Network capacity increases 300 per cent, information exchange 200 per cent faster

August 24, 2010

Dubai eGovernment’s Infrastructure Management Department has completed upgrades to the Government Information Network (GIN) as part of its commitment to facilitate the emirate’s eTransformation and develop faster and easier access to its eServices. GIN serves as the cornerstone of the electronic infrastructure connecting government systems that effectively transfers information and handles transactions.  

“For updating the Government Information Network, we used the advanced ‘Cloud Computing’ technology to connect both local government departments in Dubai and regular clients. This involved increasing capacity by up to 300 per cent for the main network lines in order to meet the growing demand for eServices, adopting advanced technologies that meet the highest international standards, and accommodating additional capabilities required by the introduction of new services in local departments to cater to the future needs of all community segments. Moreover, the speed of information exchange was also boosted by up to 200 per cent,” said Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment.

“Dubai eGovernment spares no effort to apply the world’s latest technologies, electronic components and infrastructure to make it easier for government departments to offer secure and high-quality eServices to the public and thus excel in their specialized fields. Our decision to adopt shared service systems is based on the cost savings, flexibility and operational efficiency made possible by such structures, which are in line with general trends influenced by current global economic conditions,” added Bin Humaidan.

Matar Al Humairi, Director of Infrastructure Management Department, Dubai eGovernment, commented: “These upgrades significantly enhance connectivity and enable highly-efficient servicing of departmental business 24 hours a day. They support the departments’ information requirements in line with the vision of providing a one-stop-shop for client transactions and include high-level security features to prevent external intrusions and interference.”

“The enhancements represent the second stage of plans set forth by Dubai eGovernment in 2009 to upgrade the electronic networks of 36 local government departments. This phase was originally intended to cover the main network lines only but eventually expanded to include spare lines as well. The latest upgrades constitute 50 per cent of the entire plan,” he added.

Describing the benefits of the upgrades, Al Humairi said: “The network improvements have resulted in a 50 per cent increase in internet speed and therefore higher inter-departmental connectivity and communications. They have also enabled departments to gain access to advanced technologies and have substantially helped reduce operational costs.”

The Infrastructure Management Department, which  handled the implementation of the GIN upgrades, is one of three Dubai eGovernment sections that also include eServices and Government Resource Planning (GRP). Over the past few years Dubai eGovernment has built a unified, safe, cost-effective and highly reliable government information network to underpin Dubai’s electronic infrastructure. This network is managed by dedicated personnel who enforce policies for external connections and constantly monitor performance to guarantee uninterrupted work and immediate intervention during emergencies.

Move aims to accommodate more government departments to showcase their eServices

August 18, 2010

Dubai eGovernment has announced that its stand at the 30th edition of GITEX Technology Week will be three-folds bigger compared with its exhibition space in the 2009 edition. GITEX 2010 will be held from October 17 to 21, 2010, offering a unique opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and to explore the latest IT innovations and solutions.

Dubai eGovernment has always been keen since its inception in 2001 to participate in annual trade exhibitions, aiming to raise awareness of eServices through direct interaction with visitors and businessmen interested in technology. Each year during the weeklong GITEX fair, which is one of the most important international events in IT and computing, Dubai eGovernment offers several interactive presentations about the eServices provided by Dubai government departments to the public, businesses and visitors, in addition to the shared services being offered by Dubai eGovernment to government departments aimed at realising the collective goal of building a knowledge-based economy in Dubai. 

Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment, said: “We look forward to this year’s exhibition as it presents an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest IT experiences and solutions and work closer with participating organisations and exchange expertise with them. We will also try to cater for the needs of our visitors at GITEX, with the goal of improving the eServices in the emirate and enhancing the level of efficiency and excellence within different local government departments in line with our common goal of speeding up the transformation of Dubai into an integrated digital community. This is in accordance with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to build a knowledge-based economy in line with the latest global trends of providing eServices through gateway eServices in order to respond to the daily requirements of all segments of society and ensure that customers have an easy and smooth access to thes
e eServices wherever they are and at any given time”.

