GOVERNANCE E Q U I TA B L E G R O W T H , F I N A N C E & I N S T I T U T I O N S N OT E S GovTech Maturity Index 2022 Update Regional Brief: Middle East and North Africa March 2023 © 2023 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments 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. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be construed or considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Attribution: Please cite this brief as follows: World Bank. 2023. “GovTech Maturity Index, 2022 Update — Regional Brief: Middle East and North Africa.” Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Notes. Washington, DC: World Bank. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522- 2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. >>> Contents Acknowledgements iii GovTech Maturity Index Regional Briefs 1 Regional Overview 3 Country-Level Overview 6 GovTech Focus Areas 7 Core Government Systems 7 Public Service Delivery 10 Digital Citizen Engagement 13 GovTech Enablers 14 Digital Governance/GovTech Projects 16 Future Directions 19 Resources 21 >>> Acknowledgements This brief was prepared by the GTMI team led by Cem Dener (Task Team Leader, Lead Governance Specialist) and composed of Kimberly Johns (Co-Task Team Leader, Senior Public Sector Specialist), Hubert Nii-Aponsah (Consultant), Charles Victor Blanco (Senior Public Sector Specialist), Hunt La Cascia (Senior Procurement Specialist), Çağla Giray (Consultant), Till Hartmann (Junior Professional Officer), Youngseok Kim (Senior Governance Specialist), Asami Okahashi (Governance Specialist), Freida Siregar (E.T. Consultant), and João Ricardo Vasconcelos (Senior Governance Specialist). Overall guidance for the 2022 GTMI regional briefs was provided by Roby Senderowitsch (Practice Manager), and Arturo Herrera Gutiérrez (Global Director). The team benefited from the comments and contributions of the World Bank Governance and Digital Development Global Practice regional units, as well as the Identification for Development (ID4D) and the Digitizing Government to Person Payments (G2Px) initiatives (EMNGU, EMNRU, IDD03, and IDD08). The team is also thankful to Liudmila Uvarova and Sandra Valdivia Teixeira for their support on dissemination activities. Cyrel Crisologo San Gabriel provided editorial services, and Maria Lopez provided graphic design services. This report was made possible by the World Bank’s GovTech Initiative and the GovTech Global Partnership trust fund. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< iii 1. >>> GovTech Maturity Index Regional Briefs GovTech is a whole-of-government approach to public sector modernization that promotes a simple, efficient, and transparent government with the citizen at the center of reforms.1 The GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) measures the key aspects of four GovTech focus areas in 198 economies—supporting core government systems, enhancing service delivery, mainstreaming citizen engagement, and fostering enablers—and assists government officials, World Bank teams, and practitioners in the design of new projects. Several indexes are available in the public domain for measuring the specific aspects of digital government, including the United Nations (UN) eGovernment Development Index (EGDI) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Digital Government Index. Although these indexes are useful for monitoring the progress of digital government initiatives and good practices in general, none of them fully capture the critical dimensions of digital transformation in the public sector. The GTMI is a comprehensive composite index that comprises 48 key indicators—40 of them are updated or expanded GovTech indicators and eight are highly relevant external indicators, including the UN EGDI. The key indicators measure the relatively less-known aspects of GovTech focus areas across 198 economies. The GTMI is the simple average of the normalized scores of four components: the Core Government Systems Index (CGSI), based on 17 indicators; the Public Service Delivery Index (PSDI), based on nine composite indicators; the Digital Citizen Engagement Index (DCEI), based on six indicators; and the GovTech Enablers Index (GTEI), based on 16 indicators.2 The similarities and differences of the GTMI findings compared with other global indexes are discussed in the GTMI 2020 and 2022 Update reports, which present the GTMI methodology in detail. The GTMI is neither intended to create a ranking, nor capture the extent of GovTech implementation, or assess a country’s readiness for GovTech. Rather, it provides a snapshot of the GovTech maturity and helps in identifying gaps that represent opportunities for improvement. Countries are grouped into four categories, A to D.3 Group A comprises the GovTech leaders demonstrating substantial progress and good practices in all four focus areas. Group B economies have significant GovTech investments and good practices in most of the focus areas. Group C economies have ongoing activities to improve some of the GovTech focus areas. Group D includes economies with minimal focus on GovTech initiatives. 1. The World Bank launched the GovTech Global Partnership (GTGP) Initiative in 2019 to support client countries in their efforts to harness the opportunities of digitalization for public sector modernization. The GovTech approach represents the current frontier of digital government transformation. Please visit the GovTech website for details. 2. The meaning of enablers in this context may be different from the use of enablers and foundations in other World Bank reports or tools, including World Development Reports and the Digital Government Readiness Assessment, and elsewhere within the GovTech context. The GovTech Enablers Index measures the presence of several crosscutting enablers relevant to advancing GovTech; however, it does not quantify their effectiveness or performance. 3. All economies were grouped into four categories, A to D, based on the normalized GTMI scores reflecting the key aspects of four focus areas (A = Very high >=0.75 and <=1; B = High >=0.50 and <0.75; C = Medium >=0.25 and <0.50; D = Low <0.25). EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 1 The GTMI is not comparable to the UN EGDI, since it measures different aspects using different indicators based on the information and evidence provided by government officials or available in government websites. Although similarities exist in about 80 percent of the economies, the GTMI may present a different view than the UN EGDI in some countries (see Appendix C of the GTMI reports for further explanation). Hence, ranking or comparison of countries based on their GTMI component scores may lead to misleading conclusions. Instead, the change in the GTMI group of an economy can be used as an indicator of the progress to avoid any misperception. The GTMI is intended to present the state of play in digital government. When using the GTMI, readers are encouraged to examine the initial pointers presented in the GovTech Dataset and collect further evidence to understand the level of implementation, effectiveness, and reception of GovTech solutions and their enablers in each economy. For a comprehensive diagnostic, the updated Digital Government Readiness Assessment (DGRA) toolkit developed by the Digital Development Global Practice can be used to validate degrees of implementation, expand on all areas, and provide country-specific recommendations. The 2020 edition of the GTMI was based on remote data collection (mainly due to the pandemic). The 2022 GTMI update is essentially based on the World Bank’s GovTech Dataset (October 2022 version), which is publicly available in the World Bank Data Catalog. The dataset captures the online survey responses of formally designated public officials to 48 key indicators and 303 sub-indicators (153 of which are used in the GTMI calculations and the remaining 150 are informative). Additional evidence was gathered in the form of functional URLs and public documents to support the reported progress. The GTMI findings presented in this brief are based on the GovTech dataset to minimize subjectivity biases, which may not be consistent with the available evidence. The dataset will be updated every two years to reflect progress in the four GovTech focus areas. The new GTMI Data Dashboard was launched in November 2022 (together with the 2022 GovTech Dataset) to enable users visualize and explore the data collected on 48 key