Dubai
The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Government in partnership with the UAE government on Tuesday launched a guide to help governments use technology to deliver more efficient public services.
The guide, “Future of Government Smart Toolbox” report aims to improve government performance in key areas such as trust, leadership, security, innovation, anti-corruption, bureaucracy and delivery of services.
“The UAE government has embraced innovation and set high benchmarks in government efficiency and trust. We are happy that the Government Summit partnership with WEF has led to a tangible and positive outcome as the Smart Toolbox, which takes trust in government as a unifying theme,” said Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs.
The partnership between WEF and the government Summit is a global initiative and is aimed at delivering quality government services which lead to achieve stability and prosperity worldwide.
“The world is changing rapidly with expectations of people rising as information is freely available to all. Leadership of informed societies requires leaders to take progressive approach to building trust though better, more efficient and responsive governance,” said Espen Barth Eide, managing director and member of the Managing Board of World Economic Forum.
The UAE’s partnership with the WEF is the latest in a series of initiatives by the government to use information and telecommunications technology to deliver government services effectively and efficiently.
The UAE has been ranked number one in the Middle East and Africa region and second in the world in the ‘Government Usage of ICT’ index in the Global Information Technology Report for 2014, released by the World Economic Forum.
“The UAE launched the e-Government initiative in 1998 and established the Dubai Internet City in the year 1999. With the launch of the Government Summit, the UAE has also announced the Mobile Government initiative,” Al Gergawi said.
The priority of the “Future of Government Smart Toolbox” report is to consider ways in which information technology can improve governance and reduce the feelings of alienation among the governed, identifying the trends that will change the future of government.
“The Smart Toolbox shares insights on how technology can strengthen good government — for example, by enabling greater transparency of government actions through open data, empowering citizens to have faster and more accurate access to online services, and helping to strengthen responses to aid civilians,” said Diana Farrel, Director at Mckinsey and global head of Mckinsey Center for Government.
The Smart Toolbox also explores the risks and challenges of an increasingly digital era, including the often expensive and complex need to keep pace with changing tools and technology, the divides that can expand between user groups that have less ease of use, and the security and protection of data and information.
