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APRIL 2014
This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this report were
prepared by IBI International under contract number 669-C-00-11-00050. The views
expressed hereinare the sole responsibility of IBI International and do not necessarily reflect
the views of USAID or the United States Government.
2
e-Government Strategy
2014 – 2018
DRAFT Government of Liberia
3
Executive Summary This document presents a strategy for development and implementation of electronic
government “e-Government” in Liberia for the period between Q2/2014 to 2018.The Strategy
reaffirms e-Government to the goal of delivering high-quality customer-centric and performance-
driven services to e-Government customers. e-Government is a key enabler for accelerating work
processes, delivering services to citizens and businesses, and increasing transparency and
accountability, while also lowering costs of operation. An e-Government strategy is a guide to
show us ‘where we are at present’; ‘where we want to be'; and ‘what we are supposed to do to
reach there’.
By closely aligning with the National Agenda for Transformation, e-Government will contribute
to Liberia’s economic and social development, as well as the transformation into a competitive,
innovative knowledge society.
This document represents an important milestone in the evolution of e-Government in Liberia.
Using lessons learned from Liberia’s initial phase of e-Government, and leveraging global good
practices, this Strategy will guide the government and other key stakeholders whose ownership
and leadership are vital to delivering e-Government services in Liberia.
Liberia’s National Telecommunication &ICT Policy of 2010 - 2015 was promulgated by the
Government to address the need for Liberia to become a knowledge-based society, as well as the
need to harmonize independent ICT related initiatives that aimed at improving service delivery
in all sectors.
e-Government Vision
e-Government in Liberia is dedicated to delivering services to people cross society, irrespective
of location, economic status, education or ICT ability. With its commitment to a customer-centric
approach, e-Government will transform government and contribute to the nation’s economic
and social development. With this in view and in consultation with key stakeholders the following
vision was calved for the Liberian e-Government strategy:
"Harness the potential of ICT to bring the government closer to the people through effective
governance, improved service delivery and socio-economic growth".
From this vision five (5) key vision elements are identified. The key elements are:
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Figure 1.1: Key Elements of the Vision
This e-Government strategy aims to provide a clear road map to accelerate Liberia Government’s
effort toward delivering quality and responsive services to the public. In addition, it shall facilitate
greater coordination within the public sector and guide the modernization of the Government’s
complex administration.
e-Government Outcomes
The Strategy:
crystallizes these key vision elements into outcomes;
it presents priority e-Government initiatives and projects; it identifies outcomes and
targets to facilitate performance control and
raises accountability by clearly defining the responsibilities of key stakeholders.
Ten key outcomes identified to enable the realization of the vision are:
Outcome 1: Online Government Services
Outcome 2: Diversified Civil Service Channels
Outcome 3: Standardized Government Administration Process
Outcome 4: Connected Government
Outcome 5: Growth of ICT Entrepreneurship
Outcome 6: Increase Private Sector Participation in e-Government
Outcome 7: Expand Nationwide ICT Infrastructure
Outcome 8: Digitalized Community
Outcome 9: Established e-Government Governance Structure
Citizen Centered
Efficiency Productivity Infrastructure Governance
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Outcome 10: Established e-Government Regulatory and Legal Framework
Figure 1.2 Summary of Strategy components
e-Government Projects
The strategy envisage the implementation of 22 projects leading over a five year period. It also proposes
service delivery through four channels (Portal, Call Center, Mobile devices and Citizen Computer Centers).
The delivery of the services will be strengthened through core projects including the Integrated Financial
Management Information System, e-Government Portal, Centralized Email Management System, Human
Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), e-Procurement, Electronic and Mobile Payment
System, e-Office and e-Identification.
Table 1.1: Identified Projects from the Targets
No. Project Description Principal MACs involve
Expected Start Date
1. e-Government Portal
The Government Portal is a single window lined with e-government, information providing system, and operation infrastructure in order to maximize efficiency/productivity
Ministry of Post &
Q4 2014
"Harness the potential of ICT to bring
the government closer to the
One Vision
Five Key Elements
Ten Strategic Outcomes
Twenty Targets
Citizen-
Efficienc
Producti
Infrastr
Governa
Online Gov.
Diversified
Standardized
Connected
ICT
Increased
Nationwide
Digitalized
Established
E-Gov. Legal
Develop -Government Enable e-Services (20
60% reduction in
50% Gov. Services
Develop 2 National Develop Mobile
Develop Enterprise Develop e-Gov
Develop Centralized Develop Human
Establish an ICT
Develop e-Develop a Business
National Broadband Gov. Wide Area
Build Community
Establish e-Liberia
Shared Service Center
Establish e-Gov.
Develop e-
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and provide rapid/high quality administration services to citizens. One website helps to reduce the cost (money/human resource/space) compared to operating separate websites. In addition, it helps the customers easily find administration services through just one website.
Telecommunications
2. Call Center The Call Center will essentially provide support for all government services. It shall serve as a first point of contact for most customers exploring alternate delivery channels. The call centre would also provide information on all government services with certain value added services like status checking, and grievance redresser for all services. The call centre is expected to provide multi-lingual support.
Ministry of Post & Telecommunications and Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism
Q2 2015
3. Mobile Gateway
Mobiles are used worldwide for providing Government service due to their high penetration. Some of the advantages of the mobile Gateway as a service delivery channel are:
A mobile gateway helps in providing services to customers on the move.
Reduction in cost of delivering and availing services.
Anytime, anywhere access to information and select public services
It reduces the need for the citizens to visit the Government office for information, thereby helping in reduction of the load on the physical infrastructure of the government departments.
LIBTELCO Q3 2015
4. e-Agriculture To provide information & services to all stakeholders in the Agriculture sector (farmers, importers, exporters, investors, Government/regulatory agencies, research & support institutions) efficiently using ICT, and enable all stakeholders to contribute & participate in the development of the Agriculture Sector. This will provide:
Improvement in Agriculture services provided by Government
Provide access & improve access to informational & transactional services to all stakeholders across the country
Improve Government administration and supervision of the Agriculture sector by using ICT
Ministry of Agriculture
Q3 2015
5. e-Transport Provisioning of major informational and transactional services related to transport ministry through electronic channels thereby improving the service delivery’s quality and efficiency. This will provide:
Convenience to the general public, business community, other ministries for informational and transactional services
Improvement in the service levels of transport ministry’s services leading to efficient delivery of licenses, information and other services
Ministry of Transport
Q4 2015
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Uniform and transparent licensing process leading to efficient service deliveryConvenient and accurate monitoring of certification and licenses and other vehicle registration information
6. e-Land Real property registration system is a management system that allows a registration officer (public official) to register real properties and legal relationship in an official registry in accordance to the law and to keep maintenance of the registry. Unlike movable properties, it is rather difficult to keep track of the ownership or occupants of real properties. For this reason, the government makes public notice of real property information and its legal relationship through the registry.