indicators and related sub-indicators. The GovTech Projects Database (October 2022 version) presents the details of more than 1,440 investments funded by the World Bank in 147 countries since 1995. The projects included in the database cover a broad spectrum of solutions funded by all related global practices of the World Bank.4 As a part of the dissemination activities, a series of regional GTMI briefs were prepared in consultation with the World Bank regional units and country teams to complement the 2022 GTMI Update report, which was released in December 2022. The regional briefs will cover the East and South Africa (AFE), the West and Central Africa (AFW), the East Asia and Pacific (EAP), the Europe and Central Asia (ECA), the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the Middle East and North Africa (MNA), and the South Asia (SAR) regions of the World Bank. Each regional brief presents an overview of the progress within the last two years, together with good practices, gaps, and opportunities identified in public sector digital transformation based on the 2022 GTMI findings, to inform policy decisions and the design of new projects. So far, the GTMI findings have been used in the design of more than 15 new investment lending projects since 2021. Some of the World Bank projects supporting various reforms are also included to complement the presentation of country cases. Please reach out to the GTMI team (gtmi@worldbank.org) for your questions, clarifications, and suggestions on the GTMI update report, datasets, dashboard, or regional briefs. 4. In addition to the projects led by the Governance Global Practice, the database also includes a core part of Digital Development Global Practice’s business lines of data infrastructure and digital public infrastructure and the cross-global-practice initiatives of Identification for Development (ID4D) and Digitizing Government to Person Payments (G2Px), together with the activities of other global practices. The new projects initiated after the October 2022 update of the database may not be captured in this brief. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 2 2. >>> GovTech Maturity Index Regional Brief Middle East and North Africa Regional Overview According to the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) 2022 update for the Middle East and North Africa (MNA) region, 13 countries are in groups A and B, exhibiting substantial focus on GovTech initiatives; the remaining seven countries with medium to low focus are in groups C and D (Figure 1). The initiatives were primarily associated with enhancing the delivery of public services, strengthening core government systems, and improving the GovTech ecosystem. A relatively limited emphasis was placed on improving citizen engagement within the past two years. The regional average GTMI score of 0.591 is higher than the global average of 0.552, which reflects progress in half of the countries moving one level up in the GTMI groups. While the region’s overall position has improved, there are opportunities for further progress in the public sector digital transformation and investments in critical analog complements, as presented in the following sections of the brief. >>> Figure 1: 2022 GTMI Regional Outlook, Middle East and North Africa Morocco Algeria Tunisia Malta Libya Lebanon West Bank & Gaza Egypt Syria Jordan Iraq Kuwait Bahrain Iran GTMI A GovTech Leaders B Significant Focus C Some Focus D Minimal Focus Total # of Economies 8 5 4 3 20 Saudi Arabia Qatar UAE Average GTMI Scores Oman GTMI 0.591 Yemen CGSI 0.597 Djibouti PSDI 0.663 DCEI 0.509 GTEI 0.594 0.0 0.5 1.0 Source: World Bank data (20 economies). Please refer to the 2022 GTMI Update report for details. Note: The regional average GTMI scores in each GovTech focus area and the number of economies in each GTMI group are presented together with the map. GTMI = GovTech Maturity Index, CGSI = Core Government Systems Index, PSDI = Public Service Delivery Index, DCEI = Digital Citizen Engagement Index, GTEI = GovTech Enablers Index. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 3 The 2022 Digital Governance/GovTech projects database shows that 68 projects have been completed in 20 countries by the World Bank global practices since 1995. There are 22 active and three pipeline projects supporting various GovTech solutions as of December 2022. Total commitments are about $6.9 billion, $2.2 billion of which is on GovTech solutions (Table 2). Existing diagnostic reports (Digital Economy Initiative for Africa and Digital Government Readiness Assessment), the 2022 GTMI update, global datasets, and regional briefs can be used to monitor progress in the adoption of digital technologies and to identify priority engagements while designing new activities to address country-specific challenges in the upcoming years. >>> Figure 2: Average GTMI Scores, by GTMI Group, MNA The average GTMI scores of the 20 countries in the region 1.00 1.00 reveal a widening gap between group A and D (Figure 2). 0.815 2020 0.85 2022 Despite an increase in the GTMI regional average from 0.490 0.75 0.653 0.75 0.632 0.591 in 2020 to 0.591 in 2022, the digital divide has increased 0.50 0.490 0.50 because progress was not widely distributed. Although 0.36 0.325 the regional average (0.591) is higher than the global 0.25 0.198 0.25 0.184 average (0.552), there is room to catch up to the current technology frontier. 0.00 0.00 A B C D A B C D # Econ: 2 8 6 4 # Econ: 8 5 4 3 >>> Figure 3: Average GTMI Scores, by Income Level, MNA Progress was noted across all income levels in MNA within 1.00 1.00 the last two years (Figure 3). However, the progress was not 2020 0.837 2022 uniformly distributed, since high-income countries exhibited 0.75 0.673 0.75 0.538 0.591 the most progress (confirming such trend as shown in 0.50 0.464 0.490 0.50 Figure 2). This pattern highlights the need to allocate adequate 0.368 0.385 0.249 resources for critical GovTech investments to advance digital 0.234 0.25 0.25 transformation in the public sector. 0.00 0.00 H UM LM L H UM LM L # Econ: 7 5 6 2 # Econ: 7 3 8 2 Source: World Bank data (20 economies). Note: MNA = Middle East and North Africa, GTMI = GovTech Maturity Index, H = high-income economies, UM = upper-middle-income economies, LM = lower-middle-income economies, L = low-income economies. The MNA region includes a significant number of economies in groups A and B (13 out of 20, or 65 percent) (Figure 4). This is higher than most of the regions, demonstrating stronger focus on the GovTech agenda in Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, and six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman). The region’s remaining seven countries exhibited medium to low focus on GovTech, an indication of the opportunities for further progress in the public sector digital transformation agenda. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 4 >>> Figure 4: GovTech Maturity in the World Bank Regions, by GTMI Group, 2022 AFE 4 14 5 3 AFW 11 5 5 1 EAP 7 7 5 6 ECA 1 3 10 16 LAC 3 11 7 11 MNA 3 4 5 8 SAR 3 3 2 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Economies D C B A Source: World Bank data (163 economies). Note: AFE = East and Southern Africa, AFW = West and Central Africa, EAP = East Asia and Pacific, ECA = Europe and Central Asia, LAC = Latin America and the Caribbean, MNA = Middle East and North Africa, SAR = South Asia. The MNA countries are mainly focused on GovTech initiatives associated with enhancing the delivery of public services, like most of the other regions. Some emphasis was also placed on strengthening of core government systems and the broader GovTech environment (Figure 5). However, the region followed a pattern similar to other regions where there was slow progress in improving citizen engagement. This indicates a need to allocate more resources to address existing gaps in CivicTech and other focus areas highlighted in subsequent sections. >>> Figure 5: Average GTMI Scores by Region, 2022 1.00 0.75 0.50 0.25 0.00 AFE AFW EAP ECA LAC MNA SAR Avg CGSI Avg PSDI Avg DCEI Avg GTEI Source: World Bank data (covering 163 economies in all regions). Note: AFE = East and Southern Africa, AFW = West and Central Africa, EAP = East Asia and Pacific, ECA = Europe and Central Asia, LAC = Latin America and the Caribbean, MNA = Middle East and North Africa, SAR = South Asia, CGSI = Core Government Systems Index, PSDI = Public Service Delivery Index, DCEI = Digital Citizen Engagement Index, GTEI = GovTech Enablers Index. