E-Government Is Ongoing Journey
By Azaraimy

Bandar Seri Begawan - "E-Government is an ongoing journey. In Brunei, the first five years of the journey, from 2001 to 2005 has well established the adoption and awareness of the e-Government program in the ministries and other key stakeholders."

Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communication, Hj Ibrahim Hj Mohd Ali, said this in his speech yesterday on behalf of the Minister of Communications, Pehin Dato Seri Setia Hj Abu Bakar Hj Apong, at the opening of e-Government Brunei congress organise by DZ Hampton at The Rizqun International Hotel.

He said that Brunei has been on the e-Government implementation bandwagon with the launch of eGovernment Strategic Framework For Action 2001-2005 in the year 2001. This e-Government program is part of the national IT Strategic Plan named "IT2000 and Beyond" established in late 2000. However, he said, it must be also noted the computerisation in the public sector started much earlier, in the 1970's.

The strategic framework set the blueprint and roadmap for the implementation of Brunei Darussalam's e-Government Program and a $1 billion budget was allocated in the then 8'" National Development Plan.

"The first five years had delivered the basic infrastructure. The IT networks and key computerised applications in several ministries are already operational or otherwise being developed or planned," he stated.

He said that the government via the Ministry of Communications had conducted a recent review by engaging a team of consultants from BSP, examining the issues that drive the e-Government program. To move forward, the government via the BIT Council has identified priority key actions - some of which were based on the eGovernment Implementation Review Report from the BSP Consultants.

Among these, he said, are the actions to strengthen the policy leadership of the e-Government program with a recommendation for the appointment of an e-Government leader and an Overall Government CIO. This would ensure that the e-Government program will be better led and directed as well as aligned to national and in particular the civil service agenda, aspirations and goals. Another priority action is to establish the e-Government Technical Authority Body.

The main purpose of its establishment would be to put in place an integrated common architecture and standards for the e-Government technical and contents infrastructure, so that deliverables and outcomes from the various e-Government projects could be consolidated and integrated, thereby eliminating silos and duplications which would make the e-Government program not cost-effective.

The body will also deal with Programme Management and HR requirements, providing central and common services to be shared by all ministries, such as data centres and disaster recovery collocations with interfaces with other public sector entities, as well as private sector entities if and when necessary. To be competent, the Technical Authority Body will need to be staffed with the necessary human resources in various ICT fields, including Technical Infrastructure, Data and Applications, Network and Telecommunications, IT Security, Change Management, as well as ICT Procurement and Project Management.

He ended his remarks by congratulating DZ Hampton for organising the congress and sincerely hoped that it would proceed as well as meet its set purposes and objectives. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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