Lessons Learnt From a Real World Experience: eFez Project… Professor Driss Kettani, Alakhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government… Building Trust in Government… Vienna 25-29 June 2007

AlAkhawayn University in Ifrane Who are we?… AlAkhawayn University in Ifrane Rabat Casablanca Layoune Dakhla Lagouira Fès Mekness Ifrane Marrakech Agadir Tanger eFez Project

Introduction We think that the digital era is a historical opportunity for developing countries to catch up… Good stories about countries that use to be developing countries… (Japan, Korea, Malaysia, etc.)… The main assumptions of this presentation are: Innovation thru ICT does not necessary mean IT4techy… ICT4D… ICT4D is relatively cheep (cost), Open, Accessible, Feasible/demonstrable… Technology creates a –digital- divide if not seized… So what is the bug? eFez Project

Context and Motivations… Why is it that we don’t see a tangible impact on citizens’ daily life in our countries… Whilst IT prospers and do well in typical business settings (banks, Insurances, hypermarkets, etc.)… IT works and billions of transactions ($) of many types are being performed every day/hour safely and efficiently… On the other hand, IT for development settings (hospital, schools, public service offices, etc.) does not work!!! What is the bug? The problem is socio-politic NOT technological /scientific… The problem is decision makers and politicians  And there are legitimate reasons for them to be reluctant… A huge innovation potential… eFez Project

Context and Motivations… Awareness of ICT4D  Training… Readiness  Sensitization and ++ Training… Willingness  Reinventing the Government to set the right parameters for change management… Using ICT4D… In order to dissipate the legitimate fears: How  Roadmap… Why  Impact assessment thru the usefulness of the system… What is it?  Model of ICT4D (Innovative vision and mission)… Localized/contextualized to every single country/region… That the background and the ultimate goal of eFez Project… From a Research point of View… Innovative approach and goal… Action Research Project… Funded by IDRC… eFez Project

Strategic Goals of eFez Project… Develop an experimental platform, in real world settings, that would allow us to capture the necessary knowledge and know-how, in order to: Elaborate a Roadmap… Design a formal framework to assess the impact of eGovernment systems on good governance… Build a Model of ICT4D usage, production and dissemination in Morocco… And in similar developing countries With these deliverables, we’ll have a better ability and more evidence to talk to our decision makers… And convince them… Dissipate the fears… Induce change management… The Academia must play a key role… Alakhawayn University is an actor that stimulates, promotes and accompanies the positive changes Morocco is living, thru innovative teaching, research and deveploment actions… It believes that ICT has an important role in boosting and structuring these changes… eFez Project

Innovative goals of eFez Project… Innovative ideas are simpler than we think them to be… Just look around you… focus on real citizens needs  the Moukataa (county/arrondissement) is the main proximity and local governance services entry for Moroccans: 30% to 60% of all administrative services to citizens… More than 80% of all administrative procedures/documents requires a transit thru the Moukataa… The most frequent and direct interface with the government… The closest office to citizens……  A well targeted and structured use of ICT in the Moukataa will certainly have a positive impact on good local governance in Morocco… eFez Project

Innovative ICT4D… Proximity portal: simple, bilingual, riche & maintainable… Hosted and managed by the Moukataa… Capacity building, appropriation and technology transfer… complete Kit of automation… Including the Back office et front office functionality… Valid (legally and socially) for any Moukataa in Morocco… Generalization… Standard well studied graphical user interface for all employees and citizens… Kiosk for all (no charge)… Technology benchmarking… Free of charge GIS use and dissemination… eFez Project

Roadmap schema Legend Vision 1. Sustain favorable eChampions 1. Sustain favorable conditions for the project Project’s Favorable Conditions Plan, Method, Results Feas. Study, Resources Situation after Deployment ICT/Egov System Stakeholders Updated Vision and Expected outcomes Deliverables System Quality Attributes 3. Development and Deployment of ICT/eGov system 2. Inception 4. Systematic Assessment of Project Outcomes Actual Outcomes Roadmap schema Measures of System’s Quality Attributes Governance Enhancements Situation before Development Situation during Development and Déployment Stakeholders i. Phase or step Data or Knowledge store Situation information flow Actor Feed-back Legend eFez Project

Elements of the Roadmap … Steps, sequences and scenarios… Stakeholders + roles… Time… Budget… Technology… Risks… Tips… Comparisons and references… Sustainability… Economic cost… eFez Project

An innovative ICT4D model … Strategic Vision and Mission of ICT... Strategic Support and Involvement… Top-Down & Bottom-Up approaches? Continuous feedback, (external) evaluation and learning… Lessons learnt and local/experimented best practices… Favorable conditions / win to win situation Do not automate problems… Localize/contextualize…Contents… Incubate, Support and sustain leadership and initiative… Awareness and Readiness thru training and sensitization… eFez Project

Impact Assessment… Formal methodology to measure this impact… What is it? How do e-government services improve governance? What is the role of local e-government initiatives like these in the decentralization of governance and administration? How does this impact on the local administration? Does increased information and services lead to greater political empowerment? Does this facilitate the formation of new groups, associations and more generally, the betterment of governance? Formal methodology to measure this impact… eFez Project

Formal Approach to Impact Assessment… eFez Project

eFez Project

Partners and Collaborators… The International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC)… The City of Fez and specially the Agdal County… Thank you www.portaildefes.ma eFez Project

http://www.aui.ma/etech Gracias Thanks Grazie Brigado eFez Project