Advanced Information Technology will be implemented in Republic of Kyrgyzstan
2011 FreeBalance International Steering Committee
By Asylbek Bolotbaev, Deputy Director of the State Personnel Service of Kyrgyzstan (SPS) and Chairman of the Supervisory Support Fund for Public Servants
The implementation of an advanced information technology system for the Government of Kyrgyzstan was an important topic of discussion at the International Steering Committee meeting hosted by FreeBalance on January 16-19, 2011 in Portugal. FreeBalance, a Canadian company, is one of the largest software vendors specializing in finance and human resource management in Government.
The International Steering Committee Meeting was well attended by government officials from Kyrgyzstan, Canada, Portugal, Kosovo, Guatemala, Liberia, Mongolia, Sierra Leone, Timor Leste, Uganda, Antigua and Barbados. Good practices in human resource management, public financial management reform sequencing and government transparency were discussed.
I later summed up the direction and development of government information systems discussed at the meeting with my closing remarks to the Steering Committee. In particular, I provided insight into the direction of public financial and human resource management in government. Some of my observations are located below.
Towards Government 2.0
An important topic of discussion was the transition to a new model of information technology, known as “e-Government 2.0.” The objective of “e-Government 2.0” is to increase the convenience and accessibility of government services and information to citizens and to ensure transparency and accountability within the government agencies. While most modern government websites serve a purely functional purpose, new government websites will incorporate web 2.0 technologies to create user-friendly interactive web portals. In this case, state owned websites will make official government data accessible to the public through an array of charts, graphs, databases and users can contribute with their thoughts and opinions through online discussions and commentaries.
“e-Government 2.0” is currently in its implementation phase in Kyrgyzstan. The World Bank Group, through its intermediary body, the GTAC, is leading the implementation processes of this project. Therefore, the SPS of Kyrgyzstan will implement the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), and the Ministry of Finance will implement the Treasury Management Information System (TMIS). These information tools, adapted to meet the needs and legal requirements of the Government of Kyrgyzstan, will improve transparency.
Human Resources Automation
The HRMIS will provide many benefits:
- Improved efficiency of civil servant management through modern technology
- Increased quality of decision-making through reports and up-to-date information
- Improvement in organizational structures and automated processes
- Facilitated training of personnel for executive positions through talent management
- Improved performance through the evaluation and certification of staff member
- Improved efficiency by maintaining detailed records of employees’ expenses
- Improved compliance to regulations with taxes and assets declared by employees
- Accelerated professional development through automating training and learning
- Improved transparency by providing the general public with access to official information from state agencies.
Treasury Management
The TMIS will oversee the control and execution of budgets, while speeding up the payment system and reducing the use of paper documents between the Central Treasury and its regional offices. The TMIS system will ensure the transparency of the financial processes.
Next Steps
FreeBalance, along with World Bank, has already started the development of the HRMIS and TMIS systems in the country. Currently, the FreeBalance software supports the new “e-government 2.0” platform.
It must be noted that the World Bank will consider extending this project, provided that the results are positive. The launch of the HRMIS and TMIS is planned for January 2012.
Tags: e-gov, e-government, FISC, FreeBalance, Gov 2.0, government 2.0, HRMIS, human resource management, Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan, TMIS, treasury management, world bank