Ministry of Lands, Mines & Energy and Lands Commission
Q4 2015
7. e-Health Provisioning of major informational and transactional services related to Health through electronic channels thereby improving the service delivery’s quality and efficiency. This should provide:
Convenience to the general public , healthcare institutions( hospitals and pharmacies) for informational and transactional services
Improvement in the service levels of health ministry’s services leading to timely medical aid to the citizens thereby improving the overall health scenario in the country
Uniform and transparent licensing process leading to efficient health care service delivery
Convenient and accurate monitoring of certification and license status of health care institutions
Ministry of Health
Q1 2015 Some aspects are ongoing
8. e-Labor Provisioning of major informational and transactional services related to Employment to the ministry of Labor through electronic channels thereby improving the service delivery’s quality and efficiency. This should provide:
Management of Unemployment in the country
Issuance and certification for unemployment
Integration and licensing of the Agencies
Issuance and renewal of work permit
Ministry of Labor
Q3 2015
9. e-Trade Provisioning of major informational and transactional services related to Trade and Industry through electronic
Ministry of Commerce
Q2 2015 Some aspects have already started
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channels thereby improving the service delivery’s quality and efficiency. This should provide:
Convenience to the Industries, Businesses ,Large, Medium, Small and
Micro Enterprises, Investors and the general public for informational and transactional services
Improvement in the service levels of Trade and Industry ministry’s
services leading to timely Business aid to the citizens thereby improving
the overall Economic scenario in the country
Uniform and transparent licensing process leading to efficient Trade and Industrial service delivery
Convenient and accurate monitoring of certification and license status of Business institutions
10. e-Justice Provisioning of major informational and transactional services related to Court to Ministry of justice, Supreme Court and Regional Courts, County Courts through electronic channels thereby improving the service delivery’s quality, tracking and efficiency. This will provide:
Better awareness about functioning and processes of the Ministry of Justice, Supreme Court.
Digitized copy of the Law, Acts and case Documents.
Applications for the Case filling, Property Details etc. Key Components include:
E-Court Portal
Property and Land management system Case Management Application
Ministry of Justice
Q2 2015
11. e-Education The e-Educational Administration System seeks to provide people with educational administration service via the Internet and enhance citizens’ conveniences with on-line issuance of educational certificates available in every educational institution. The system also takes the lead in standardizing and improving service procedures and developing required laws and regulations to increase efficiency. Thereby, it enables teachers to focus fully on their job of teaching. This should provide:
Improvement in education services provided by Government
Provide access to education across the country
Improve teaching standards by providing on-line access to latest teaching aids, material, techniques
Improve Government administration and supervision of the education sector by using ICT
Improve overall quality of education in the country through distance
learning, E-learning, computer based training (CBT)
Ministry of Education
Q1 2015 Some aspects of e-Education implementations have already started
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12. e-Passport & Visa
Automation of services provided with respect to issue, renewal of passports and visa services of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This should provide:
Better functioning and processes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Faster & more efficient issue and management of applications and documents
Reduction in opportunities for fraudulent applications
Key Components include:
Passport & Visa Management Application Status check facility on channels (Portal, call centre, etc)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Q2 2015
13. Centralized Email System
Email can be used as a very effective medium for the inter-office and intra-office communication. Though some of the MACs use the commonly used web-based mailing services, it is limited by internet access. The email-ids must be created for the important functionaries in the department. Since the email system will be common across the departments, the common system can be used across with the standardization in email addresses.
Ministry of Post & Telecommunications
Q4 2014
14. Human Resource Management Information System
The efficient management of government resource personnel is imperative to bring in efficiency and improve productivity. A government wide Human Resource Management System is a compelling tool for this purpose. It is recommended that Government wide HRMS solution is commissioned across all government agencies under the leadership of Civil Services Agency. As per the assessment study, some work has already been undertaken in this regard. Following benefits are envisaged from this project:
Employee empowerment
Enhancement of computer usage skills of employees as they are likely to use the system for availing services
Efficient and effective management of the government workforce
Civil Services Agency
Q2 2015
15. National e-Payment System
Ministry of Finance / MoPT
Q4 2015
17. e-County Provisioning of the e-services to ensure a safe and clean environment for a healthy and productive society with
Ministry of Internal Affair
Q3 2015
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improved access to social services and physical infrastructure. This will provide:
Institute good governance with efficiency, transparency and accountability to the residents.
Overall citizen satisfaction by providing convenience and improved service delivery.
Improve the quality of Citizen Service Delivery System and offer these services with optimal effectiveness and transparency.
Allow data sharing across different departments, thus bringing about the efficiency in administration functioning.
Help different departments to improve their revenue collection efficiency.
16. Business Portal
Providing the Single Gateway to support business competitiveness from establishment of companies to operation, it provides one-stop administration service in portal. The Business Portal is aimed at supporting business with convenience and enhancing the country's international confidence by supporting high quality business configuration of service.
Ministry of Commerce
Q4 2015
17. ICT Business Incubator
The focus of the Incubation centers is to create strong companies that can sustain themselves after a period of initial assistance. Government provides policy and financial support, but does not run the incubator directly.
Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications
Q1 2016
18. e-Procurement
Given the high percentage of government procurement as a percentage of total procurement in the economy, a comprehensive e-Procurement solution can substantially improve efficiency and cost effectiveness of government procurement and brings transparency for businesses dealing with government. E-Procurement system will provide businesses and ministries with a common platform to transact. With features such as demand aggregation, catalogue based procurement, dynamic pricing engine, etc; the system is expected to cut down the transaction costs for not only the government, but also suppliers.
PPCC and Ministry of Finance
Q1 2015
19. National Broadband Network
To enable ICT applications and services that are highly integrated into everyday life – used pervasively for work, study, play and entertainment, there need for a high-speed broadband connectivity anytime, anywhere. Such a broadband is no longer a luxury, but a source of national competitive advantage. The availability of a national broadband network, irrespective of the type of technology used (fiber optics, Wimax etc) is a mandatory requirement for gaining access to citizens and businesses throughout Liberia.
Ministry of Post & Telecommunications / LTA and LIBTELCO
Q3 2015
20. Government Wide Area Network (GovNet)
The GovNet project embodies the concept of inter-networking, where multiple Local Area Networks (LANs) of varying protocols from several ministries and public sector agencies are connected to the GovNet. It is the development of a government backbone network that connects all MACs.
MoPT, Ministry of Finance and LIBTELCO
Q1 2015 Some aspects of this project
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A number of MACs are connected through the IFMIS project. More Services should be implemented on the infrastructure
has already started.
21. Government Shared Service Center
This would provide a single facility to house the hardware, software and staff. It would be physically secure (guarded premises with controlled physical access) and protected against natural disasters (fire, floods, etc.) and malicious attack. It would provide 24 X 7 X 365 service levels (adequate monitoring staff, backup hardware, etc.) and should be equipped with redundant environmental controls (duplicate sources of electrical power, air conditioning, etc.)
Ministry of Post & Telecommunications and Ministry of Finance
Q3 2014
22. Community Computer Centers
The CCCs are where services like Information dissemination, acceptance of service requests and delivery of services is provided to the customers at a single point of service delivery. CCC includes self-service kiosks, utility bill payment centers, ICT community centers etc
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Q1 2016
23. IFMIS Ministry of Finance
Ongoing
e-Government Stakeholders
e-Government users, Government entities, the e-Government Program, the to-be-established
National e-Government Steering Committee, Private sector and non-governmental partners,
Political leaders, are all stakeholders of e-Government. In a customer-centric world, e-
Government starts with customers (citizens, businesses, government entities and government
employees), who are the primary stakeholders of e-Government. As the providers and users of
e-Government services, Government entities and the e-Government Program are also major
stakeholders. Increasingly, private sector partners are becoming more involved in services
delivery to and in providing operational control and infrastructure maintenance services.
As representatives of citizens, Liberia’s political leaders are in many ways the ultimate owners of
e-Government. Commitment, engagement and active ownership at the highest political levels
are vital drivers for accountability of government entities for e-Government progress; public
investment in core e-government efforts; policy making needed for e-Government; and public
sector reform that is essential for service delivery. Political determination and steady financial
commitment should not be underestimated; e-Government, as in every country, requires initial
investment that pays-off in the long term.
Conclusions
12
All the above strategies revolve around the role of the private sector, be it business, academic or
civil society, as partners with government in developing the country in all the elements of ICT.
Consistent with this, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are an essential ingredient at
government's disposal to implement programs in e-Governance, broadband deployment, and
ICT training.
