Benchmarking Digital Government Strategies in MENA Countries

130 Pages·2017·3.634 MB·English

by  Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

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OECD Digital Government Studies D
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Benchmarking Digital Government Strategies it
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This series analyses trends in digital government policies and practices across OECD m
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and partner countries. The reports provide advice on the use of digital technologies to make n Government Strategies
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governments more agile, innovative, transparent and inclusive. S
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This report benchmarks digital government strategies in MENA countries against d in MENA Countries
OECD standards and best practices. Using the OECD Recommendation of the Council ie
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on Digital Government Strategies as analytical framework, the report provides
an in-depth look at the efforts made by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia
and the United Arab Emirates to use digital technologies strategically to support broader
policy objectives. New technologies can help foster economic value creation, make institutions
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more inclusive, improve competitiveness and promote effective decision-making in the public e
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sector. This report also assesses the use of ICTs to strengthen trust in government through c
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greater openness and engagement, and suggests how MENA countries can better co-ordinate m
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and steer the digital transformation of the public sector. r
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Consult this publication on line at http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264268012-en. n
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This work is published on the OECD iLibrary, which gathers all OECD books, periodicals and statistical ie
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databases.
Visit www.oecd-ilibrary.org for more information.
iSBN 978-92-64-26800-5
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42 2016 47 1 P
OECD Digital Government Studies
Benchmarking Digital
Government Strategies
in MENA Countries
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the
OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not
necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries.
This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status
of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers
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Please cite this publication as:
OECD (2017), Benchmarking Digital Government Strategies in MENA Countries, OECD Digital
Government Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264268012-en
ISBN 978-92-64-26800-5 (print)
ISBN 978-92-64-26801-2 (PDF)
Series: OECD Digital Government Studies
ISSN 2413-1954 (print)
ISSN 2413-1962 (online)
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3
FOREWORD –

Foreword
Digital technologies are one of the most transformational factors of our
time, including their impact on effective public governance and potentially
economic competitiveness. To reap the benefits, policies on the use of
digital technologies need to be adequately embedded in public sector reform
strategies. The OECD Recommendation of the Council on Digital
Government Strategies (2014) offers guidance on their design and
implementation. Countries in the MENA region are seeking to align their
digital government strategies to the principles in this Recommendation to
enhance transparency, improve service delivery for citizens and businesses,
and foster more productive, competitive and inclusive public institutions.
This report provides an in-depth look at how Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon,
Morocco, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates are using digital
technologies to achieve broader policy objectives. The report finds that
significant progress has been made in improving connectivity, establishing
the basic infrastructure and using ICTs for more efficient services. They
have laid the foundations for the digital transformation of the public sector
in a way that ensures greater accessibility for all.
However, the report also shows that a more structured use of new
technologies could better meet citizens’ expectations, help secure trust in
government and support inclusive growth. For example, ICTs could be used
more effectively to engage citizens in the design of public policies as well as
in the design, delivery and evaluation of public services. A more strategic
use of ICTs can help the different parts of the public sector work together
and share resources, as well as improve data governance and cybersecurity
policies. More fundamentally, the report calls for a cultural shift in the
public administration to center services and policies on citizen’s needs and
preferences.
These countries need a robust strategic and policy framework to
implement digital government strategies successfully and consistently across
the administration. In line with the OECD Recommendation, they should
develop institutional set-ups that enable a coherent use of technology across
levels of government.
BENCHMARKING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES IN MENA COUNTRIES © OECD 2017
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– FOREWORD

Finally, the report stresses the relevance of building institutional
capabilities to successfully manage complex ICT projects and programmes,
ensure value for money in ICT investments and asset management, and
deliver benefits to all social groups. Drawing on OECD best practices,
standards and legal instruments, this report provides policy makers with
recommendations for moving forward with the digital transformation.
For over a decade, the MENA-OECD Governance Programme, a
strategic partnership between MENA and OECD countries, has supported
public governance reform and modernisation efforts through peer learning,
and the sharing of knowledge and expertise. This report was prepared within
the framework of the MENA-OECD Working Group II on Open and
Innovative Government and builds upon the OECD Open Government
Project and the work of the OECD Working Party of Senior Digital
Government Officials (E-Leaders). The report also follows up on the
recommendations contained in the Open Government Reviews of Morocco
and Tunisia, which stressed the importance of using digital technologies to
more effectively embed the principles of openness and accountability in
public sector reforms.

