UNDP, with the financial support from the Government of Japan, has provided technical assistance to the Ministry for Support of Mahallas and Families in establishing the digital infrastructure and services necessary to support socially-vulnerable population groups, UNDP said in a statement.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for digitalization worldwide, with over 22% of nations having improved their e-governance systems in 2020. The unprecedented move to online work and the introduction of social distancing rules have meant that public services have had to dramatically alter their approach to work, all the while being overloaded with service requests during a time of crisis.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev recently noted that executive managers at all levels in Uzbekistan should be incorporating digitalization into their daily tasks. “People should feel these transformations in reducing bureaucracy and corruption, in accelerating the provision of public services,” he said.
As public services must continue functioning more efficiently than ever during the pandemic, countries had to both further develop their digital infrastructures, and teach citizens how to use them. These efforts have both helped protect human rights and ensure people’s basic needs are met.
Using financial support from the Government of Japan, UNDP has provided a range of technical assistance to the ministry in forming new digital infrastructure. This initiative has improved the efficiency of public services, particularly those supporting women and youth.
An electronic document management system has been introduced to streamline information exchange between the ministry and citizens' self-government bodies, reducing the time needed to process data and thereby speeding the delivery of public services. This system has been launched in 100 mahallas and will be tested through the everyday work of mahalla administration.
In addition, a unified database is being developed to enhance the ministry’s technical capabilities in providing social support to citizens, including women affected by violence, unemployed citizens needing advanced training and assistance in finding suitable work, and socially vulnerable families. This system will collect and analyze information for use by an incorporated decision-making mechanism, helping prioritize social support delivery to those most in need. The database’s information will likewise be shared with other government agencies, for carrying out analysis in additional directions.
At the first stage of its renewed digitalization, the ministry’s official website was also developed and tested. Containing information on the ministry’s activities, and related news and documents, this site will help improve communication and engagement with citizens seeking information and assistance.
To support the operation of the above information systems, UNDP has used the key funding from the Government of Japan to provide servers and computer equipment to the Ministry for Support of Mahallas and Families, within the framework of project technical assistance plans. The 100 laptops and routers delivered will allow employees of citizen’s self-government bodies to engage with the new electronic document management system and thus, improve people’s lives.
