United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

The Digital Oman Strategy/e.oman Initiative outlines the blueprint for several key IT initiatives in the Sultanate of Oman which aim to empower the citizens by providing meaningful interaction through eServices. The e.oman strategy addresses eGovernment as well as Digital Society issues. It aims to create an effective government-community-citizen infrastructure that provides better public services to its people. Through eServices, the government seeks new and innovative ways to better engage and interact with citizens in the delivery of public service. Using the latest Information Technology solutions, citizens would be able to view information, pay bills, apply for services and monitor application status right in the comfort of their own homes, offices and from their mobile devices. Businesses could also reach out to the global marketplace and compete effectively and efficiently. The eServices would truly transform the way citizens interact and transact with the government. However, the Information Technology Authority (ITA) faced a mammoth task in the following areas.

a. With Internet penetration rate of less than 10% in 2005 when the initiative started, how could the citizen gained access to the eServices? The total country connectivity in Oman pose quite a challenge due to the vastness of the country and the population distribution. Apart from main cities like Muscat and Sohar which housed a third of the population, the remaining of the population is spread throughout the 309,500 sq km. With the slew of recent ICT initiatives under the e.Oman strategy coupled with liberalization of the telecommunication industry, how would ITA hope to bridge the digital divide and enable the citizens, civil servants and private businesses to interact, transact and transform Oman into a knowledge-based economy.
b. IT literacy level of the users. A good 1/3 of the population in 2005 was still in school and overall Oman is a country with young population. Majority of the target users could still be in school. As of 2009, there are a total of 1052 schools providing K12 education and more than 100 institutions providing tertiary level education. Building IT literacy would pose further challenges with the public sector and private sector workforce.
c. With low PC penetration rate in 2005, how can eServices be delivered seamlessly and economically across this vast country.

The most important challenge of all was that of public awareness. Without a clear understanding on the benefits and the consequences of the e.Oman strategy and its related eServices, the target users would not be able to appreciate the need to be IT literate and use those eServices. The social groups include the community at large, businesses, private sector workforce, civil servants and students as well. These were the key problems faced by ITA in transforming the Sultanate into an information society. Without a comprehensive public awareness programme in the e.Oman strategy and its benefits to the country, the target audience would not be able to adopt the e.Oman vision and be IT savvy to meet the demand of the knowledge-based economy.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
e.Oman Marketing and Awareness Communication Plan ITA developed an awareness and communication plan to reach out to the various strata of the society. Qualitative surveys were conducted during these events to measure the effectiveness of the public awareness programme on e.Oman strategy and eServices initiatives. The programmes include the following; a. The e.Oman Roadshow to various parts of the regions, governorates and wilayats (municipality). Oman has 8 regions and sub-divided into 67 wilayats. The aim of the road show was to drive home the importance of being IT literate and how citizens can be empowered in the digital economy. b. Promoting eCulture Campaigns at Rustaq, Sur, Ibra and Salalah provided further avenues in which ITA reached out to the various strata of the community in an effort to promote various e.Oman initiatives which transform the way the citizens would work, live, learn and play. c. COMEX Conferences and Exhibitions a. ITA took this opportunity to showcase all the new eServices developed by the various government ministries and organizations and educate the citizens on how to use these services to communicate, transform and transact in this knowledge-based economy. d. From the Comex Visitors’ survey, 88% of the visitors were aware of the e.Oman initiative e. Khareef Salalah Festivals a. ITA used this festivities to impart digital literacy message and the e.Oman strategy. b. As part of the IT Digital Literacy programme, the Basic IT Literacy programmes were launched as part of the Community IT Training Since then, 17 Batches with a total of 4984 citizens were trained under this programme. These basic IT Training programme was then offered as part of the digital literacy courses in the Community Knowledge Center (CKC) initiative throughout the Sultanate. f. survey visitors, 80% were well aware of the e.Oman initiative g. World Information Society Day Since 2006, Oman has been celebrating the World Information Society Day on 17th May as per the year theme to spread awareness in the society. During such event, ITA focused on the theme for each year and adapted it to the overall e.Oman strategy. i. 2007 – Empower every citizen with ICT. This was the year in which the first series of e.Oman awareness campaign was launched ii. With the focus on meeting the ICT needs of persons with disabilities, Oman celebrated 2008 UN – WTSD day which is aimed to