Ministry of Economy conducts focus groups for strategic review of its eServices

In line with its vision of promoting economic development through eService provision, the Ministry of Economy (MoE) has recently started conducting a series of eService Focus Group workshops that aim to review the Ministry's online applications from a customer's perspective and encourage greater levels of eGovernance transparency and adoption.

Organised in association with Etisalat, a series of initial and detailed Focus Groups were held between July 18 to August 09, 2007 to examine public eServices over four tracks, specifically Certificate of Origin eServices, Trademark eServices, Foreign Companies eServices and Agency eServices. The sessions will determine the target standards for the Ministry's eServices by providing detailed feedback on topics such as ease of use; look and feel; stability; and user interface.

More than 45 attendees from key companies and institutions in the country have taken part in the initial sessions, which were held following an evaluation and internal review by the UAE Minister of Economy and key stake holders, in order to evaluate the Ministry's eServices before they are officially adopted. The initiative is part of a larger effort by the Ministry to address the elements of the UAE Strategic Plan, which calls for a strengthening of eGovernment programs and also highlights the importance of online public sector activities.

Commenting on the initiative, H.E. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Alshihhi, the Undersecretary - Planning Sector, MoE, said, "An effective network of eServices is essential for strengthening the economic conditions within the country and achieving the long-term results envisioned by the UAE Government."

"The continuous evaluation process for the eServices is a constructive way to achieve integrated service provision, and we are confident that the feedback from these Focus Groups will help us develop a competitive, successful and transparent online system so that we can move closer towards our goal of eGovernance. The review will also complement our efforts in consistently providing high performance standards, implementing best practices and creating synergy within the government sphere," H.E. Alshihhi added.

The MoE is one of many government institutions accelerating their efforts to improve online services, in line with the target set by the UAE Government to achieve a utilisation rate of not less than 50 per cent in the year 2008 and to provide 90 per cent of government services online by the year 2010. It has been envisaged that simplifying and streamlining the nation's eGovernment services would also make the UAE economy more transparent and competitive.

This initiative is one of the most comprehensive Business Process Improvement (BPI) reviews that has been conducted of the eServices project, since the Ministry awarded Etisalat a contract to implement the services. As per the contract, Etisalat has already introduced 109 eServices in multiple phases at the MoE, under a single umbrella infrastructure that facilitates rapid creation, deployment and management of the online services.

"Although preliminary findings from the first Focus Group revealed that almost all participants found the Ministry's eServices very useful, we are committed to improving this result to facilitate even stronger customer - government relations," said Mohammed Nasser Al Balooshi, Project Manager -Government Project, MoE.

The MoE plays a central role in managing part of the economic development of the UAE, and for upgrading the prosperity and living standards for national citizens by promoting increased productivity. After the eServices will be launched, citizens and businesses can access the MoE's eServices and benefit from a simplified customer/government interaction; improved customer service; improved access to data and information; reduced bureaucracy; and 24 hour access to government services.