World Bank GovTech Operations in Tunisia: A Digital Transformation Case Study DECEMBER 2023 Acknowledgments and Disclaimer This case study was prepared by World Bank staff as one component of the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region’s GovTech: Citizen-Centric Service Delivery, Renewing the Social Contract in MENA (P176940) program of Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) work. This program was an effort to advance knowledge and awareness on “how to� strengthen service delivery, public trust, and renew the social contract through the effective implementation of a GovTech approach in operations financed by the World Bank. The core team for the project was led by Stephen Davenport and comprised Saki Kumagai, Dolele Sylla, Emily Kallaur, Tala Khanji, Lina Fares, Geoff Handley, and Nataliya Biletska, under the overall guidance of Jens Kristensen. Under this umbrella, this Tunisia GovTech case study draws on and builds upon “Tunisia: Problem-Driven and Adaptive Approach for Citizen-Centric Service Delivery�, part of the GovTech Case Studies: Solutions that Work case study series.1 Essential inputs and guidance were shared by Aziz Ben Ghachem, Marion Daull, Denizhan Duran, Geoff Handley, Yassine Kalboussi and Saki Kumagai. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this report are entirely those of the authors and should not be attributed in any manner to the World Bank, to its affiliated organizations, or to members of its Board of Executive Directors or the countries they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. 1 Available at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2022/03/15/govtech-case-studies-solutions-that- work. 2 Acronyms ASA Advisory Services and Analytics CSC Citizen Service Center DECA Digital Economy Country Assessment DGRA Digital Government Readiness Assessment DGRPA General Directorate of Administrative Reforms DLI Disbursement-Linked Indicator DLR Disbursement Linked Result GAPS General Auditor of Public Services GoT Government of Tunisia GP Global Practice GTMI GovTech Maturity Index IT Information Technologies IPF Investment Project Financing IVA Independent Verification Agent MAPS Methodology for Assessing Procurement Systems MENA Middle East and North Africa MoH Ministry of Health MTC Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Digital Economy ODRA Open Data Readiness Assessment OGP Open Government Partnership PAD Project Appraisal Document PBC Performance-Based Condition TA Technical Assistance 3 Executive Summary This case study provides an overview of World Bank support for GovTech reforms in Tunisia. It focuses on the Digital Transformation for User-Centric Public Services Project (P168425; the “GovTech project�), which was approved in 2020 and is currently under implementation. The study is primarily aimed at World Bank task teams and other GovTech practitioners, and attempts to draw out some preliminary lessons from the experience to date to help inform support for future GovTech initiatives in Tunisia or elsewhere. Through the GovTech project, the Government of Tunisia seeks to improve service delivery access and quality through a citizen-centric approach to leveraging digital technology for an efficient and effective public sector. The national context has grown more challenging during project implementation, which began at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued through a time of economic, political, and constitutional upheaval. In this environment, strengthening governance and service delivery will be key to facilitating job creation and building a robust social contract. The Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Digital Economy (MTC) is leading on GovTech initiatives nationwide, under the guidance of the government’s “Tunisie Digitale 2021-2025� strategy and the high-level Special Inter-Ministerial Committee on Digitalization. The GovTech project aims to place citizens at the center of service delivery reform by taking a problem- driven approach to project design, and by reorienting service delivery around citizens’ life events. A citizen journey map was created during the project design phase to identify service delivery bottlenecks from the user perspective. Users pointed to four broad challenges including unequal access, poor quality, weak accountability, and poor user-orientation. They pinpointed priority service areas in social protection and education, and project components and activities were designed accordingly around relevant “life events� (such as, “I need to enroll my child in school�). The life event approach, diagnostics on the digital divide, and “As-is-to-Be� reviews of service delivery processes in target sectors led to a decision for the operation to emphasize bringing digital services closer to citizens in communities that are underserved and/or not connected. The project also includes components related to the governance framework for digital transformation, and improving service delivery through better monitoring via a “Public Service Delivery Barometer.� Subsequent project restructurings prompted by the evolving service delivery challenges during the pandemic enabled the World Bank to adjust project activities so the government could meet the needs of the moment. As originally designed, the GovTech project supported enhanced access to quality social protection and education services. The rapidly changing situation then prompted three restructurings: • In 2020, for social protection services, the first restructuring prioritized emergency cash payments. This required expanding the digital social database and simplifying the process for registration, which resulted in provision of emergency cash transfers to 370,000 of the poorest and most vulnerable households. On the education side, it accelerated support for distance learning while schools were closed. Automation of key processes enabled nationwide digital enrollment and monitoring, and the project facilitated the rollout of TV education programs and digital learning content via digital learning platforms. • In 2021, a second restructuring expanded the project into the health sector, allowing the government to rapidly develop and launch a new COVID-19 vaccine information system, 4 “eVAX�. The eVAX system is now used nationwide to track and certify COVID-19 vaccination, with more than 7.5 million people registered. • In 2023, a third restructuring broadened the project's focus to encompass critical business services, enabling the government to advance strategic initiatives like modernizing the customs information system and enhancing the National Business Registry. Thus far, the adaptative, iterative approach to implementation has enabled the World Bank to support the government on critical pandemic-related challenges that were unforeseen at the time of initial project design. Analytical work done during the project preparation phase, and an ongoing program of technical assistance to facilitate project implementation, made it easier to rapidly pivot to address emerging priorities. The cross-sectoral approach internally on the Bank side helped catalyze inter- Ministerial cooperation on the government side, and the government’s collaboration with the private sector on eVAX demonstrated the potential of public-private partnerships to take innovative solutions to scale quickly. Perhaps most importantly, the project has illustrated the value of a life event approach to reorienting services around user needs, especially regarding responsiveness and access for underserved groups. 5 1. Introduction GovTech is a whole-of-government approach that promotes a simple, efficient, and transparent government with citizens at the center of reforms. While earlier e-government programs focused on building IT systems for public administration and moving services online without redesigning processes, GovTech strategies aim to provide citizen-centric services that are digital by design and coordinated across the government. A GovTech approach also prioritizes two-way interaction with citizens by mainstreaming citizen engagement. If implemented successfully, a GovTech-oriented strategy to modernize the public sector can help governments to improve service delivery, which may contribute to increased citizen trust in government and a more robust social contract, in addition to creating jobs and enabling the growth of the digital economy. According to the World Bank’s GovTech strategy, digital technologies are vital to addressing two dimensions of trust in government: trust in the government’s competence (ability to deliver on promises) and trust in the government’s values (the motivations driving policy). It argues that “becoming fully digital is no longer an option, but rather an imperative for [governments’] legitimacy as guardians of well-being and progress. The social contract all societies have with their respective states will depend on governments’ ability to become digital�.2 At the same time, GovTech reforms have the potential to undermine the social contract if they raise citizen expectations, but actual delivery falls