12-19-2024, 09:44 AM
While governments had been able to digitize front-end services over the years, core operations often lagged behind. However, the COVID-19 pandemic saw an acceleration in digital transformation such that governments were forced into scaling up solutions like telehealth and virtual education. Despite all this, the issue of strained systems and scalability reflected upon readiness gaps.
A recent worldwide survey indicated that 77 percent of officials saw positive digital progress during the pandemic, yet 80% felt efforts remained insufficient.
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A recent worldwide survey indicated that 77 percent of officials saw positive digital progress during the pandemic, yet 80% felt efforts remained insufficient.
Key Features of Digital Transformation
- Improved Service Delivery
- Personalized and proactive services with citizen needs.
- Frictionless experiences and universal digital identities for seamless access.
- Omnichannel strategies that ensure consistent service across channels.
- Personalized and proactive services with citizen needs.
- Enhanced Operations
- Once-only data collection, resilience, and real-time analytics.
- Flexible, cloud-based platforms to enhance agility and innovation.
- Once-only data collection, resilience, and real-time analytics.
Becoming a truly digital government requires the development of a broad array of assets and capabilities, which we term digital pivots. As mentioned earlier, applying these seven pivots would result in government services that have core characteristics of “Being Digital”.
1: Data mastery
Data mastery is more than building master data management (MDM) systems or data lakes to empower senior executives to make decisions. It’s about a seamless flow of structured and unstructured data and making data and systems interoperable within and between agencies to enable front-line workers to understand customers and customize service delivery. 67% percent of high-maturity agencies in our survey reported that they were seeing a significant positive impact from their use of data, compared to just 10% of lower-maturity agencies. Data mastery also stresses the need to put a right regulatory and legal framework in place to access and share data between agencies. Governments can also consider allowing citizens to opt-in to data sharing in exchange for an integrated experience.
2: Flexible, secure infrastructure:
It requires deploying a technology infrastructure that balances security and privacy requirements with flexible, scalable capacities.
This means embracing cloud infrastructure and a cloud-native environment, using agile and DevSecOps methodologies, and implementing a thorough strategy on cybersecurity, among others. The pandemic forced governments worldwide to dramatically scale government services, meaning flexible and scalable yet secure infrastructure turned crucial for agencies. 67% percent of government executives reported an increase in financial commitment to digital transformation despite budget pressures brought about by the pandemic.
This means embracing cloud infrastructure and a cloud-native environment, using agile and DevSecOps methodologies, and implementing a thorough strategy on cybersecurity, among others. The pandemic forced governments worldwide to dramatically scale government services, meaning flexible and scalable yet secure infrastructure turned crucial for agencies. 67% percent of government executives reported an increase in financial commitment to digital transformation despite budget pressures brought about by the pandemic.
Government executives understand the significance of agile and DevOps methods, with 83% reporting that they are positively impacting their organization. Further, cybersecurity (54%) and cloud computing (54%) top the list of technologies that are expected to play an important role over the next two years in digital transformation
During the pandemic, many governments needed flexible infrastructure and hence aggressively moved to the cloud to scale their services. For example, eSanjeevani telemedicine platform scaled seamlessly, conducting over 140 million consultations by leveraging secure, cloud-based infrastructure. Agile methodologies have been embraced through partnerships with private players and DevSecOps practices that ensure security while enhancing speed and flexibility.
3: Digitally savvy, open talent networks
Talent is without a doubt fundamental to digital transformation.
The digitally savvy, open talent network pivot includes strategies to enable an agency to access the right talent at the right moment.
These involve hiring digitally savvy employees, upskilling existing talent, contingent labor, and even challenging and competing for the power of the crowd.
The digitally savvy, open talent network pivot includes strategies to enable an agency to access the right talent at the right moment.
These involve hiring digitally savvy employees, upskilling existing talent, contingent labor, and even challenging and competing for the power of the crowd.
Digitally mature agencies are four times more likely to state that digitally savvy talent is having a positive impact on their organization than less mature organizations. Government agencies will require a step change in higher sophistication in technical skills such as data science. The demand for technical capability is likely to outstrip supply for some time, and governments will need to find innovative ways of filling talent needs or otherwise- by partnering with universities, recruiting temporarily from industry, and making their workforce employable.
Digital transformation is also rattling leadership ranks across many government agencies, which goes to show that digital transformation is a leadership imperative and not just the IT function. 75% of government executives say that their digital transformation has resulted in major changes to their senior leadership team.
Many governments are reskilling and upskilling their employees to get into the digital age.
Many governments are reskilling and upskilling their employees to get into the digital age.
During the pandemic, India had utilized contingent talent power along with private-sector collaboration for the development of a vaccine registration CoWIN platform. It has collaborated with startups, IT companies, as well as the open-source community for getting scalable solutions.