BENCHMARKING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES IN MENA COUNTRIES © OECD 2017
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS –

Acknowledgements
This report was prepared by the MENA-OECD Governance Programme
in the framework of its Open Government Project, in cooperation between
the Reform of the Public Sector Division and the Governance Reviews and
Partnerships Division in the OECD Directorate for Public Governance and
Territorial Development (GOV), within the framework of its work on
Digital Government.
The OECD would like to thank all stakeholders who provided valuable
information and feedback throughout the drafting process. The Secretariat
would like to thank in particular Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia
and the United Arab Emirates for participating in this study. The Secretariat
is grateful for the strategic guidance received from government and civil
society representatives during the workshop on Open Data which took place
from 19-20 October 2015 in Italy, as well as the valuable feedback from
countries participating in the 11th Annual Meeting of the Working Group 2
on Open and Innovative Government on 7 February 2016 in the UAE.
This report was produced under the leadership of Rolf Alter, Director of
Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate, Edwin Lau,
Head of Reform of the Public Sector Division and Martin Forst, Head of
Governance Reviews and Partnerships Division. It was drafted by Rodrigo
Mejia Ricart under the supervision of Barbara-Chiara Ubaldi, Senior Project
Manager leading the OECD’s work on Digital Government and Open Data.
Katharina Zuegel contributed to the report throughout the whole process and
Alessandro Bellantoni, Senior Policy Analyst and Coordinator of the OECD
Open Government Project provided strategic guidance and alignment with
the OECD Open Government Project. Editorial work and quality control
were provided by Liz Zachary and Ciara Muller, who prepared the
manuscript for publication.
The OECD wishes to thank the United States Middle East Partnership
Initiative (MEPI) for its financial support to the OECD Open Government
Project.
BENCHMARKING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES IN MENA COUNTRIES © OECD 2017

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TABLE OF CONTENTS –

Table of contents
Executive summary ........................................................................................... 11
Assessment and recommendations .................................................................. 15
Chapter 1. Background and methodological considerations ....................... 33
The OECD Recommendation of the Council on Digital Government
Strategies ......................................................................................................... 35
Methodology of the report: Applying the OECD Recommendation
to selected countries in the MENA Region ..................................................... 39
Notes ............................................................................................................... 40
References ....................................................................................................... 41
Chapter 2. An overview of the digital context in the MENA region ........... 43
Notes ............................................................................................................... 54
References ....................................................................................................... 55
Chapter 3. Using digital technologies to bring governments closer
to citizens and businesses .................................................................................. 57
Principle 1: Ensure greater transparency, openness and inclusiveness
of government processes and operations ......................................................... 60
Policy recommendations ................................................................................. 67
Principle 2: Encourage engagement and participation of public, private
and civil society stakeholders in policy making and public service
design and delivery ......................................................................................... 68
Policy recommendations ................................................................................. 74
Principle 3: Create a data-driven culture in the public sector.......................... 75
Policy recommendations ................................................................................. 81
Principle 4: Reflect a risk management approach to addressing digital
security and privacy issues, and include the adoption of effective
and appropriate security measures .................................................................. 82
Policy recommendations ................................................................................. 84
Notes ............................................................................................................... 85
References ....................................................................................................... 86
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Chapter 4. Effective governance frameworks and co-ordination
mechanisms for digital government ................................................................ 89
Principle 5: Secure leadership and political commitment to the strategy ........ 90
Policy recommendations ................................................................................. 93
Principle 6: Ensure coherent use of digital technologies across policy
areas and levels of government ....................................................................... 94
Policy recommendations ................................................................................. 97
Principle 7: Establish effective organisational and governance frameworks
to co-ordinate the implementation of the digital strategy within and
across government ........................................................................................... 98
Policy recommendations ............................................................................... 105
Principle 8: Strengthen international co-operation with other
governments .................................................................................................. 106
Policy recommendations ............................................................................... 107
References ..................................................................................................... 109
Chapter 5. Building capacity for implementation and impact ................... 111
Principle 9: Develop clear business cases to sustain the funding and
focused implementation of digital technologies projects .............................. 112
Policy recommendations ............................................................................... 115
Principle 10: Reinforce institutional capacities to manage and
monitor projects’ implementation ................................................................. 116
Policy Recommendations .............................................................................. 119
Principle 11: Procure digital technologies based on the assessment
of existing assets ........................................................................................... 120
Policy recommendations ............................................................................... 122
Principle 12: Ensure that general sector-specific legal and regulatory
frameworks allow digital opportunities to be seized. .................................... 122
Policy recommendations ............................................................................... 125
Notes ............................................................................................................. 125
References ..................................................................................................... 126
Annex A. Policy levers of digital government co-ordinating units
in the OECD .................................................................................................... 127
Figures
Figure 1.1. OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies ............ 35
Figure 1.2. Digital transformation of the public sector: From e-Government
to Digital Government ................................................................................ 36
Figure 1.3. International migration stock as a percentage of the total
population ................................................................................................... 38
Figure 2.1. Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) .............................. 44
BENCHMARKING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES IN MENA COUNTRIES © OECD 2017
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TABLE OF CONTENTS –

