eGovernment Authority in Bahrain holds special workshop for enterprise architecture project

The second phase, which involved assessing the current ICT platforms in all government ministries, then designing the ideal architecture of these platforms under one unified framework for all policies and applications, was carried by joint work groups from the ministries and government agencies and announcing the move to phase three.

The complex project will ultimately consolidate all government ICT platforms to optimize its configuration and avoid redundancy in executing projects. This, in effect, will streamline government work processes, enhance the flow of information between ministries, and cut down the time needed to complete government transactions, leading to a more efficient and integrated government with high quality services to citizens, residents, visitors, and businessmen - in line with Vision 2030.

The workshop attendees, that included senior officials from various ministries, Economic Development Board, eGovernment Authority, as well as the joint work groups were given a presentation on the results of the first phase of the Enterprise Architecture Project, which took 10 months to complete. The results detailed the current status, in addition to a gap analysis, to move to the next phase for process re-engineering
CEO of the eGovernment Authority Mohammed Al Qaed said,

"The project's numerous benefits are directly in line with Vision 2030. For instance, the project will allow for a better utilization of available resources, leading to economic sustainability because ICT project costs will be much lower. Furthermore, the project will elevate the quality and efficiency of eServices offered to the public because of the smoother information flow between ministries."

Al Qaed also revealed that Supreme Council for ICT, chaired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, has approved the recommendation made by WIPRO - the consulting partner in the project - to create the Enterprise Architecture Governance Council. The council members will be from the EDB, Ministry of Finance, eGovernment Authority, and Central Informatics Organization. The council will also include seats for two other ministries, rotated every 2 years. The council will follow a strict executive organization structure which will ensure the success of all government ICT projects.
The next phase, according to Al Qaed, will include an intensive training program for workers in the various government ministries and agencies in preparation of the next crucial phase of the project.

Al Qaed also remarked that the project's flexible design allows it to be scaled up or down as required, as well as providing a roadmap to advance and unify all IT departments and government performance in general under shared goals and vision.

As for next steps, it was agreed that another workshop will be conducted at a later stage to follow up on the progress of the upcoming phase and take into account any observations on this matter from the ministries and government agencies.

It was also agreed that detailed individual sessions will be conducted November this month with each ministry to review the results of the first phase. Then, in December, the training for the combined working groups will be conducted, followed shortly by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Council assuming its duties officially in January of 2010.