short. Similarly, large-scale IT procurement also poses serious risks related to corruption and failed technical implementation. The World Bank’s 2021 World Development Report, Data for Better Lives, puts forward a framework for thinking about a new social contract specifically for data that defines the rules of the road for governance in the digital age. This new social contract would “enable the use and reuse of data to create economic and social value while ensuring equitable access to the value realized, as well as fostering participants’ trust that they will not be harmed by data misuse�.3 Digital transformation of government could then be grounded in this social contract for data. Targeting World Bank task teams and GovTech practitioners, this case study provides operational examples and lessons learned to date from GovTech work in Tunisia to inform design and implementation of future projects. Three countries (Djibouti, Jordan, and Tunisia) were selected as case studies under the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region’s GovTech: Citizen-Centric Service Delivery, Renewing the Social Contract in MENA (P176940) program of Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) work. Preparation of the case studies relied on desk reviews of operational and related documents – especially Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), Project Restructuring Papers, and Implementation Status and Implementation Completion Reports (ISRs/ICRs). Interviews with World Bank operational staff provided additional insights on lessons learned, and information on the country context drew on key World Bank country documents such as Country Partnership Frameworks, and national government strategies. 2 World Bank 2021a. 3 World Bank 2021b. 6 2. Overview: GovTech in Tunisia This case study looks at the efforts of the Government of Tunisia to digitize its public administration and service delivery through a GovTech approach, building on governance reforms that began a decade ago. During the 2010s, Tunisia underwent a remarkable transformation as it pursued a path of inclusive governance and ambitious reform. Throughout this period, Tunisia made substantial strides in fostering openness, transparency, and actively engaging with the global Open Government Partnership (OGP). Tunisia is currently implementing its fourth OGP National Action Plan, which prioritizes areas including fiscal and resource transparency, public participation, digitizing public services, transparency of public officials’ assets, and developing a national open government strategy. By 2019, the then-Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers had named the digital transformation agenda, which enjoyed cross-party support, a top priority in Tunisia. At that time, the government formed the Conseil Supérieur de l’Economie Numérique (Special Inter-Ministerial Committee on Digitalization) to cover all GovTech and other digitalization programs across the country. This body had a critical role in ensuring coordination around the country’s digital transformation strategy. Currently, citizens can access more than 460 online services, albeit predominantly of an informational rather than transactional nature.4 Citizens can access open data and government documents online, and submit ideas to the government through a citizen participation portal.5 In 2022, the President launched a broad consultative initiative on the role of the state and the expectations of citizens on Tunisia's political model.6 Tunisia is now facing simultaneous political, constitutional, and economic crises. The country entered a critical political juncture in July 2021, when President Saied introduced measures such as the partial suspension of the 2014 Constitution and the dissolution of the parliament.7 Moreover, in recent years, there have been indications of a slowdown or decrease in the performance of the public sector. According to the Worldwide Government Indicators, the effectiveness of the government in Tunisia was slightly lower compared to other countries in 2020 (44th percentile) than it was in 2014 (48th percentile), and significantly below its ranking in 2010 (63rd percentile).8 In 2023, 72 percent of respondents to an Afrobarometer Survey said the country is headed in the “wrong direction.�9 The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated Tunisia’s economic situation, which remains fragile. At the onset of the pandemic, the government introduced strict confinement measures and other restrictions to help contain the spread of the virus. This had a significant impact on the Tunisian economy and the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable. The government urgently needed to respond to the double challenge of the pandemic—the congestion of health systems due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, and an economy plagued by restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus. Though the economy grew by 4.4 percent in 2021 after the pandemic-induced contraction of 2020, GDP growth decelerated to 2.5 percent in 2022, and the recovery has been hampered by the war in Ukraine and its effect on commodity 4 World Bank 2021c. 5 See http://fr.e-participation.tn/. 6 Preliminary results are published at https://www.e-istichara.tn/home. 7 World Bank 2023. 8 Data available at http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/Home/Reports. 9 Data available at https://www.afrobarometer.org/countries/tunisia/. 7 prices. At the end of 2022, unemployment stood at 15 percent and public debt had reached 79 percent of GDP.10 In this challenging environment, improving governance and public service performance will be central to the country’s economic transition and for renewing the social contract between the state and its people. In addition to their economic effects, the COVID-19 shutdowns and slowdowns also escalated social tensions. GovTech reforms aim to help tackle these challenges by combining digital technology with citizen-centric public sector reform innovations. The Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Digital Economy (MTC)11 is leading the implementation of GovTech initiatives through the national economic development strategy “Tunisie Digitale 2021-2025� (which recently replaced “Digital 2020�) and the “SmartGov 2020� strategy focused on e-government. Together they outline a plan for building a foundation for leveraging digital technology for socioeconomic development, and for digitizing public administration to make public service delivery more efficient, higher quality, and more accessible. Strengthening financial inclusion is important as well. The government has also committed to strengthening Tunisia’s broadband infrastructure to reduce the digital divide, and sees digitization as key to facilitating entrepreneurship, job creation, and innovation. Information and communications technology (ICT) services are relatively affordable and accessible in Tunisia, but gender and regional disparities in ICT use are significant.12 Mobile-cellular networks cover 99 percent of the population, but 77 percent of women own a mobile phone compared to 83 percent of men. On Internet use, the gap is bigger, with 61 percent of women using the Internet, versus 72 percent for men. Nationwide, about half of households have Internet access at home, with rural areas having significantly lower connectivity than urban areas. In terms of overall connectivity and access based on these figures, Tunisia lags somewhat behind some other countries in the region at a similar income level such as Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco. One aim mentioned in the government’s Digital 2020 strategy was to improve Tunisia’s position in the Portulans Institute’s Network Readiness Index.13 The index is based on indicators that fall under four pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact. Tunisia scored just above the lower-middle income country group average on each in 2021, with an overall ranking of 87th globally. Its weakest showing was on the Governance pillar (which comprises trust, regulation, and inclusion), on which it was ranked 98th globally. Its single best relative score among individual indicators comprising the pillar ranking was on international internet bandwidth, while its weakest was on “freedom to make life choices�.14 One general point is that GovTech transformation is a lengthy process that unfolds and evolves over time. For example, on e-procurement, Tunisia began a partnership with the Government of Korea and private sector IT companies over a decade ago, in 2011. Through this partnership, Tunisia adopted TUNEPS, a custom version of the Korean e-procurement system known as KONEPS. The process included 10 Data in this paragraph from https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/tunisia/overview, last updated May 30, 2023. 11 See https://www.mtc.gov.tn/. 12 Data in this paragraph are the most recent available from the International Telecommunications Union as of Sept. 2023. Data accessible at https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Dashboards/Pages/Digital- Development.aspx. 13 See https://networkreadinessindex.org/country/tunisia/. 