“Dubai eGovernment is fully prepared to participate in this year’s GITEX as we have set up the perfect exhibition showcase that capitalises on our experiences in previous editions in collaborating with government departments and authorities. The exhibition space is three-folds larger this year to allow different departments to showcase their eServices under the umbrella of Dubai eGovernment. By gathering the largest number of government departments in one place, we aim to stimulate communication and cooperation among these departments in order to upgrade eServices and enhance their efficiency and encourage the public to explore these services. Dubai eGovernment will also be keenly monitoring events, press conferences and agreements signed at the event”, he added.

Dubai eGovernment, following the success of its participation in past GITEX editions, is strengthening its presence in this year’s edition by expanding its exhibition space to 2,800 square meters from just 800 square metres in 2009. The exhibition space shall be allocated to different departments based on the type of services they provide to the public. There are more than 2,000 eServices that will be featured for various members of the community such as citizens, residents, businesses and visitors.
 
The Dubai eGovernment exhibition will comprise a network of workstations for visitors to try out all eServices that can be accessed through the official portal of the Government of Dubai (dubai.ae). The special website www.gitex.dubai.ae for public information covering the services of participating departments and associated events will also be launched.

Visit aims to leverage the applications of the Government Resource Planning (GRP) Systems

August 8, 2010

Dubai eGovernment Department received last week a delegation from the Egyptian government, which visited the emirate to learn more about Dubai’s eTransformation initiatives and the Government Resource Planning (GRP) System. The Egyptian delegation also reviewed how the GRP System has been able to link different government departments and provide a unified platform to efficiently manage their internal resources and processes, while ensuring optimised privacy and confidentiality.

The Egyptian delegation included Amr Zahra, Advisor to the Egyptian Minister of Finance for Automation of State’s General Budget; Samer Abdel Maqsoud, General Budget Automation Project Manager at the Egyptian Ministry of Finance; and Majed Shawqi, Operations Manager, e-Finance Company. They were joined by Ahmed Mohammed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment; Matar Saeed Al Humairi, Dubai eGovernment’s Director of Infrastructure Management; Mohammed Karzoun, Director of GRP Systems at Dubai eGovernment; and Khalil Saqer, Director of Marketing & Communication, Dubai eGovernment.  
 
A brief presentation about Dubai eGovernment was made during the meeting of the two parties in addition to a review of the centralisation and decentralisation methodology being adopted for the different Dubai government departments. There was also a review of the GRP System, particularly the platform for the payroll system. The group also discussed the infrastructure being managed by Dubai eGovernment and the importance of facilitating a healthy exchange of information among local departments to promote the eTransformation of Dubai and to ensure that the interest of customers and the public remain a top priority. 

Ahmed Bin Humaidan said: “It is our priority to link the government departments within a unified framework governed by a common system that provides an integrated network for communication and exchange of information, while maintaining the privacy of each department. After gradually implementing this initiative, all parties involved now use a common system instead of the previous systems that kept each department isolated and unable to coordinate efficiently with other departments, forcing customers to undergo a series of long and tiring procedures, which resulted in a significant waste of time”.

Bin Humaidan further explained: “This directive is intended to minimise centralisation, which now only happens when the common systems execute work from a single central location. With all departments having automated processes, the Government Resource Planning System, which is an advanced stage of eTransformation in Dubai, now serves as a platform for ensuring integration among all departments”.

The Egyptian delegation expressed satisfaction with the presentations and commended Dubai eGovernment for being gracious hosts. “The visit gave us the opportunity to exchange ideas with Dubai eGovernment and was beneficial to our own efforts to automate the operations within different government departments in Egypt, especially within the Ministry of Finance”, the Egyptian delegation said in a statement.

The GRP systems implemented by Dubai eGovernment for 29 government entities, which cover around 25 integrated systems, form the backbone for the efficient management of the basic resources of Dubai government departments. They are used to manage human resources, payroll, finance, procurement and storage, and asset management.

They also support the recruitment process and transactions with government agents and suppliers, and enable government employees to efficiently perform their duties by providing a wide range of integration and supplementary reports. Dubai eGovernment is keen to implement these systems and train government employees in their use as part of its commitment to helping realize Dubai’s Strategic Plan 2015, which aims for governmental excellence and the development of an integrated knowledge-based community.

