An audit of the government’s online services has indicated that it is unclear if they are providing value for money.
Since 2015, the government has launched 41 online services.
A report by the Office of the Auditor General, released last week, showed that while there had been “good progress” in making services to the public available online, “it is not entirely clear if the Government has achieved value for money from this investment … because the costs and benefits of the services are unknown”.
Auditor General Sue Winspear noted that, “Neither the E‐Government Unit nor departments routinely capture performance data that would demonstrate the benefits or improved efficiency from shifting services online.”
An e-government initiative was first announced in 2010, but did not have any dedicated staff at the time. The government relaunched the e‐government programme in 2013 and in
December 2014 it appointed the first e‐government director, who reported to the Cabinet Secretary. Then, in 2017, the E‐Government Unit was set up to provide a common focus for the government’s shift to online services.
The use of government online services, such as applications for police clearance and renewal of vehicle licences and registrations, saw a major uptick in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the government instructed people to stay home and limit physical interactions with others as much as possible.
“With the country under lockdown and curfew measures, the Government had to shift to delivering more online services so that customers could complete essential transactions from the safety and convenience of their homes,” Winspear noted.
In her conclusion in the report, which examined closely four specific online projects and took an overall view of the government’s performance in providing online services, Winspear said, “The pandemic provided us with a reminder that we needed to be able to conduct essential government business from the comfort and safety of our homes. It is pleasing to note that a large number of government services are now available online and there has been a marked increase over the past few years.”
She said the government compared well against the top 20 online services provided by governments globally.
She noted that an e‐government strategy that was drafted in 2015 was never finalised, and that while that strategy had some elements of good practice, the government’s overall approach to developing the e‐government programme lags behind other countries.
The E‐ Government Unit last year began developing a new e‐government strategy, which Winspear described as “good news, as what the Cayman Islands needs now will likely be very different to seven years ago”.
She added, “However, I noted that the new draft strategy was missing some key objectives, like improving efficiency and joining up government that I view as essential for such a programme. I urge the Government to further develop the draft strategy, ensuring that it aligns with international good practice, and finalise, and publish it as soon as possible.”
She also encouraged the government to put in place “appropriate governance and oversight arrangements for the remainder of the e‐government programme and future projects”.
Winspear highlighted this because, she said, while the auditors found that project management was effective, “there were some gaps”, including the fact that, of the four online projects her team reviewed, only one had a business case.
“The absence of business cases meant there was a lack of clarity about project objectives, benefits, risks, budgets and timelines. In addition, there was a lack of options appraisals to demonstrate the best way forward, the preferred procurement route or project management approach,” she said.
However, she noted that the E-Government Unit has prepared business cases for some of the more recent e‐government projects.
The four online projects the auditors examined were the RCIPS’s police clearance certificates online system; the trade and business licences online system, owned by the Department of Commerce and Investment; the vehicle and drivers’ licences online system, run by the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing; and the Online Planning System, owned by the Department of Planning.
Winspear noted that, of these four projects, three – the police clearance certificates, the trade and business licences, and the Online Planning System, had eliminated the need for customers to visit offices and shifted the requirement for submitting documents from paper to online. However, she said the user experience of vehicle and drivers licences online service varies depending on the service as, for example, some customers can renew their vehicle licence online completely but others may need to visit the DVDL offices to collect their licence in person.
She also stated that, in addition, recently launched services such as British Overseas Territory Citizen Online and the Designated Non‐Financial Business and Professions online services have eliminated the need for in‐person transactions.
The Office of the Auditor General outlined 16 recommendations in its 89-page report.
Responding to the audit report, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said the government was committed to implementing the agreed recommendations.
He said the Cayman Islands government was committed to e-governance and the transition to digital processes. “It is therefore working to expand the range of online services available while ensuring robust cyber security. One of the current elected Government’s strategic broad outcomes is the creation of a ‘user friendly system to access government services’ and I am pleased to note that its 2022-23 budget allocations to the Ministry of Investment, Innovation and Social Development for the eGovernment Unit reflect this priority.”
He added that people can now access more than 70 different government services online, including many of the top 20 services provided by governments worldwide. “Having so many of our services online to make people’s lives better has been an important accomplishment,” he said in a statement.
Commenting on the report, Ministry of Investment, Innovation and Social Developmen Acting Chief Officer Tamara Ebanks said in the statement that many of the issues raised by the auditor general related to areas outside the ambit of the eGovernment Unit, but she added, “However, we are pleased that many of the recommendations specific to the department are already being complied with or are being actioned currently.”
Ian Tibbetts, director of the eGovernment Unit, stated, “During the time period covered by the report, the eGovernment Unit has laid the technical foundation and framework for a national and digital ID system. Initiatives such as these are designed to make the Cayman Islands Government increasingly agile and responsive, for the benefit of our residents and businesses.”
Related Videos
