|
The aim of the project is to develop capacity of local institutions in Afghanistan through research and capacity building activities to ensure their ownership on e-Government strategy and implementation program and hence, to enable sustainability of e-Government development in the country for successful public administration reform and citizen centric service delivery. The project starts in May 2009 with one year duration. The project addresses the needs and priorities of Afghanistan and, specifically, of the country’s public service delivery system, in line with national development policies. It also promotes international best practices in electronic government and in IT-related programme and project management in government. Through this project, the UNU-IIST Center for Electronic Governance works with government leaders in Afghanistan to raise awareness about the opportunities created by IT to support and enhance the work of government agencies and their interactions with citizens, businesses and one another. The project develops the human and organizational capacity of the Ministry of Communication and IT, and of the Government of Afghanistan as a whole, to carry out a comprehensive readiness assessment on the actual and potential use of information and communication technologies in government. This readiness assessment, supplemented by additional research and contributions from various local stakeholders, facilitates the development of a coherent vision, goals and strategies for electronic government in Afghanistan that are well-aligned with the national development goals, and the adaptation of the relevant international best practices to efficiently implement such strategies. A series of events covering leadership, management and technical skills are convened to assist senior officials, public managers and IT staff of the Afghan Government to be able to lead, implement and benefit from the project. Furthermore, relevant instruments and techniques for electronic government readiness assessment and strategy development, developed and adjusted to local demands and conditions.
Major project objectives include:
- Readiness Assessment - identify the state-of-practice and state-of-readiness for Electronic Governance in Afghanistan, including existing legal and regulatory environment, infrastructure, initiatives and on-going projects;
- Research - identify relevant international best practices and adapt them to the conditions in Afghanistan, taking into account the results of readiness assessment;
- Strategy Development – agree on the vision for the future of Electronic Governance in Afghanistan and define a set of goals, strategies and targets to realize this vision, taking into account the results of the Readiness Assessment and Research activities;
- Program Development - define a concrete government program through which the goals and strategies defined during Strategy Development could be implemented.
- Human Capacity Development – raising the capacity of the public workforce in Afghanistan, covering a range of leadership, management and technical skills, to be able to lead, implement and benefit from the EGOV.AF Program;
- Organizational Capacity Development –raising organizational capacity of MCIT to play the role of central coordinator of Electronic Governance in Afghanistan and particularly the EGOV.AF Program.
|
