The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), in cooperation with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), has held a workshop to review and develop the Information Systems and Digital Transformation Unit- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Manual, issued in April.
The workshop was held for the ministries and agencies moving to the New Administrative Capital, following the best methodologies and international practices to create a source of reference for employees at information systems and digital transformation units.
The SOP Manual is aimed at optimizing the work system in these units, helping achieve operational excellence and ensure sustainable digital transformation.
MCIT issued the Manual after holding a series of workshops and sessions and taking into account the insights and suggestions of employees and heads at those units as well as local and international officials and experts in the ICT sector.
The workshop reviewed the current SOP Manual, in light of the participants’ practices and experiences after several months of following it, and discussed the tasks, job descriptions, governing frameworks, and the basic operations of those units.
A group of heads and employees in those units participated in the workshop from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI), the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and the National Council for Women (NCW).
Participants shared different opinions and experiences on the best practices that should be followed to develop the work model in the units, in line with Egypt's digital transformation and Digital Egypt strategy.
MCIT is to complete interaction and discussion with the heads and employees of those units in various ministries and agencies that previously participated in issuing the first version of the SOP Manual. The Ministry also works on reviewing and developing the Manual, in light of the actual implementation and practices to ensure sustainable digital transformation.
It is worth noting that the information systems and digital transformation units were established by the Prime Minister’s Decree No. 1146 of 2018 regarding the creation of new organizational divisions in the units at the state’s administrative apparatus. This is in addition to Decree No. 87 of 2019 of the Head of the Central Agency for Organization and Administration (CAOA) regarding the creation of an organizational division for information systems and digital transformation and the organizational sub-divisions, including the infrastructure, information security, systems, applications, technical support, statistics, reports, and e-publications. According to the decree, MCIT provides technical support to run the units and support employees at the state’s administrative apparatus.
MCIT has developed a plan to provide technical support to employees and heads of information systems and digital transformation units in ministries, government agencies, and governorates. The plan includes creating an operational structure for the units; organizing development and capacity-building programs, workshops, and sessions; creating Digital Transformation Academy, which was launched by the ICT Minister on 27 May 2021, during meeting unit heads to ensure sustainable digital transformation in Egypt; and developing and reviewing the SOP Manual.
Most employees and heads planned to be moved to the New Administrative Capital received training on the knowledge, culture, and digital skills necessary to cope with the work environment in the New Administrative Capital, with 55,076 certificates. In addition, a range of specialized programs was organized to upskill the units’ personnel, where 7,526 certificates were handed out.