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 5 3. >>> Country-Level Overview Most of the countries in the region (85 percent) participated in the 2022 Central Government GTMI online survey and provided a comprehensive information about their digital transformation initiatives. For the three non-participating countries—Iraq, Libya, and Yemen—the GTMI team collected relevant data remotely from the government websites (except new performance-related sub-indicators). Compared with the 2020 GTMI data, 10 economies (Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia) advanced to a higher GTMI group (Table 1). The remaining 10 countries maintained their positions. The reduction in the total number of countries in groups C and D (from 10 to 7) and advances in other groups indicate that there was substantial progress in several focus areas within the last two years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic challenges. >>> Table 1: Overview of the GTMI Groups, MNA, 2022 Group A Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Malta, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates B Algeria, Iran, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia C Djibouti, Lebanon¯, Syrian Arab Republic¯*, West Bank and Gaza¯ D Iraq¯, Libya¯*, Yemen¯* GTMI Very High High Medium Low Source: World Bank data (20 economies). Economies in group GovTech leaders Significant focus on GovTech Some focus on GovTech Minimal focus on GovTech Total Economies 8 5 4 3 20 %E 40% 25% 20% 15% Note: Blue represents a movement to a higher GTMI group and red indicates a drop from a higher GTMI group compared with the 2020 GTMI data. Black implies no change in the GTMI group. % E means percentage of the economies included in the relevant group. Economies highlighted with (*) did not participate in the 2022 Central Government GTMI online survey. Fragile and conflict-affected economies are shown with (¯). Conflict and violence continue to hamper progress in GovTech maturity in the MNA region. Six MNA economies are currently impacted by fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS). About a quarter (115 million) of the total MNA population of 477 million live in economies impacted by FCS. In the MNA region, FCS economies have a GTMI score three times lower than that of non-FCS economies. The level of conflict and fragility is a key contextual factor that should be considered when designing and implementing GovTech reforms in MNA. That said, these FCS-impacted economies are also home to 36 percent of the active or pipeline World Bank projects, with Iraq and the West Bank and Gaza making up the majority. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 6 4. >>> GovTech Focus Areas The GTMI data collected encompasses 40 key indicators (35 existing, 5 new). They are presented below to reflect the state of four GovTech focus areas, together with selected good practices and possible improvements. Eight external indicators used in the calculation of the GTMI groups are not included in Figures 6 to 9 and their indicator numbers are not displayed. Please refer to the GTMI report for a detailed explanation of all 48 GTMI indicators. Core Government Systems Most countries already have several core public financial management and other systems in place to support central government operations (such as financial management information system, tax, customs, human resources management information system, payroll, social insurance, e-procurement, and debt management). However, only two economies have an open-source software policy and four economies have a public investment management system (Figure 6.1). Indicators like government cloud, enterprise architecture, interoperability, and service bus are key to transitioning to shared government platforms, reducing costs, and improving the efficiency of operations. Of the MNA economies, take-up is currently less than 50%. There have been improvements in 10 out of 14 existing Core Government Systems Index (CGSI) indicators compared with the 2020 GTMI data. The most visible increase in scores is for the government cloud indicator (responses improved in 45 percent of countries), followed by the National Strategy on Disruptive Technology (30 percent) (Figure 6.2). Despite an overall positive trend, the progress is visible in only a small number of countries. Two new key indicators (denoted by N) did not reveal substantial progress in the use of social insurance/pension systems and interoperability frameworks within the past two years. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 7 >>> >>> Figure 6.1: CGSI Indicator-Level Responses, MNA, 2022 Figure 6.2: Changes since 2020 Nat’l Strategy on Disruptive Tech I-17 10 1 9 I-17 5% 30% Open Source Software Policy I-15 2 6 12 I-15 10% 20% Public Investment Mgmt System I-14 4 2 14 I-14 5% 20% Debt Management System I-13 18 1 1 I-13 10% 5% e-Procurement Portal I-12 15 1 4 I-12 10% 20% Social Insurance/Pension System I-11 18 1 1 I-11 N 0% 0% Payroll System I-10 16 1 3 I-10 5% 10% Human Resources MIS I-9 17 3 I-9 0% 15% Customs Mgmt Information System I-8 19 1 I-8 0% 10% Tax Mgmt Information System I-7 17 1 2 I-7 5% 20% Treasury Single Account I-6 10 4 6 I-6 15% 15% Financial Mgmt Information System I-5 19 1 0% I-5 5% Government Service Bus I-4 9 4 7 15% I-4 15% Gov Interoperability Framework I-3 7 8 5 0% I-3 N 5% Gov Enterprise Architecture I-2 9 1 10 0% I-2 25% Government Cloud I-1 9 5 6 10% I-1 45% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Yes Planned / In progress No % Decrease % Increase Source: World Bank data (20 economies). Note: CGSI = Core Government Systems Index, MIS = management information system, MNA = Middle East and North Africa, N = new indicator. New initiatives could focus more on improving the effective use and interoperability of existing systems, shared digital infrastructure (e.g., government cloud, service bus), and data governance. New initiatives could also promote the use of innovative technologies and open-source solutions, to reduce the cost of investments and create more sustainable platforms supporting the whole-of- government approach, service delivery improvements, and digital citizen engagement. Selected good practices and opportunities for improving CGSI are detailed below: ● Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Authority (DGA)—supported by the Digital Development Global Practice through the Reimbursable Advisory Service (P177960)—consolidated the different platforms and websites of various government entities through a one-stop shop portal (gov.sa). The portal is accessed through a single sign-in registration and authentication system and allows users to access services through the eServices catalogue, available in English and Arabic. The government adopted the same enterprise architecture and has consolidated its previously fragmented cloud-based services through a one-cloud service (G Cloud) managed by the National Information Center (NIC) under the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). ● Oman introduced an interoperability framework (OeGAF – Technical Reference Model) in 2018 and adopted a government cloud policy in 2021. The OeGAF framework is currently only partially used, but encompasses the whole of government with a vision to use it as a shared interoperability framework for central and local governments. The framework includes data quality assurance, a system to monitor the “uptime” of information systems, and provides guidance for replacing legacy information systems. The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT) is the key entity leading the “integrated government” approach and other digital transformation reforms. