Former Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered all government agencies to use digital methods in disbursing and collecting payments with Executive Order No. 170 signed in May. But this is just the tip of the authorities digital change iceberg. There are a lot more to include and consider when transforming a government.
This is precisely what is covered in the particular Full Digital Transformation Act of 2020 or Senate Bill (SB) No . 1793 . Filed by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian in 2020, it is an “Act mandating the full digital transformation associated with all federal government agencies, officers, and corporations, including local government units, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes”, according to the United states senate of the Philippines website.
What’s laudable about this Bill is that it covers the full end-to-end scope of electronic transformation, i. e. streamlining of “procedures by adopting automation and digitization of govt services”; build-up from the government’s technology capabilities such as the establishment of data centers and cybersecurity facilities; harmonization associated with common information related to persons, transportation, plus multiple domains; the use of open-source systems; investment in the development of organizational capability and staff competencies; and most importantly, the creation a Digital Transformation department (DTD) in “every government agency, office, corporation, instrumentality, plus unit”.
A related Bill, the Satellite-based Technologies with regard to Internet Connectivity Act of 2021, filed in June 2021 by the same senator, seeks to encourage and promote the particular “use plus development associated with satellite-based technologies for internet connectivity”. Indeed, a decent web coverage and speed regarding the whole country is requisite in ensuring that government services are delivered digitally in a continuous, almost-real-time manner. But this is already overshadowed from the previous administration’s move in May 2022 that approved the registration of Starlink Internet Services Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of SpaceX, to provide its satellite broadband to the archipelago.
With Sen. Gatchalian’s re-election, it’s still possible that will the Full Digital Change Act will progress within the Senate. But most likely, with the changes within senate committee chairmanships, it will never see the light of day. We may need the new lawmaker in the upper house in order to champion the creation associated with government digital transformation policies.
Many countries and governments have recognized the opportunities and benefits that electronic transformation brings. According to the 2019 report of the Organization for Economic Co-operation plus Development (OECD), “practically all OECD members countries have a digital authorities strategy in place that sets the policy objectives for the digital modification of the particular public sector”. Further to the report, “regardless of the name used to describe this document (e. g., strategy, agenda, action plan), or whether it is presented as a stand-alone document or included in broader public sector strategies (e. g., public administration, digital economy, information society) the critical point for governance analysis is that such plan documents exist”; and that “these documents set out the particular vision and frame the national/federal policy around electronic government over a given period”. A total of 29 OECD nations and 19 European Union countries participated in this study.
There are obvious benefits that will government digital transformation can bring to a nation and its citizens. The OECD identified these such as increased productivity and jobs, increased efficiencies in the particular delivery associated with services, plus empowerment of government agencies, industries, and citizens in order to do more.
While conceptually it will be an achievable vision, federal government digital transformation is not without its challenges. Some of those recognized by OECD are electronic divide between urban plus rural areas, lack of standards in ecommerce, insufficient the digitally competent workforce, lack of cybersecurity readiness, and lack associated with budgets plus investments.
These barriers and challenges comprise the finer details of executing an authorities digital alteration strategy. This may be the reason why Sen. Gatchalian did not prioritize Senate Expenses No. 1793 during his previous term. If many companies all over the world are failing inside their digital transformation efforts, what a lot more if it involves a federal government bureaucracy that is difficult to wield.
In addition , the Philippines’ digital competitiveness ranking in 2021 is usually 47. 16, just behind Peru’s 47. 23, plus slightly above Colombia’s 45. 45. To benchmark, the U. S. garnered the top spot at 100 and Malaysia scored 73. twenty nine. These rankings are based on the latest IMD World Digital Competitiveness report which “analyses plus ranks countries’ ability to adopt and explore electronic technologies leading to change for better in govt practices, business models plus society in general; digital competitiveness is assessed based on three major criteria: knowledge, technology, and future readiness. ”
With the Philippine’s low digital readiness, executing a full government electronic transformation technique will just be a pipe dream. That’s why in the next six years of the particular new administration under President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., instead of a grand digital transformation, a strategy I always promote in order to private organizations called ‘dual transformation’ is definitely relatively easier to execute.
Dual government transformation is the strategic approach to reposition today’s government bureaucracy to maximize its resilience, especially during this time of economic hardship, while at the same time creating tomorrow’s new financial growth engine.
Conceptually, if we plot this particular in the next 6 years, there will be dual shift streams — Transformation The, which can be finding new possibilities intended for addressing existing challenges, we. e., improving internet speeds and completing the electronic payment attempts from the previous administration; Modification B, which is regarding creating a powerful brand new growth motor for the future, such as the particular full software and interconnection of related agencies, i actually. e., Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Division of Education.
In the next management, other companies and local government units can follow suit as part of a 10-year roadmap. Part of this roadmap is the methodical program of changing mindsets and skill building among government officials and employees, as well as investing in technology assets that are future-proof plus standardizable.
The current administration and lawmakers should be deliberate plus methodical in their government digital transformation strategy. Otherwise, it’s another waste of time and resources, implementing incohesive elements.
The author is the Founder and CEO associated with Hungry Workhorse, a digital plus culture improvement consulting firm. He is the particular Chairman of the Information and Communication Technology Committee of the Financial Executives Institute associated with the Philippines (FINEX). He or she is a Fellow at the particular US-based Institute for Electronic Transformation. He teaches strategic management in the MBA Program of De La Salle University. The author may be emailed at [email protected]
Know more about #FINEXPhils through www.finex.org.ph.
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