It is important for both government officials and the public to recognize that this is a national strategy
which impacts the overall development of the country and as such will be adopted as part of this
administration’s agenda. This involves the personal leadership of the President to ensure that all
departments of government play their role in implementing programs affecting their respective
constituents which will support the strategies identified by the e-Government Strategy. Only then can we
ensure that we keep up with the pace which many other countries around us have set in their national
development.
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Contents 1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 3
2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 15
2.1. How this strategy was developed ............................................................................................... 15
2.2. Strategic Planning Model ............................................................................................................ 15
3. The e-Government Strategy for Liberia .............................................................................................. 17
3.1. e-Government Objectives ........................................................................................................... 18
3.2. The Vision .................................................................................................................................... 19
3.3. Outcomes & Targets ................................................................................................................... 24
3.3.1. Strategic Outcome 1: Online Government Services(e-Services) ......................................... 24
3.3.2. Strategic Outcome 2: Diversified Civil Service Channels .................................................... 25
3.3.3. Strategic Outcome 3: Standardized Government Administration Process ......................... 25
3.3.4. Strategic Outcome 4: Connected Government ................................................................... 25
3.3.5. Strategic Outcome 5: Growth of ICT Entrepreneurship/Industry ....................................... 26
3.3.6. Strategic Outcome 6: Increased Private Sector Participation in e-Government ................ 26
3.3.7. Strategic Outcome 7: Nationwide ICT Infrastructure ......................................................... 26
3.3.8. Strategic Outcome 8: Digitally enabled Communities ........................................................ 27
3.3.9. Strategic Outcome 9: Established e-Government Governance Structure .......................... 27
3.3.10. Strategic Outcome 10: Established e-government legal framework .................................. 27
4. Governance Structure ......................................................................................................................... 28
4.1. Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 28
4.2. Drivers for the Governance Structure ......................................................................................... 29
4.3. Governance Structure: Options and Recommendations ............................................................ 30
4.4. Recommended e-Government Governance Structure ............................................................... 34
5. e-Government Implementation Plan .................................................................................................. 37
5.1. Prioritization................................................................................................................................ 37
6. Overall Implementation Plan .............................................................................................................. 39
7. Critical Success Factors and Risks ....................................................................................................... 42
7.1. Risk in E-Government Strategy Implementation ........................................................................ 43
7.1.1. Program level Risks ............................................................................................................. 43
7.1.2. Project level Risks ................................................................................................................ 44
7.2. Change Management .................................................................................................................. 45
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8. e-Government Performance Indicators .............................................................................................. 46
9. Challenges and Limitations ................................................................................................................. 48
9.1. The Challenges ............................................................................................................................ 48
9.2. The Limitations ............................................................................................................................ 49
10. Mobilizing Support & Managing Expectations ................................................................................ 50
Appendix A: e-Government Projects ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
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1. Introduction The purpose of this Liberian e-Government Strategy is to:
Harness the potential and power of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
to support the attainment of the Government’s agenda and objectives contained in the
Agenda for Transformation 2030; and
Respond to the global trend towards a digital economy and knowledge societies and
ensure that the country’s economy and society is prepared to participate and compete
in this digital economy and take advantage of its opportunities.
1.1. How this strategy was developed
The development of this strategy was a collaborative and consultative process, led by a MoPT
consultant.
This approach engaged the following stakeholders through meetings and workshops organized
by MoPT:
Technical Working Groups comprised of government officials, industry representatives
and civil society to provide expert and stakeholder input and vision on the key strategic
elements;
A series of Focus Group Discussions and workshops with various key stakeholders.
Government officials were divided into groups of four to present their views on what
should be the e-Government vision for Liberia.
Consolidation meetings were carried out with key stakeholders at the Ministry of Post &
Telecommunications (MoPT) before finalizing the vision and its key elements.
This document was subjected to a process which is aimed at securing the participation and
support of the key sector interests, to enable and energize Liberia developing into a fully
competitive digital economy.
1.2. Strategic Planning Model
The four major stages of the Strategic Planning Model Process were followed, as illustrated in
the diagram below. As shown, critical elements of the strategy were developed at each stage,
including the performance management and review process.
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Where We
Where We
How We
How Are
Environmental Scan
Situational AnalysisSWOT
Vision
Key ElementsStrategic
Outcomes
Identified Projects
Prioritization
Implementation Plan
Performance
Review ProgressCritical Success
17
2. The e-Government Strategy for Liberia The e-Government Strategy for Liberia is focused on ensuring effective delivery of Government
Services to citizens and businesses. The strategy outlines an approach to enable transformation
of the delivery of public services by providing citizens and business with more convenient,
affordable and effective access to trusted government information and services.
It aims to improve the availability and quality of government services and to provide greater
opportunities for participation in democratic institutions and processes.
The view of the e-Government Strategy can be summed up as:
"Delivering efficient, effective and trusted government services in a
convenient manner to Citizens as Customers"
The strategy sees opportunity to improve the traditional delivery of services by the public sector.
Recipients of the services are seen as "customers" and not beneficiaries i.e. looking at citizens
and businesses as customers with 'unique needs and requirements'. There are three key
implications to this view:
1. Improving Service Delivery: the current government service delivery, in its traditional
process, is time consuming, lacks transparency, and leads to citizen and business
dissatisfaction. By putting government services online, e-Government reduces
bureaucracy and enhances the quality of services in terms of time, content and
accessibility.
2. Customers have 'choices' and demand 'services': Citizens, like customers have different
needs and differing requirements in terms of how the needs are to be serviced.
Fundamental to this fact is the expectation of better service and service levels. Customers
increasingly want to know how long it will take to solve a problem or remedy a situation.
The concept of choices and service is especially true for delivery of government services,
as a government cannot chose its customers and yet it needs to serve all.
3. Customers demand efficiency: as customers, citizens willingness to patronize
government services will be driven by value for money. This necessitates government to
be efficient. The public sector will need to continuously seek ways to reduce cost for
availing government services.
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2.1. e-Government Objectives
The prime objective of the e-Government strategy is to formulate policies, which would aim at
improving effectiveness and efficiency of Ministries, Agencies and Commissions, with emphasis
on improving productivity, quality and service delivery. This can be sub-divided into the following
specific objectives:
create effective and efficient integrated service delivery models;
realize new value from government information assets;
strengthen assurance systems to manage risk and quality;
To have an appropriate institutional structure to spearhead e-Government
implementation
partner with the private sector and non-governmental organizations; and
To enhance e-Government infrastructure across government institutions
19
2.2. The Vision
Modern ICT alone cannot transform government but transformation also cannot happen without
it. Thus, the e-Government Strategic vision aims at achieving the Liberia National Vision of
becoming a middle-income state by 2030.
The vision of the Liberia e-Government strategy is:
The vision of the e-Government strategy has five key elements.
Citizen Centered
Efficiency Productivity Infrastructure Governance
"Harness the potential of ICT to bring the government closer to the people
through effective governance, improved service delivery and socio-
economic growth".
20
21
To develop and deliver citizen centered government services to Liberians:
Transforming public service delivery through e-Government requires a significant shift in the way
that services are designed and delivered. Shifting from the agency-centric approach within the
public sector to one of citizen-centricity is a fundamental step toward achieving e-Government.
By this, the customer (citizens, businesses, government employees and other agents) are placed
at the center of government service delivery. This includes, delivering Government information
and services through channels that are convenient and accessible to citizens and building
confidence in public services.
The e-Government strategy aims to increase the awareness levels of the people regarding the
services offered by the Government and their rights as customers and also make it easier
for the customers to influence and participate in design of Government policies and schemes.
This participation is expected to create a sense of ownership and a culture of higher
compliance leading to closer ties between the government and the people.
