Study of egovernment in Bangladesh. Conducted by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute

Transcription

1 Study of egovernment in Bangladesh Conducted by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute Research Team: Farooq Sobhan M. Shafiullah Zahid Hossain Mridul Chowdhury April 2004 Table of Contents Foreword 4 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 6

2 Executive Summary 7 1. Introduction Background Objectives of the Study Research Methodology Conceptualization of egovernment What is egovernment? Components of egovernment Why egovernment for Bangladesh? Overview of egovernment in Bangladesh Background egovernment at the Policy Level Status of egovernment Initiatives Lessons Learned from Select Case-Studies Success Stories Ministry of Religious Affairs: Online Hajj Information Management Department of Roads and Highways: MIS for 25 Project Management and Transparency Rajshahi City Corporation: Electronic Birth Registration System Bangladesh Bank: Automation of Internal Processes Semi-Success Stories Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Interactive Website Ministry of Science and ICT: Policy Hub for egovernment Parliament Secretariat: Strengthening 39 Parliamentary Democracy through ICT 4.3 Unsuccessful Stories Election Commission Secretariat: The Failed Voter ID Card Project Summing Up Lessons Learned Recommendations Strategic Recommendations Specific Action Items 51 List of References 54 Foreword There is no denying that egovernment presents significant potential for addressing many of the existing weaknesses in governance in Bangladesh. The importance of introducing and

3 operationizing egovernment through the use of modern information and communication technology (ICT) also merits the focused attention of the Government of Bangladesh. The growing and expanding use of ICT through the use of informatics can help improve governance in multiple ways. It can also serve as a tool to enhance productivity and improve the quality of government services. In addition, it can help to institutionalize management systems that reduce the scope for rent seeking opportunities. Furthermore, it can strengthen information flow among government agencies and within the private sector and civil society. As we all know, information is power in today s world. Secrecy and opaqueness obstruct the process of sharing information. Many of the frustrations that citizens encounter in their interface with the government in Bangladesh could be removed through the increased practice of egovernment. This will also pave the way for greater openness, transparency, and accountability in government performance. Introduction of egovernment in a phased way, with clearly defined objectives, responsibilities of public officials, and performance evaluation systems can set the basics right for combating corruption and ensuring effective use of public resources, thus alleviating poverty. With these objectives in mind, the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) undertook the study on egovernment in Bangladesh. Our research team visited as many as 45 government Ministries/Divisions/Departments to investigate the present state of affairs regarding the introduction of egovernment and the progress made in this area. In general, egovernment initiatives appeared to be in an initial stage. Lack of serious resolve and sincere initiative and drive were found to be significant problems. Proper planning is also lacking, as well as genuine execution. The study highlights the successful operation of the Roads and Highways Department of the Communications Ministry, the Hajj Management website of the Religious Affairs Ministry, Bangladesh Bank, and the electronic Birth and Death Registration Project of the Rajshahi City Corporation. Semi successful egovernment activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Parliament Secretariat have also been thoroughly studied to determine ways to achieve further success in future. Intensive study was also made of the unsuccessful egovernment activities of the Election Commission s Voter Registration project. Like any other developing country, Bangladesh has limited resources in addition to problems of inequity and inefficiency. The introduction of egovernment is a needed step for setting the basics right, which will in turn create enabling conditions for national development and prosperity through accelerated economic growth. In this connection, egovernment can facilitate the increased flow of information about the availability and use of existing resources as well as public services. The Government needs to initiate, on a priority basis, a process of imparting e- education to the people involved in the country s governance mechanisms. I am grateful to my colleagues Mr. M. Shafiullah and Mr. Zahid Hossain for their participation in the study, including visits to multiple government agencies to collect necessary data in connection with the study. Mr. Mridul Chowdhury deserves special appreciation for his ready advice and professional knowledge as a consultant to the project. Finally this study would not have been possible without the support we received from The Asia Foundation. I would like to make special mention of Mr. Thomas Parks, the Foundation s Regional Program Officer for Information Technology, and Mr. Kim McQuay, Representative to Bangladesh, whose enthusiasm and advice were much appreciated.