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 8 ● In Morocco, the e-Procurement System (operational since 2007) is being enhanced as part of the broader reforms in public procurement, public finance, and public administration. There are no fees for document download or bid uploading. Electronic submission is currently mandatory, starting from a specific threshold, and is expected to be generalized by end of 2023. Additionally, the bid security process has been digitalized through the eGP portal, representing a great achievement within the MNA region. Other initiatives supported by the Public Sector Performance (ENNAJAA) Program (P169330) include the enactment of the Public Procurement Observatory and the use of Open Contracting Data Standards. The eGP portal is currently being assessed by the World Bank for its potential use in World-Bank-financed projects. ● Djibouti moved from group D to C, propelled by progress in its core government systems and GovTech enablers. To advance this progress, several projects were launched within the last two years for establishing shared digital infrastructure; modernizing core government systems (e.g., FMIS, e-procurement portal/Marchés Publics [public markets], government service bus based on X-road for data sharing); developing components that are not yet present (like government enterprise architecture and cloud); and ensuring prioritization, reliability, and overall accessibility. The design of the eGP portal was completed in June 2022, and it is expected to be rolled out for public use in 2023. Other platforms are expected to be completed by end of 2024. The Public Administration Modernization Project (P162904) in Djibouti aims to strengthen various GovTech areas, including core government systems. The project objectives are to increase access to e-government and promote efficiency in revenue administration services. While still ongoing, this project has supported the government in developing a state-of-the-art digital code that covers all legal and regulatory aspects of a modern digital economy, developing a cybersecurity strategy, implementing a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), connecting eight public platforms to the government’s interoperable platforms (from zero), introducing involvement of 200 citizens (of which half are women) in the design or delivery of e-services, and increasing the share of customs declaration filed electronically from zero to 45 percent. The project team and client government continue to deepen these achievements, while also working toward developing a new tax administration information system and upgrading the existing budget, accounting, and HRMIS systems. ● In Tunisia, the e-GP system follows the existing procurement legislative framework of the Government of Tunisia. The e-GP platform (TUNEPS) is centrally managed by the High Authority of the Public Procurement (HAICOP) within the Presidency of the Government. An assessment conducted by the World Bank in January 2023 shows that it exhibits many good features/ functionalities. The system is strengthening the key procurement principles of transparency, non-discrimination, equality of access, open competition, accountability, and security of the processes. TUNEPS was recently improved to meet international standards, and a new version (TUNEPS 2) is now available. The January 2023 assessment revealed that the new features include a two-stage bidding process and bid withdrawals before the submission deadline. Also, TUNEPS 2 includes a module on e-guarantees for bid security, and it allows documents with larger size to be uploaded by bidders. The principles of Open Contracting Data Standards (OCDS) have also been adopted and incorporated into the new system. ● In Egypt, the existing e-Tenders platform features suppliers’ registration that includes authentication checks and the ability to publish bid invitations. Although the system has preliminary characteristics of an integrated e-GP, it lacks several important aspects, and line ministries continue publishing their tenders on ministry websites. Egypt is developing a comprehensive integrated e-GP system to be managed by the Ministry of Finance, with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The World Bank is supporting the project by building the capacity of procurement officials. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 9 ● In Jordan, the Government Financial Management Information System (GFMIS) is fully rolled out to all line ministries and is used for budget preparation and execution. The government has completed several important digital infrastructure projects such as the Secure Government Network connecting 128 government agencies, which is based on international standards to enhance cybersecurity and maintain the security of mutual information. The Ministry of Digital Economy has made progress in completing the National Fiber Optic Network (NBN) project, which has enhanced the spread of high-speed Internet throughout Jordan. The Private Government Cloud (GPC) has been available since 2014 to provide a range of essential cloud services to government entities and others. Supported by the World-Bank-financed project, Youth, Technology, and Jobs (P170669), a back-end government digital payment system is being implemented and tested. An e-procurement platform (JONEPS) is used by the central procuring agencies for contracts above defined ceilings. Deployment in a decentralized manner is in progress and large procurers such as the Ministry of Education, Health, and Digital Economy are now enrolled. Currently, about 4,000 users are registered and an average of 700 bids are processed annually. ● In West Bank and Gaza, the MoF has been using a financial management information system (FMIS) platform since 2008 to support budget planning, execution, reporting, and other public financial management (PFM) functions. FMIS is linked with several other PFM systems through “Data Link” (based on X-Road) and has had automated data exchange since 2014. The ongoing Public Financial Management Improvement (PFMI) Project (P162850) and PFMI Phase 2 (P177742) aim to enhance the expenditure controls, financial accountability, and procurement management of the Palestinian Authority. The project leverages GovTech solutions (i.e., strengthening of an e-procurement portal and working toward interoperability and easier data exchange) to improve the efficiency and scope of core systems. The procurement portal will provide access for all procurement entities to post their plans, notices, and contract awards and improve expenditure management and control. By January 2023, all central-level procurement entities and 83% of municipalities were already using the portal. The existing government service bus has been used for data exchange between e-Referrals (Ministry of Health) and IFMIS (Ministry of Finance) for better monitoring of referral-related expenditures. Similarly, data exchange between payroll and human resources management systems has been automated to develop a wage bill control mechanism. Public Service Delivery Most economies in the MNA region already have e-payment services (85 percent), a job portal (80 percent), and an online tax service portal (70 percent). More than half have online portals for providing access to all available administrative public services as well as separate social insurance/pension service portals. Also, about 40 percent of the economies have integrated customs single window, while other countries have plans to launch these platforms in upcoming years (Figure 7.1). Compared with the 2020 GTMI data, there was a substantial increase in responses to e-payment services (35 percent) and a sharp decrease in responses to the customs services/single window indicator (60 percent). This decrease can be explained by the additional questions included in the 2022 GTMI update, which captured additional details about platform capabilities. Responses to two new key indicators (social insurance/pension and job portals) revealed that the existing platforms were maintained without major improvements within the last two years (Figure 7.2). EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 10 >>> >>> Figure 7.1: PSDI Indicator-Level Responses, MNA, 2022 Figure 7.2: Changes since 2020 0% Job Portal I-25 16 4 I-25 N 0% 0% Social Ins/Pension Online Services I-24 12 2 6 I-24 N 0% 60% Customs Services/Single Window I-23 8 6 6 I-23 0% 0% e-Payment Services I-22 17 3 I-22 35% 15% e-Filing for Tax/Customs I-21 13 1 6 I-21 20% 25% Tax Online Service Portal I-20 14 2 4 I-20 10% 20% Online Public Service Portal I-19 11 8 1 I-19 20% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Yes Planned / In progress No % Decrease % Increase Source: World Bank data (20 economies). Note: MNA = Middle East and North Africa, N = new indicator, PSDI = Public Service Delivery Index. GovTech initiatives could invest more in enhancing the performance and effectiveness of existing portals, while beginning to expand the adoption of solutions across sectors according to contextual opportunities. Effective public service portals are not only valuable to policymakers and constituents but they also create knowledge on what works locally. Also, the human-centric design of transactional services is becoming more important