifying the Omani economy and enabling it to participate in the global economy," Khusaibi, who is also chairman of the Information Technology Executive Committee, added.
He noted that Oman's current Seventh Five-Year Plan placed emphasis on developing the ICT sector to lay a solid foundation for a knowledge-based society. Four ministers have already been linked under the Digital Oman project and the goal is to connect all government ministries, organisations and units. The 'Ubar' portal, the government electronic services gateway, is expected to be functional by the end of the year. Its initial phases will include an electronic payments gateway and electronic government application forms, opening a window for acquiring government services online.
The government has also embarked on implementing a number of other schemes such as the National Registry System, Smart ID cards for citizens and residents, one-stop-shop for businessmen, an enhanced commercial registration system, 'BankNet' for electronic fund transfer and automated clearing systems. A new e-transactions law has been drafted and is expected to be issued before the end of the year.
Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, head of ITTS and member of the IT Executive Committee, outlined various projects undertaken by ITTS and their progress.
Mr. Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL GCC Foundation with Dr. Abdullah Al Karam, Director, ITEP.
Over the past 18 months 8977 teachers, government employees and students enrolled in the ICDL programme
ICDL
GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme in the Gulf region has announced that its partnership with H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum IT Education Project (ITEP) has generated outstanding results in advancing the United Arab Emirates towards a digital society.
ITEP and the Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding 18 months ago to provide the ICDL program initially for teachers and government employees in Dubai. The two entities have taken their partnership to the next step by delivering the ICDL through student summer camps, developing ICDL training and testing solutions for the visually impaired, following the ICDL syllabus and international standards. So far, 1604 teachers, 811 students and 6562 governmental employees have received ICDL training and testing.
Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL
GCC Foundation said,
'We have had great results in the UAE since our partnership with ITEP. The project has been instrumental in supporting and implementing the ICDL programme as a benchmark for basic IT skills of the educational and governmental sector in Dubai. Identifying and addressing the dire need for basic computer skills within the education system and the government workplace in Dubai; and it remains a significant contributor to the success of the ICDL programme not only locally, but also regionally. We appreciate ITEP's innovative contribution to the ICDL program. Recently, ITEP developed ICDL content to address various needs such as training solutions to the visually impaired, teachers, and the general public.'
Commenting on the partnership, Dr Abdullah Al Karam, Director of ITEP said, 'ITEP and ICDL
GCC Foundation have a common goal, to provide Digital Literacy to all members of society in the country. ITEP's mission has been to focus on technology while providing better education. We are pleased with the results of our relationship which made a positive impact on the performance and productivity within the educational sector. We have been receiving positive feedback from the various bodies that have adopted the programme. The synergies of ICDL and ITEP have helped in achieving this success. We will continue our efforts to realize our ultimate goal of a fully e-literate
UAE society.'
'In the UAE, the ICDL
GCC Foundation has made considerable headway in spreading computer literacy by partnering with various private and public sector organizations. The Government of Dubai has been extensively supporting our joint efforts with ITEP. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of
UAE and Ruler of Dubai for his guidance and support,' Ezzo added.
ICDL
GCC Foundation and ITEP have been working closely in preparing to launch the ICDL e-Citizen project, which aims to raise IT awareness level and increase the number of computer and internet across the various sections of society. The e-citizen project is expected to play a major role in the implementation of the various e-government services as well as in the transformation to a digital knowledge-based society. Another project ICDL and ITEP are implementing is Tamkeen, which aims to offer ICDL training and testing to the visually-impaired individuals. ITEP is also in the final stages of submitting its Braille version of ICDL Syllabus for the Tamkeen program.
ICDL
GCC Foundation and ITEP plan by the third quarter of this year to retain the services of a world's leading research and advisory firm to tabulate the impact of the ICDL program undertaken by the Foundation and ITEP. The study additionally aims to measure the impact of the certification on the productivity of employees in various government departments in Dubai.
MUSCAT — Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, minister of commerce and industry, yesterday launched eOman, the Sultanate of Oman’s digital society initiative from the Information Technology Technical Secretariat of the Ministry of National Economy, during a ceremony attended by members of the royal family, ministers, undersecretaries, diplomats, IT professionals, leading public and private sector officials and dignitaries.
The event, held at Al Bustan Palace Hotel, also marked the unveiling of the eOman logo and the launch of Arif, the official mascot of eOman, along with the launch of the official eOman website — www.itec.gov.om — in an innovative manner. A multimedia film showcasing Oman’s foray into e-Government, various eOman initiatives and their benefits was also screened.
eOman is founded on His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s progressive vision to transform the Sultanate into a knowledge society and build a knowledge-based economy.