4 Farooq Sobhan President Bangladesh Enterprise Institute List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ACR Annual Confidential Report ADB Annual Development Budget ADP Annual Development Programme BANBEIS Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics BBS Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics BCC Bangladesh Computer Council BEI Bangladesh Enterprise Institute BOO Build-Own-Operate BOOT Build-Own-Operate-Transfer BOT Build-Operate-Transfer BTRC Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission BTTB Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board BUET Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology CA Certification Authority CIDC3 Consolidation of Institutional Development Component CIO Chief Information Officer EBRS Electronic Birth Registration System ETS Electronic Tendering System G2B Government-to-Business G2C Government-to-Citizen G2E Government-to-Employee G2G Government-to-Government GIS Geographic Information System GOB Government of Bangladesh ICT Information and Communication Technology IICT Institute of ICT IMED Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division LAN Local Area Network LIC Legislative Information Center MIS Management Information System MOFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MORA Ministry of Religious Affairs

5 MOSICT Ministry of Science and Information and Communications Technology MPC Multi-Purpose Card MPs Members of Parliament PATC Public Administration Training Center PC Personal Computer PMIS Personnel Management Information System PMO Prime Minister's Office PP Pilgrim Pass RCC Rajshahi City Corporation RHD Department of Roads and Highways SICT Support to ICT Task Force VSAT Very Small Aperture Terminal WAN Wide Area Network Executive Summary Bangladesh has only recently begun to take serious initiatives in egovernment. The National Information and Communication Technology (ICT)) Policy 2002 gives due emphasis to the gradual implementation of egovernment in all government offices. To realize the goals set forth by the Policy, an ICT Task Force has been formed with the Prime Minister as the Chairperson and the Secretary of the Ministry of Planning as the Member Secretary. In 2003, a program entitled "Support to ICT Task Force (SICT) Project" was undertaken by the Planning Division of the Ministry of Planning with the mandate of serving as an administrative and secretarial arm to assist the ICT Task Force to realize various projects related to ICT, particularly egovernment. egovernment can be defined as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve the efficiency, responsiveness, transparency, and accountability of government. Common applications of egovernment include online delivery of government information and services, computerized licensing and registration, web-based tender notification and procurement, web-enabled complaints submission, and online public comment for draft legislation. egovernment aims to streamline relationships between government, business, and citizens through effective use of ICT. Several government offices have begun to undertake egovernment projects, ranging from basic computerization to sophisticated information systems that aim to automate processes and to ensure more efficient service delivery. These projects have met various levels of success. While it may be too early to reach definitive conclusions regarding the final outcome and impact of these egovernment initiatives, important lessons can be drawn from experience to date. For analytical purposes, some case studies of egovernment initiatives have been selected and classified according to the following three categories: Category 1: Success Stories: projects which have met desired goals Category 2: Semi-Success Stories: projects which have mixed experiences Category 3: Unsuccessful Stories: projects which have failed to meet desired goals The case studies under "Success Stories" include the following:

6 q Ministry of Religious Affairs: has developed an interactive website for Hajis that includes facilities for searching particulars of individual Hajis and their respective flight particulars, and for sending and receiving messages or death bulletins. q Department of Roads and Highways: has developed an interactive website that includes features such as zonal operations, relevant contact information, searchable database of contractors, tenders, and schedule of rates. q Rajshahi City Corporation: has developed an Electronic Birth Registration System linked with health and schooling services provided by the city. q Bangladesh Bank: has automated a number of internal processes and developed an information-rich, dynamic website The case studies under "Semi-Success Stories" include the following: q Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA): has developed an interactive website that contains searchable databases of Bangladeshi missions abroad and foreign embassies and missions in Bangladesh. The website does not get updated regularly and many links have yet to be activated. In addition, MOFA has built a modest level of ICT infrastructure, but it is not being used very effectively. Moreover, most internal processes have not been automated yet. q Ministry of Science and ICT (MOSICT): has been mandated to provide vision, direction and facilitation to ICT-related activities in the country. While MOSICT played a lead role in the National ICT Policy of 2002, most of its activities have been limited to ICT infrastructure development, with a particular focus on computerization, connectivity. and training. The Ministry is not well integrated with other important government institutions. Overall, the Ministry lacks the necessary empowerment to carry out its function effectively. q Parliament Secretariat: has computerized the Parliament Library, digitized various important bills and ordinances, created computer user centers for Members of Parliament, and established a well-connected Training Center. Despite progress to date, many of these resources remain unused, and no internal processes have been automated. In addition, the Secretariat is not well linked with other government institutions. The case study under "Unsuccessful Stories" focused on the following initiative: q Election Commission Secretariat: undertook a national project to generate a computerbased ID card for each registered voter. The project failed almost completely due to poor planning, over-ambitious projections, and-most importantly-lack of adequate political commitment. The project was eventually abandoned. Several important lessons can be drawn from the selected case studies. Among these, the most significant point to note is the importance of bureaucratic commitment and political will from the top level. Without such support, many projects-some of them quite expensive-have stopped midway, run out of funds, or otherwise failed to reach desired goals. Top-level political will and bureaucratic commitment is the single most important factor that has tipped the balance toward success or failure. As a rule of thumb, resources should not be wasted on projects that lack necessary ownership and commitment among relevant senior-level officials. From the case studies, it can be inferred that the optimal way to ensure success is to seek government agencies and egovernment champions who have already developed an idea and are actively seeking support. If a project is initiated by a government decision-maker and project champion, there is a much greater chance of success. Accordingly, future initiatives should focus on identifying and supporting self-selecting egovernment champions, rather than imposing or artificially injecting projects at the instance of external institutions, including donor agencies.