in all countries. Some of the good practices related to online public service delivery platforms are presented below: ● In April 2022, Jordan’s Ministry of Labor launched the National Employment Platform (Sajjil). This is an important foundation, but there is room to deepen its functionalities and incorporate citizen needs. Currently, jobseekers and organizations can register themselves and search the portal (in the case of the jobseeker) or post a job (in the case of the employer), but they cannot yet make applications or view jobs for public employees—these are displayed on a separate portal. As citizens and businesses were not involved in designing this site, meaningfully involving them in future iterations of the portal—and deepening its functions according to their needs—is one strong area of promise for Jordan in this field. The Jordan Youth, Technology and Jobs (P170669) project is a multi-disciplinary investment that supports GovTech, digital skills, and job opportunities. The Government of Jordan highlights the expansion of e-government as a key priority to enhance transparency, reduce burdens and costs on citizens and businesses, and contribute to economic growth. The project supports the improvement of existing e-services and further expansion of G2C and G2B services. Benefiting from the shared digital infrastructure, the government has launched over 600 e-services covering several services and agencies. Through the SANAD platform (mobile app and web), citizens and businesses can access 80 mostly transactional online services. The project is supporting improvements to existing services to ensure that these are citizen-centric and offer additional functionalities, including digital payments. The Jordan Public Sector Modernization program (P180291), which is under preparation, will include citizen-centered improvements to government efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, accountability, and service delivery. ● In Lebanon, the Inter-Ministerial and Municipal Platform for Assessment, Coordination and Tracking (IMPACT) open data platform was launched in 2021 despite the extremely difficult conditions in the country. The two most prominent IMPACT modules are COVID-19 vaccination and ESSN (known as DAEM). Other countries, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, relied on IMPACT’s experience (and source code) to produce EU-compliant vaccination certificates. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 11 ● Based on the 2022 GTMI survey responses, Egypt moved from group B to A with reported improvements in all GovTech focus areas outside of citizen engagement. The eGovernment portal provides access to all available online services (e.g., birth registration, notarization, and utility bills) and allows the use of electronic signatures and submission of citizen complaints. More than 350 Government Services Centers have been established countrywide to expand coverage. The existing tax portal includes support for e-payment services, and the social insurance portal provides access to reports on involvement of citizens in its design. Further details on the use and performance of service delivery channels could be released through relevant portals to ensure and deepen the reliability, access, and quality of such core systems. One component of the Supporting Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS) Project (P172426) is strengthening the capacity and governance systems of UHIS-related agencies. This entails supporting the roll-out of a modular UHIS information system, setting up a one-stop shop for licensing of private primary healthcare services, and creating a Big Data Analytics unit within Universal Health Insurance Authority (UHIA). While this project is ongoing, the development of the key components needed to operationalize an effective public service delivery system—UHIA’s Beneficiary Management System (BMS), a provider empanelment enrollment module, a claim management module, and a supply chain procurement module—has been partially completed. ● Tunisia’s government service portal provides access to more than 550 services online and has a mobile app to help expand the coverage to rural areas. Additionally, tax and customs service portals, e-payment services, and a jobs portal are available. Also, an online service portal for social insurance (CNAM) presents information about health insurance, social insurance, and the benefits provided for those experiencing accidents or illness at work. The World Bank has supported some of Tunisia’s key service delivery reforms since 2019. The World Bank’s Digital Transformation for User-Centric Public Services (P168425) project is strengthening the access and quality of Tunisia’s service delivery, with a primary focus on social sectors (social protection, education, and health) as well as business services (customs and national enterprise registry). The project is citizen-centric and problem-driven by design. A citizen journey map was used during the project design phase to identify service delivery bottlenecks from the user perspective, pinpoint priority service areas, and define the project components and activities that correspond with the service delivery challenges. The project works with the client government to support citizen-centered reform processes through a combination of change management and digital technologies. It is centered on a Life Events Approach to reform service delivery, with four life event action plans in education and social protection, so far receiving or pending cabinet approval. The GovTech component is primarily supporting the enhancement of school connectivity. This includes financing of local area networks (LANs) of 591 high schools already connected via fiber optics, wide area network (WAN) connection of 1,636 schools, new LAN connection of 1,600 schools and colleges, and 4G connection with WiFi hotspot of 60 schools to be completed by mid-2025. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 12 Digital Citizen Engagement In the MNA region, five countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan) have relatively high Digital Citizen Engagement Index (DCEI) scores compared with other economies. Existing platforms could be improved further to offer citizens the opportunity to participate effectively in issues that affect them (Figure 8.1). >>> >>> Figure 8.1: DCEI Indicator-Level Responses, MNA, 2022 Figure 8.2: Changes since 2020 Citizen Engagement Stats Public I-32 5 15 I-32 10% 10% Gov Platform for Citizen Feedback I-31 I-31 0% 15 5 35% Nat’l Platform for Citizen Particip I-30 0% 12 8 I-30 15% Open Data Portal I-29 0% 16 4 I-29 5% 0% Open Government Portal I-28 12 8 I-28 35% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Yes No % Decrease % Increase Source: World Bank data (20 economies). Note: DCEI = Digital Citizen Engagement Index, MNA = Middle East and North Africa. Specifically, 12 out of 20 countries (60 percent) reported having national platforms for citizen participation, as well as government portals containing current government data and informative publications to enhance good governance. Significantly fewer countries (5 out of 20, or 25 percent) publish citizen engagement statistics to help monitor and track progress. Most countries in the region (75 percent) have platforms for citizen feedback on policy issues or public services, as well as open data portals and open government initiatives. Between 2020 and 2022, 35 percent of the countries improved their responses to the implementation status of open government portals and government platforms that receive feedback, revealing some positive developments (Figure 8.2). Fifteen percent of the countries also established or enhanced national platforms intended for citizens to participate in policy issues. Marginal progress was recorded with respect to the establishment and use of open data portals in 5 percent of the countries. However, Malta and Tunisia regressed in their efforts to publish citizen engagement statistics. On the other hand, Qatar and Bahrain made progress toward publishing citizen engagement statistics between 2020 and 2022. Selected good practice cases related to digital citizen engagement are presented below: ● Qatar‘s Hukoomi portal has been available since 2008 as an integrated citizen participation and feedback platform. The government publishes citizen engagement statistics, including information related to the use of mobile apps provided by various entities, to promote