Annual contribution of Dubai eGovernment returns at ‘Dubai Summer Surprises 2010’

June19 , 2010

The Dubai eGovernment Department has announced the launch of the electronic ‘Modhesh Friends Forum’ in a new format reflecting the diversity of the 13th edition of ‘Dubai Summer Surprises’ which features a wide range of presentations and recreational, cultural and heritage activities. The portal will enable young users to obtain information related to daily events and their exact details either through the inquiry and notification channel mDubai or the Unified Call Centre ‘Ask Dubai’ at contact number 700040000.

Modhesh Friends Forum is supervised by Dubai eGovernment and is one of the main events dedicated to children during the annual ‘Dubai Summer Surprises.’ It provides an ideal platform to facilitate discussions in Arabic and English with children between 7 and 17. Through the website (www.emodhesh.ae) children can communicate with each other, chat with the popular Modhesh mascot symbolising Dubai Summer Surprises, and participate in many activities to be held on the sidelines of the forum.

The forum for this year’s Dubai Summer Surprises will feature various sections, including ‘Modhesh Friends,’ which will help users meet new friends; ‘My Country,’ which will highlight the traditions and customs of the UAE, other Arab countries, and the rest of the world; and ‘Electronic Modhesh,’ which will cover issues related to information technology applications and the use of computers and mobile phones. A ‘Hobbies’ section includes 8 main divisions: ‘Modhesh’s Kitchen,’ ‘Modhesh’s Library,’ ‘Modhesh & First Aid,’ Modhesh’s Craftwork Activities,’ ‘Modhesh Sports,’ ‘Amazing Ideas,’ ‘Modhesh & Fashion,’ and  ‘Pictures and Comments.’

Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment, said: “Dubai Summer Surprises is one of the main annual tourism, promotional and cultural events in the UAE and the region and so each year we use our electronic platform to provide clients with services and information about the diverse events and activities that are organised across Dubai. This year we updated the content of Modhesh Friends Forum to keep pace with global developments and meet the growing requirements of children in the areas of culture, technology, and entertainment.”

“The forum’s new format includes a group of new sections and a series of innovative contests and exclusive topics that promote communication and integration among children of different nationalities and backgrounds. Moreover, the forum facilitates the development of important abilities and supports creativity and innovation, especially in the area of information technology, and complements efforts to train our younger generation to be capable of building an integrated society based on knowledge,” he added.
 
Dubai eGovernment focused on further developing the content of the Modhesh website (www.modhesh.ae), which now includes many specialised sections providing detailed information about Dubai Summer Surprises 2010. These include ‘About Us,’ which provides a brief on the website and Dubai Summer Surprises as well as a direct link to the official website of the annual summer event (www.mydsf.ae); the ‘Events’ section, which includes the schedule of festival events; and the ‘Friends Forum’, a section for child fans of Modhesh that facilitates the exchange of useful information and meaningful chatting. There is also a special section called ‘Competitions & Prizes’ that lists the website’s various competitions and related prizes in addition to a ‘Photos and News’ section that includes photo-captioned news about the Modhesh website.

The Modhesh Friends Forum will be available from June 17 to August 7, 2010 as it is one of the most popular events among children. Last year, the forum received more than 60,000 posts from over 1,300 registered users. This year’s edition is expected to post higher traffic due to the introduction of new events and innovative contests such as ‘Best Dialogue Competition’ which is about Modhesh stories related to the use of electronic services to get to know the latest summer activities and surprises; ‘Best eCard Design,’ and ‘My Best Example in My Family’ Competitions.

Move complements the “First e-Transformation Forum” held recently and aims to achieve greater integration between government authorities

June 6, 2010

Dubai eGovernment recently organised a series of workshops for “key users” of the Government Resource Planning (GRP) systems in government bodies, aimed at assessing the enhancements proposed for the systems. The workshops – that were held over three days – complement the 1st eTransformation Forum that was held in April in line with Dubai eGovernment’s strategy of formulating a plan to advance the eTransformation process and achieve greater integration among government bodies in Dubai.