7 Another significant lesson is that the most successful projects are those that have emphasized the development of usable and practical software applications to automate internal government processes and to provide services more effectively using ICT systems. An egovernment strategy that places too much emphasis on procuring hardware and establishing connectivity is bound lose sight of the key objective of making governance more efficient. In many egovernment initiatives to date, there has been a distinct tendency to first "decorate offices with new computers and then to set up a Local Area Network (LAN), without first analyzing what improvements these computers and networks will bring. In addition, it is frequently found that one project funds hardware procurement while another project provides resources for customized software and information systems. In many cases, training programs for government officials have not been consistent with associated hardware and software procurement plans. In view of these inadequacies, the Government of Bangladesh should take steps to ensure that ICT is purchased in "packages" that include application/software development, hardware, networking/connectivity, capacity building, change management for users, and the process and procedural changes that must accompany a new system. An important observation drawn from the case studies is that the Government of Bangladesh does not have the necessary support structure to manage and maintain ICT systems in government. For example, the Government does not have an adequate system for recruiting and developing a permanent ICT human resource base, and it would be prohibitively expensive for all government offices to maintain permanent ICT staff in the short or medium term. As an interim solution, the Government should give high priority to establishing a unit within or outside government to provide advisory, management, and maintenance support services and allocate sufficient funds for them to carry out these functions. Although the Bangladesh Computer Council is supposed to carry out these functions, it is not given resources to retain highly trained and experienced technical personnel. Another significant limitation to the current system of making ICT-related policies, priorities, and strategies is that these functions are relatively centralized. The National ICT Task Force is the highest ICT policy-making body of the country, but there are no similar bodies that identify ICT-related needs and priorities at the level of individual ministries. The Government should take immediate steps to decentralize ICT policy-making and develop more micro-level plans for incorporation of ICTs in the government. It should also allocate funds to individual ministries to carry out these functions. Partnership with the private sector in implementing egovernment projects is an area in which the Government of Bangladesh has shown a striking lack of initiative. Bangladesh's legacy of socialist-oriented economic principles has embedded a deep-rooted mistrust of the private sector among some government officials. The Government lacks adequate technical, managerial, or financial resources to venture into egovernment solely on its own. For sustainability and strategic planning of egovernment, it is essential for the Government to establish partnerships with the private sector. Save for a few isolated cases, such partnerships have yet to be established. 1. Introduction

8 1.1 Background Bangladesh faces a variety of governance challenges, including corruption, public administrative malaise, and lack of adequate transparency and accountability in the exercise of public decisionmaking powers and the delivery of public services. These problems have prompted a growing interest in practical reform initiatives. egovernment holds significant potential as a tool to assist the Government of Bangladesh in achieving its governance reform objectives. The Government has undertaken a variety of information and communication technology (ICT)-related initiatives. Some of these are limited to basic computerization, while others involve the automation of sophisticated government processes and the online delivery of services to citizens and the business community. With support from The Asia Foundation, Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) has conducted this study on experience in, and lessons learned from, various egovernment initiatives in Bangladesh. The study has identified various constraints to the adoption of egovernment and analyzed the factors that contribute to the success of egovernment initiatives. It has also provided recommendations and identified specific shortterm action steps for the further proliferation of egovernment in the country. 1.2 Objectives of the Study The study was guided by the following objectives: l to identify the recurring, critical constraints to the adoption of egovernment in Bangladesh, especially those challenges that are non-technical in nature; l to determine the factors that have contributed to the success of egovernment projects that have met or exceeded their objectives; l to provide an empirical basis for the design and implementation of new program strategies for accelerating the adoption of egovernment in Bangladesh, through a combination of private sector, civil society, and government targeted activities and partnerships; l to identify, motivate, and support egovernment champions; and l to provide recommendations on egovernment initiatives that offer greatest potential to build on lessons learned from past experience 1.3 Research Methodology The study was conducted through a combination of research tools, including questionnaires, telephone interviews, on-site visits, and face-to-face meetings with relevant officials and experts. The BEI research team visited or interacted with 45 government offices, eight of which have been selected for in-depth case studies. Among the case studies, four egovernment initiatives have been characterized as success stories, three as semi-success stories, and one as failed story. The factors that were taken into account in evaluating egovernment projects include: l ICT Infrastructure: availability of hardware resources and connectivity infrastructure. l Government Process Automation: improvements in the efficiency in internal government processes that have resulted from the egovernment project. l Citizen/ Business Services: sophistication and efficiency of delivery of services for citizens and business. l Management of egovernment Process: how the transition process to egovernment was managed, including considerations such as human resource development, internal capacity, ICT training and awareness, and maintenance.

