“There can be a problem of scale in implementing eGovernment initiatives and open government data can also improve citizen engagement and create new and better services. Media is a leading indicator in the process of vaporization, the move towards greater use of digital information,” the experts in their recommendations said.
The recommendations were put forth during the three-day 6th Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2013 which concluded on Wednesday and held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology (SCICT) at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.
This year Forum attracted the participation of 21 local, regional and international speakers attending from various countries, and attended by over 800 participants.
Recommendations of ‘Mobile Trends’ session comprised the following takeaways: mobile screen will be dominated, followed by PC and TV; selected services will be developed for mobile; analysing the needs, user-scenarios and the ease-of-use will be crucial for success; health will most likely be the first applications; hardware update cycles will continue to be short.
Recommendations of ‘Cloud Computing and Shared Services’ session comprised the following takeaways: plan for change; think not of short term solutions, but of long term consequences; no more research – ask people; and lastly, ensure there is a strong will from the government and minimize resistance from users.
Recommendations of ‘Social Networks’ session comprised the following takeaways: technology changes happens rapidly; to innovate in this environment, government should be allowed to experiment and make mistakes; provide timely and relevant content (on the right platforms) – if you don’t, you cannot control what people learn about you; as well as create thoughtful policies and guidelines to manage challenges from new technology, such as social media.
Recommendations of the ‘eGovernment’ session comprised the following takeaways: eGovernment is a journey; its development is a function of strategy, technology and policy; visions can be shaped by the government and driven by a pioneering private sector; portals should be user-centric rather than follow the structure of the government; and lastly, there is a great need for better eGovernment measurement at all levels.
The sessions also contained discussions between speakers and the audience who had the opportunity to add their inputs. The delegates benefited from the international experiences by further discussing how to implement these recommendations in their own homelands.
The day on Wednesday began with the first session, ‘Social Network’ moderated by Daniel Castro; it included speakers such as Dr. Theresa Pardo from the United States who discussed social networking and its effects on our daily lives; Alexander Felsenberg from Germany shared his inputs on eGovernment and social media; Ivar Tallo from Estonia talked about the use of social networks by the government and Estonia’s case; along with Mohamad Mourad who came from Google Middle East shared his thoughts on the future of social media for government.
The second session, ‘eGovernment’ moderated by Kim Andreasson, included speakers such as Bong up Cho from South Korea speaking of leadership in eGovernment development; Kim Andreasson from Sweden discussed how to measure eGovernment; Kevin Chan from Singapore presented Singapore’s journey on eGovernment; Dr. Fawzi Amin from Bahrain introduced eHealth in the Kingdom of Bahrain; and finally Jared Gulian from New Zealand revealed the portal’s story of New Zealand’s eGovernment.
The sessions rapped up with a debate ‘Insource Vs Outsource’ – moderated by Dr. Zakareya Ahmed AlKhaja, Vice CEO of the eGovernment Authority, the day closed with numerous recommendations granted by each session’s speaker.
On the final day also incorporated the workshops such as ‘The Social Media Strategic Planning Process’ by the Social Media Club along with ‘Information Risk Reality’ by Bahrain Information Technology Society.
Bahrain IT Expo, one of the multiple activities within the forum, grabbed the interest of many visitors and school students who visited the stands and pavilions to view their services and activities.