Digital Government Transformation Project
Approval date
March 19, 2021
Effectiveness Date
June 15, 2021
First Disbursement Date
Overview:
The Digital Government Transformation Project (US $12 million) aims to enhance government service delivery and access to public services for citizens and businesses and strengthen the resiliency of government digital infrastructure. The project is executed by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and the Ministry of General Affairs.
Financial Summary:
The main activities of the Digital Government Transformation Project are:
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Strengthening the legal, regulatory and institutional environment:the groundwork for the introduction of the platforms and digital services - i.e. preparing the legal, regulatory and institutional framework to implement digital transformation and enhancing human capacity within the Government.
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Building resilient, citizen-centered digital platforms:technical implementation of citizen-oriented services to improve service delivery and reducing the vulnerability of selected services to cyberattacks and natural and disasters.
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Enhancing public service delivery:transformation and scale-up of the existing Public Service Centers in Philipsburg and Simpson Bay to include additional user-centric services offered through multiple channels.
| Project Component | Target | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Good Conduct transactions processed digitally | 100% of all applications | Not started |
| Economic license applications processed within a six week period | 40% of all applications | Not started |
| Registries connected with the interoperability platform | 4 | |
| Times per year that selected public services are available to public | 99 | Not started |
While significant advances have been made in developing a one-stop-shop model for public services in Sint Maarten, digitization of public service delivery remains an important priority. During the 2010 transition, the Public Service Center Department was established by a National Ordinance with the objective of creating a one-stop-shop for Government services. Ten years on, the envisioned reforms need to be finalized and the full potential of the Public Service Centers has not yet been realized. Four main challenges hinder progress. First, there is an absence of laws, regulations, and policies to support a transition to digital services with respect to the foundational elements of digital identity, payments, privacy, and security. Second, Sint Maarten currently relies on siloed and vulnerable Government applications and systems, and needs foundational digital platforms associated with integrated service delivery. Third, the civil service continues to rely on manual and lengthy business processes that require in-person transactions. Fourth, on the demand side, citizens and businesses face challenges in accessing quality internet at reasonable prices.