9 l Sustainability of egovernment Project: sustainability of the egovernment project, including considerations such as assurance of ongoing sources of funding, revenue models, and partnerships with the private sector and the academic community. l Championship from the Top: whether an egovernment initiative was supported by champions of reform among senior-level bureaucratic officials and political leaders. 2. Conceptualization of egovernment 2.1 What is egovernment? egovernment can be defined as the application of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve the efficiency, responsiveness, transparency, and accountability of government. Common applications of egovernment include online delivery of government information and services, computerized licensing and registration, web-based tender notification and procurement, web-enabled complaints submission, and online public comment for draft legislation. egovernment aims to streamline relationships between government, business, and citizens through effective use of ICT. While computerization and networking among computers is an important first step towards egovernment, it is not an end in itself. That is, egovernment is not just about being able to type documents using computers. Computerization can only be characterized as egovernment where ICT automation replaces inefficient manual government processes and thereby contributes to greater transparency and greater time and cost efficiency in the provision of government services to citizens and businesses. egovernment can provide several levels of service to citizens and business, which vary in sophistication from the most basic to the most sophisticated: Stage I Information Services: where the government provides information of various kinds, such as tender notices, forms, or contact points. Stage II Transaction Services: where the government provides transaction facilities, such as tax filing or submission of applications for business permits. Stage III Integrated Value-added Services: where the government provides integrated services that involve several government agencies and go beyond individual tasks or functions, such as comprehensive services involving change of address, establishment of a business enterprise, or sending a child to school. While a few government institutions in Bangladesh have advanced egovernment initiatives beyond basic applications, the country as a whole is still in the first stage of egovernment. Some countries, such as Singapore, have advanced to the third stage, where citizens no longer have to think about which government agencies are responsible for particular tasks. 2.2 Components of egovernment egovernment has four major components: 1. G2C (Government-to-Citizen) involves interaction of individual citizens with the government. Examples include payment of utility bills or downloading government forms from the Internet. Singapore s e-citizen Portal is one of the most highly acclaimed G2C sites. The portal features relevant information organized by topic and includes specific entry points for teenagers, working adults, senior citizens, and foreign residents. It also includes mechanisms for citizen feedback and questions. 2. G2B (Government-to-Business) involves interaction of business entities with the government. Examples include corporate tax filing or government procurement through the

10 Internet. A notable success story for online government procurement is Malaysia s e-prohelan website, which has about 3,500 government procurement centers and about 30,000 suppliers. 3. G2G (Government-to-Government) involves interaction among government officials, including interactions within a particular government office and interactions among various government offices. Examples include the use of for internal government communication or customized software applications for tracking the progress of government projects. A popular G2G service is the e-police System in Karnataka, India, which features an electronic database of police records. 4. G2E (Government-to-Employee) involves interaction between the government and government employees with respect to services such as salary, pension, and vacation leave. For example, a government may introduce a database-supported personnel data sheet for each government employee that serves as a record of personnel information that can be easily accessed for various applications. 2.3 Why egovernment for Bangladesh? egovernment is no longer a matter of choice or debate for Bangladesh or other countries that wish to improve governance standards. The key policy considerations are not issues of technology but rather of political resolve. In Bangladesh and other countries in Asia, egovernment has brought about important transformations in the manner in which governments operate and provide services to citizens and businesses. There will come a time in the not-sodistant future when the e in egovernment will lose its significance, since the primary mode of government service delivery will be egovernment. Today the critical question is not whether or not to adopt egovernment, but rather how egovernment can be most efficiently introduced and expanded. The tangible benefits that egovernment can bring to broader governance reform and economic development initiatives in Bangladesh include: l Transparency: egovernment promotes greater transparency in government activities. Having ranked poorly in Transparency International s Global Corruption Perceptions Index, Bangladesh must undertake strong measures to enhance its international image and commitment to reduce corruption. l Helps increase investor confidence: Improved transparency in government decisionmaking and other actions raises investor confidence, which in turn contributes to increased foreign direct and domestic investment. l Reduces scope for corruption: Increased transparency reduces the scope for corruption. Combating corruption is a top priority for all political parties and egovernment can provide an effective tool in reducing corruption. l More efficient governance: egovernment helps to make the procedures of government internal processes more efficient, saving time and resources. l More efficient services to citizens: egovernment enables the government to respond to citizen needs and demands faster and more efficiently. l Helps boost the private sector: egovernment helps to boost private sector performance and efficiency by reducing the time and expenses required for businesses to interact with the government with particular benefits to the business environment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In addition, the simplification of government processes and services such as online procurement helps to reduce barriers to entry for new businesses and increases competition.