Create effective and efficient integrated service delivery models:
The implementation of the e-Government strategy will lead to backend automation and
adherence to a common set of policies and standards leading to better integration and
information sharing amongst them and resulting in making the government organizations more
effective and efficient in discharging their services and duties. Furthermore, capacity building to
impart training to public servants on skills that will enable them to serve the customers in a mo
re effective manner is an integral part of the overall e-Government strategy.
The product of the e-Government Strategy is the electronic enablement of government services
to be delivered through alternate channels such as the internet, mobile, call center and the
citizen facilitation centers. The introduction of these alternate channels will empower the people
with the choice of how, when and where they interact with the government to further improve
the customer satisfaction levels with the government services. It is also envisaged that
electronically enabled services would be not only faster, and easier to demand and avail but will
Citizen Centered
Efficiency
22
also have pre-defined and published service levels thereby leading to a visible enhancement in
quality of service delivery.
Increase productivity through collaborating with the private sector businesses and non-
governmental organizations:
The implementation of the e-Government program will benefit the Liberian economy through
participation of the private sector and deployment of its resources, entrepreneurship and
competence. At the same time, the private sector would also benefit through the e-Government
program as government services will be delivered faster and at a lower cost to the customers
thereby resulting in lower cost of doing business. This is likely to foster a symbiotic environment
that would promote economic growth and sustainability of the e-Government initiatives.
Improve Government Communications and reduce barriers to government transactions
through ICT Infrastructural Development:
Infrastructure development is identified by the Agenda for Transformation 2030 as an essential
element in Liberia's strives to achieve sustainable socio economic development. Similarly,
services, the heart of e-Government in Liberia, rely upon ICT infrastructure to enable their
delivery to users. Reliable ICT infrastructure is a prerequisite to e-Government. In other words, a
need for a nation-wide robust, secure and reliable connections and community computer centers
are paramount to successful implementation of the e-government strategy. The key components
of these connections will be the:
National Broadband Network
Government Integrated Data Center
Government Wide Area Network (GovNet)
Elements of these sets infrastructure are at different levels of implementation depending on the
Ministry, Agency or Commission.
E-Government infrastructure is not a one-time expense; it is a long-term investment. In
particular, the investment needed to build or upgrade the technology base needed for e-
Productivity
Infrastructure
23
Government is substantial. Yet, building out Liberia’s ICT infrastructure is critical to e-
Government services and the country’s long-term development. In addition, e-Government is an
economical project that will pay back in the long-term in terms of enhanced productivity,
economies of scale, lesser duplication of investments.
To establish an appropriate institutional structure and Legal Framework to spearhead
implementation of e-Government in Liberia:
The establishment of an institutional mechanism responsible for coordinating and monitoring of
the implementation of ICT in government and ensuring benefit realization is paramount to the e-
Government Vision meeting the socio-economic growth vision of the country. Part four of the
document is dedicated to the governance structure of e-Government, describing the roles and
responsibilities of its key stakeholders.
Governance
24
2.3. Outcomes & Targets
Progress towards achieving the vision should be measured and monitored. The strategy defines
outcomes whose achievement can be measured. The outcomes are organized around the key
elements of the vision.
2.3.1. Strategic Outcome 1: Online Government Services(e-Services)
The heart of all e-Government programs worldwide is services, and the Liberia e-Government is
no exception. By orienting e-Government around the seamless, integrated delivery of services to
citizens, businesses and other government agents, e-Government will transform how
government works. As a result, service-oriented e-Government will transform relationships
among citizens, businesses, and government employees as well as among government MACs.
The delivery of Online Government Services in Liberia will be:
service oriented;
customer centric;
results driven;
enabled by component-based enterprise architecture and interoperability framework;
and
accessible
Outcome 8: Digitalized
Community
Outcome 7: Expand
nationwide ICT Infrastructure
Outcome 6: Increase
Private Sector Participation in
Outcome 5: Strengthen ICT
Education in Liberia
Outcome 4: Connected
Government
Outcome 3: Standardized Government
Administration
Outcome 2: Diversified Civil
Service channels
Outcome 10: Establish e-
Government Regulatory &
Outcome 9: Establish e-
Government Governance
Outcome 1: Online
Government Services.
25
2.3.2. Strategic Outcome 2: Diversified Civil Service Channels
It is expected that services will be accessed and delivered using diverse electronic channels in
order to enhance customer experience, increase efficiency and reduce operational costs. Indeed,
electronic channels can be the most efficient and cost-effective way for service delivery, provided
they are affordable. An initial channel identification exercise has been undertaken to enhance
the quality and attractiveness of services (focusing on e-services), and to boost their utilization.
The implementation of diversified Channels to government services will:
improve the services provided to the customer
reduce the cost of providing the services and
make them more accessible
2.3.3. Strategic Outcome 3: Standardized Government Administration Process
Although MACs provide different government services based on their given mandate, the
administrative processes and structures that are required in the provision of these services are
similar but currently different MACs apply individual policies and standards in accomplishing
these administrative efforts. Where multiple agencies are required to deliver a particular service
to citizens, these disparate standards, policies and architectures make the collaboration difficult.
For example, personal information recorded for a given application varies from one agency to
the other. However, the implementation of e-Government require government agencies to
deliver integrated services that are citizen centric. This requires seamless information across
government/Ministries Agencies and Commissions.
To, the e-Government Strategy mandates the implementation of:
common applications,
standards and
policies to improve government efficiency and costs through facilitation of better
coordination amongst the government MACs.
2.3.4. Strategic Outcome 4: Connected Government
The e-Government Strategy mandates the implementation of common applications, standards
and policies to improve government efficiency and costs through facilitation of better
coordination amongst the government departments. Towards this end, two key imperatives
would be:
Core projects which include, Government Portal, Government Network, Payment
Gateway, Enterprise Architecture and National Identification systems would be
implemented to provide the requisite foundational infrastructure to enable e-services
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Along with the core infrastructure, shared applications need to be made available across
the Ministries and Agencies to enable smooth functioning and provide focus on
implementation of the priority projects by reducing the effort required. The common
applications would also facilitate collaboration and consistency across common processes
such as procurement, HR management, Financial Management etc.
2.3.5. Strategic Outcome 5: Growth of ICT Entrepreneurship/Industry
Experience of other countries illustrates that a number of industries such as Banking, Education,
Information Technology and Telecommunications are positively impacted by large-scale e -
Government implementations. The existence of a well-defined e-Government strategy will
encourage foreign investment in ICT and open up areas previously reserved for public sector.
Over the course of implementing this strategy the ICT industry, including hardware, software
products, software services and related business services is expected to develop as government
engages their services to implement aspects of the strategy. The players in these sectors invest
not only as service providers and as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives
but also to create goodwill and awareness regarding their products through advertisement and
association with the e-Government program.
2.3.6. Strategic Outcome 6: Increased Private Sector Participation in e-Government
Government will never have sufficient capabilities and resources, both in terms of quantity and
quality, to implement and operate all identified e-Government initiatives. It will require the
participation of the private sector to implement efficiently and effectively. The implementation
of e-Government should lead to increased private sector participation in the provision of
government services.
Through Public, Private Partnership (PPP) in the form outsourcing, co-sourcing and partnering
the Government of Liberia will be able to:
Implement core services quickly
Provide access to new technologies
Furthermore, private sector organizations participate in e-Government's implementation by
undertaking Build Operate and Transfer (BOT); Build Operate and Own(BOO); and Build Transfer
and Operate (BTO) arrangements.