empower every citizen with information and knowledge, improve the lines of communication. During the 2008 celebrations under the theme ‘Connecting Persons with Disabilities: ICT Opportunities for All’, ITA addressed the special requirements of disabled people. The visually challenged were given laptops, screen-reading software during the events. iii. In 2009, the focus of the event was Protecting Children in Cyber Space. ITA visited several schools to spread awareness on protecting children on cyber space and producing pamphlets for students and their parents, workshops etc. iv. 2010 - This year’s World Telecommunication & Information Society Day was held under the theme – Better City, Better Life with ICTs. v. In addition, ITA also held the Web Accessibility Workshop to enhance disabled children’s learning process. The workshop allowed teachers to acquire knowledge on how to teach disabled children to use ICT .The ITA has a long-range plan for the Association for Disabled Children to equip them with proper ICT tools and skills that can be used for the rest of his/her life.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The Public Awareness Programmes were designed and executed by the Information and Awareness Division while the capacity building programmes were carried out by the Digital Society Development Division of the ITA. They engaged the various stakeholders at various level in a multi-prong approach to transform the society. Since 2006, several e.Oman Awareness campaigns were organized to communicate the message across the Sultanate. The first which was launched in 2006 focused on spreading digital literacy while the second campaign promoted the electronic services through eCulture. ITA as the authority responsible for implementing the e.Oman strategy spent numerous efforts and resources to reach out to the masses through various communication means. These include roadshows, workshops, seminars, conferences, presentations and public lectures. These activities were driven by ITA‘s belief in the urgency to involve all government agencies, civil society organizations, individuals and private sector organizations in realizing the goals and objectives of the National Strategy for Oman’s Digital Society and eGovernemt. This will consequently lead to a qualitative transformation in awareness levels and eParticipation which will in turn support the continuous national efforts to transform the Sultanate to a thriving digital society. The HM Award is the highest accolades within the Sultanate that comes as a confirmation of the royal speech made during the annual session of the Council of Oman in 2008. In that speech, His Majesty spoke about the ways to benefit from information technology and communications which have become the main elements moving forward the development process in the third millennium. His Majesty also called upon all governmental organisations to speedily enhance their performance and to facilitate their services by applying digital technology in order to usher the Sultanate into the constantly evolving spheres of knowledge and move forward the path of development towards a greater state of growth and prosperity. And this has been achieved. In fact, since the announcement of the award in March of the present year, the governmental organisations have been motivated towards implementing new digital projects and continuously developing their eServices. The HM Award also contributes to improving the quality of eGovernment services and facilitating procedures with a higher level of quality and efficiency in a manner that ensures a greater degree of confidence and public contribution. At the same time, the award lays down certain standards and frameworks for measuring the degree of development in the execution of eGovernment projects in a manner that comes in line with the highest international standards and that will help enhance and activate the Sultanate’s policy to transform the country into an IT-based national economy. The goal is to achieve social and economic benefits for Omani society within the framework of the policy of economic diversity and development. Similarily in driving the capacity building for a digital society, the Digital Society Division engaged the private sectors and the Non-Government Organisations to support the development of the Community Knowledge Centers (CKC) which will become the center of learning in the various regions throughout the Sultanate. Harnessing the support of the Wali (Mayor) in each region and district, the team shoulders on with their colleagues in the Information and Awareness Division to eradicate digital illiteracy in each region. Digital literacy is one of the key visions of the e.Oman which followed closely the WSIS declaration. Empowering the citizens with Information Community Technology is another sacred mission which is embodied in the deliverance of electronic services at all levels and in all aspect of living, learning, working and entertainment.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