11 l Allows for decentralization of governance: egovernment makes decentralization of government services and decision-making easier, since data stored in digital format can be updated and accessed from virtually any office within a networked environment. l Allows greater scope for integration: Digital storage of data and software applications provides greater scope for the integration of activities of different government offices, as data can be shared easily and efficiently. l Allows learning from the past: Since egovernment allows data to be stored and retrieved easily, the record and experience of past projects can be easily used for successor projects or the replication of successful initiatives. l Stimulates the local ICT industry: egovernment projects also provide valuable experience to the local ICT industry that enhances competitiveness in an international market. l Makes ICT relevant to the masses: egovernment makes ICT relevant to the general population as its benefits gradually extend to citizens and communities throughout the country. 3. Overview of egovernment in Bangladesh 3.1 Background Bangladesh is a small country with a population of more than 135 million people. It was part of India until 1947 and then part of Pakistan until 1971, when it achieved independence. As a young nation, Bangladesh began its journey as a socialist economy that placed most major industries under government ownership and control. This trend was especially adverse for the country s telecommunication industry, which has yet to fully recover from years of inefficient management by the Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB). As of 2002, telephone penetration (fixed and mobile) had reached only 1.32 per 100 people, far below that of neighbors India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Telephone lines are heavily concentrated in urban areas. BTTB charges for telephone calls are among the highest in the world, with the costs of Internet access through dial-up services commensurably expensive. Due to some shortsighted decisions by the government, Bangladesh is still not directly connected to the Global Information Superhighway, leaving ISPs to connect to it through satellite or Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs). Despite these constraints, some positive developments are taking hold. In the last few years, some private operators have begun to operate in the mobile telephony sector. The fixed telephony sector has recently been liberalized, with resulting scope for the entry of private operators. Internet service providers have emerged in scores, promoting a heavily competitive environment. Fiber optic cables have been laid through much of the country to carry Internet traffic. Steps are being taken to link Bangladesh to the Global Information Superhighway through underwater submarine cables, while BTTB charges have begun to be reduced. The establishment of a national Internet backbone to carry domestic Internet traffic is being discussed at the highest policy-making levels. BTTB now provides dial-up Internet services to all 64 districts. In addition, a new regulatory body the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has been established to promote liberalization, competition, and greater efficiency in the telecommunication industry. The potential of egovernment is heavily dependent on the establishment of an affordable and broadly accessible ICT infrastructure to deliver online services. With the recent steps outlined

12 above, Bangladesh is setting the stage for the gradual proliferation of egovernment services throughout the country. 3.2 egovernment at the Policy Level egovernment in Bangladesh has only begun to be discussed at the policy level. The National ICT Policy of 2002 gives due importance to the issue of egovernment, declaring that the Government shall use ICT systems within the public administration to improve efficiency, reduce wastage of resources, enhance planning and raise the quality of services. The policy further provides that the Government shall implement ICT systems to provide nation-wide coverage and access by any citizen to the government databases and administrative systems which can be used to extend public services to the remotest corner. To realize the goals set forth by the ICT Policy, an ICT Task Force has been formed, with the Prime Minister as Chairperson and the Secretary of Ministry of Planning as Member-Secretary. In 2003, the Ministry of Planning launched a Support to ICT Task Force (SICT) program, with the mandate of providing administrative and secretarial support to the ICT Task Force in realizing various ICT projects, particularly egovernment. The primary objective of the SICT program is to ensure access to information by every citizen to facilitate empowerment of people and enhanced democratic values and norms for sustainable economic development by using the infrastructure for human resources development, e-governance, public utility services and all sorts of on-line ICTenabled services. The objectives of the SICT program include: l Video-conferencing: Establish an alternate communication network, which will provide optimal reliability and security of communication and enhance the speed and efficiency of decision-making and follow-up actions. l Police: Facilitate improved communication between citizens and police and empower police departments to better monitor and supervise police functions. l Digital Divisional Town: Provide electronic delivery of major citizen services, empower local officials, introduce electronic services, and build cyber-kiosks to enhance citizen access to government services. l Web Portals: Help citizens to improve their employment and income-generating potential. l egovernment Initiatives: improve the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of government through ICT applications. The Ministry of Science and Information and Communications Technology (MSICT) is also working to advance the computerization and internal networking of different government offices, particularly at the Ministry and Division levels. 3.3 Status of egovernment Initiatives While computers in most government offices tend to be used primarily as typewriters, some government offices have begun to apply ICT to achieve more efficient governance. For example, the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance has developed customized software for budget planning, sensitivity and impact analysis, financial projections, and preparation of various reports. In addition, the Finance Division has created software to facilitate interface between the development and revenue budgets. The Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), the statistical wing of the Ministry of Education, has created a geographic information system (GIS) map-based software that provides information on density of academic institutions in particular regions, individual institution-level data, and other useful educational statistics. The website of the Planning Commission has a useful searchable database