2.3.7. Strategic Outcome 7: Nationwide ICT Infrastructure
One of the key elements of the Liberia e-Government strategy is to achieve sustainable socio
economic development through various aspects of ICT, one of which is to promote growth of IT
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and IT enabled sector for revenue and employment generation. Reliable nationwide ICT
infrastructures including telecom redundancy, broadband backbone with risk management
arrangement are paramount to attracting ICT investment and taking the sector forward.
The provision of the ICT infrastructure and bridging the digital divide is the main agenda to
establish knowledgeable society. Therefore, it is our responsibility for the planning, managing
and facilitating the development of a secured national ICT Infrastructure.
2.3.8. Strategic Outcome 8: Digitally enabled Communities
Governments can build a solid e-government foundation and a complete service network, but
citizens still will not use online services if they do not know how to access them or are unaware
of their existence. Marketing e-government is important but a new business model also needs to
be deployed to attract people to use the services. Primarily, governments must ensure Internet
accessibility across all social groups. Secondly, quality content is needed to convince people to
connect and use the online services available.
2.3.9. Strategic Outcome 9: Established e-Government Governance Structure
One of the critical success factors to the successful implementation of any e-Government
Strategy is in having an effective governance structure. Such a governance structure will have a
strong oversight of ICT spending, shared systems, cross-agency initiatives across the whole of
government and an institutionalized monitoring and control of ongoing projects. The
establishment of the governance structure is a mandatory requirement for the implementation
of the e-Government strategy.
2.3.10. Strategic Outcome 10: Established e-government legal framework
A legal framework sets the basic rules and authority needed to implement e-Government. The
legal drafting process must involve all relevant stakeholders—including relevant ministries and
the e-Government Program—in order to produce regulations that are well understood and
widely implemented.
Table 1.1 below summarizes the outcomes and targets for the period of 2014-2018 to be
achieved by Liberia as part of this e-Government strategy.
Table 1.1 Outcomes and Targets
No. Strategic Outcomes Targets 2018
1. Online Government Services
1. Develop a Government Portal by 2015
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2. Enable e-Services - 20 most commonly used services should be available online by 2016
3. 60% reduction in turnaround
2. Diversified Civil Service Channels
4. 50% services delivered through other than agency counters
5. 2 National Contact Centers 6. Mobile Gateway
3. Standardized Government Administration Process
7. Develop an e-Government Interoperability Framework by 2014
8. Establish an Enterprise Architecture Framework by 2015
4. Connected Government 9. Develop a Centralized Email System by 2015 10. Develop a Human Resource Management Information
System (HRMIS) 11. Develop an Integrated Financial Management
Information System (IFMIS)
5. Growth of ICT Entrepreneurship
12. Develop an ICT Business Incubator
6. Increase Private Sector Participation in e-Government
13. Develop a Business Portal by 2016 14. Electronic Procurement (e-Procurement) System by
2017
7. National ICT Infrastructure 15. National Broadband Network 16. Establish a Government Wide Area Network (GovNet) 17. Government Integrated Data Center
8. Digitally enabled Communities
18. Build Community Computer Centers in all Districts
9. Established e-Government Governance Structure
19. Establish the e-Liberia Office (PMO) by 2015 20. Establish the e-Government Steering Committee by
2015
10. Established e-Government Legal Framework
21. e-Government Laws by 2017
Detailed Target descriptions are provided as projects in Appendix B.
3. Governance Structure
3.1. Overview
One of the critical success factors in implementing an e-Government Strategy is the existence of an
effective governance structure. E-Government is about fundamental change in the way organizations and
processes work to take advantage of the opportunities that technology offers. To succeed will require an
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effective governance structure to overcome the barriers and implement the changes necessary. This
includes substantial, long-term commitment by senior management.
Such a governance structure will have a strong oversight of ICT spending, shared systems, cross-agency
initiatives across the whole of government and an institutionalized monitoring and control of ongoing
projects. This section describes the Governance Structure that should be established to oversee and
facilitate the Liberian e-Government Strategy implementation process. Some of the key factors that have
been considered while drafting the governance structure are:
Ownership and Accountability for success of implementation of the e-Government program
needs to be established;
Focus on realization of the strategic dimensions identified in the strategy needs to be maintained;
Liberian e-Government Strategy is a Government wide strategy that cuts across all Ministries
Agencies and Commissions, it is not meant for any specific Ministry/Agency or sector. Therefore,
a forum needs to be established to facilitate coordination amongst all stakeholders;
and
Government priorities, frameworks, processes and organization structures.
The National Telecommunications and ICT Policy called for an e-Government Program
Management Office under the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication to facilitate the
implementation of e-Government Projects.
Based on the completed assessment done the following gaps have been identified:
Lack of a holistic coordination and cooperation across the Government for properly developing
and utilizing IT;
IT organization structures, roles, and responsibilities are not properly defined nor approved
IT organizations in the Government Entity are at varying levels of maturity in terms of design and
resourcing;
Lack of a clear programs project management framework and tools to ensure all e-Government
initiatives apply the same technical standards and proper planning is in place for IT development;
Lack of knowledge sharing and resources sharing which can speed and improve the process of IT
implementations in common domains; and
In addition, there is no allocation of a central fund to support central IT projects implementation.
Skills and resource constraints
availability and distribution of skill sets among MACs
3.2. Drivers for the Governance Structure
To guide the program towards achieving its objectives, the development of the program governance
should take into consideration the nature of the program and the surrounding circumstances and factors
that will influence and drive the program in the long and short terms. The Liberia e-Government Strategy
Governance Structure drivers include the following:
The e-Government Strategy is for the Government as a whole;
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A large program with many projects needs to be coordinated and managed;
A high number of stakeholders in different locations to be engaged;
A proper level of trust and confidence around the program need to be established;
Standardization of approach and use of standards need to be enforced;
Interdependency and conflicts need to be managed;
Continuous monitoring and course correction is required;
Ongoing alignment to business objectives is mandatory;
Funding and spending critical decisions need to be tackled timely and properly;
3.3. Governance Structure: Options and Recommendations
For the successful implementation of e-Government Strategy, the owners of various functions, as well as
their relationship with each other needs to be defined clearly. The various roles envisaged and the options
available are analyzed in this section. The formation of the appropriate governance structure is seen in
the light of the following factors:
Overall sponsorship of program
Need for High Committee
Need for the Technical Committee
PMO as part of Ministry of Post and Telecommunication
Ownership of initiatives in entities
Inter-Agency Working Groups
Overall sponsorship of program
Considering the scope of e-Government Strategy and its impact, it is imperative that the ultimate
ownership of the program rests with a high-level authority. The sponsor of the program will own the
functions related to funding and strategic directions. In the table below the options of having the
President's Office, Council of Ministers and Ministry of Post and Telecommunication as program sponsor
has been analyzed.
Options Advantages Disadvantages
President's Office Quick Decision Making
Establishment of the identity and importance of the program
Quicker conflict resolution
Sustainability of program will be ensured
Well Defined Ownership
Difficulty in monitoring
Over dependence on other committees to make decision
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Council of Ministers and Key Executives of Agencies and Commissions
Easy coordination between Ministries/Agencies
Quick Decision Making
Multiple stakeholders with different roles
No ownership at Individual level
Decisions may be delayed
Ministry of Post and Telecommunication
In line with Statutory Mandate
No proven capacity
Limited authority
Insufficient level of support
Need for a e-Government Steering Committee
Good governance practices globally recommend the formation of a High Committee for large scale IT
Strategy implementation. The role of this committee will be focused on providing guidance for the
strategic directions and coordinating at the highest level. The available options for constituting the High
Committee are analyzed in the table provided below:
Options Advantages Disadvantages
Steering Committee chaired by Minister of Post and Telecommunication
High visibility of program
Co-ordination and conflict resolution mechanism amongst Ministries
Program could become a part of high priority agenda of the Council of Ministers
The legal and policy level issues can be managed
Members may not be available to meet too often which may result in delays in decision making process
No High Committee Availability of Members to meet and discuss
Authority to enforce decisions across the Government is weak
Decisions on Ministry level have to go through a higher level (the Minister)Decisions may be delayed
PMO as part of Ministry of Post and Telecommunication
In the proposed e-Government governance structure, the role of the Project Management Office (PMO) -
National e-Government Office is focused on implementing the central e-government projects as well as
supporting entity level initiatives. The PMO will ultimately be staffed with professionals with proven
capacities in various ICT and telecom disciplines such as E-Services, E-Health, E-Learning, M&E specialists,
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and various other citizen services. PMO will also be playing a critical role in the capacity building and
knowledge management across various Ministries/Agencies. The options of having the PMO as a separate
directorate of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication and the PMO as an independent Entity under
independent implementation agency was evaluated, considering the scope of the PMO defined by the
National Telecommunication and ICT Policy.