The key strategy in promoting the e.Oman initiative is through the conduct of public awareness and communication programmes to reach out to the various strata of the society in collaboration with the operational divisions. Since 2006, ITA had launched, organised and participated in more 220 events locally and regionally to communicate e.Oman strategy and initiatives. The following strategies are used to reach out to the community and masses throughout the Sultanate a. The e.Oman Roadshow to various parts of the regions, governorates and wilayats (municipality). Oman has 8 regions and sub-divided into 67 wilayats. The aim of the road show was to drive home the importance of being IT literate and how citizens can be empowered in the digital economy. eOman awareness roadshows enabled ITA to reach out to communities in Oman through information and education on the use of IT and the progress of eOman initiatives. b. Promoting eCulture Programmes which aimed to proliferate the use of electronic services and e.Oman initiatives in the way the citizens work, live, learn and play. Some key initiatives include cyber security, e-Purse, ePayment, etc c. Conferences and Exhibitions - ITA took this opportunity to showcase all the new eServices developed by the various government ministries and organizations and educate the citizens on how to use these services to communicate, transform and transact in this knowledge-based economy. Such events present unique opportunities to reach out to the public and deliver eOman messages in a customised manner to focus groups within the target audience. d. Key Festivals in the Country – Such festivals usually attracted thousands of citizens from all walks of life. Hence, amid such festivities, ITA told the opportunity to spread the e.Oman strategy and initiatives to the masses. e. World Information Society Day - Since 2006, Oman has been celebrating the World Information Society Day on 17th May as per the year theme to spread awareness in the society. During such event, ITA focused on the theme for each year and adapted it to the overall e.Oman strategy. Scuh event indicated the emphasis that the world has placed in the urgency to transform countries and societies to embrace ICT in a knowledge-based economy or remain lagging behind. f. Public launches of electronic services usually provided an open platform for target users to congregrate and witness how such services would improve the way of life. During such launches, ITA also used its communication mandate to reach out and educate the masses on the e.Oman strategy and key initiatives which will transform their way of life. The launch of eGovernment Portal for example showed that citizens can now interact, transact and communicate with any government agency through the G2C services. g. Information Kiosks at public places -Installation of ITA information kiosk at major malls and public access areas to bring electronic services closer to the citizens. Currently a total 5 kiosks have been installed in public places. h. Award and Competitions – such strategies are effective in encouraging the adaption of electronic services and web presence in the Sultanate. The most prestigious award is the HM Award which started in 2010. i. Publications on local and regional press, televisions and internet – the use of various communicate media to communicate e.Oman messages are well-utilized and effectively conveyed the message to the target audience. The e.Oman Portal and website which was created and maintained by ITA provide the interface in which the citizen can obtain information, interact, communicate and transact in a knowledge-based economy Capacity Building a. Development of National IT Training and Awareness Framework to provide the blueprint for capacity building in the ICT sector.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
a. 2005 – 2007 – e.Oman Awareness activities and digital literacy programme. Roadshows to the various parts of the Sultanate b. 2006 – Development of National IT Training and Awareness Framework for ICT capacity building c. 2007-2009 – Implementation of the NITTA Framework with the commencement of Community IT Training Programmes and the launch of 4 Community Knowledge Centers to promote community IT learning and digital literacy d. e. 2006 – Observation of World Information Society Day a. 2007 – Promoting Digital Literacy b. 2008 – e-Inclusion programmes to include participants with special needs and requirements c. 2009 –Protecting Children in Cyber Space, Cyber security emphasis and the launch of various eGovernment services d. 2010 - Better City, Better Life with ICTs. ICTs provide solutions to many of the problems facing cities. f. 2009–2010 Promoting eCulture Campaigns & e-Lifestyle

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
These are the key obstacles in reaching out to the community and masses. a. Vastness of the area - Apart from main cities like Muscat and Sohar which housed a third of the population, the remaining of the population is spread throughout the 309,500 sq km. Reaching out to the community to spread e.Oman strategy became a real challenge. However, programmes such as the Roadshows in key towns coupled with media coverage of major events and launches, ITA was able to reach out and create awareness among the citizen on the importance to being digitally literacy and how ICT will transform their way of life in the future. With the slew of recent ICT initiatives under the e.Oman strategy coupled with liberalization of the telecommunication industry, ITA has successfully bridge the digital divide and enable the citizens, civil servants and private businesses to interact, transact and transform Oman into a knowledge-based economy. In addition, with rapid development of telecommunication infrastructure, today Oman has about 114% mobile penetration rate which indicated that mobile technology such as 3G network and WiMax provide the critical connectivity required for an information society. ITA will be able to transform the life of almost every citizen with the various e.Oman initiatives. a. Resistance to change – It is indeed a challenge to spread the digital initiatives to the women and senior citizens in the rural area. However