Egypt is ushering in a new era of development that lays the groundwork for a mature country where the best practices are adopted across all the different sectors. With a goal set to become a developed, promising nation, the country realizes the significance of having an efficient and governed administrative apparatus with the optimal resource management capabilities.
With that in mind, Egypt spares no effort to optimize its administrative apparatus and improve government performance to build an interactive and safe digital society, helping fulfill Egypt’s Vision 2030.
The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is pursuing sustainable digital institutional development in state institutions, aiming to develop a successful work model within government agencies and improve performance through digital transformation. MCIT efforts are geared toward upskilling and qualifying government employees to lead change, improve the quality of public services, and promote the digital transformation.
The Institutional Development Sector at MCIT is implementing an institutional development plan in view of Egypt’s Vision 2030, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 of Africa. The Sector builds on the Ministry’s efforts to achieve its plan, which will help embrace and boost digital transformation and automation and build human capital.
Institutional development is the driving force for transforming state agencies into participatory digital institutions capable of absorbing local and global changes. This will help build a new smart republic, substantially reduce spending and save efforts, improve operational efficiency, optimize and facilitate service delivery, and open the door for innovative nontraditional services.
To further achieve institutional development, the Ministry supports information systems and digital transformation units in ministries, governorates, and state agencies. It assesses, hires, and trains employees, including those of the state’s administrative apparatus who will be based in the New Administrative Capital.
Development efforts also include raising awareness of digital transformation and empowerment and of the power of information and data in light of Digital Egypt vision, which features include service digitization, government operation governance and optimization, and data-driven policy making. Other features include harnessing available resources for digital transformation.
MCIT has undertaken several institutional development projects, most notably the Digital Sustainable Operational Excellence for Government Institutions. The project is in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 objectives, including maintaining a robust administrative apparatus and ensuring optimal resource management.
The project ensures smooth government operations, cuts spending, improves asset management, and saves time, resources and energy. Other objectives of the project include creating safe and healthy work spaces and environment, ensuring operational continuity, and maintaining environmental sustainability within institutions.
Furthermore, the project involves employing emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to create a new work model. This will help attain development and align with the global orientation toward achieving green transformation and reducing carbon emissions through green technology.
Under the project, smart building systems will ensure operational excellence by boosting the work environment and energy efficiency, improving how buildings look and function, enhancing cyber and physical security, introducing water and waste management systems, and protecting people's health and wellbeing.
Digital Decent Life is another ambitious project that MCIT is carrying out to shape an interactive digital society, building on its ongoing efforts in Decent Life, a presidential initiative aimed at bringing about a wholesale reform in the Egyptian countryside.
The project involves promoting digital literacy among villagers and developing their skills to achieve digital and economic empowerment and build safe and productive digital communities in rural villages. MCIT, through the project, strives to educate and help people in disadvantaged areas to cope with technology, and achieve financial inclusion.
Additionally, the Ministry has created the Digital Transformation Academy, an institutional development project for harnessing ICT to cover state agencies’ needs.
Through the Academy, the heads and staff of information systems and digital transformation units develop their leadership and technical skills and are able to deal with constant changes in technology and achieve technical excellence. The Academy also serves as a forum where public servants can discuss common issues within the state’s administrative apparatus.
The Digital Transformation Academy works to build and develop the skills and abilities of employees and facilitate dialogue and the exchange of expertise among those in charge of digital transformation in state agencies. The aim is to promote digitization and achieve the transition to a digitally-powered nation where public services are rendered via digital channels.
Over and above, the Academy will support the government’s methodical rather than physical relocation to the New Administrative Capital as a participatory paperless government where data are exchanged among agencies, institutions, and citizens through digital means.
MCIT Institutional Development Sector has launched also numerous programs and initiatives aimed at building a safe, interactive digital society. Capacity-building and skill development programs have been provided to upskill specialized and non-specialized employees at the state’s administrative apparatus, as well as citizens. The programs promote the introduction of information systems and digital transformation units and support the hiring of new employees in governorates and state agencies.
Another major project is Institutional Development in Egypt’s Governorates. The project is among the objectives of the Digital Egypt strategy and has been launched to create a well-equipped environment capable of absorbing the digital transformation.
As part of the project, the Sector implemented a comprehensive plan to train heads and employees at the state’s administrative apparatus and improve their digital skills. The plan targeted promoting digital literacy, introducing digital transformation and empowerment, and fostering technology innovation.
The training programs covered several topics, including digital project management, advanced computer skills, cybersecurity, and how big data, AI, IoT, blockchain can be used to improve the work performance of government employees.
With the technology scene constantly evolving and changing, institutions striving for excellence cannot go without keeping up with the advances in technology. When put to good use, technologies like AI, blockchain and big data can play a major role in empowering agencies and raising efficiency.
To bring that vision to life, MCIT works relentlessly to build an interactive digital society where citizens are digitally empowered. The Ministry endeavors to achieve a nationwide digital inclusion through a set of digital transformation programs and projects for improving government performance and the quality of public services. It also organizes capacity building programs, helping citizens in different parts of the country become more tech-savvy.
Institutional development is a long-term process, the prime goal of which is to create a work environment within government agencies, where digital technologies are adopted to cover citizens’ needs. Such process stands on strategic pillars: a well-equipped digital environment, enabling technologies, a skilled workforce, and sustainable operational excellence.
Egypt is optimizing its administrative apparatus in a way that befits a new republic, that rests upon responsible citizens and promotes sustainable development.
