Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, today chaired the Committee’s 18th meeting, held remotely.
Deputy Premier, HH Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, and Deputy Premier, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and members of the Committee participated in the meeting.
The panel reviewed the efforts of the committees and government entities to highlight the kingdom’s e-government practices, within the UN e-Government Report.
The committees and government entities focused on the main initiatives being implemented by the kingdom, including the development of the National Strategy for Digital Economy, which is based on using information technology through modern means of communication and high-speed internet. Indeed, these are the core of digital economy, as many government department and banks are conducting their financial operations through the automated system or the so-called financial technology (FinTech), which saves a lot of time and effort.
The Supreme ICT Committee was also informed that the National Portal, the national Open Data Platform and the websites of government entities are being updated regularly, and that a special website that highlights Bahrain’s efforts to achieve sustainable development goals is being developed.
The committee also reviewed the government’s plans to enhance and improve performance in the indices of the UN report, including promoting innovation in the public sector, digital literacy, digital transformation, e-participation, and the use of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, smart cities and fighting corruption.
In this context, HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa stressed the need to keep pace with international developments and adopt the latest practices and technologies in the field of e-government, underlining the importance of the UN e-Government Report as an accredited international reference in this field.
The Deputy Prime Minister also called for exerting all possible efforts to raise the readiness of various government agencies in accordance with the plans and schedules.
The panel also reviewed a report prepared by the Information and Communications Technology Governance Committee (ICTGC) on the proposed standards and guidelines for developing government systems and applications prepared. The report aims to reduce systems’ development and operational costs through increasing coordination among government systems, enhancing their linkage, and reducing associated risks. As to the standards and guidelines, they include all stages of systems and applications development projects, in terms of governance and management.
The committee approved the standards and guidelines document and recommended circulating them to all government agencies and adopting them within the review procedures of the ICTGC.
The Supreme ICT Committee also reviewed the indicative guide for drafting information technology contracts. The guide aims to preserve the rights of government agencies in the technical and technical aspects, raise the efficiency and quality of the services provided, reduce the cost of the services provided and reduce risks. The guide includes instructions and items, including documenting the scope of work, payments, determining service levels, ensuring software ownership, mechanisms for transferring skills and knowledge to the government entity, and ensuring data confidentiality.
The panel also approved the upgraded version of the “Interactive Conferencing System”, which began operating in 2013 and was used by more than 12,000 users in more than 5,200 meetings and included more than 93,000 numbered documents. The upgraded version included many features such as the use of advanced security means to protect information, develop the document management process, enhance the interactive environment of the system and facilitate its use according to the needs and remarks of users.
Source: Bahrain News Agency