Spearheaded by the Information Technology Technical Secretariat (ITTS) of the Ministry of National Economy in association with various public and private sector entities, eOman aims at creating an effective government-community-citizen infrastructure that provides better public services to people, resulting in a meaningful information flow between the government and citizens.
“eOman will offer every citizen, business and government entity a wide variety of convenient, cost-effective and customer-oriented electronic services that will empower and transform life for the better,” said Mohammed Nasser Al Khusaibi, secretary-general of Ministry of National Economy, on the occasion. Khusaibi said the Digital Oman strategy stressed the need for creating awareness among the public about the potentials of harnessing ICT in all walks of life. He noted that increasing the IT awareness, spreading IT literacy, capacity building for manpower will be addressed carefully in the implementation of Digital Oman.
Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, head of ITTS and member of the IT Executive Committee, spoke about the status of the government infrastructure, the various projects undertaken by the ITTS and their progress. He also provided an update of the existing as well as forthcoming e-Services under the umbrella of eOman.
“eOman is a momentous initiative of the government of Oman in its march ahead to transform the nation and empower its citizens towards building a knowledge society.
Creating and awareness about the potentials of information and communication technologies is the prime focus of eOman. To this epic task we have reached yet another milestone since the establishment of the Digital Oman strategy in 2003,” he said. Empowering the human resource of Oman with information communication technology skills is seen as a main pillar in the IT strategy for Oman. The implementation of the strategy carefully addresses the bridging the digital divide between the technology-enabled and the other communities of the society. Towards this eOman shall reach various focus groups of Oman in their region and conduct both IT awareness as well as literacy campaigns. The awareness of e-Services offered by the public and private sectors is also seen as prime success factor in the implementation of Digital Oman strategy. eOman takes this mission forward and ensures the success of this implementation.
Leveraging ICT power for economic and social benefit is eOman’s greatest goal. Integrating government departments to provide more efficient public services, increasing IT literacy, developing the economy through smart electronic services, creating local knowledge industries, and minimising the digital divide are some initiatives undertaken by eOman.
The eOman logo unveiled at the function highlights the promising future ushered by e-government in Oman. Arif, the friendly eOman mascot, will play a crucial role over the months communicating with people about the immense opportunities and advantages offered by eOman. The eOman website will support Arif in communicating the various electronic services with citizens, businesses and government.
The Information Technology Technical Secretariat will conduct road shows shortly. These road shows comprise seminars and e-Government-orientation sessions in the governorates and regions of Oman to initiate public awareness of eOman and empower people with IT literacy.
Mohammed AbdulKareem Julfar, Assistant Director General for Finance and Property Affairs and Khalifa Hareb, Head of Markets Section during the press conference.
The website www.usedcars.ae with an option for online auction is expected to boost the online trade in used cars.
Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality, who launched the new website, said the Municipality has always endeavoured to enhance its e-services through simplifying the procedures and systems to reach the maximum sought after level of excellence in order to go along with the vision of the Government of Dubai.
He said the reason behind setting up an official website for the Used Car Complex is to live up to the expectations of the Government of Dubai to serve the people of the country as fast as possible.
"The idea of this project was initiated in 2003 and we visited some of the international sites to get benefited from them. We also conducted a survey among the owners of the used car showrooms in the complex in order to understand their requirements for such an important website, which is considered to be the first of its kind in the region," said Lootah.
He added that an e-team was constituted for undertaking this task by coordinating with the company that executes the project, the owners of the showrooms and for working out the required lists and statistics for managing the website.
Established in 1999, the Used Car Complex in Ras Al Khor Industrial Area is considered to be the best such facility in the region with 130 showrooms for sale and purchase of used cars, all at one place. The complex offers all the services related to cars such as an auction area, a technical inspection section, a vehicle licensing section, insurance companies, car financiers, and even a driving school.
The new website will provide all services related to the Used Car Complex. It will have the names of all the showrooms in the complex and their cars on display for sale with their photos, specifications and rates.
The online auction service offers the auction of 25 to 35 vehicles a week during which vehicles of different types and sizes will go under hammer. In order to offer this service electronic access has been made with Golden Bells, an auction firm at the complex.
The website also gives a brief about the insurance companies available at the complex and the services they offer to the visitors to the complex. The complex has three insurance companies, selected carefully and as per the conditions to serve the complex and its customers.
The website also displays a brief on the technical inspection services offered at the complex in cooperation with Eppco. In addition to that, the website offers information on the Dubai Traffic Department services at the complex including the fees for different transactions regarding cars and the required documents for accomplishing these transactions.