14 Dutta and Lanvin 2021. 8 inception of the partnership (2011), tendering (2014), and a pilot phase (2018), followed by promulgation of a decree mandating use of the system, and rollout across the country and enhancement of system functionality (underway at time of writing).15 The World Bank’s global GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) gives a general impression of the status of public sector digital transformation in Tunisia.16 The GTMI is the simple average of four sub-indices, each of which focuses on one of the key components of GovTech defined in the World Bank’s global GovTech Strategy. Representing a total of 48 indicators, the sub-indices include: the Core Government Systems Index (CGSI); the Public Service Delivery Index (PSDI); the Citizen Engagement Index (CEI); and the GovTech Enablers Index (GTEI). Based on these components, the GTMI provides a baseline for GovTech maturity and helps in identifying areas for investment. Based on the GTMI score, countries are categorized into four groups, from Group A (GovTech leaders) to Group D (minimal focus on GovTech). Tunisia is classified in the “B� group of the GTMI, indicating a “significant focus on GovTech�. As of the compilation of the latest data in 2022, Tunisia’s score indicated a higher level of maturity on public service delivery and GovTech enablers, while its scores were somewhat lower on core government systems and citizen engagement (Figure 1). Figure 1. GovTech Maturity in Tunisia, 2022 Source: GTMI Data Dashboard. Available at https://www.worldbank.org/en/data/interactive/2022/10/21/govtech- maturity-index-gtmi-data-dashboard. An Open Data Readiness Assessment (ODRA) conducted by the World Bank in 2017 identified strengths and weaknesses in the enabling environment for data transparency in Tunisia.17 Positive features identified included the existence of access to information and personal data protection laws, and the presence of a community of non-governmental actors with the capacity to leverage open data for the public good. Deficits included a lack of readiness among political leaders and ministries to implement open data practices, insufficient inter-ministerial coordination, legal and regulatory weaknesses, and a lack of 15 Wu Chebili, La Cascia, and Collineau, et al., 2021. 16 World Bank 2021c. 17 World Bank 2017. 9 coordination between state and non-state actors, e.g., to ensure that the most sought-after data sets are prioritized for publication. Tunisia provides a useful case study on the World Bank’s support for GovTech approaches through the Digital Transformation for User-Centric Public Services Project (P168425; hereafter referred to as the “GovTech project�). Relevant aspects include the project’s (a) problem-driven design approach that places citizens at the center; and (b) iterative evolution in light of the government’s need to accelerate its cross-sectoral response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though this case study mainly focuses on the GovTech project, it mentions some other relevant operational and analytical work and technical assistance undertaken by the World Bank in Tunisia. The remainder of this note is organized as follows. Section 3 provides key examples of GovTech activities supported by the World Bank in Tunisia, organized according to the four GovTech focus areas. Section 4 then looks at the portfolio again, but through five “lenses� for analysis that provide different perspectives on project design and implementation. Finally, Section 5 draws some lessons learned from the World Bank’s experience implementing the GovTech project in Tunisia thus far. 3. World Bank Support for GovTech in Tunisia The World Bank’s support for GovTech in Tunisia is consistent with Pillar III of its Tunisia Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 2016-2020, which focuses on increasing social inclusion and building citizen trust to renew the social contract, and with the high-level outcome on strengthened human capital of the CPF for 2023-2027. The GovTech project was prompted by three general factors: (a) the government’s national digital strategy; (b) the work led by other World Bank Global Practices that was already underway; and (c) the complementarity of the approach to the commitments of other donors, especially the African Development Bank’s support for e-government (discussed further later in this section). This section looks at ways the World Bank is actively enabling GovTech approaches in Tunisia. Table 1 provides examples drawn from the World Bank Digital Governance Projects Database,18 which contains World Bank Group-funded investments (not including technical assistance, Advisory Services and Analytics, or budget support) with large ICT or e-government components as of July 2020. The table includes active and recently closed19 projects from the database, and information is summarized based on a desk review of relevant operational documents (e.g., PADs, ISRs, and ICRs where available). This section then proceeds to discuss aspects of World Bank support under each of the four GovTech focus areas, which are: 1) Core government systems – includes ICT infrastructure, hardware and software; government systems such as those for public financial management, human resources management, procurement, and sectoral information systems; disruptive technologies such as cloud computing; as well as an overarching digital government transformation strategy and set of related principles. 18 Available at https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/int/search/dataset/0038056/digital_governance_projects_database. 19 Projects that closed prior to FY2016 were not considered. 10 2) Public service delivery – refers to human-centered digital services that are simple, transparent, and universally accessible. 3) Citizen engagement – includes open government approaches as well as mechanisms for accountability, citizen feedback, and citizen participation in the workings of government; here the focus is on World Bank support for GovTech-enabled country citizen engagement mechanisms. 4) GovTech enablers – includes leadership, institutional strengthening, skill building, digital identification, strategy and regulations, and innovation. Table 1. Examples of GovTech Activities in Tunisia Supported by the World Bank GovTech Project Name, Planned Activities Key Results to Date (as of Areas number, and status Sept. 2023) Core Digital Transformation Increased inter-ministerial data Data exchange for several Government for User-Centric Public exchange services is being tested or Systems Services (“GovTech underway project�; P168425); Active Improved connectivity for schools Action plan approved and some progress on implementation. 1636 schools are in the process of being connected to the WAN DTF Social Protection Development of an interoperable Project restructured three Reforms Support platform for social assistance and times; new MIS and sectoral (P144674); Closed safety net programs, and a new data interoperability platform Management Information System established (MIS) that enables management of information of current and potential social safety net beneficiaries Public Service Digital Transformation Increased access of “target First 20 digitized access points Delivery for User-Centric Public vulnerable groups� to Digitized were scheduled for launch by Services (“GovTech Access Points late 2022, but progress is off project�; P168425); track; now the target is to have Active 30 digitized access points for end-2025 Improvements in the Education Targets have been met for Management Platform; improving the management development of online learning and digital learning platforms applications Implementation of E-Vax system Achieved and target for (added via project restructuring) registration met Tunisia Tertiary Setup of an online information Target dropped; target on the Education for platform for the dissemination of number of higher education Employability Project higher education tracer studies institutions publishing (P151059); Active graduates’ employment outcomes was met 11 Citizen Digital Transformation Setup of a centralized “Public The first Barometer reports on Engagement* for User-Centric Public Service Delivery Barometer� for the flagship services were Services (“GovTech the social protection and delivered and published in project�; P168425); education sectors; it will monitor 2022. Recommendations for Active services usage and quality, and improving three out of the four gather and publish citizen flagship life events have been feedback approved by the Ministerial Council and are currently being implemented. A second version of the Barometer is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2023. Adoption of the National Open Achieved Data Decree (Disbursement- Linked Indicator) The National Network of Creation of participatory Limited results; project was Social Accountability mechanisms for user feedback on closed early (P150877); Closed service delivery in health and education GovTech Digital Transformation Adoption of key GovTech and In progress Enablers for User-Centric Public digital economy regulatory Services (“GovTech reforms project�; P168425); Active DTF Social Protection Development of a national unique Original plan for a unified Reforms Support beneficiary database database deemed too (P144674); Closed ambitious; social benefits registry established instead (note: work on this database continued under P168425) *Note: Citizen engagement refers to support in the PAD for technology-enabled mechanisms for citizen engagement or feedback (i.e., CivicTech), or open government initiatives related to open data and transparency (e.g., web portals) and relevant enablers. 