Figure 2.2. Internet users (per 100 people) ......................................................... 45
Figure 2.3. Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) ................................ 45
Figure 2.4. Facebook penetration in selected MENA countries (in %) .............. 46
Figure 2.5. Active Twitter users (total of population) ........................................ 47
Figure 2.6. Adult literacy rates (15+) .................................................................. 48
Figure 2.7. Main challenges for implementing digital government strategies .... 49
Figure 2.8. Stakeholders involved or consulted in the development of the
digital government strategy ......................................................................... 50
Figure 2.9. Digital government strategies may apply to different levels of
government ................................................................................................. 51
Figure 2.10. Main goals of digital government strategies in selected MENA
countries ...................................................................................................... 52
Figure 2.11. Perceived regulatory quality ........................................................... 53
Figure 3.1. Confidence in national governments (2014) ..................................... 58
Figure 3.2. Perception of corruption in government, 2014 ................................. 59
Figure 3.3. Transparency and access to information laws that foresee an
"open by default" standard for government data ......................................... 61
Figure 3.4. Control of corruption (2008-2014) ................................................... 63
Figure 3.5. Countries with a centrally available list (e.g. database, repository
or framework) defining all services provided by the public sector ............. 66
Figure 3.6. UN e-Participation Index .................................................................. 69
Figure 3.7. ICT-enabled mechanisms for public engagement and
participation ................................................................................................ 70
Figure 3.8. Countries with a strategy or policy in place to promote the re-use
of open government data ............................................................................. 73
Figure 3.9. OECD countries with a strategy or policy focusing on data
literacy inside government and/or in the broader society ........................... 77
Figure 3.10. Data literacy policies or strategies targeting civil servants ............. 78
Figure 3.11. OECD countries with a chief data officer (CDO) ........................... 79
Figure 3.12. Countries with a function or unit responsible for data security
and/or privacy ............................................................................................. 83
Figure 4.1. Perceived relevance of national digital government strategy in
Estonia and Finland ..................................................................................... 91
Figure 4.2. Stakeholders involved or consulted in the development of
the strategy .................................................................................................. 93
Figure 4.3. Policy areas covered by the digital government strategy in
selected MENA countries ........................................................................... 95
Figure 4.4. Formal co-ordination mechanisms in selected MENA countries ..... 96
Figure 4.5. Single functions or units responsible for leading or
co-ordinating decisions on the use of ICT within central government ....... 99
Figure 4.6. ICT governance structures across OECD countries........................ 100
Figure 4.7. Policy levers of the central government ICT co-ordinating unit .... 102
BENCHMARKING DIGITAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES IN MENA COUNTRIES © OECD 2017