transparency between the government and its citizens in line with Qatar National Vision 2030. The e-participation portal also enables public participation in the policymaking process. Various channels include opportunities to participate in relevant polls and surveys, make suggestions to the prime minister, and offer feedback including complaints or constructive criticisms. Citizens can also inquire about government services and express their opinions through various social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. ● Bahrain’s open data portal provides a comprehensive sectoral data (mostly in time series) and offers advanced features for analyzing, visualizing, and reporting, which are updated quarterly. The portal is flexible and user-friendly, enabling users to query varied combinations of data. However, the updates are manual in nature, and application programming interfaces could be used to benefit from dynamic updates. The Tawasul allows the public to file complaints, as well as the chance to follow up on previous ones that have not yet been addressed. In addition, citizen engagement statistics are published through the bahrain.bh portal. Social media channels are also available to strengthen communication channels between the government and the citizens. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 13 ● In Morocco, the Digital Development Agency (ADD) has launched a new version of the open data portal, based on the recommendations of the Open Data Readiness Assessment, to promote the transparency of the administration and to maximize the impact of opening and sharing public data. According to statistics available on the portal, 407 datasets have been published so far. Additionally, the open government portal was launched in 2020 to allow transparent tracking of the extent to which public institutions implement the National Action Plan (2021–2023) for a more open government. The ADD is also focused on improving the interoperability of government systems through a new data exchange platform between administrations (Priority). ● Saudi Arabia’s National Open Data Portal allows potential users to access, download, and harness the integrated data of ministries and government agencies in the Kingdom. Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA)—supported by the Digital Development Global Practice through a RAS (P179960)—is implementing the national open data policy. The advisory work aims to strengthen the legal and regulatory environment for public data sharing. GovTech Enablers Improvements in GovTech Enablers Index (GTEI) indicators are highly visible in eight economies in the region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, and Malta). Overall, more than 60 percent of the economies have recently updated their digital transformation strategies, have dedicated digital government entities broadly overseeing GovTech initiatives, and have institutions focused on public sector innovation (Figure 9.1). However, public sector innovation strategies exist in only seven countries. An institutionalized whole-of-government (WoG) approach, as well as strategies and programs designed to improve digital skills, are also limited since positive responses were documented in only about half of the countries. However, momentum is building toward the institutionalization of a WoG approach, since eight countries have progressed in this area. Since 2020, MNA countries have exerted significant efforts on GovTech enablers to foster digital transformation. Based on the 2022 GTMI survey responses, there are significant increases in countries working toward a WoG approach to digital transformation and utilizing a dedicated entity to coordinate these efforts (Figure 9.2). Other important areas of focus are ensuring a conducive legal and regulatory environment for GovTech to flourish and fostering innovation and upskilling. Selected good practices and opportunities for improving GovTech enablers are summarized below: ● Djibouti has developed a roadmap in 2022 for national digital transformation, including the opportunities provided to startups or SMEs for innovation. Also, the government has plans to provide public–private partnership (PPP) arrangements in providing online public services, which is an important starting point. Further improvements are possible to direct government and private sector investments and planning toward improving public sector digital skills and innovation. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 14 >>> >>> Figure 9.1: GTEI Indicator-Level Responses, MNA, 2022 Figure 9.2: Changes since 2020 Gov Policy on GovTech Startups I-48 12 8 I-48 N 0% 35% I-47 0% Gov Entity for PS Innovation I-47 13 1 6 40% I-46 10% Public Sector Innovation Strategy I-46 7 5 8 45% I-45 5% Gov Strategy/Prog on Digital Skills I-45 10 5 5 55% 5% Digital Signature Platform I-42 13 5 2 I-42 55% 0% Data Protection Authority I-39 9 4 7 I-39 30% 0% Data Protection/Privacy Laws I-38 12 5 3 I-38 30% 0% Right to Information Laws I-37 11 2 7 I-37 30% 0% Whole-of-Government Approach I-36 9 8 3 I-36 75% 35% GovTech/Digital Transf Strategy I-35 13 4 3 I-35 5% 0% Dedicated Data Governance Entity I-34 10 1 9 I-34 30% 0% Dedicated DG/GovTech Entity I-33 18 1 1 I-33 95% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Yes Planned / In progress No % Decrease % Increase Source: World Bank data (20 economies). Note: DG = digital governance, GTEI = GovTech Enablers Index, MNA = Middle East and North Africa, N = new indicator, PS = public sector. The Djibouti Digital Foundations Project (P174461) is designed to improve digital skills and services via a capacity building course and digital skills development program. Other activities are supporting the enabling environment for a digitally capable government, private sector, and society: improving Internet access (i.e., faster and more affordable Internet) for the government and the market; increasing the online presence of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and their use of digital technologies; and leveraging the value of private sector investment to make these changes more sustainable. ● In Saudi Arabia, the Digital Government Authority (established in 2021) is mandated to guide digital transformation to reach a proactive digital government capable of providing highly efficient digital services and achieve integration among all government agencies. The digital transformation strategy is already operating, and a whole-of-government approach has been institutionalized in the country. Additionally, the GovTech program aims to stimulate innovation and enable adoption of emerging technologies in government agencies by harnessing emerging technologies to improve the efficiency of government services. ● In the United Arab Emirates, the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025 focuses on creating a broad cross-sectoral government commitment and buy-in for embedding digital transformation aspects into overall government strategies. The UAE has institutionalized the WoG approach and provided several programs to create an enabling environment for GovTech to thrive. For instance, the Virtual Academy offers courses and programs to develop professional, commercial, and technical skills to advance digital transformation. The target group includes students, business representatives, employees, and anyone with a passion for learning. A digital verification platform is also provided to instantly verify the source of a legal document. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 15 5. >>> Digital Governance/GovTech Projects Historically, most of the World-Bank-funded digital governance (DG) projects have supported the establishment or modernization of core government systems, digital infrastructure, connectivity, social safety nets, health, education, and other sector applications within the last two decades. New activities (active and pipeline projects launched within the last five years) are focused on the implementation of new digital transformation programs, online service delivery channels, citizen engagement, and other critical components of the GovTech ecosystem. A summary of 93 DG investments funded by the World Bank in 11 MNA countries since 1995 is presented in Table 2.5 This section presents a summary of World Bank funded activities led by related global practices supporting the public sector digital transformation.6 The Governance Global Practice (GGP) is leading one pipeline and 10 active GovTech projects in nine MNA countries to support the modernization and integration of core government systems (FMIS, tax, HRMIS, etc.), extension of online public services, citizen engagement and e-procurement portals, and other public administration reforms. The Digital Development Global Practice (DD GP) is leading two active projects and one pipeline project in three countries7 to support digital transformation programs and digital connectivity solutions.8 GGP and DD GP teams are collaborating in Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and West Bank and Gaza. Other practices (Education; Health; Social Protection; Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation [FCI]; and other units) are leading the remaining one pipeline and 10 active projects focused on sector-specific applications (including management information systems, cash transfer and payment systems, and justice information systems). Most of the World-Bank-funded projects have supported digital government investments in Yemen, West Bank and Gaza, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, and Jordan so far (about 87 percent of the 93 projects). The current portfolio includes 25 active and pipeline GovTech projects in eight countries, and most of these are supporting multisectoral solutions mainly related to central government systems, public services, and enabling environment. The DD GP and GGP teams are also leading eight Reimbursable Advisory Support (RAS) activities in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait to support various digital solutions related to smart government, civil service and budget system modernization, public procurement, and oversight institutions as part of their advisory support activities. 5. The Digital Governance/GovTech Projects Database includes most of the WBG investments since 1995. However, some of the recently approved projects or previous projects without a relevant theme code or tagging may not be visible in the dataset. 6. See World Bank. 2022. “An Overview of World Bank Group Digital Governance and GovTech Projects.” Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Notes – Governance. Washington DC: World Bank. 7. DD GP projects include an IDA commitment annex that describes the contribution to the GovTech agenda. 8. DD GP business lines include (1) Broadband Connectivity, Access, and Use; (2) Digital Data Infrastructure; (3) ICT Industry and Digital Jobs; (4) Digital Safeguards; (5) Digital for Climate; and (6) Accelerating Digital Use Cases Across Sectors. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 16 The Digital West Bank and Gaza Project (P174355), co-led by Digital Development and Governance teams, brings together investments to further connectivity, e-government services, and e-government procurement. The project is focused on several key components of GovTech enabling environment including whole-of-government digital strategy, legal and regulatory reforms, and capacity building. Ongoing activities will support the establishment of the e-procurement (eGP) platform and the expansion of user-centric digital services, including access points in post offices, thereby providing citizens access to e-services via the Palestine.ps platform. The eGP platform is being developed and managed by the High Council of Public Procurement Policies, an independent authority in charge of public procurement activities and policies in the Palestinian Authority. There are two active digital transformation projects (Djibouti, West Bank and Gaza) led by the DD GP teams that are highly relevant to all four GovTech focus areas. These activities are focused on strengthening digital economy, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure solutions for emergency response, broadband connectivity, mobilizing finance for development (MFD), fiber optic infrastructure, government-to-citizen (G2C) and government-to-business (G2B) e-services, accelerated development of e-services, and e-government procurement (e-GP). FCI is leading another relevant activity in Jordan, including support for digital economy, digital literacy and skills development, innovation policy, and other enablers. GGP teams are leading three digital governance/GovTech projects (active projects in Morocco and Tunisia and a pipeline project in Jordan) supporting core government system modernization (FMIS, tax, e-procurement, HRMIS/payroll), online services, and citizen engagement. Other cross-practice activities are focused on new digital transformation initiatives to accelerate digitalization in key sectors including education, health, energy, agriculture, and social protection, as well as in digital entrepreneurship, payment systems, statistics, and land administration. Additionally, the Geo-Enabling initiative for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS) has been supporting the systematic enhancement of monitoring and evaluation, as well as supervision of investments in fragile and conflict-affected countries since 2018. The DD GP teams—in collaboration with Legal – Operations Policy Unit (LEGOP)—have also conducted assessments of data practices in Jordan9 and Morocco as an illustration of the MNA region. The findings concluded that data governance remains an evolving landscape, requiring stakeholder flexibility and dynamism to develop principle-based and technology-neutral laws and regulations. Effective implementation requires capable, well-resourced and (where appropriate) independent government institutions, established private sector players, innovative startups, empowered individuals, and civil society organizations. The evolution of these stakeholders and data governance practices in MNA illustrates the opportunities and challenges in enabling the creation of socioeconomic value from trusted data use. Mitigating the challenges and exploiting the opportunities require a long-term strategic vision that balances security and data protection on one hand with user-centric enablers on the other, at the forefront of the data governance agenda in the region. Identification for Development (ID4D) and Digitizing Government to Person Payments (G2Px) initiatives are also helping several countries, including Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, in building identification systems and in transitioning to digital G2P payments in a human-centered, rights-preserving, and trust-fostering manner. Also, ID4D diagnostic reports have been prepared for Morocco (2016) and Tunisia (2020). There are ongoing G2Px engagements in Jordan and Tunisia. 9. World Bank and MENA Tech. 2021. Data Practices in MENA: Case Study—Opportunities and Challenges in Jordan. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 17 In June 2022, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior hosted delegations from Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Philippines for an in-person knowledge exchange, to share their experiences with the National Population Registry of Morocco. Delegations have learned how Morocco is using the ID system to onboard people to the National Social Registry so they can access social protection programs without having to travel to a physical center. In Tunisia, the flagship social assistance program, Amen Social, was initially only using the Tunisian postal service to deliver cash transfers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The G2Px team is supporting the design and implementation of the Amen emergency cash transfers, including the digital registration platform and choice-based model, as well as the assessment of digital choice-based approaches in the context of regular social assistance and pension payments. Recipients can now register digitally and select their preferred digital payment method from a choice of five payment service providers. Jordan has been working toward a modern G2P architecture since before the pandemic. In 2019, the government launched Takaful as its flagship social assistance program implemented by the National Aid Fund (NAF), later rebranding it as the Unified Cash Transfer Program (UCT) in preparation for merging the older NAF program and Takaful under one umbrella. The UCT, which aims to cover roughly 15 percent of the population, offers beneficiaries the choice of receiving payments in an e-wallet or basic bank account, with a number of providers. Based on the findings of the 2021 ID4D report and dataset, an estimated 850 million people worldwide (about half of them are children), often individuals within the most marginalized and