3.1 Core Government Systems Approved in 2019 and effective a year later, the Tunisia GovTech project as originally designed supported enhanced access to quality social protection and education services in Tunisia through a GovTech approach. As the first operation of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the project is distinguished by its approach of intentionally placing the citizen at the center of the reform process, and of combining public sector innovations, change management, and digital technology. The original $100 million project comprised the following three components that reflect the causes of service delivery bottlenecks: (a) simplifying, digitizing and optimizing key administrative processes and introducing user-friendly digital and institutional solutions; (b) building public and private sector capabilities for speedier and more responsive service delivery; and (c) boosting connectivity in service provider facilities and addressing the digital divide on the supply side. The third component (connectivity) 12 is addressed here, while the first two components are discussed further in the public service delivery section below. One of the major drivers of service delivery problems, as identified by citizens, is last-mile broadband connectivity difficulties. The GovTech project aims to improve this through an approach that distinguishes between investments in indoor connectivity (with procurement financed via the project) and outdoor connectivity (facilitated by crowding in private investment where possible through subsidies and regulatory incentives, and turning to public resources only when necessary). A results-based financing component of the project incentivizes government to update its ICT strategies and regulatory framework in a manner consistent with a sustainable, “Maximizing Finance for Development� approach, and incentivizes improvement of network coverage in underserved areas. While the GovTech project has a relatively narrow focus in terms of core government systems, the results may have spillover effects more broadly. The project is targeted, originally focusing only on two priority sectors, because it complements an African Development Bank project financing a foundational effort toward a whole-of-government digital architecture.20 The GovTech project document notes, however, that the project investments are expected to have “spillover effects by building common public sector capabilities and systems to enable a more rapid digitalization of other sectors and services in the future�.21 By narrowing the digital divide, the GovTech project could help to increase demand for other online services as they become available, and its investments in user identification, citizen engagement, and change management could also help pave the way for progress in service delivery across the board. The project also facilitates data exchange between specific government entities via the national interoperability platform, which could help the government move toward increased data sharing involving more ministries and agencies. 3.2 Public Service Delivery As originally designed, the GovTech project targeted social protection and education services that are widely used by citizens and are top government priorities, and it aimed to make an important contribution to improving human capital outcomes in Tunisia. In addition to connectivity issues, citizens have identified two other major drivers of service problems in the sectors of focus. These issues include (a) complex service delivery procedures and a lack of appropriate service delivery mechanisms; and (b) difficulties in identifying service users (absence of good quality usage data) to support change management. On the social protection side, the GovTech project included a number of foundational elements to make service delivery more user-oriented, efficient, and straightforward. Planned activities included establishing a digital cash transfer payment mechanism, digitizing paper-based processes for identification and eligibility verification, simplifying the case management system, digitizing pension contribution systems, and operationalizing a machine learning system to automatically monitor social security compliance. In education, planned activities included upgrading the government’s digital education management platform for enrollment, student/school monitoring, and drop-out detection. The platform was 20 See https://projectsportal.afdb.org/dataportal/VProject/show/P-TN-G00-003. 21 World Bank 2019. 13 envisioned to serve as a back-end system to support better educational outcomes. In addition, an “As-is- to-Be� review was planned to enable simplifying and digitizing key administrative processes. The GovTech project also allocated resources to improve student, teacher, and inspector access to and usage of high- quality learning materials and services through the design and implementation of a Digital Learning Management System. To address equitable access and connectivity challenges, the GovTech project also aimed to deploy access points closer to citizens. The plan was to support the creation of 69 digitized stationary and mobile access points in districts with very low access—less than 25 percent on average—to key administrative service providers in 19 Governorates to reach about 2 million citizens. The access points would have staff members ready to help people access services such as: (a) applying for social assistance; (b) enrolling or updating enrollment in social security; (c) enrolling in health insurance; and (d) enrolling in school. Rollout of the access points is behind schedule and the first set is now targeted to be operational in late 2025, and at time of writing it was likely that the initial target of 69 stationary and mobile access points would need to be scaled down to 30 stationary access points, mainly as a result of implementation delays. The plan for digitized access points builds on the government’s experimentation with Citizen Service Centers (CSCs). Fifty CSCs, which give citizens physical access to paper-based services, have been established since 2009. The CSC experience yielded important lessons related to the importance of (a) a clear legal and institutional framework for management; (b) staff capacity; (c) a sustainable financing model; and (d) a transition to interoperable, efficient digital systems for service delivery. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the GovTech project was restructured three times; the first restructuring injected liquidity and accelerated investments in the social protection and education sectors. Once the project became effective in June 2020, the government immediately requested restructuring to help it accelerate its COVID-19 response. The first rapid restructuring facilitated a disbursement of $20 million supported by newly-introduced Disbursement Linked Results (DLRs), and focused on the following: • Expanding the social security system to provide temporary COVID-19 social assistance. The GovTech project supported the expansion of the digital social database and introduced a new simplified registration process to optimize the existing database. This enabled the government to accelerate the collection of additional data while improving the validation and quality of the database and providing emergency cash transfers to 370,000 of the poorest and most vulnerable households. The new process allows the government to cross-check a registered household against other databases of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA), National Pension Fund (Caisse Nationale de Retraite et de Prévoyance Sociale: CNRPS), National Social Security Fund (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale: CNSS) and National Agency for Employment and Self-Employment (ANETI) using the national identity card and birthdate. The work on the database and the delivery of the emergency cash transfers was enabled via two new DLRs. • Enhancing the digital education management platform: When schools closed in March 2020 and moved to distance learning, affecting an estimated 2.15 million children, the restructuring enabled the project to refocus on the most urgent needs. These included automation of student registration and monitoring of student attendance via the student identifier and sign-on system. While the scope of the upgrade was limited, this rapid enhancement facilitated nationwide digital enrollment and monitoring. 