The website also has information on the banking services offered at the complex by Emirates International Bank. Electronic access has been made with the bank to offer all the services through the Used Car Complex website.
With the cooperation of Emirates Driving Institute, the website offers the details of the procedures for learning driving and taking a license.
The website also provides two maps, one for guiding the visitor to the location of the complex and the second is a detailed map of the complex itself.
Visitors who access the website can search any vehicle with all the flexibility to find out the customer's own choice of vehicles.
Your Eyes on the Showroom service provides the visitor the facility to register on the website and select specifications of the vehicle of choice. An automated message will be sent back to the visitor immediately thanking for registering with the site. This will follow sending a detailed report on the vehicle asked for with its photo and specifications to the email address of the visitor.
The website has received special appreciation of Dubai e-Government and it has been given full praise by E4all magazine, published by Dubai e-Government.
France rolls out e-passports
14/04/2006 |
|
|
|
France is set to issue its first electronics passports today, becoming the first European country to do so.
According to a report from AFP, the e-passports will first be made available in the Hauts-de-Seine department near Paris. They will then be rolled out nationwide by the end of June. The EU has established a deadline of 28 August for all EU member states to offer e-passports.
The e-passports are being issued in response to new US policies. In tightening its international security in response to 9/11, the US now requires European visitors to hold e-passports to travel without a visa. The e-passports are fitted with microchips which includes biometric data.
The first French e-passports will reportedly include a digital photograph of the holder and other personal data. By 2009, the passports are expected to include digital fingerprints. |
Qatar pioneer in e-government
Web posted at: 4/15/2006 2:47:46
Source ::: The Peninsula Doha: Sheikh Hamad bin Jabr Al Thani exhibited extreme cool and replied convincingly when a Qatari member of the audience criticised the Planning Council and said it had belied the hopes of the common man. Hasan Al Jaffiri launched a tirade against the government and some of its policies. "I was happy when the council was founded but am dejected now," said Al Jaffiri, calling for a bigger role for the private sector in the GCC in industrial development. He also blasted Qatar's e-government project for being slow.
"It is a huge project. Adequate infrastructure needs to be built to support it and it takes time. Qatar is a pioneer in this field," said Sheikh Hamad bin Jabr. "We are a strategic agency," he said of the Planning Council.
"We have a definite role and closely interact with other departments," he said. "You are elder to me by a few years and you should be aware more than I am that we as a country have a come a long way," said Sheikh Hamad.
 |
‘SHARP AS A TACK’: UAE’s bright and charming economy minister Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi in Dubai earlier in March. “There was a lot of misinformation on the Dubai ports deal,' she says.
(REUTERS)
|
ICT & Public Sector Reform
Among the many promises of the digital revolution is its potential to strengthen democracy and make governments more responsive to the needs of their citizens. E-government is the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) to transform government by making it more accessible, effective and accountable. E-government includes:
- providing greater access to government information;
- promoting civic engagement by enabling the public to interact with government officials;
making government more accountable by making its operations more transparent and thus reducing the opportunities for corruption; and - providing development opportunities, especially benefiting rural and traditionally underserved communities.
E-government is not a tool limited to the richer countries. Indeed, some of the most innovative uses of the Internet in governance are appearing in the developing world, as ICTs are being used to streamline government and connect it more closely with the people it is supposed to serve.
E-government is not a panacea. Although it can facilitate change and create new, more efficient administrative processes, e-government will not solve all problems of corruption and inefficiency, nor will it overcome all barriers to civic engagement.
Moreover, e-government does not happen just because a government buys more computers and puts up a website. While online service delivery can be more efficient and less costly than other channels, cost savings and service improvements are not automatic. E-government is a process that requires planning, sustained dedication of resources and political will.
But it is now clear around the globe that the utilization of ICT has the potential of revolutionizing the way people interact with government and each other. From the rural farmlands of Gyandoot in India to small villages in Africa, e-government is improving the condition of people in developing countries by improving access to information useful to their daily lives, providing government services, and offering new opportunities to participate in the political process.
see also --> eGovernment Handbook for Developing Countries
Executive Master in e-Governance
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are changing the economy, society, and culture in increasingly pervasive and complex ways. Developing efficient, reflective, sustainable governance mechanisms and corresponding tools to master and steer their underlying dynamics – in both public and private organizations – has become a necessity. To respond to this need, the Chair MIR at the College of Management of Technology of EPFL has designed a one-year Executive Master program in e-Governance, with its 2nd edition starting on September 4th, 2006.