13 of all Annual Development Programme (ADP) projects undertaken in the last three years. The Commission has also established an Intranet whose features include: file-sharing facilities through a Local Area Network (LAN), video conferencing, an electronic notice board, a digital library that stores policies, minutes of meetings, and other useful documents in searchable format, ADP database facilities, and application software for tracking the movement of files. Other important egovernment projects will be discussed in the next chapter on selected case studies. Under the SICT Programme, several ministries and government departments have undertaken major egovernment projects. Examples include the Dhaka Passport Office under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the General Manager North s Office of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, the Department of Agricultural Marketing under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Land Record Office in Manikganj under the Ministry of Land, Ministry of Labor and Employment, and the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment. Many other government offices including the Bangladesh Bank, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and Dhaka City Corporation are also in the process of implementing important egovernment initiatives. By the end of 2004, the government of Bangladesh is expected to achieve significant progress in egovernment. Table 1 summarizes the current status of egovernment in the 45 government ministries and agencies surveyed. Table 1: Statistics on egovernment Readiness Name of Customized Website; Availability of Availability of Permanent Partnership with Organization Software; Purpose Content Type Internet facilities; facilities; ICT HR Private Sector User group User Group President s No No Yes; only staff Yes; only staff Yes No Office Prime Minister s Yes; Scheduling/ Yes; Dynamic Yes; Class I Yes; Class I Yes Office Personnel/ Officers and Staff Officers and Staff Essential Commodity Price Monitoring Cabinet Division Yes; Database of No Yes; Staff to all level Yes; Staff to all level Yes No meetings between Ministry of Yes; Budget System Yes Yes; Some Yes; Some Yes Yes Finance officers officers

14 Ministry of No Yes; Interactive Yes; All Class I Yes; All Class I No No Foreign Affairs officers officers Ministry of Yes; ADP Yes; Interactive Yes; From desk Yes; From Astt. No No Planning Database; level to Secretary Chief to Secretary Personnel Data Sheet Ministry of Home No No Yes; Staff Yes; Staff No No Ministry of Yes; Personnel Yes; Static Yes; Staff Yes; Staff Yes No Establishment Management Information System Ministry of Yes; Payroll/ No Yes; Staff Yes; Staff Yes No Education Personnel and Officer and Officer management/accounts Ministry of No Yes; Static Yes; Secretary Yes; Secretary No No Commerce Ministry of Communication Yes; MIS for project Yes; Interactive Yes; DS to Minister Yes; DS to Minister Yes No management Name of Customized Website; Availability of Availability of Permanent Partnership with Organization Software; Purpose Content Type Internet facilities; facilities; ICT HR Private Sector User group User Group Ministry of Yes; PMIS to Yes; Static Yes; DS to Minister Yes; DS to Minister Yes No Health and track doctors and some desk-level and some desk-level Family Welfare transfer, posting, promotion, and training Ministry of No No Yes; Staff Yes; Staff No No Industry Ministry of No No Yes; Staff Yes; Staff No No

15 Agriculture Ministry of Law No No Yes; Staff/ Officers Yes; Staff/ Officers No No and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry of No Yes; Dynamic Yes; Staff/ Officer Yes; Staff/ Officer Yes No Science and ICT Ministry of Post No No Yes; Officers Yes; Officers No No and Telecommunication Ministry of Yes; database of Yes; Interactive Yes; Officers Yes; Officers No Yes Religious Affairs hajis, report generation, printing of pass and ID cards for hajis Ministry of No No No No No No Social Welfare Ministry of Energy No Yes; Static Yes; Staff Yes; Staff No No and Natural Resources Ministry of Civil No No Yes; Staff Yes; Staff No No Aviation and Tourism Ministry of No Yes Yes; PS to Yes; PS to No No Expatriate Welfare Honorable Honorable and Overseas State Minister State Minister Employment Bangladesh Bank Yes; Clearing House Yes; Dynamic Yes; Staff Yes; Staff Yes No Software; Personnel and Officer and Officer Management System; many others