14 • Improving the digital learning management system: The restructuring changed the plan somewhat regarding the Digital Learning Management System, instead prioritizing immediate needs related to distance learning. It launched TV education programs and rolled out digital learning platforms where new digital learning content was made available, teachers were able to receive trainings on virtual teaching, and virtual communication was enabled among school administrators, teachers, students, and parents. The second restructuring in June 2021 added activities in the health sector, enabling the government to rapidly rollout a new COVID-19 vaccine information system, “eVAX�. Through restructuring, the project expanded to support the government in a rapid rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine information system eVAX, with estimated costs of $1.8 million. By January 2021, the government had a plan to vaccinate 50 percent of the population by the end of the year. This ambitious goal was critical to decrease the risk of serious illness and death, to protect health system capacity, and to reduce the social and economic impact of the pandemic. MTC led the development of eVAX in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), and it was implemented by the Directorate of Basic Health Care. The integrated digital platform was deployed in record time, enabling the totality of the population to register to receive vaccines, and informing evidence-based decision making for the government to accelerate vaccinations. The third restructuring in March 2023 proposed to transfer support for strategic activities from the Third Export Development Project (EDP3), which was closing, to the GovTech project. This would ensure continuity of the targeted EDP3 activities related to the modernization of the customs IT system and of the National Business Registry, and therefore improve the delivery efficiency, accountability, and user- friendliness of business services. Consequently, the Project Development Objective (PDO) was revised to the following: “to improve equitable access to and the quality and accountability of selected user services through a GovTech approach�. The reference to “selected user services� reflects the expanded scope of the project to support digitalization of services for firms – by supporting Customs and the RNE – as well as citizens. 3.3 Citizen Engagement The World Bank has, since 2011, been supporting Tunisia’s efforts to increase fiscal transparency, access to information, and citizen engagement, helping Tunisia become eligible to join the OGP. In its first OGP National Action Plan (2014-16), the government stated that its commitments in the plan would be “implemented through harnessing new technologies,� and noted the role that technology can play in strengthening accountability.22 Through the Moussanada Multi-Donor Trust Fund (P151301), the World Bank enables ongoing work under the current OGP National Action Plan, and supports the creation of mechanisms for citizen participation and transparency. Tunisia’s launch of an open budget portal in 2015 was lauded as a significant milestone in its open government journey, serving as a foundation to enable citizen participation. Tunisia’s Open Budget Platform, Mizaniatouna (“Our Budget�)23, the first of its kind in MENA, aims to serve as a one-stop-shop for fiscal data for civil society, media, think tanks, and the public at large. The effort was facilitated by technical assistance via the World Bank’s “Supporting Economic Governance Transition in Tunisia and Morocco� line of support (P131928). The portal comprises disaggregated budget data back to 2008 22 Republic of Tunisia 2014. 23 Karafi 2015. 15 including revenues and expenditures, drawing mostly on the World Bank’s BOOST database, allowing citizens to see how the government uses public resources. Tunisia’s score on the 2021 international Open Budget Index was 42, a major increase from its 2011 score of 11, but still lower than the global average of 45.24 The GovTech project supports the government’s endeavors to enhance citizen engagement in service delivery in a challenging context. Project documentation notes that service users in the social protection and education sectors have identified problems including a lack of information on service procedures, and limited ways for them to “be heard�. The project supports a strengthened grievance redress mechanism linked to the national system for reporting corruption (“EPeople�25) and aims to improve user interface options (allowing online, phone/voice, and smartphone access). The project included a Disbursement- Linked Indicator (or DLI, which has since been achieved) that incentivized adoption of the National Open Data decree, with the intent to “increase service delivery accountability and stimulate private sector activity such as data analytics enterprises�. In addition, it established a “Public Service Delivery Barometer� under the Presidency. The Barometer’s aim is to monitor key indicators of service usage and quality, as well as gather citizen feedback via a Citizen Report Card, publish the results, and create an action plan that outlines steps taken in response. Accountability for the Tunisia GovTech Project overall “will be measured in terms of: (i) increased availability of sector and service-related information; and (ii) increased responsiveness of public service providers to user feedback.�26 3.4 GovTech Enablers Tunisia’s Digital 2020 strategy27 outlined the country’s plan for leveraging technology for employment, business competitiveness, and development more generally. The strategy described Tunisia’s ambitions to create a citizen-oriented administration that is “fair, transparent, agile and efficient,� and to build the appropriate regulatory and governance framework, and security environment, for a digital economy.28 The SmartGov 2020 strategy, Strategy for the Modernization of the Public Administration (2017), and sectoral strategies such as the education sector’s “Digital Schools� strategy further detail the digital agenda for the public sector. There are a number of gaps in the policy, legal and regulatory framework for digital transformation that the GovTech project seeks to address. The project specified DLIs on adopting key GovTech and digital economy regulatory reforms, including a data interoperability framework that enables data-sharing across sectors for more efficient service delivery, and a new Digital Law to boost private investment in the telecoms sector. The Digital Law will improve data exchange, user identification and data protection; provide a framework for a more open and competitive telecoms sector; and enable better coordination of connectivity investments. Importantly, through the DLIs, the project provides an incentive for the government to overcome potential resistance to administrative simplification and digitization of the services that are the focus of the operation. The DLIs include establishment of a Digital Agency to 24 See https://internationalbudget.org/open-budget-survey/country-results/2021/tunisia. 25 The OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism noted concerns about the governance of the EPeople platform, because it is managed by the Presidency rather than an independent party, in their view creating a potential conflict of interest. For more see https://www.opengovpartnership.org/members/tunisia/commitments/TN0030/. 26 World Bank 2019. 27 Recently replaced by Digitale 2020-2025, a continuation of the Digital 2020 strategy. 28 See https://www.mtc.gov.tn/index.php?id=14&L=0. 16 coordinate and strengthen implementation of digital transformation, and incentivize the adoption of a National Open Data decree and enhanced publication of service delivery information to strengthen accountability. In terms of GovTech enablers, one essential area not addressed specifically by the project is procurement. The World Bank supported a new legal framework for procurement in Tunisia, as well as an e-procurement system, under a series of Development Policy Loans in the 2010s. However, the procurement system remains cumbersome and has contributed to implementation delays for the GovTech operation. Identification for development (ID4D) is another important GovTech enabler. The GovTech project supports the improvement of user-oriented identification to underpin citizen services, building on work done by the DTF Social Protection Reforms Support (P144674) operation, and by technical assistance that funded the assessment report ID4D: Diagnostic of ID Systems in Tunisia29. Through the Social Protection Reform project, Tunisia developed an updated management information system for social protection, exceeding targets for the number of registered households in the system.30 While the project originally set out to create a national unique beneficiary database for identification of households eligible for social transfer programs, this was deemed too ambitious, and a project restructuring led instead to the establishment of a social identifier for the social protection sector and a management information system for data on current and potential social safety net beneficiaries. Work on the social identifier led to improved beneficiary identification and targeting, and data exchange among several agencies was established via the interoperability system. The GovTech project continues this work by aiming to improve interoperability of the social registry and database, and implementing universal health cards. Data quality remains a concern, underscoring the need for sustained attention and resources allocated to data management. More broadly, the government is implementing a unique citizen identifier for the entire population. 