Options Advantages Disadvantages
PMO as a Separate Directorate of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication
Office infrastructure is in place
Dedicated team to implement the e-Government Strategy
All conflicts related to IT implementation can be resolved easily
Recruitment of all the officials of the Directorate needs to be done
Coordination with the e-Government Directorate with conflicting roles
Reporting structure can bring confusion with existing departments within the Ministry
Inheriting existing public service culture of MoPT
PMO as an independent agency under MoPT (e.g. LTA)
PMO will be Entity-independent
Dedicated team to implement e-Government Strategy
Independent Budget Allocation
Autonomous - not being hindered by the existing organizational culture of MoPT
A new Entity that will need to undergo different levels of maturity to reach the right shape
May assume a mandate that that may conflict with existing departments under MoPT (e.g. CIO Office)
Requires appropriate but length legislation process to set up
Ownership of IT initiatives in entity
Implementation of all the central initiatives will be owned by the PMO but the ownership of initiatives at
the Ministries’ level needs to be clearly defined to avoid any conflict in scope and responsibilities.The
options available in this area are analyzed below:
Options Advantages Disadvantages
Implementation Agency owns the implementation of MACs initiatives
Central control on the implementation
Easy to enforce standards and procedure
Lack of ownership by Ministries/Agencies
No domain expertise, as a result providing direction
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will be difficult
Funding will be done by entity so ownership can be questioned
MACs owns the implementation
Faster implementation and better control
Scope of project can be defined
considering the requirements of the entity
Sustainability resulting from ownership
May be difficult to enforcement of common standards and procedures
Individual MACs own interest may override the need of interoperability and collaborations
Need for a Technical Committee - CIO Council
Good practices globally recommend the formation of a Technical Committee for Strategy implementation.
The role of this committee will be to coordinate and monitor the progress of the various projects and to
establish standards for implementation. The CIO Council shall be made up of CIOs from the various
Ministries, Agencies and Commissions. The Government of Liberia's Chief CIO will chair the activities of
the council. In line with the NTIP, the office of the Chief CIO shall be at the Ministry of Post and
Telecommunication (MoPT). Where necessary, the office shall be staffed with technical expertise to assist
the Chief CIO.
The CIO Council - Terms of Reference
Establish and oversee enforcement of the Government of Liberia Standards and Policies
incorporated in the Interoperability Framework
Serve as the GoL's National Information Technology Review Board as part of IT Capital planning
process
Determination and ongoing monitoring and adjustments of e-Government strategic direction
Analyze e-Government project alternatives and risks
To spearhead ICT-enabled public sector collaborations and partnerships
To influence the development of ICT infrastructure and service standards to accelerate the
joining-up of public services at national level
To work collaboratively to remove barriers in effectively exploiting technology to increase service
quality and improve service efficiency.
The advantages and disadvantages of constituting a Technical Committee are placed in the table below:
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Options Advantages Disadvantages
Technical Committee - CIO Council chaired by the Government's Chief CIO
Co-ordination between Ministries
Regular monitoring of the project progress
Faster resolution of technical issues
The organization structure may have too many committees and delays in decision making process
The Technical Committee is not empowered to undertake policy decisions
Inter-Agency Working Groups
It is a global practice and expected that functional, inter-agency working groups will be established
through the CIO Council to assist the Council in formulating strategies and coordinating work on national
policies, cross-agency initiatives and individual projects. The Working Groups assist in updating the key
technical policies and standards by working closely with the technical specialists under the PMO. Initially,
Working Groups on key national initiatives, for example, Information Security will be formed. New
Working Groups are formed as need arises.
3.4. Recommended e-Government Governance Structure
The recommendations based on analysis of the various options are as follows:
The President's Office should be the Program sponsor
Steering Committee under the chairmanship of the Minister of Post and Telecommunication
The CIO Council is established reporting to the chairman of the Steering Committee
PMO (e-Liberia Office) will be a Directorate under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
Ministry/Agency initiatives will be owned by the respective MACs and will be supported by the PMO
while central infrastructure based initiatives will be owned by the Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications and implemented by the PMO
Inter-Agency Working Groups will be established through the CIO Council as and when needed
The envisaged governance structure is illustrated below:
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The framework establishes that political ownership should continue to rest with the President who will
champion the implementation of the e-Government at a national level as well as within the Cabinet and
public administration. The President will be assisted by an inter-agency e-Government Steering
Committee for monitoring and coordinating. The steering committee will perform its duties through the
CIO Council, which will be directly involved in following up the execution of IT initiatives.
President
e-Gov Steering
CIO Council
e-Liberia Office
Technical Specialists
Working Groups
MoPT
Program Sponsor
1. Agree Priorities
2. Approve Legislation
3. Avail Budgets
1. Project Addition/ Deletion Approval
2. Fund Allocation/ Administration
3. Policy Setting
4. Overall Monitoring of Projects
1. Implementing Standards
2. Implement Shared Services
3. Technical Assistance to MACs
4. Support CIO
Imp
lem
en
tation
Mo
nito
ring &
Consultations
36
In addition, Ministries, Agencies and Commissions are responsible for developing their individual ICT
Strategies and implementation plans in coordination and under the direct supervision of the CIO Council,
in line with the e-Government Strategy and are responsible for deploying their Ministry/Agencies specific
ICT projects.
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4. e-Government Implementation Plan The ICT initiatives and projects described in Part 4 of the e-Government Strategy will be delivered
over a period of 5 years from 2014 to 2018. The e-Government Implementation Roadmap
presents these ICT initiatives and projects by desired outcomes against a 5-year timeline. Details
reflected include the Initiative and Project Names, Target Development / Review / Completion
Timeframe and Estimated Implementation Cost.
4.1. Prioritization
The e-Government Strategy presents a comprehensive program of parallel focus and projects as
well as sub-tasks. The implementation process, therefore, must be managed over the five-year
period. This demands a sequencing process based on prioritization. Priority e-Government
applications and services have to be implemented in a scientific manner so that it is repeatable.
The list of services to be electronically enabled should be prioritized using the criticality-feasibility
model. This model facilitates the prioritization and phasing of services and initiatives based on
their importance (criticality) and the ease of implementing them through electronic channels
(feasibility).
Criticality should be evaluated though an assessment of:
Strategic Fit – Does this service fit into Liberian e-Government strategy?
Visibility - Will creating this service promote a positive image of Government of Liberia to
constituents and businesses?
Cost Savings - Does providing this service over the alternate channels generate cost
savings for Liberia?
Revenue generation - Could electronically enabling this service potentially provide a new
revenue source for the Government?
To determine feasibility, following would be assessed:
Market Readiness – What is the number of customers that use the service? Are
customers demanding this service?
Operational Readiness – Are the ministries and agencies ready from a technology and
capability standpoint, to undertake this project?