16 Election Yes; Union Yes Yes; Staff Yes; Staff Yes No Commission Parishad Election and Officer and Officer Information System; District Database System; Election Result Updating System Name of Customized Website; Availability of Availability of Permanent Partnership with Organization Software; Purpose Content Type Internet facilities; facilities; ICT HR Private Sector User group User Group T&T Board Yes; Telephone Yes; Dynamic Yes; Staff to Yes; Staff to No No ledger management Executive level Executive level system/ Personnel management system Bangladesh Yes; accounting and Yes; Static Yes; Officers/ Staff Yes; Officers/ Staff Yes Yes Computer Council library management Export Promotion No Yes; Static Yes; Staff Yes; Staff No No Bureau WASA Yes; Payroll/ No Yes; Officers/ Staff Yes; Officers/ Staff Yes Yes Electricity Billing/ Revenue Information Analysis/Income Tax Bangladesh Yes; National Yes; Interactive Yes; Staff/ Officers Yes; Staff/ Officers Yes No Bureau of Statistics Databank Education Board Yes; Result No Yes; Staff/ Officers Yes; Staff/ Officers Yes No Processing System Power Yes; Billing Yes; Dynamic Yes; Staff/ Officers Yes; Staff/ Officers Yes No Development Board Software

17 Department of Yes; automated Yes; Static Yes; AC to Yes; AC to Yes No Customs system for customs Chairman Chairman data; Customs MIS; VAT MIS; TIN MIS Bureau of No Yes; Static Yes; Mid-level Yes; Mid-level Yes No Manpowe officers officers Employment and Training Petrobangla Yes; Accounting Yes; Dynamic Yes; All Level Yes; All Level No No University Grants Yes; Personnel Yes; Static Yes; Staff/ Officer Yes; Staff/ Officer Yes No Commission Public Service Yes; Officer No No No Yes No Commission Recruitment System Office of Yes; Audit Yes; Interactive Yes; Executive Yes; Executive No No Comptroller and Monitoring System/ Auditor General Personnel Chemical Industrie Yes; Personnel/ MIS Yes; Static Yes; Staff/ Officer Yes; Staff/ Officer Yes No Corporation Directorate of Land Yes; Database of land No Yes; Staff No No Yes Records and Survey records/ Map Digitization Bangladesh Rural No No Yes; Staff Yes; Staff Yes No Development Board Rajshahi City Yes; Electronic No No Yes; Executive level No No Corporation Birth Registration System 4. Lessons Learned from Select Case-Studies

18 This section presents the findings of select egovernment case studies, which are grouped in three different categories: Category 1: Success Stories projects that have met desired goals Category 2: Semi-Success Stories projects that have achieved mixed results in meeting their desired goals Category 3: Unsuccessful Stories projects that have failed to meet desired goals 4.1 Success Stories In this section, four case studies of egovernment initiatives undertaken by four government agencies are discussed: the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Department of Roads and Highways under the Ministry of Communication, Rajshahi City Corporation, and Bangladesh Bank Ministry of Religious Affairs: Online Hajj Information Management Brief Description Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis travel to Saudi Arabia each year to perform Hajj. One of the primary mandates of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) is to provide various support services to these pilgrims. Through an innovative egovernment initiative, the Ministry launched a website in 2002 to provide some information-based services to pilgrims, their relatives and friends, agents, and related government officials. The project has been initiated and funded internally by the Ministry. Since its launch in 2002, the website has been undergoing revisions and updates. The interactive website can be used for the following purposes: l If a user selects district and thana, the website lists all registered pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj from a particular thana, together with each individual s Pilgrim Pass (PP) number,1 photograph, and other personal details. l If a user inputs a specific PP number, the website provides the most recent status of the pilgrim with the particular PP number. l The website can be used to send and receive messages from individual pilgrims. This important feature allows easy and reliable communication between pilgrims and those interested in their pilgrimage. l Access to policies and regulations on issues such as health instructions, baggage rules, and the 2004 Hajj policy. l Access to an alphabetical list of authorized agents and their contact information. This list is important for verifying the validity of particular agents l Access to various Hajj-related forms that can be downloaded, together with guidelines for completing the forms l Access to frequently updated news, including death bulletins, flight delays, lost and found, and weather. Why Is It a Success Story? The website of the Ministry of Religious Affairs has brought a new dimension to the efficient provision of government service to citizens. It serves as a model for citizen-focused government services in Bangladesh. The factors that led to its selection as a prime success story include: l Enhanced citizen service: Users can instantly determine the status of pilgrims, their flight information, and their well-being during the journey, and can also communicate with pilgrims by