4. The Tunisia GovTech Project through Five Lenses This section looks at the GovTech project through five “lenses� that provide a multifaceted view of the ways in which the project may strengthen service delivery, public trust, and the social contract. The lenses, shown in Table 2, have been lightly adapted from the World Bank’s Evaluating Digital Citizen Engagement: A Practical Guide.31 Although they were developed with citizen engagement initiatives in mind, they are general enough to apply to more holistic GovTech approaches, and their use here is intended to ensure that key elements of project preparation and implementation are not left out of the discussion. Since the GovTech project is still ongoing, this is not a retrospective view of results achieved, but rather a discussion of the process of project design, and the initial successes and challenges encountered in implementation. 29 See World Bank 2020. 30 A communication plan implemented via radio, television, and Facebook led to 100,000 new applicants to the beneficiary database within three months; communication combined with political commitment at the highest level was key to gaining public support. 31 World Bank 2016. 17 Table 2. Lenses for Analyzing GovTech Initiatives Lens To consider Objective Seeking to understand the explicit objective and underpinning assumptions of the initiative and wider environment, including the planned impact Control Which actors are involved in decision making at what stages Participation How citizens are reached; the opportunities provided for them to participate and at what level; the attention paid to historically marginalized groups Technology Overall program management; how privacy issues are managed; institutional and technical capacity; non-technical factors in implementation Effects How results are measured; how the initiative can adapt to changing circumstances; evidence of intended or unintended impact; funding arrangements and incentives for results Source: Adapted from World Bank (2016), p.48. 4.1 Objective The GovTech project is citizen-centric and problem-driven by design (Figure 2). A citizen journey map was used during the project design phase to (a) identify service delivery bottlenecks from the user perspective; (b) pinpoint priority service areas; and (c) define the project components and activities that correspond with the service delivery challenges. Service users identified four broad challenge categories including unequal access, poor quality, weak accountability, and poor user-orientation. These service delivery problems are rooted in three interrelated causes: (a) complex service delivery procedures and a lack of appropriate service delivery mechanisms; (b) public and private sector and civil society difficulties in identifying service users due to the absence of good quality data; and (c) challenges in providing high- quality services due to last-mile broadband connectivity difficulties. This problem-identification exercise helped the project identify four flagship areas to prioritize in the education and social protection sectors. Project design was also informed by a multi-year program of World Bank analytical work and technical assistance in Tunisia. 4.2 Control Building on the problem-driven approach, the GovTech project has proved to be adaptive in responding to the government’s evolving priorities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. By the time the project came into effect in June 2020, Tunisia’s poorest households and the country’s education systems were already hard hit by the measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. In that same month, the government requested restructuring to accelerate the government’s COVID-19 response, and as mentioned earlier, a second restructuring was undertaken in March 2021. In a sense, restructurings were a natural course of action as the project was already cross-sectoral in nature with a focus on supporting the social protection and education systems and targeting the most vulnerable households in the country. The restructurings meant that the sequencing, scope, and types of GovTech solutions deployed and developed would be modified. The project preparation phase involved facilitation and consensus-building to help overcome institutional coordination challenges. This included facilitation of a clearer consensus between MTC and line ministries on the GovTech approach – especially important given the newness of the life event concept and an understandable lack of clarity on their respective responsibilities in this new cross-cutting approach – as well as building consensus around the root problems hampering service delivery. This work 18 was particularly important in light of wider challenges in advancing the digital agenda in Tunisia. A 2020 Digital Economy Country Assessment (DECA) found that weaknesses in leadership and cross-government coordination of the digital strategy were hampering implementation of digital projects and integrated e- platforms and, relatedly, had slowed progress on adopting laws, regulations, and policies reflecting international good practices.32 Adoption of key reforms, such as on data exchange and competition in the telecoms sector, has also been slowed at times by resistance from established actors. When the COVID- 19 pandemic hit in early 2020, the GovTech project was yet to be ratified by the Tunisian parliament. During this time, the government continued to work on loan implementation readiness supported by the World Bank via its complementary GovTech Technical Assistance (TA) Program. The TA placed a strong emphasis on reforms and capacity development, which later served as critical enablers for inter- governmental coordination in response to COVID-19. Figure 2. Problem-driven approach at the point of project design Source: World Bank 2019. 32 MTC and World Bank 2020. 19 Given the context, the World Bank team engaged in extensive dialogue with counterparts and sought to design the GovTech operation and associated TA to help overcome coordination challenges. Coordination of complex cross-cutting reforms is always a challenge in the absence of a single entity with a strong enough mandate to compel ministries, departments, and agencies to coalesce around an implementation plan. The GovTech project has sought to build consensus among stakeholders through (a) a steering committee chaired by the Minister of Technology with his peers involved in the program; and (b) a high-level anchoring of the life event approach within the government presidency, namely the General Directorate of Administrative Reforms (DGRPA), which is advocating for a transition to this new approach to simplify procedures and improve the delivery of public services across government.33 To mitigate procurement risk, the project was defined as an Investment Project Financing (IPF) operation, but with DLIs that attempt to balance the need for an incremental approach with the goal of catalyzing significant change. Thirty percent ($30 million) of the IPF was allocated to DLIs that incentivize GovTech- related reform adoption and implementation. Moreover, a project sub-component specifically on change management was included in the operation. Creating and financing a systematic communications plan was also seen by the World Bank team as critical, to promote the reforms both within the government and to the public, as well as to boost citizen demand for digital services. 4.3 Participation The concept of citizen-centric service delivery is at the heart of the GovTech project. Accordingly, the project takes a life event approach that places the user at the center of the public administration reform process. The project focused on four key delivery events in social protection and education: “I need a social assistance benefit�; “I need a social security benefit�; “I need to enroll my child in primary or secondary school�; and “My child is dropping out of basic/primary education�. These “life events� create a focus on the different points at which the user interacts with a service provider. This approach identifies the needs and problems in the public service delivery chain from the user’s perspective, and then seeks to find solutions to the identified bottlenecks. Diagnostics on the digital divide were collected during the preparation of the GovTech project with special attention to gender, households in rural areas, and age. The study found the digital gap between rural and non-rural households is significant. Broadband Internet coverage was 7 percent among rural households in 2015, compared with 38 percent among urban households. Women are at a significant disadvantage compared to men in this context: around 50 percent of young women in rural Tunisia are not in education, employment, or training; female illiteracy in rural areas can reach 40 percent compared to 23 percent for men; and the gender gap in mobile Internet use in Tunisia is considerably wider than the mobile ownership gap in other low- and middle-income countries. The diagnostics contributed to generating specific digital divide mitigation measures to enable the GovTech project to provide more equitable access to envisioned GovTech solutions, and there are several DLIs related to delivery responsiveness and access for underserved groups. 