usaid/mmc program funded in paraguay challenges it strategic plan fundamentals

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USAID/MMC Program Funded in Paraguay Challenges

IT Strategic Plan Fundamentals

Open Source Software

From E-Government to Government Transformation

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“Fight against impunity” USAID/MMC Program Funded in Paraguay

being implemented by Casals & Associates, Inc.

Component 1: Increase the Investigative Capability of the Public Ministry (equivalent to U.S. Department of Justice)

• Modernize and strengthen technical, scientific, and human resources in the Public Ministry.

• Produce more reliable evidence through specialized analysis.

• Strengthen safeguards for the handling and storage of evidence.

Component 2: Increase the Capacity of the Judiciary Disciplinary System

• Strengthen the Supreme Court's Superintendence Council (Consejo de Superintendencia) through the creation of a system of internal controls and disciplinary measures to hold those involved in corruption accountable.

Component 3: Strengthen Internal Government Auditing Systems and Civil Society Participation in Oversight Activities

• Adopt an efficient and transparent internal and external control system in the Controller General's Office.

• Promote oversight activities carried out by citizen watchdog groups.

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“Fight against impunity” USAID/MMC Program Funded in Paraguay

being implemented by Casals & Associates, Inc.

Component 4: Improve and Protect Integrity of Documents held in the Public Registry

• Network and integrate the databases of the Motor Vehicles Registry, the Judiciary Court Records Registry and the Department of Identification of Persons Registry.

• Strengthen the System of Registration and Identification of Persons to maintain a more reliable system of personal identification.

Component 5: Increase Transparency and Effectiveness of Public Finance Legislative Oversight

• Improve the efficiency and transparency of Congress's system of analysis and oversight of budgetary executions by public entities.

• Make information more accessible to the public in order to promote citizen oversight.

• Establish mechanisms that promote coordination on public budget oversight among Congress, other branches of government, the Controller General's Office, and interest groups from civil society.

• Increase the ability of members of Congress to represent the interests of their electoral constituencies in public budget issues.

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Challenges

Lack of government-wide IT standardization

Information control to bolster power

Disparate standards and procedures increase costs and reduce efficacy

Sustainability

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Information Integrity Information integrity is at risk and, and although it is

technically possible to share these databases among multiple agencies, it really is not practical for two primary reasons:

• Multiple and diverse information systems—operating systems, databases, and connectivity levels—that not only make interconnectivity difficult but also make day-to-day management expensive and hard to achieve results, and

• Unwillingness among officials of different government entities to share information which is perceived as “proprietary.”

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Operations at Government Agencies vs.

IT Strategic PlansGovernment Agencies• Annual budget• Depend on politicians (elected,

short term presence, interested in showing progress)

• Investments in IT infrastructure do not show immediate progress

• Key decision after each election: “Continue existing plan” or “start all over”

IT Strategic Plan(s)• Multi-year budget• Depend on civil servants

(long term presence)• IT Infrastructure is necessary

before being able to show any progress in other areas

• Constant evolution of technology

Source: Miguel Garcia-Gosalvez, 2007.

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Connect missing agencies to the Fiber Optics Metropolitan Network (already in place)

Information Ownership => Information Control “If I am responsible I need to control it” Information Audit Trail

Standardization Increase use of Open Source Software Reduce/eliminate Expensive Licensing and SLAs Avoid Piracy / Right in front of citizens Increase Sustainability

Policies and Procedures

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Problems solved by Open Source Software (OSS)

Source: Gartner, March 2007. Published on April 13, 2007.

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Current use of Open Source Software (OSS)




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Drivers for Open Source Software (OSS)




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E-Government has been a “fashionable” topic for the last decade

Success stories do exist, however…

One key lesson learned: “Technology is only one component in a transformation program”

Technology should move from a support role to a driving one

More than specific technologies, it is key how they are deployed to initiate and sustain transformation

usaid/mmc program funded in paraguay challenges it strategic plan fundamentals

Documents

government transformationfight

branches of government

public budget oversight

public entities

public registrynetwork

public budget issues

public ministry equivalent

citizen oversight