19 posting messages to the website. Users can also access useful information such as weather updates, maps, and relevant rules and regulations. l Coverage of service around the world: With the introduction of the website, government services are accessible to users from any place that an Internet connection is available. The website has fundamentally transformed traditional citizen services that required face-to-face interaction with government officials and staff. l Internal government efficiency: Government officials can now easily generate reports and relevant statistics about pilgrims in a matter of seconds using the database of pilgrims. Previously it would take days to determine the simple statistical information necessary for governmental policy and strategic decisions. l Transparency: The website has also increased transparency of the Hajj Office under the Ministry of Religious Affairs by making information available to the public that was previously kept in closed files. l Reduced corruption and exploitation of the public: Citizens no longer have to visit a government office to access information on the flight schedules, well being, or other particulars of individual pilgrims. Previously citizens would have to wait long hours to get simple information, for which they would sometimes be requested to pay bribes. Where information was not available, corrupt Hajj agents would take advantage of the opportunity to exploit people. The list of agents available on the website also helps users to verify whether or not a particular agent is authorized or not, and to obtain contact information for individual agents. l Public-private-academia partnership model: The website is an excellent example of a tripartite partnership model in which the government, the private sector, and academia join hands in building an effective business model. l Financially sustainable model: The website is also a financially sustainable model, since the operational costs of the website are being collected through a small fee from individual pilgrims. l Popularizing ICT among common people: The website is making ICT popular among common people and, by so doing, contributing to the development of a knowledge-society. Lessons Learned The Hajj website is one of the most successful egovernment models in the country, from which many important lessons can be learned. They include: l Financially sustainable model: The website had a startup cost of about Taka 20 million, which was borne by the Ministry of Religious Affairs from its own resources. The operational expenses of maintaining the website are now covered through a small computer fee collected from individual pilgrims. As a result, it is not a financially draining project, as most egovernment projects in Bangladesh initially tend to be. l Partnership-based Model: The tripartite business model involving the Government, the private sector, and academia has proved very effective. The Government outsourced the development and maintenance of the website for two years to a private firm named Hatil IT, which in turn engaged the Institute of ICT (IICT) of the Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET) to develop the website and to manage the various technical aspects. Hatil IT is now responsible for updating and maintaining the website. l Importance of championship from the top: This project exemplifies the importance of championship and leadership from the highest levels of government. The Hajj website was

20 initiated by Mosharref Hossain Shahjahan, the State Minister of Religious Affairs, whose determined interest and commitment served as primary impetus for making the website a reality. l Overcoming internal resistance through training: Training programs have played a crucial role in helping MORA and Hajj Office officials and staff to overcome any fear that their jobs or authority were threatened as a result of the egovernment initiative. For egovernment projects to be successful, timely training programs are vital to ensure a sense of ownership and buy-in among officials and staff. l Importance of Adequate and Timely Funding: The success of the website was further attributable to the availability of timely and adequate funding for the design and implementation of the project. This underlines the importance of careful financial planning to ensure that a project does not face difficulties during the development and implementation phases. Recommendations for Further Enhancement The continued refinement of the Hajj website should ideally be guided by the following considerations: l Control over data needs to be with the government to avoid security breach: It is vital that MORA maintain complete control over all data regarding Hajis. While it may not be desirable for the Ministry to retain exclusive authority over every aspect of updating and maintaining the website, any outsource model (i.e. where a third party handles and disseminates data) will require close supervision and comprehensive supervisory procedures. There are several ways in which this can be ensured: (i) maintain a backup database server in MOFA for security and monitoring purposes; (ii) monitor data handling by third party vendors on a regular basis during the months of Hajj-related activity; and (iii) maintain full control and ownership over all data so that vendors can be changed if needed. l Increase the use of Hajj Management MIS by government officials: Subject to reasonable confidentially safeguards, the data on Hajis can be used to generate various reports and statistics that will inform future policies for Hajj management. Software for producing such reports should be developed. Ministry officials should be well trained to use the software to generate reports internally, as needed, and not rely solely on vendors to do it for them. l Create a Bangla version of the website: One of the most widely cited shortcomings of Hajj website is that it is completely in English, whereas the vast majority of potential users cannot read English. Steps should be taken immediately to create a Bangla version of the website, to expand access to a wider section of the population. l Create a more user-friendly and searchable, database-driven agent list: The list of agents provided in the website can be made more user-friendly through the introduction of a searchable, database-driven list. Such facility would also make it easier for the administrators of the website to update information about the agents. l Provide printable versions of all application forms: The website should include printable versions of all relevant forms that the Hajj Office provides Department of Roads and Highways: MIS for Project Management and Transparency Brief Description The Department of Roads and Highways (RHD) under the Ministry of Communication regulates a large portion of expenditure on the physical infrastructure of Bangladesh. An efficient and reliable information system is crucial for the implementation, monitoring and policy-making