The first workshop was conducted by GRP officials with the contracts, procurement, storage and IT systems departments in government authorities and was attended by 75 participants. The workshop discussed the most prominent improvements that were made in the GRP development project, including the ‘Maximo’ software upgrade at Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), aligning the pharmaceutical solution “Medicos” with the GRP system in Dubai Police, in addition to making improvements to Dubai Police’s Personal Custody System.

The second day workshops, which were attended by 77 participants, covered the payments, cash, fixed assets and IT systems departments in government bodies. The workshop featured discussions on the major improvements made to develop the financial systems, including activating the ePay service with Emirates NBD Bank, launching an SMS-service to notify suppliers of payments once cheques are issued or bank transfers are made, automating the process of personal loan deduction of “Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment”, and activating electronic uploading and settlement of bank statements with all UAE-based banks.

On the sidelines of the workshop, there was a review of the asset follow up system, which features two phases - linking storage, procurements and fixed assets, and activating the asset entry process via mobile as well as bar code printing.

The concluding day witnessed two workshops with the participation of 78 attendees. The first workshop was held with the accounts management and financial reporting department and discussed most important updates in the application of GRP systems with regards to making improvements to the receivables and project management system as well as project accounting system, project budget system and completion certificates system.

“The GRP systems represent one of the most important systems that Dubai eGovernment has provided to government bodies to be the infrastructure they rely on to manage core resources works with utmost efficiency and contributes to enhancing the skills of the personnel. Hence, we are keen to intensify our efforts to formulate a broad plan to continuously develop such systems through regular evaluation, workshops and meetings with government authorities that use these systems. This enables us to make necessary improvements to the systems based on the feedback and suggestions presented by the various departments and authorities in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, particularly with regard to government excellence,” said Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment.

“Although relatively new, GRP system has consistently proven its success and efficiency since its launch seven years ago, and this encourages us to continue using the system to achieve corporate excellence and greater integration among government departments in Dubai. Moreover, the success of GRP is also the reason why we regularly organise workshops to update and enhance the skills of the specialists in government departments using the system,” he added. 
 
“These workshops complement the 1st eTransformation Forum and aim to discuss the improvements proposed by government bodies through their representatives. The workshops act as a platform for sharing expertise and agreeing on the best improvements that can be made, so that such enhancements are made available on the GRP systems and can be accessed according to a time and requirement priority basis by the government departments using the system,” said Mohammed Karzoun, Director of GRP Systems at Dubai eGovernment.

The GRP systems implemented by Dubai eGovernment for 29 government entities and covering around 25 integrated systems form the backbone for the efficient management of the basic resources of Dubai Government departments. They are used to manage human resources, payroll, finance, procurement and storage, and asset management.

They also support the recruitment process and transactions with government agents and suppliers, and enable government employees to efficiently perform their duties by providing a wide range of integration and supplementary reports. Dubai eGovernment is keen to streamline these systems and train government employees in their use as part of its commitment to helping realize Dubai’s Strategic Plan 2015, which aims for governmental excellence and the development of an integrated knowledge-based community.

System to reduce costs and ensure sustainability of services

May 31, 2010

Dubai eGovernment Department has tapped its Government Resource Planning (GRP) System to implement Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) at Dubai Municipality’s Public Transport Department, which oversees the maintenance of over 2,000 light to heavy vehicles and monitors and controls the movement of equipment and the supply of spare parts.

The new system will enable the department to extend the life span of its assets and enhance productivity by accurately following up the maintenance of vehicles, equipment, and production tools through a huge database that helps in monitoring the extent of damages, estimating repair costs, optimizing preventive maintenance plans, upgrading asset management and planning and distributing available resources.

Functions covered by the EAM system include inputting vehicle maintenance data, automating preventive maintenance procedures by depending on the already specified operating activities, monitoring vehicle registration, expediting corrective maintenance procedures and efficiently managing consumption of spare parts. Other functions include integration with other fields of work including fuel orders and maintenance of vehicles damaged by accidents as well as benefiting from the reports on major performance indices in decision-making processes and linking the maintenance system with the fuel consumption system.