with support and emphasis at the highest level, even the women and senior citizens are convinced on the need to embrace information communication technology (ICT) to participate and compete in the new superhighway of a knowledge-based economy. Moreover the Community Knowledge Centers (CKC) in association with the Oman Women Association successfully reach out to the women and provide the essential ICT skills training that they need to participate in the knowledge-based economy. The CKCs in other regions also cater to the training requirements for the Senior Citizens. In addition, children with special needs are also given the necessary skills and support to be included in the digital transformation. Through the various awareness programmes promoting e-awareness activities and various launches of electronic services and reaching out to the citizens through various means help ITA to promote digital literacy as well electronic services throughout the country.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Cost of Roadshow and number of personnel & resources = USD$ 195,000 Cost of participation in COMEX 2010 –USD 1,04 million Cost of participation in Khareef 2010 – USD$ 221,066 Cost of participation in Muscat Festivals - USD$208,068 Cost of Awards and launches (GCC, eOman and HM Award) = USD$ 2 million Publicity on local newspapers and media = USD$ 335,500 Human resources = 50 in house staff + outsource resources.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The awareness programmes and the capacity building remain part of ITA communication and development strategy. Most of the communication activities are conducted annually and on regular basis so that the target audience are constantly being updated on the importance of being digitally literate and the transformation that Information Technology will bring about in the near future in which they can live, work and play and get connected to the rest of the work instantaneously. These communication activities will transform in relations to the maturity, sophistication and affluence of the digital society. The capacity building programmes such as the Community Knowledge Centers (CKC) initiative are part of the National IT Training and Awareness Framework which provided the blueprint to build capacity for every citizens of the Sultanate. The National IT Training and Awareness Framework addresses the human resources capability building to support the e.Oman vision. Regardless of the population, continuous training and development is the key factor for the sustainable growth of the national economy and society particularly for developing countries striving to move towards a knowledge-based economy. The Framework provides ITA with a blueprint to equip the population with digital literacy and beyond to sustain a digital economy. The Framework includes programmes from digital literacy to specialized IT programmes which provide scope for acquiring advanced IT knowledge beyond digital literacy. The activities in this Framework are also replicated for the civil service, private sector and Non-government organizations.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
a. Strong support from His Majesty and top government officials- this is the most important aspect that made communication campaigns and activities to promote e.Oman strategy highly effective and successful. His Majesty’s speech in Nov 2009 embodied the urgency and the need for the citizens to embrace ICT every aspect of their life in order to remain competitive in the future and that ICT is the key enabler in driving today’s economy. The team from ITA brought the e.Oman strategy to life with the launch of various electronic services in the country. The bestowing of Royal Grant of more than USD$7.7 billion for the provision of laptops which coincides with the celebrations of the Sultanate's 40th National Day comes as reaffirmation of His Majesty’s interest in developing the digital capacities of citizens and enhancing their skills when dealing with information technology. To be able to readily access government eServices and take advantage of information and communication technology has become the key to transforming Oman into sustainable knowledge-based society b. Clear vision and mission – Vision 2020 and the role of information technology in transforming in Sultanate in the digital knowledge-based economy. The e.Oman strategy is developed on the basis of Vision 2020. It provides the ICT blueprint for the whole country and provides clear guidelines and benchmark to achieve the objectives and goals. c. Collaborative efforts for NGOs and Government organizations such as the development of the Community Knowledge Centers (CKCs) – Reaching out to the masses cannot be done by ITA alone. ITA works tirelessly with all government ministries, organizations, private sector organizations, non-government organizations, regionally bodies to synergy all the e.Oman initiatives in the provision of electronic services as well as digital literacy training and awareness programmes. Thousands of manhours were spent spreading the digital literacy awareness and the eCulture programmes to every citizens in Oman. d. Enthusiasm of the target audience which can be seen from the responses at all the IT awareness events.


Institution Name:		information Technology Authority
Institution Type:		Government Agency
Contact Person:		Shariffa Al-Meskary
Title:		Director
Telephone/ Fax:
Institution's / Project's Website:
E-mail:		shariffa.almeskary@ita.gov.om
Address:
Postal Code:
City:
State/Province:
Country:		Oman

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information