Development Cost - Are development costs relatively low or high?
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Leveragability – Can the service leverage an existing application? If a new application
must be built, will other applications be able to leverage it?
The criticality and feasibility framework will allow the Government of Liberia to determine the
phasing and prioritization of the initiatives in the following manner:
Defer – If there is low criticality and low feasibility, the application should not be
undertaken. Low criticality implies little gain and low feasibility implies relatively high
risk. So such services should be taken up in the end.
Permit – If there is low criticality but high feasibility: Government of Liberia should
allow the development of the application as long as it follows the Standards and
Guidelines and uses the overall infrastructure. Low criticality implies little gain, but high
feasibility implies relatively few risks. This type of project should be allowed.
Pursue – If there is high criticality but low feasibility: Government of Liberia should allow
the application to be built. High criticality implies that there is customer demand for such
a service or that significant benefits could be realized from this application, but low
feasibility implies that there may be significant risks.
Target – If there is high criticality and high feasibility: Liberia should build this
application.
High criticality implies customer demand and benefits to the organization and high
feasibility implies relatively few risks in pursuing this application. Such services should be
taken up at the earliest as they would provide maximum gains with least amount of effort.
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5. Overall Implementation Plan Key Elements Outcomes Projects Lead 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Governance Outcome 9:
Establish e-Government Governance Structure
Establish e-Government Steering Committee
MoPT
Establish the e-Liberia Office (PMO)
MoPT
Strenghten the CIO Program
CIO
Establish CIOs in other ministries
CIO
Outcome 10: Establish e-Government Legal Framework
e-Government Laws
MoPT & MoJ
Citizen Centered
Outcome 1: Online Government Services
e-Service Enablement
ALL
Outcome 2: Diversified Civil Service Channel
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Government Portal
PMO
Call Centers
MoPT
Mobile Gateway MoPT
Efficiency
Outcome 3: Standardized Government Operations
e-Government Interoperability Standards
CIO
Enterprise Architecture
CIO
Outcome 4: Connected Government
Centralized Email System
PMO
Document Tracking and Workflow Mgnt. System
PMO
HR Mgnt. Information System
CSA/PMO
Productivity
Outcome 5: Growth in ICT entrepreneurship
ICT Business Incubator
MoPT
Business Portal
PMO
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Outcome 6: Increase Private Sector Partnership
e-Procurement
PMO/GSA
Capacity Building CIO
Infrastructure
Outcome 7: Expand Nationwide ICT Infrastructure
National Broadband Network
MoPT
Government Wide Area Network
PMO
Government Integrated Data Center
PMO
Output 8: Digitally enabled Communities
Community Computer Centers
PMO
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6. Critical Success Factors and Risks In every country, the success of any e-Government effort is never assured. E-Government success
requires high levels of inter-governmental coordination, a constant demand for tangible results,
leadership and active management. There are always a number of critical success factors (CSFs)
and risks associated with e-Government. This section highlights some of the key ones.
The following definitions distinguish CSFs and risks:
Critical Success Factor: an external factor outside the control or responsibility of anyone
e-Government stakeholder but which nonetheless directly affects the success of that
stakeholder’s e-Government efforts.
Risk: an identifiable, potential issue that may negatively affect the result of an e-
Government initiative or project, and for which the stakeholder can exercise some
measure of control. Risk management with respect to activities of the e-Government
Program, for example, and other matters over which it has some ability to mitigate, is the
responsibility of the Program.
Critical Success Factors Impact Requires
Availability of Resources High Commitment by the Liberian Government
Availability of local skills to implement and use e-Government
Ongoing Building Capacity - Provide learning opportunities locally at all levels to re-skill people
Availability of Laws and regulations that
support the implementation of e-Government
High
Active coordination among concerned agencies to develop and enforce coherent and effective legal framework
Cooperation and harmony among government entities in decision
making for e-Government initiatives High
Appoint and activate the National e-Government Steering Committee
Strengthen the Chief Information Officer Council and its working groups with clear authority over defined e-Government initiatives
Ability and willingness of government entities to document
and share their business requirements, processes, services,
data and strategies
Medium
Active coordination among MACs at senior level to document and share information necessary for e-Government initiatives
High Appoint and activate the National e-Government Steering Committee
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Political commitment to ensure “buy in” by government entities
across government
Engagement by political leaders and MoPT; empowerment of e-Government Program
Cabinet level support
Internet Channel Penetration to intended beneficiaries
High
Activation of the Universal Access Policy and the Universal Access Fund
Regulatory Framework to promote competition in the telecommunication sector
Sustainability of e-Government implementation despite political
changes and reshuffle of government officials
High
Appoint and activate the e-Government Steering Committee
e-Government projects are provided for in the National Budget and Expenditure Framework
Passage of e-Government legislations and Regulations to secure endorsement from the top levels of government
Development of "e-champions" at key ministries;
6.1. Risk in E-Government Strategy Implementation
Implementation of such a large program such as the National E-Government Strategy will
naturally involve many risks and it is important to identify and manage the different kinds of risk,
which will arise in the implementation of the Program.
The risks may be categorized broadly under two heads i.e. Program Level and Project Level
6.1.1. Program level Risks
Risks arise in the implementation of a large program. It is important that the required Governance
structure to oversee and monitor the program is created and that standard practices and
processes are followed to successfully manage these risks.
These risks include:
Change in Government commitment and priorities or requirements due to unexpected
circumstances
Budgetary constraints
Change in Leadership at top levels leading to disruption or modifications
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Issues in Program Governance structure, such as of lack of PMO or inadequate
coordination between stakeholders, etc
6.1.2. Project level Risks
At the project level, the risks would include:
Shortage of required human resources
Lack of required skill sets for implementation
Poor project management processes and practices
Inadequate project processes, such as detailed documentation (RFP etc), which will lead
to delays and problems in implementation
Inadequate capacity of selected vendors and vendor management issues
It is important that a risk identification and management strategy is created at start of adoption
of the strategy and is continuously tracked and updated. Risk Management will be one of the
important activities of the e-Liberia office. Below is a risk assessment and mitigation table from
the program perspective:
Risk Probability Impact Mitigation / Contingency
Cost of e-Government is too high for the GOL
High High
Realistic, pragmatic and well-sequenced phases for e-Government roadmap
Develop pilot projects that can be scaled later based on demand and business case
Encourage use of innovative commercial arrangements (PPPs) attractive to private sector for investment in e-Government
Encourage strategic partnerships and dor communities with specialized international vendors to invest in e-Government
Conflicting decisions among government departments
High High
Use of inter-agency working groups from the CIO council with clear authority to supervise and enforce e-Government Standards and Policies
Resources within GOL do not have the skills to implement e-Gov Strategy
High High
Support to government entities for IT training and other necessary skills
Recruit and retain staff with relevant skills
Incentives for government entities to invest in developing ICT expertise internally
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Outsourcing certain functions when business case supports it
Create links with local universities to give on-the-job-training to students
Promote retention of skilled professionals in cooperation with other programs
Develop core group of well-skilled project managers, system architects etc. And enable capacity balancing across GoL.
Resistance to change High High
Manage change, including increase awareness among stakeholders, raise accountability, good communications, benefit realization etc.
Expectations are overly high
High Mediu
m
Increase awareness of e-Government Strategy among stakeholders and manage expectations
6.2. Change Management
Considering the magnitude and diversity of change required to make the e-Government
implementation a success, it will be necessary to embark on a comprehensive change
management exercise at Program level, as well as for each project, which entails:
clearly and powerfully defining a comprehensive change vision and making it operational,
building a quantifiable and sustainable business case for e-Government,
assessing the change readiness of the MACs, businesses and citizens and selecting the
best change configuration,
building the necessary level of stakeholder commitment through ongoing strategic
communication and public education,
defining leadership roles and responsibilities, and building leadership skills,
developing the right culture with the appropriate mindset, values, and behavior, and
designing the right organizational structures at all levels (national, regional, district, and
town) with appropriate reporting structures.