The Public Transport Department of Dubai Municipality just recently began operating the EAM system after being adjusted to conform to all the planning modules found within Dubai eGovernment’s GRP System in terms of finance, procurement, warehouse management, and HR and payroll management, among others. The system is currently providing several services such as empowering the management and supervision team to see the progress made in each maintenance work separately, efficiently following up asset management costs, generating many reports and approving the issuance of items in accordance with the specified hierarchical order.

Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment, said: “The EAM system was implemented by the GRP Systems Department with the aim of carrying out the maintenance of vehicles and equipment and ensuring the supply of spare parts at the municipality. Its deployment is an important step for enhancing the effectiveness and productivity of the municipality’s Public Transport Department. The new system provides the department with effective tools that will contribute to improving asset management and increasing profits by following the best preventive maintenance methods, ensuring optimal asset productivity, reducing costs and maintaining the sustainability of services. The new system offered by Dubai eGovernment also allows automation of data related to maintenance operations and asset management. Shortly after the system’s launch, its database included 2,000 orders for preventive maintenance of cars, 254 orders for corrective maintenance, 48 procurement orders and 486 transactions related to the supply o
f spare parts. We look forward to cooperating further with Dubai Municipality as it is highly committed to adopting the best practices and leading systems for the provision of government services at the highest level of quality and excellence in line with Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 and its goal of building a knowledge-based economy.”

Bin Humaidan added: “As with all applications provided by Dubai eGovernment to Dubai’s local departments and agencies, we have leveraged the skills and effort of our human resources to implement the system at Dubai Municipality by coordinating directly with concerned parties in accordance with the best investment policy of human and financial resources.”

For his part, Hussain Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality said: “The GRP Systems that are being implemented by Dubai eGovernment in 29 government agencies up till now include 25 integrated systems; as these systems represent the cornerstone upon which the government departments depend in the management of its key resources effectively. These systems include the Human Resources, payroll, financial, purchasing, warehouse systems, and asset management systems and other automated systems that increase the efficiency of the departments and facilitate cooperation with other external parties that it deals with such as job applicants, government customers and government suppliers.”

“These systems help Dubai Government employees to work with greater efficiency as it offers enhanced integration, automation and support for the reporting function. Moreover, Dubai Municipality in collaboration with Dubai eGovernment is keen to introduce such systems in line with the goals of Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 of achieving government excellence and building an integrated knowledge based society,” added Lootah.  

Humaid Al-Marri, Director of Transportation Department at Dubai Municipality: “We are implementing the EAM system in line with our focus on supporting Dubai’s process of eTransformation as it will help automate and increase productivity of preventive maintenance and asset management and enables optimal planning of our existing resources. We are keen to continue our collaboration with Dubai e-Government to implement the second phase of the system and also adopt more systems that support our future plans to enhance the quality of services and basic infrastructure to strengthen Dubai’s leading position in knowledge-based economy.”   

Judged most secure for network security among 150 applicants across the Arab world

May 10, 2010

Dubai eGovernment was declared the winner of the Network World Middle East’s award for the best network security project for the year 2010 during the grand ceremony held recently at Mina A’Salam Hotel, thereby adding a new honour to its list of achievements. 

Commenting on the award, Ahmad Al Humaidan, Director-General, Dubai eGovernment said: “I congratulate the Infrastructure Management team for this award which is a result of continuous efforts that have been exerted in the field of network security projects. Dubai eGovernment has built a robust and secure Government Information Network, which has become the cornerstone of the electronic infrastructure of Dubai Government and the spinal column for connecting government and semi-government bodies at a high speed that ensures safe and cost-effective exchange of information and smooth integration for these bodies. It has also provided synergistic and shared services to the government bodies, these being the basic systems for effectively managing their internal resources, thereby enabling them to focus on discharging their direct tasks for the public and concentrate more on providing eServices to them.”

Meanwhile, Matar AlHumairi, Director of Infrastructure Management, Dubai eGovernment, who received the award said: “I am honoured to receive this award on behalf of Dubai eGovernment. The award mirrors the joint efforts that have been exerted by our dedicated team which has now been recognized for its excellence not only in Dubai but across the GCC and Arab world. Next year, God willing, we shall participate in other categories, since such prestigious awards allow us to internally recognize and reward other dedicated teams at Dubai eGovernment.”