33 DGRPA was the lead for Decree Law 777 on national interoperability. 20 4.4 Technology The GovTech project supports sectoral solutions that fit into Tunisia’s national digital transformation strategy. With financing from the African Development Bank, Tunisia’s government is working toward national interoperability, a public cloud, implementing ministerial information systems, moving services online, and implementing a unique citizen identifier.34 The World Bank’s GovTech project facilitates designing and deploying sectoral solutions that help realize the national vision of an effective, digitally- enabled public sector, for example by supporting interoperability at the sectoral level as well as the mapping of sectoral IDs to the unique national ID. This section looks in particular at the story of eVAX, which is noteworthy for its rapid rollout and use of disruptive technology (blockchain). The eVAX platform (Figure 3) is a blockchain-based vaccination delivery and management platform. The government started development in November 2020 by bringing together the MTC, the MoH, private sector firms, and individuals. Given the magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis, there was a high sense of urgency around the need to deliver the platform nationwide, and the team took an all-hands-on-deck approach. The MoH drove the process through its IT center, while MTC deployed a technology development team and a call center. The 4G or 3G connectivity required at health and vaccination centers was financed by the GovTech project. ProsperUs, a Tunisian company that specializes in blockchain in the financial sector, volunteered to develop the vaccination certificate module with a QR code, and local telecom companies donated SIM cards at the vaccination centers. This successful and fast-paced public-private collaboration in the GovTech space was somewhat novel in Tunisia. The sense of urgency drove the team to be agile enough to think big, yet start small and adapt quickly. Pre-pandemic, there was no digital vaccination registry for routine childhood vaccinations, central health identification number, or unified health management information system. Regional hospitals and university hospital centers each maintain their own systems for identifying patients locally, and these systems are not connected, so individuals must register at each facility separately.35 The initial eVAX user registration module was developed within two months, and additional modules were added as the deployment at health care centers quickly expanded to include 94 vaccination centers, 600 healthcare centers, and 800 alternative providers, such as pharmacies, dentists, and mobile providers. GovTech principles of user orientation, interoperability across government entities, and simplified processes are embedded in eVAX design, functions, and operations. For example, as a response to the digital divide, citizens and residents have four available channels for vaccination registration (online, SMS, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data [USSD], and toll-free call center). The registration is directly linked to the national ID card (CIN) database managed by the Ministry of Interior for cross-referencing and checking of vaccine eligibility. Once eligible, users receive an SMS notification for a vaccine appointment based on local availability. An SMS is automatically sent to remind registered users of a future vaccine appointment(s), and a certificate with QR code, compliant with European Union standards, is issued when they are fully vaccinated. The vaccination pass obtained via mobile device is managed by a two-factor authentication process to add a layer of data and privacy protection. Now walk-in vaccinations are also registered and managed on eVAX. Though there were several technological hiccups 34 See https://projectsportal.afdb.org/dataportal/VProject/show/P-TN-G00-003. 35 World Bank 2020. 21 with the system initially, corrective actions were taken rapidly to provide citizens a one-stop-shop for COVID-19 vaccination management. Figure 3. Tunisia’s eVAX Platform One of the key challenges with the eVAX rollout was convincing healthcare staff in vaccination centers to adopt a new digital solution – as opposed to the pre-existing paper-based system – underscoring the importance of change management. It required a significant effort to train staff at all levels, increase their comfort with the new process, and avoid data entry errors. This included a webinar series for management and in-person training for staff. In all communication and training, it was critical to present eVAX as the only option for registering COVID-19 vaccinations, rather than providing a paper-based back-up option. The key message: there is no parallel system. Eventually, adoption by healthcare staff quickened since patients would demand to be registered through eVax so that they would receive SMS confirmations, appointment reminders, and – crucially – their digital vaccine certificate. 4.5 Effects Rapid restructuring enabled the GovTech project to respond to changing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic by injecting liquidity and bolstering service delivery systems; the project has also served as a foundational operation that subsequent projects have built upon. The first rapid restructuring of the project disbursed $20 million in 2020, which was tracked by newly introduced DLRs to ensure timely delivery in the social protection and education sectors. The second restructuring in June 2021 expanded the project to the health sector. This iterative approach also laid the foundation for the speedy preparation of a new $300 million World Bank emergency operation, the Tunisia COVID-19 Social Protection Emergency Response Support Project (P176352). A close collaboration with the Strengthening Foundations for Learning Project (P162297) and its restructuring ensured complementarity of the World Bank’s support for the COVID-19 response in the education sector. 22 Several key results of the GovTech project to date include: • Expanding social safety net coverage to provide temporary COVID-19 social assistance: Expansion of the digital social assistance database to include 900,000 households (by 2021), and simplification of the registration process, enabled the government to provide emergency cash transfers to 370,000 of the poorest and most vulnerable households. • Support to education needs during the pandemic: The upgrade to the digital education management platform facilitated nationwide digital enrollment and monitoring in the context of pandemic school closures. By improving the digital learning management system, the project enabled the launch of TV education programs and digital learning platforms. • Rapid rollout of the eVAX system: The eVAX system is now used nationwide to track and certify COVID-19 vaccination, with more than 7.5 million people registered, and it forms the basis for the digitalization of the national vaccination system. Also, the project supported distribution of health insurance cards (AMEN for the non-contributive and LABES for the contributive scheme) by the postal service, representing progress toward Tunisia’s goal of universal health coverage. • Working toward citizen-centric service delivery: The first Barometer reports have been delivered on the project’s flagship services. Furthermore, the first restructuring introduced an additional DLI verification mechanism in order to improve the integrity of the social assistance program. The project has pioneered the use of a government institution – the General Auditor of Public Services (GAPS) – as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) for more sustainable independent verification of DLIs, ultimately across the entire Bank portfolio. The beneficiary data for the one-time payment came from the Ministry of Social Affairs information management system. The GAPS validated the payment report and associated data after the cash payment, and also conducted field visits, to help ensure the integrity of the cash transfer program. The GovTech project has catalyzed wider public sector digitalization, notably in the health sector. For example, the government is using the eVAX experience to digitalize the national vaccination system. The platform showcased the possibility and value of an integrated digital infrastructure that the pre-pandemic