vulnerable groups, lack an officially recognized ID. Many more have IDs that are not suited for the digital age or that put their data privacy at risk. Based on the ID4D global dataset, the estimated number of people in MNA countries without an ID is about 39 million (8 percent of 477 million total population in 20 MNA countries). Bridging this ID ownership gap is critical to ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity. Hence, future projects could also focus more on supporting sustainable identification systems to realize the global commitment to “leave no one behind.” EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 18 6. >>> Future Directions New projects could focus more on the adoption of a whole-of-government approach, digital citizen engagement, digital public infrastructure, data governance, cybersecurity, coordination of ongoing activities, monitoring and reporting of digital spending and results, and other key components of the GovTech enabling environment (e.g., leadership, effective regulations, accountable institutions, digital skills, innovation, and incentives for startups) to maximize the benefits of the government’s investments. The following opportunities exist in all countries to address key digital transformation challenges: ● Institutionalization of the whole-of-government approach by allocating the necessary resources, coordinating large-scale digital governance initiatives, and monitoring and reporting the results. ● Digital transformation of local government services, shared local infrastructure, and the intergovernmental fiscal relations. ● Use of technology and geospatial data and climate models to assess and mitigate the risks of climate change on public investments and assets. ● Transition to shared digital platforms (e.g., government private cloud, service bus, digital signature) for cost-effective, reliable, and secure hosting services. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 19 ● Improving the interoperability and interconnectivity of existing government systems and online services through government service bus and application programming interfaces (APIs), ideally based on open-source solutions. ● Building digital public infrastructure (DPI) to enable the provision of essential society-wide functions and services for identification and authentication, data exchange, and payments that are fundamental to social and economic development. ● Daily use of existing PFM information systems (FMIS, tax, e-procurement, HRMIS) to record and report all transactions for decision support, performance monitoring, and timely web publishing of budget results. ● Additional investments on technical/digital skills development and public sector innovation to ensure the sustainability and expansion of digital solutions, with a focus on gender balance. ● Alignment of the development partner support, and agreement on a clear strategic plan for digital transformation to avoid duplication of investments and activities. ● Exploration of the use of artificial intelligence/machine learning in specific public sector applications in collaboration with the private sector and civil society organizations. ● Allocation of adequate government resources for the operation and maintenance of existing systems/platforms to ensure their sustainability. ● Focusing more on improving Internet access, concrete outcomes for the citizens, and digitalization of end-to-end public services in the next generation of digital transformation projects. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 20 >>> Resources ● The GovTech Data Dashboard presents maps and graphs allowing users to digest and explore the findings of the GovTech Dataset and the GovTech projects database. ● The GovTech Dataset presents the GTMI data for 198 economies. ● The GovTech projects database presents the details of more than 1,450 activities funded by the World Bank in 147 countries since 1995. ● DE4A Country Diagnostics, Digital Development, July 2022. ● ID4D Global Dataset, Digital Development, December 2022. ● ID4D Principles, 2021 (2nd Edition). ● ID4D Practitioner’s Guide, October 2019. ● GEMS: Geo-Enabling initiative for Monitoring and Supervision10 managed by the Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) Group. GovTech publications are classified into five categories: crosscutting, core government systems, public service delivery, citizen engagement, and GovTech enablers. ● GovTech Maturity Index, 2022 Update: Trends in Public Sector Digital Transformation, Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions (EFI) Insight – Governance, December 2022. ● An Overview of World Bank Group Digital Governance and GovTech Projects, EFI Notes – Governance, December 2022. ● Interoperability: Towards a Data-Driven Public Sector, EFI Insight – Governance, January 2023. ● CivicTech: Transparency, Engagement, and Collaboration for Better Governance, EFI Insight – Governance, July 2022. ● Tech Savvy: Advancing GovTech Reforms in Public Administration, EFI Insight – Governance, April 2022. ● Service Upgrade: The GovTech Approach to Citizen Centered Services, EFI Insight – Governance, March 2022. ● Institutional and Procurement Practice Note on Cloud Computing, EFI Insight – Governance, March 2023. ● Data Classification Matrix and Cloud Assessment Framework, EFI Insight – Governance, March 2023. ● Mobile Government How-To Note, EFI Insight – Governance, March 2023. ● How-To Note on Green GovTech (forthcoming). 10. As of October 2022, GEMS has been implemented in more than 100 countries. More than 900 project teams and 6,500 government staff and partners have benefited from the digital skills and tools provided. GEMS has been used extensively for remote supervision, enhanced monitoring, evaluation of project implementation, risk and safeguards monitoring, beneficiary engagement, and security assessments in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and several Pacific island states. EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 21 >>> Table 2: Digital Governance/GovTech Projects, MNA, 2022 2020 2022 Change GovTech Focus Areas DG/GovTech Projects Funding ($ million) Country Pop (m) % UP Tot Grp GTMI Grp GTMI Grp GTMI CGS PSD DCE GTE Completed Active Pipeline Tot Comm Tot DG Disb Algeria C 0.281 B 0.502 £ £ 3 - - - 44.178 2.4 3 - - 74 57 21 Bahrain B 0.509 A 0.828 £ £ - - - - 1.463 0.3 - - - - - - Djibouti D 0.211 C 0.274 £ £ 4 2 2 1 1.106 46.6 2 2 - 52 35 28 Egypt B 0.649 A 0.751 £ £ 7 3 - 2 109.262 2.0 5 4 1 3,101 2,191 850 Iran C 0.446 B 0.724 £ £ 1 - - - 87.923 10.5 1 - - 220 138 6 Iraq¯ D 0.186 D 0.208 ¥ £ 4 2 1 - 43.534 4.0 1 2 1 60 14 41 Jordan B 0.649 A 0.829 £ £ 9 5 1 4 11.148 2.7 6 3 1 930 504 543 Kuwait C 0.433 B 0.634 £ £ - - - - 4.250 0.3 - - - - - - Lebanon¯ C 0.378 C 0.359 ¥ ¤ 10 2 - - 5.593 2.5 9 1 - 329 282 104 Libya¯ D 0.181 D 0.118 ¥ ¤ - - - - 6.735 5.5 - - - - - - Malta A 0.832 A 0.752 ¥ ¤ - - - - 0.527 1.2 - - - - - - Morocco B 0.632 B 0.613 ¥ ¤ 10 1 1 2 37.077 5.3 8 2 - 990 606 223 Oman B 0.679 A 0.836 £ £ - - - - 4.520 0.0 - - - - - - Qatar B 0.735 A 0.874 £ £ - - - - 2.688 0.0 - - - - - - Saudi Arabia B 0.725 A 0.971 £ £ - - - - 35.950 1.3 - - - - - - Syrian Arab Rep.¯ C 0.254 C 0.273 ¥ £ - - - - 21.324 1.6 - - - - - - Tunisia B 0.644 B 0.688 ¥ £ 11 3 - 1 12.263 0.9 8 3 - 656 533 244 United Arab Emirates A 0.798 A 0.961 ¥ £ - - - - 9.365 8.7 - - - - - - West Bank and Gaza¯ C 0.369 C 0.392 ¥ £ 12 5 1 4 5.133 2.6 9 5 - 179 143 77 Yemen¯ D 0.214 D 0.225 ¥ £ 16 2 - 2 32.982 58.3 16 - - 378 333 93 Totals 477.022 8.1 68 22 3 6,969 4,835 2,229 Source: World Bank data (93 digital governance/GovTech investments funded by World Bank since 1995). Note: GovTech Focus Areas present the number of projects supporting the prioritized GovTech pillars of core government systems (CGS), public service delivery (PSD), digital citizen engagement (DCE), and GovTech enablers (GTE). Total commitments and disbursements are shown together with the total investments on digital government/GovTech solutions. DG = digital governance; GTMI = GovTech Maturity Index; MNA = Middle East and North Africa; Pop (m) = Population (in millions), 2021 UN database; % UP = Estimated percentage of unregistered population (using separate metric rates for children and adults without IDs based on ID4D-Findex, administrative data, and voter registration and birth registration rates), 2021 ID4D dataset. Fragile and conflict-affected economies are shown with (¯). EQUITABLE GROWTH, FINANCE & INSTITUTIONS NOTES <<< 22