AlHumairi added: “While I prefer not to disclose all details of Dubai eGovernment’s network security over the years, I reiterate that we have invested in state-of-the-art technology to ensure our network security. Most importantly, we have a dedicated security resource team and firmly established relationships with world-class security providers to ensure that our network is secure 24/7.

The Network World Middle East allows nominations from across the GCC and Arab world, with 20 categories of awards which recognize organizations that have succeeded in creating new business value through IT-enabled innovation to chart new paths in technology deployment. Other winners included Emirates NBD for its Data Centre Project, RTA for Network Cabling, Dubai World Trade Centre for its Unified Communications and Etisalat for Enterprise Telephony. Among the vendor categories, Avaya bagged the Enterprise Telephony Award; Cisco bagged the Wireless Vendor award, while eHosting DataFort was recognized as Managed Service Provider of the Year.                

Working group chaired by Dubai and co-chaired by Italy and Korea

May 6 , 2010

The 6th meeting of the second working group on eGovernment and administrative simplification was hosted by Dubai eGovernment last week under the patronage of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The working group has been chaired by Dubai since 2005, while Italy and Korea have been co-chairs.

The two-day meeting, which was held at the Dubai School of Government under the chairmanship of HE Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment,, was attended by Inigo Lambertini, Italian Consul General, and Choung Tae-ok, Director General of Korean Ministry of Public Administration and Security, in addition to OECD delegates and representatives from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The meeting commenced with a welcome speech by Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment and Chairman of the Second Working Group. The first session, ‘Seeking Information and Measurement Standards,’ featured a presentation of a study on public policy reform and development of new performance criteria to measure the success of eGovernments in providing comprehensive information about the public sector in the Middle East. The session also included a discussion involving Mr. Lambertini, Mr. Choung, and Mr. Christian Vergez, Head of Innovation and Integrity Division, OECD Secretariat.

The second session, titled “Administrative Simplification and Engines to Update the Public Sector and Economic Growth”, was chaired by Choung Tae-ok and involved Marco Daglio; Head of Service Delivery Unit, OECD Secretariat, Ms. Khadija Zammouri; General Director of Electronic Administration, Prime Ministry, Tunisia, and Alessandro Bellantoni, Policy Analyst, Innovation and Integrity Division, OECD. This session discussed the impact of the ongoing international financial crisis and the role of information community and knowledge-based economy in realizing integrity and transparency in the provision of public services.

“The Best Practices in the eGovernment Sector and Administrative Simplification Field ” was the title of the third session during which the experience of Dubai Courts with regard to the provision of eServices related to “e-Justice” was demonstrated. The latest updates pertaining to the current activities were discussed during the fourth session held under the title “eGovernment and the Upcoming Challenges”.

The agenda of the second day of the meeting included a series of events highlighting the successful experience of Dubai eGovernment in the e-transformation process, especially the overall strategy that was adopted to achieve synchronization between centralized and decentralized methods. The first three sessions of the second day were held under the titles: “Introducing Dubai eGovernment’s initiative”, “Dubai eGovernment’s Shared Services”, and “Electronic Trade and Logistic eServices in Dubai”. Dubai eGovernment cited the example of the Government Resource Planning (GRP) System, which is one of the joint systems provided by Dubai eGovernment to help the government departments update their infrastructure necessary to manage their resources efficiently. It also cited the Government Information Network, which is the cornerstone of Dubai Government’s electronic infrastructure and links government and semi-government bodies with a high speed communication, ensuring safe and cost-effective exchange of information a
nd smooth integration for these bodies. Meanwhile, Juma Al Ghaith, Executive Director for Customs Development at Dubai Customs, provided participants with detailed information about Mirsal 2, a comprehensive electronic customs declaration system.

The fourth session was dedicated to a field visit to Dubai Courts where the participating delegates were welcomed by Dr. Ahmed Bin Hazeem, Director General of Dubai Courts. The participants were briefed on Dubai Courts’ experience in providing eServices pertaining to “e-Justice” and were also shown a short documentary about the history of Dubai Courts.