vaccine management system did not have. More healthcare centers and other health service points are now connected to the Internet, too, and the MoH plans to update and expand eVAX to cover all routine vaccinations to allow citizens to make appointments, track immunizations, and share vaccination records with relevant officials throughout life. More broadly, information system strengthening and an eventual transition to patient-level electronic medical records is a top policy priority for the MoH. Indeed, the successful implementation of the eVax platform has prompted the MoH, in agreement with the MTC, to designate to designate the eVax ID as the future national Health ID. This pivotal agreement was in part facilitated by the GovTech and Tunisia COVID-19 Response project (P173945) teams. In line with this decision, the Govtech project is currently dedicated to (1) fortifying the health ID platform by enhancing user identification, authentication, and authorization processes; (2) establishing an interoperability platform to facilitate seamless data exchange and information sharing within the health system and across sectors; and (3) increasing the capacity of the central data center at the Ministry of Health through the procurement of equipment. In the coming months, the Tunisia COVID-19 Response project will extend its support to hospital-level data centers in 38 hospitals, concurrently enhancing network infrastructure and connectivity in 79 hospitals. Both projects remain steadfast in their commitment to fostering improved coordination, actively seeking synergies and complementarity. 23 In general, the GovTech project has engendered increased ownership of the life event approach by the government. This is evidenced for example by a demand from the Minister of Economy and Planning to extend the approach to business services, for which the World Bank has provided trust fund support. A third restructuring of the GovTech project in spring 2023 transferred strategic digitalization activities from the Third Export Development Project (P132381; focusing on the customs information system and a national register of companies), which was closing in late 2022, to extend support and thereby further improve the efficiency and user-friendliness of business services. The GovTech project has also been instrumental in getting other public actors on board with the life event approach, for example on the delivery of social security. Although this has had the effect of slowing the design process, it has ultimately made it easier to find inclusive solutions and to ensure ownership and buy-in regarding the action plan and its implementation and monitoring. 5. Lessons Learned Sequential restructurings of the GovTech project allowed the government to respond to citizens’ immediate needs and mitigate the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The project continues to evolve as it prepares for the deployment of GovTech solutions beyond COVID-19 crisis response. Some early-stage lessons emerging from the GovTech project experience around citizen-centric design and from the iterative nature of the operation include: 1. The life event approach with a journey map embedded in the design of the GovTech operation supports citizen-centric service delivery. The GovTech approach is transformational as it harnesses the power of digital connectivity to lay foundations for a new digital economy with citizens at the center. It combines the latest digital technologies with public sector reform innovations, including a change management approach, to address complex service delivery bottlenecks in a citizen-centric manner. As reflected in the life event analysis, citizen journey maps, and other tools, this approach has continued to inform project restructurings and rapid rollout of priority initiatives. 2. The World Bank’s internal cross-sectoral collaboration helped enable intra- and inter- Ministerial coordination and collaboration on the government side. The inherently multisectoral nature of the GovTech project requires a “Whole-of-World-Bank� approach to support the government. Five Global Practices (GPs)—Governance, Digital Development, Social Protection and Jobs, Education, and later Health—work together under the umbrella of the GovTech project. This collaboration, together with a series of strategic communications as well as change management and collaborative leadership activities, planted the seed of the government’s approach to design, restructuring, and rapid implementation of the COVID-19 response through the project. The shift in mindset toward intra- and inter-Ministerial coordination was a prerequisite for the rapid restructuring and implementation of COVID-19 crisis-related measures. Moreover, the immense need for scaled-up social assistance for Tunisia’s poorest and most vulnerable households pushed the cross-GP GovTech project team to adopt an agile approach, which was matched by agility on the government side. 3. Rapid restructurings were made possible by the strong technical and analytical foundation established during the project design phase. During project design, the World Bank team employed agile political economy and change management tools. This enabled the project to build a reform coalition 24 within government, leading to a feasible design. Early delays in project implementation were caused by Parliamentary elections in October 2019 that slowed ratification, and then by the COVID-19 crisis. During this time, a complementary TA program financed by the Moussanada Multi-Donor Trust Fund enabled the quick launch of the GovTech operation once it was ratified. The TA, for example, supported key reforms, facilitated the operation’s implementation, and provided hands-on capacity building and training on change management, which contributed to changing the mindset of stakeholders in the public service. The GovTech project showcased that TA and analytical work can facilitate rapid project preparation and implementation, and deepen engagement with the client. 4. Partnering with the private sector enables the government to benefit from outside expertise and knowledge transfer. The eVAX system emerged from collaboration among multiple government entities and the private sector, benefitting from extensive levels of voluntary coordination and pro bono support from skilled local individuals and firms. Together, these different actors created one team that was working toward the same objective. In fact, in this case, there were no documents defining roles and responsibilities, as a shared clarity of purpose drove the joint effort. As Tunisia works to tackle its broader political and economic challenges, the eVAX platform serves as a compelling example of what the country can accomplish when political will and strong coordination align with citizens’ needs. 5. Project design needs to prioritize early and sustained disbursement and avoid too much complexity where inter-institutional coordination and procurement is a challenge. While the first restructuring resulted in the early disbursement of around $20 million as part of the government’s COVID- 19 response, this front-loading was not originally envisaged as part of the operation’s design. Further, following the success of this initial disbursement, project disbursement relied increasingly on IPF components executed through cumbersome government procurement procedures, and progress slowed considerably as a result, despite significant and sustained investments in Trust Fund-financed TA to help facilitate operational implementation. A substantially higher share of project resources programmed as Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs), or indeed adoption of a Program-for-Results (PforR) instrument, could have helped to counteract this. Secondly, the complexity of the original design, which seeks to re- engineer service delivery in education, social protection, and the Presidency of Government, has grown with the addition of important activities in health, customs, and the National Enterprise Registry through three restructurings before project mid-term. While this has undoubtedly broadened the application of the GovTech approach across government, it has also added to the complexity of the operation and spread resources, both within the government and the World Bank, more thinly, thereby slowing implementation at a time when institutional pressures for disbursement have grown. With complex GovTech operations, it is important to recognize the likely tradeoffs between the breadth of the approach and the speed of implementation. 25 References Dutta, Soumitra and Bruno Lanvin, eds. 2021. “The Network Readiness Index 2021: Shaping t he Global Recovery.� Portulans Institute. https://networkreadinessindex.org/wp- content/uploads/reports/nri_2021.pdf. Karafi, Aicha. 2015. “Tunisia Presents its Open Budget Project: MIZANIATOUNA (Our Budget)�. Arab Voices (blog), December 23, 2015. https://blogs.worldbank.org/arabvoices/tunisia-open-budget-portal. MTC and World Bank. 2020. Diagnostic de l’économie numérique de la Tunisie (French). 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