4: Ecosystem engagement
Ecosystem engagement is the strong backbone for India during the whole period of its digital transformation, particularly during the pandemic period.
The Government of India actively collaborated with private players, start-ups, and academic establishments to solve some of the hardest challenges in need.
A stellar example is Aarogya Setu App – co-created with private tech firms and academia alike, that became the largest contact-tracing platform in the world, with over 200 million downloads. The COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) was similarly designed in a public-private collaboration to efficiently manage vaccine distribution and registration for over 1.4 billion citizens. Apart from health, the Startup India initiative brings partnerships between the government and startups for the handling of governance issues with technology; funding and mentorship for innovators is provided.
The Government of India actively collaborated with private players, start-ups, and academic establishments to solve some of the hardest challenges in need.
A stellar example is Aarogya Setu App – co-created with private tech firms and academia alike, that became the largest contact-tracing platform in the world, with over 200 million downloads. The COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) was similarly designed in a public-private collaboration to efficiently manage vaccine distribution and registration for over 1.4 billion citizens. Apart from health, the Startup India initiative brings partnerships between the government and startups for the handling of governance issues with technology; funding and mentorship for innovators is provided.
This collaborative approach accelerates solution deployment while avoiding the inefficiencies of reinventing the wheel, as the government increasingly adopts commercial off-the-shelf solutions to meet its needs. Leverage external ecosystems and build a more agile, efficient, and inclusive digital landscape.
5: Intelligent workflows
Intelligent workflows are transforming government operations in India, increasing efficiency, and enabling seamless service delivery.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Network is one such, where automation has been used to make tax filing and compliance processes easier for more than 13 million businesses. Through automation and AI, redundant manual tasks like reconciliation and validation are being eliminated, reducing errors and processing time.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Network is one such, where automation has been used to make tax filing and compliance processes easier for more than 13 million businesses. Through automation and AI, redundant manual tasks like reconciliation and validation are being eliminated, reducing errors and processing time.
Similarly, through the Aadhaar-enabled DBT system, subsidy disbursements in programs such as LPG subsidies and scholarships are automated, allowing for timely transfers directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts. This has saved the government over ₹2.2 lakh crore by eliminating leakages and fraud.
Indian Railways is also introducing robotic process automation (RPA) for payroll, freight management, and passenger ticketing to curtail operational costs and delays. Automating workflows not only enables the government to enrich the citizen experience but also allocate resources to strategic priorities and pave the way for the "no-touch" governance model.
6: Unified customer experience
In India, creating a unified citizen experience is becoming a central focus of digital transformation efforts. Notable examples include the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance, or UMANG, which consolidates over 1,400 government services from 127 departments into a single platform accessible via mobile, web, and voice. This initiative allows citizens to seamlessly access services like applying for passports, paying utility bills, and filing income tax returns, reducing the need to navigate multiple portals. Similarly, the Aadhaar-based grievance redressal system streamlines citizen queries and ensures timely resolution by integrating various departments under a unified interface.
7: Innovation and new business models
In India, the pandemic is catalyzing the adoption of new business models for governance by all-round digital transformation. For instance, how the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) revolutionized public procurement through a transparent, AI-powered online platform that allows government departments to source goods and services directly from vendors. This new model has not only reduced procurement costs by up to 25% but also empowered small businesses, with nearly 57% of orders on GeM placed with MSMEs. Similarly, the National Health Digital Mission (NDHM) leverages AI, cloud, and blockchain to create a unified health ecosystem. This includes digital health IDs for citizens, enabling seamless access to medical records across hospitals and doctors nationwide, thus reducing inefficiencies and delays in healthcare delivery. Another example is India Stack, a series of APIs including Aadhaar, UPI, and eSign, which has enabled innovative financial services and inclusion, powering over 10 billion UPI transactions in October 2024 alone. These transformative initiatives highlight how India is embracing digital technologies to reshape service delivery and build resilient, citizen-centric governance models.
Conclusion:
Digital transformation is, therefore, not just about adopting technology but building a fundamental shift in how governments do things and serve their citizens. Through innovation, embracing AI, cloud, data mastery, and new business models, the government will redefine citizen experience and efficiency. A case in point for India's examples would be the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and India Stack-a testament to overcoming unique challenges through impactful solutions at scale.
We are proud to be leaders in enabling such transformation through our secure, scalable, and AI-driven cloud solutions that empower the government agencies and enterprises in innovating citizen-centric ecosystems. Focusing on resilience, agility, and sustainability, ESDS is committed to partnering with all stakeholders to deliver future-ready solutions, bridging the digital divide and driving inclusive growth across India.
Visit us: https://www.esds.co.in/govt-community-cloudFor more information, contact Team ESDS through - ? Email: getintouch@esds.co.in| ✆ Toll-Free: 1800-209-3006 | Website: https://www.esds.co.in/