“Dubai hosted this sixth meeting of the working group following the 2009 meeting in Marrakech when the global financial crisis had posed many challenges both locally and internationally. By organising this meeting in Dubai, OECD provided a platform for around 20 specialised representatives from the member countries to discuss means of developing public policies, and explore opportunities for reinforcing the role of eGovernments in handling the ramifications of the global financial crisis while finalising the working group’s agenda for the coming stage of this initiative,” said Ahmed Bin Humaidan.
 
“Dubai eGovernment and OECD believe in the ability of eGovernment initiatives to play an effective role in organisational reform, promoting government transparency, and upgrading the standard of public services offered to clients in a cost-effective way. This would effectively contribute to firmly establishing the principles of governance,” added Bin Humaidan.

Alessandro Bellantoni said: “OECD is pleased to be in Dubai to attend this meeting on eGovernment and Administrative Simplification. The meeting provided an opportunity to shed light on the scope for progress through implementing public sector reform and minimizing the impact of the global financial crisis. The meeting was especially fruitful since all the participants agreed on the importance of discussions and exchange of knowledge and best practices to achieve effective implementation of eGovernance.”    

Towards the end of the meeting, the participants discussed the ongoing activities in each of the OECD member countries and analyzed the schedule of work for the period 2010-2013. They also stressed the importance of the integral role that eGovernments play in alleviating the impact of the global financial crisis by fostering economic development projects in the member countries.  

During a meeting held by the “Governance for Development in the Arab Countries Initiative” in Istanbul, Turkey, in February 2004, it was agreed to select six themes for development in the Arab countries. In April 2005, Dubai was selected to chair the working group assigned to the second theme of “eGovernment and Administrative Simplification”, which was co-chaired by Italy and Korea. The first meeting of the group was held in Dubai in 2005.

Move in line with efforts to enhance government performance and operational efficiency

May 3, 2010

Dubai eGovernment has recently announced that it will award accredited certificates to Dubai government employees who successfully complete the Government Resource Planning (GRP) Systems training courses. The certificates will be handed out to the participants who fulfill the requirements and pass the relevant tests during the advanced training sessions for GRP systems, which are an essential tool for government departments to efficiently managing their basic resources.

The Customer Relationship Management Department at Dubai eGovernment has been appointed to carry out the preparations and coordination needed to implement the training courses and to provide the tools necessary to guarantee their success and achievement of the goals set by Dubai eGovernment. The Training Unit serves as the point of contact with the Department’s customers and is responsible for the management and organisation of the training sessions offered to local government employees.

The program aims at enhancing the capabilities and skills of the employees of government departments regarding the usage of the GRP Systems and reinforcing the relevant services in cooperation with the GRP Systems Department, whose specialists provide training and are responsible for preparing the training material. Currently, the Training Unit intends to launch training courses targeting all end-users of GRP Systems. In the long term, the Unit aims to organise training sessions for end-users at the eServices and Infrastructure Management Departments.

“The program is one of the major projects for the year 2010 and an important step in our efforts to improve our communication lines with customers. It will also help further enhance government performance, reinforce administrative transparency and increase operational efficiency. We have organised these training courses in line with our commitment to make the best out of the multiple features being offered by these systems in supporting our vision, which is reaching the highest levels of excellence and enabling the employees to perform their duties with high efficiency. In addition, this program promotes decentralisation and automation, and helps in managing human resources according to the highest international standards,” said Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment.

“The Government Resource Planning Systems Department has successfully achieved a remarkable progress during the past two years in many aspects such as automation of a HR law for airports, judges and members of the judicial power and another law for hiring retired nationals to work for Dubai government bodies in addition to implementing the systems in new departments and applying new additional systems in the departments using the systems such as Asset Maintenance Department, Project Management Department and Property Management Department. This has led us to intensify our efforts to launch these training programs on a wider scale and add impetus to the e-transformation process of Dubai. This program is supplementary to about 100 training courses involving 900 employees, which were organised last year. Certainly, we are committed to promoting cooperation with all government bodies in order to guarantee the success of such projects, which aim to enhance the shared eServices among all Dubai government department
s,” Bin Humaidan added.