Join the Executive Master in e-Governance 2006/07 and you will learn how to make use of ICTs for effective action and to steer your business, your organization or your agency. Join a group of highly motivated executives to clear your mind for decision-making globalized and fast-changing networked world. With our Executive Master in e-Governance, you will go through a challenging "learning journey" in which you can sharpen your leadership competences. The program is international and conducted in collaboration with highly renowned partners worldwide, with residential classroom modules in Switzerland, Europe, North America and Asia.
Prof. Matthias Finger e-Gov, Program Director
Dean, School of Continuing Education
E-government services have been slammed as "undemocratic" by an information systems expert from the London School of Economics.
Speaking at a Nortel event on Tuesday, Professor Ian Angell did not criticise the technology behind e-government, but rather the expectation that the general public would be able to take full advantage of the technology.
"The functionality may be five-star, but 20 percent of the population are functionally illiterate," Professor Angell told ZDNet UK. "The idea that education brings everybody up is fatuous."
By putting public services online, the government should be able to cut the number of people employed to deal with the public face-to-face.
Angell argued that this drive towards economy would disenfranchise a section of the population that required interaction with front office staff to access services.
"What is pushing government? It is trying to save money by cutting front office personnel — but people who can't access the technology need front office staff to interact with. The technology is undemocratic because it gives the advantage to more functionally literate people. It is not democratic — quite the opposite."
Telecoms equipment vendor Nortel takes an opposing view. The company maintained that governments will be able to provide "five-star" citizenship services, such as letting the public renew passports or access the NHS online, through e-Government.
"We're talking about the same concepts for commercial organisations and joined-up e-government," said Peter Kelly, Nortel Enterprise's European president. "A joined-up approach to siloed government departments, with centralised databases, enables more information to flow, in a more accessible fashion," Kelly added.
Nortel said it appreciated that security is a concern, and that security needed to be built into e-Goevrnment systems from the beginning. "The information needs to be accessible to the right people in the right places," said Kelly.
Kelly also acknowledged that government systems and procedures would have to be harmonised to function properly.
"The technological capabilities of the private sector can be applied to government sectors, but this requires government functions to agree on functionality and procedure," Kelly told ZDNet UK.
But Professor Angell sharply disagreed that commercial organisations and governments could operate using the same business model, due to fundamental differences in aims and objectives.
"The citizen is not a customer, and the relationship between citizen and state is different. It's problematic to build the relationship as if it is commercial," said Angell.
"Guardians and commercial organisations have different sets of ethics which are not necessarily compatible. What concerns me is that the commercialisation of government will lead to systemic corruption — corruption through the system," Angell told ZDNet UK.
"If we introduce targets for police arrest figures, the police will arrest more people. We'll have the same situation as traffic wardens, and speed cameras," said Angell. "If you look at what governments are delivering, it's surveillance and interference."
Mr. Yousif Shams, Head of the Systems Development Section at DM.
The project, which started in December 2005, is led by the IT department of Dubai Municipality. The first phase was primarily an intensive data collection and analysis exercise conducted by a team from Dubai Municipality and was managed by Yousif Shams, Project Director and Head of the Systems Development Section at DM and Majid Al Mehairi, Acting Head of the eGovernment section at DM.
Yousif Shams said,
'The progress of the project has been excellent. So far the project team has conducted 33 workshops with various departments at DM, in addition to over 100 interviews with senior and middle level management of the Municipality in the first two months of 2006 alone. The cooperation and support received from everyone at DM has been a major factor for the smooth progress of this phase of the project.'
Majid Al Mehairi said, 'The completion of the first phase of the project is a major step towards achieving DM's strategic goals and is in line with the needs of various departments within the Municipality. As Dubai continues to strengthen its focus on eGovernment, it is important for various government departments to have a well-planned IT strategy to efficiently cater to future requirements. We are certain that, when completed, this project will benefit all departments within Dubai Municipality.'
The Information Technology Department Transformation Strategy project is scheduled for completion by June 2007.
name
Practicing E-Government: A Global Perspective
type
book
author(s)
Mehdi Khosrow-Pour (Editor)
abstract
Edited by Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A., from the Information Resources Management Association, USA, Practicing E-Government: A Global Perspective presents a variety of chapters covering many of the important topics in e-government, and is intended to elicit comments, raise concerns and open dialogue as e-government programs for mainstream society are continually implemented. This book also responds to e-government's present shortcomings, while exploring a renewed understanding of e-government’s visions and responsiveness.