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7. e-Government Performance Indicators It is essential for the Government of Liberia to be accountable for their e-Government investment
and efforts. The e-Government steering committee must measure on an ongoing basis, the
performance of the e-Government initiatives. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are tools that
will be used to measure both progress and effectiveness of e-Government implementation.
e-Government requires an evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative factors. The KPIs used
in measuring performance are likely to evolve as lessons are learned and specific initiatives are
planned. There should be KPIs for all levels of e-Government from strategic objectives to national
initiatives and individual e-Government projects. The appropriate government entities will be
responsible for establishing and applying KPIs to initiatives and services over which they have (or
share) ownership with respect to services.
Below are some of the Key Performance Indicators and their respective measurements:
Indicator Description Measurement
Number of e-Service Available
Assess the progress of e-Government service delivery, taking into consideration the achieved level of automation
Will be calculated from the e-services available in the “e-Services Implementation Progress” report, with distinction according to level of automation achieved (partial, full)
Service Delivery Time This is a benchmark of the time it takes users to get non-e vs. e service
Average of answers to the question: ‘How long did it take you to get service A and how long does it take you now with e-Government’? ‘
Availability of non-e vs. e services
Measure the % or total services offered that are now e-delivered
Will be calculated from the number of government services and number of e-Services as per the “e-Services Implementation Progress” report
Perceived accessibility of government
This is the perception of customers as measured in any form of survey
Average of the answer to the question ‘How do you rate the overall accessibility of government services?
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Perceived quality of G2G service
This is the perception of the G2G service users as measured in any form of survey
Average of the answer to the question ‘How do you rate the e- services you use?’
A minimum sample of 100 users is recommended.
Perceived quality of G2B service
This is the perception of the G2B service users as measured in any form of survey
Same as previous question. Can be further developed in consultation with user groups as needed to develop effective surveying.
Perceived quality of G2C service
This is the perception of the G2C service users as measured in any form of survey
Same as previous question. Can be further developed in consultation with user groups as needed to develop effective surveying
Usage of e vs. non-e services
This is the adoption of e-services as measured in any form of survey
Average of the answer to the question ‘How many electronic services do you use, and how many traditional government services do you use?’
% of Ministries active in e-Government
Assess the level of engagement of government entities in e-Government
The number of government entities active in e-governance divided by the number of government entities. A government entity is considered active if the entity offers e-services or has planned (at least budgeted) to offer e-services.
# of Ministries contributing to online information
This indicates the level of communication within Government
Can be measured directly from the e-Government Portal
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8. Challenges and Limitations
As expected from such a pervasive effort as the implementation of e-Government in Liberia,
there will be some challenges. Furthermore, e-Government ought not to be perceived as a
panacea to all public administration and governance challenges. This section therefore concerns
itself with anticipated challenges and limitations of the e-Government initiatives as discussed.
8.1. The Challenges
Sustainable Electrical Power - Correct Institutional Arrangements need to be developed
(PMO, Shared Service Center, Pooling Arrangements etc).
Inadequate bandwidth and accessibility -The lack of nationwide broadband connectivity
and its attendant problem of rural people not being able to access information on the
Internet is a major challenge.
Funding - Finding out how much funding will be required for e-Government activities, and
how this requirement will be met will be a major challenge.
Building capability in MACs- e-Government demands that all MACs, supported by the E-
Government Management Structure, develop new and diverse capabilities. In addition,
the technical, managerial, and political capacity will need to be built in the Chief
Information Officers who will spearhead the implementation of e- Government at the
MAC level.
Building capacity in the citizenry - Citizens will have to learn how to reach government
on the Internet.
Using e-mails as a means of communication challenges formal notions of how
government correspondence should be dealt with (communicating certain matters by e-
mail is inappropriate - for example, using e-mail to dismiss an employee would be
considered insensitive).
The digital divide - The full benefits of e-Government will be realized when as many
Liberians as possible have access to the Internet, and the attitudes and skills to make
effective use of it. e-Government may exacerbate inequities among citizens (especially
the marginalized or underserved – women, illiterate citizens, senior citizens, and the
poor.)
Ensuring that laws are updated to recognize electronic documents and transactions by
taking proactive steps to ensure that policies support rather than impede e-Government.
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Protecting E-Government sites from attack from viruses, denial-of-service, etc., and
misuse requires resources, including expertise and finance.
Ensuring that MACs do not use ICT to just automate existing processes without any re-
engineering or transformation of the business processes.
8.2. The Limitations
E-Government will not:
solve all problems of corruption and inefficiency (technology savvy officials can find new
opportunities for corruption),
overcome all barriers to civic engagement,
be a quick nor simple process because it requires participation of a large range of
stakeholders, including the citizenry and institutions with different needs, attitudes and
skills.
happen effectively just because MACs buy more computers and develop website.
render automatic cost savings even though online service delivery could be more
efficient and less costly than other channels.
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9. Mobilizing Support & Managing Expectations A communications strategy is necessary throughout the various stages of the e-Government
implementation process. The purpose of the post drafting consultation process would be to
continue to:
Develop a Communication Strategic Plan that is aimed at all stakeholders (Cabinet,
legislative, civil service, private sector, civil society etc)
Engender public awareness as to the existence of e-services and electronic channels as
the means to access such services, including Government services.
Further understand public perceptions and expectations relative to e-Government service
delivery.
Build the propensity by the public to use e-services once these would be on-line and
related reasons.
Understand the preferences relative to eventual delivery channels that could be provided.
Understand the conditions under which usage of electronic delivery channels would be taken up
by the public. During the implementation stage, that is when the e-Government services will start
to be rolled out, it will become necessary for the public to be made aware of their existence and
of the potential benefits that can be obtained from the utilization of such services. Research
should be carried out in order to ascertain the most appropriate communications strategies to
be designed and embarked upon relative to target audiences.
Additionally, citizens and enterprise should continuously be made aware of the advantages in
utilizing e-services as against traditional modes of service. The communication strategy should
emphasize those aspects that are likely to influence the public and determine whether or not e-
services will be utilized. Such aspects as the respect of privacy and the security level afforded by
the e-Government platform in effecting on-line transactions, especially those involving money
transfers, need to be emphasized.
A mix of direct marketing and poster, audio-visual, electronic and print media as well as on-line
advertising should be used for promoting the new e-services that will be made available. It is
strongly recommended that the communication strategy should allow for different marketing
approaches to different clients mainly on such parameters as age, ICT literacy and level of
education.
The communications strategy campaign should not raise expectations unduly and should
maintain a constant tempo over an appreciable period of time. It should intensify when a critical
mass of e-Government services will have gone on-line. The campaign should also factor:
Promoting the use of the Internet and mobile telephones and other established service
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the use of multiple delivery channels to ensure that all stakeholders are included.
Sensitization of the public to the fact that these new service delivery options are available.
Promoting a customer-focused service by the Government, thereby enhancing its image.
Raising public awareness as to the training facilities that will be provided in terms of
Internet usage.
The Strategy recommends that the Government of Liberia:
Establishes a corporate identity for the e-Government brand.
Designs and implements a communications strategy to manage expectations and
mobilizes support for the e-Government implementation program.
Carries out workshops, focus groups, surveys to obtain intelligence of type of e-services
citizens and industry seek, quality of the e-service experience, etc.
Undertakes a continuous campaign promulgating and promoting e-services, carrying out
of public awareness, carrying out of training sessions in communities and villages, etc.