“Dubai eGovernment’s Customer Relationship Management Department conducts training for primary users from Dubai Government’s local departments. The department annually formulates four major plans to organise 140 training courses and so far we have awarded course participation certificates to all the trainees who have demonstrated serious commitment during the courses. Currently we are in the process of finalizing the “Accredited Certificates” that will be awarded to the trainees after they pass the advanced and intensive courses they enrol for. The certificate confirms that the government employees have the basic knowledge about the Government Resource Planning systems. At the conclusion of each course, a comprehensive evaluation shall be conducted to determine the effectiveness of these courses, in addition to exploring the trainees’ feedback and ensuring that programs that fulfill their diverse needs and requirements are developed,” said Huda Mohamed Al-Hashimi, Director of Customer Relationship Management 

Department, Dubai eGovernment.

The Government Resource Planning Systems, which has been adopted by 29 Dubai Government departments, relying on the support of 25 integrated systems, is the main system that government departments depend on to efficiently manage their basic resources. The GRP System covers the following areas: financial systems, HR administration systems, payroll systems, supply chain, asset management and several other automated systems that increase the efficiency of government departments and facilitate interaction with external parties such as job applicants, government customers, and government suppliers.

The GRP systems give government department employees the opportunity to efficiently perform their duties, as they provide a wide range of training data to enhance professional expertise. Dubai eGovernment is keen to activate these systems and train government department employees to use them, in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 objectives of achieving governmental excellence and building an integrated knowledge-based society.

Coordinates with Dubai Police to enhance personal custody electronic system

May 1, 2010

A delegation from Dubai eGovernment recently visited the General Headquarters of Dubai Police to be familiarized with the successful launch of the upgraded version of its personal custody system, a project which was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander in Chief of Dubai Police, in 2006.

The delegation was led by Mohammed Karzoun, Director of Government Resource Planning (GRP) Systems at Dubai eGovernment, whose specialists oversaw the design of the system and linking it with the GRP network. The delegation began its visit with a tour of the personal custody store based at the general headquarters to be familiarized with the services it provided. The visit reflects Dubai eGovernment’s commitment to helping Dubai Police avail of the benefits of the GRP facilities, which have been instrumental in raising the resource management and performance efficiencies of government departments.

“Dubai Police has been a pioneering adopter of eTransformation initiatives among the emirate’s government entities. It was in fact the first in the Arab world to implement eServices in police work. Its leadership has been very keen to apply the latest means of technological support through the general directorate for eServices. Through our visit we would like to express our appreciation of and support for the leading role of Dubai Police in promoting the best eTransformation applications and practices in the world, especially GRP systems, as this will take us a step closer to achieving institutional excellence, reinforcing transparency and administrative and service-related decentralization in the process of pursuing comprehensive development,” said Karzoun.

“We focused on the most notable developments and upgrades undergone by the services provided by the General Department of Services and Supplies. We were also familiarized with Dubai Police’s requirements for developing infrastructures and adding more systems so as to be fulfilled for enhancing the level of GRP-enabled services. We plan to further expand the implementation of GRP systems in order to enhance co-operation among government departments and realise the long awaited e-integration in line with the vision of   H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” he added. 

Brigadier General Mohammed Saeed Bakheet, Deputy Director of Dubai Police’s General Department of Services and Supplies, said: “We highly appreciate the efforts exerted by Dubai eGovernment to provide us with the necessary infrastructures to implement the GRP systems. This will help our human resources provide swift and efficient services. Our employees feel comfortable using the upgraded version and its automated functions. Dubai eGovernment has helped us save time and cost required for implementing the personal custody system. By fully automating the personal custody procedures, we are able to complete each transaction in only two minutes. This has encouraged us to work more closely with Dubai eGovernment to enhance the performance and productivity of our eServices.”

The GRP systems implemented by Dubai eGovernment for 29 government entities, which cover around 25 integrated systems, form the backbone for the efficient management of the basic resources of Dubai Government departments. They are used to manage human resources, payroll, finance, procurement and storage, and asset management. They also support the recruitment process and transactions with government agents and suppliers, and enable government employees to efficiently perform their duties by providing a wide range of integration and supplementary reports. Dubai eGovernment is keen to implement these systems and train government employees in their use as part of its commitment to helping realize Dubai’s Strategic Plan 2015, which aims for governmental excellence and the development of an integrated knowledge-based community.