descriptionIn Practicing E-Government: A Global Perspective, professionals collaborate and share best practices in an effort to take the basic concept of digital government and continue to enhance the frameworks that encourage innovation and adoption, moving e-government toward its goal of easy access for the masses. This valuable collection of contributions in this vital emerging technology area is instrumental in broadening our understanding of e-government technologies and potential. Practicing E-Government: A Global Perspective was published in cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Source for abstract and description: Idea Group Inc.: http://www.idea-group.com/books/details.asp?id=4836 none yet none yet
name
Managing the Electronic Government - From Vision to Practice
type
book
author(s)
Kuno Schedler, Bernhard Schmidt, Lukas Summermatter
abstract
Written by authors from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, this book provides an insight into the possibilities that so-called “Electronic Government” has to offer. It demonstrates the elements belonging to the concept of E-Government and acts as a point of reference for those aiming to implement it. Checklists and lists of questions enable self-assessment at local, state and federal levels, highlighting opportunities for further development.
descriptionThe book cannot be described as technical — programmers will not find any instructions. Instead, it is designed to act as a point of orientation for decision makers in the field of government and politics, without the need to get bogged down in technical details. Central to the book are the following questions: what is Electronic Government, what advantages does it bring to those involved with it, and how can it be introduced? Contents: Index of Abbreviations. Index of Figures. Index of Tables. Index of Examples. Electronic Government: The Vision of a Transparent, Efficient and Customer-Oriented Government. Four Elements Constituting a Basic Model. Extending the Basic Model to Areas of Management. Extending the Model to Some Basic Condition. Electronic Government in Relation to Its Context. Glossary. References. Index. Source for abstract and description: IAP: Information Age Publishing, Inc. http://www.infoagepub.com/www/products/product3/jones.htm none yet none yet
MANAMA: Bahrain's civil service is in for a major shake-up, to cut red-tape and improve efficiency. Better training and rewards for staff and more autonomy for individual ministries will help enhance performance.
The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) is to be revamped, switching its role from supervisory to innovative, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Central Informatics Organisation (CIO) president Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa said yesterday.
Salary scales of employees who work in shifts and for long hours will be reviewed by CSB this year, he revealed.
The promotion system will also be reviewed by constantly monitoring employees' performances.
Recruitment times will be cut by 25 per cent this month and by half by July, said Shaikh Ahmed.
"By decentralising the CSB's role, individual ministries will be given more authority to process routine administrative work, which will save both time and effort," he said.
"The whole project will go hand-in-hand with our e-government strategy, paving way for more electronic transactions between various ministries and government departments.
"This will enable us to cut red tape and make the government services more efficient and transparent."
The study, "Mobile Communications in the Irish Public Sector", was carried out by iReach on behalf of the mobile operator O2 Ireland.
It maintains that mobile services not only provide a major opportunity for greater application of e-government than traditional computer based technologies, they also offer the potential for a significant increase in public sector productivity and job satisfaction.
The iReach report identifies a number of areas where greater adoption of mobile technology can reduce costs through increased public sector productivity, as well as boosting services to the citizen.
"A major cost for any organisation is labour, so if productivity can be increased this has implications for delivering value through public services," said Gerry McQuaid, commercial director, O2 Ireland, in a statement.
"As such, the first big area for potential savings is internal communications within the public sector itself. For example, in situations where remote public sector workers can use mobile technology rather than wasting time having to return to the office to access e-mail or file data."
Another example cited in the report highlights the savings that could be amassed by hospitals who choose to use text messaging to alert an out patient of an impending appointment. Not only would this reduce costs by cutting down on administration, stationary and postal costs, but it would also enable patients to respond immediately by text if they are unable to keep the appointment.
In addition to highlighting the cost savings that can be made, the report also suggests that the Government could exploit the popularity of mobile phones to combat emerging digital divides.
Recent ComReg figures indicate that the mobile penetration rate in Ireland is now over 100 percent, while the PC penetration level stands at a paltry 45 percent. With this in mind, the study's authors indicate that it may make more sense for the state to begin offering "m-government" services, rather than continuing to focus on offering services which can only be accessed via the internet.
"Accessibility remains the key issue to be resolved in bridging an emerging digital divide. Mobile technologies will play a key role in addressing this by providing citizens and businesses with better access to government services," said Oisin Byrne, managing director of iReach, in a statement.
"This is particularly true given the high penetration of mobile devices in Ireland and the relatively low internet and broadband access rates of citizens. Significantly, those in most need of access to public services are least likely to have PC or internet access but are much more likely to have mobile phones," he added.
A study conducted by the mobile messaging and data services provider Puca in December 2004 suggests that citizens would be interested in communicating with the Government and public sector using their mobile phones.
Of those surveyed by Puca, 48 percent mentioned that they would be interested in receiving text message reminders about NCT tests, driving tests and hospital appointments from the public sector. Another 48 percent said they would like to be able to request information from the public sector via text message.
