Questions/Answers

The Challenge: The main challenge was that previously users had to print our certificates and permits, and verify the data manually which increased the mistakes margin. Also, this was causing forgery acts such as changing the information on the certificates and permits papers. The solution: MOCCAE has launched the “Digital Certificates Hub” initiative. The initiative aims to enable the public and private parties in addition to any other types of users inside and outside the UAE to verify the authenticity of the certificates’ and permits’ data. It is available 24/7 for all people inside and outside UAE, since entities in other countries use these certificates to complete their process, considering the time difference between countries. With the initiative, a QR code was added to these certificates and permits, and a digital hub was developed, to enable users verifying their data by scanning QR codes and extract the needed information and validate it using any smart phones or smart devices. Impact: The initiative helps to protect the environment and meet the quality, safety and health standards in UAE and worldwide. It also contributes to Food Security because these certificates are related to animal and agricultural wealth, in addition to other food products. Moreover, it helps to minimize printing papers, and digitally sign and stamp any certificate or permit issued by the ministry which aligns with UAE’s paperless strategy. Furthermore, the Digital Hub helps in preventing forging certificates and permits data, in addition to increasing the customers’ happiness and reducing the customers visits to MOCCAE centers. Also, the initiative helps to increase the confidence in the services and data provided by MOCCAE.

Launching the “Digital Certificates Hub” initiative contributes to the digital transformation by enabling users to digitally verify certificates and permits which are issues by MOCCAE through a single digital hub by scanning the QR code and retrieving all the needed information. This is done without the need to manually sign or stamp any document, or even printing. Users can access this Digital Hub from anywhere at any time, through web and responsive, using any smart device. This reinforces of enhancing the services provided to customers more efficiently and effectively by using new technologies and innovative ideas with zero cost, taking in consideration customers’ needs and addresses society food security concerns.

These are many SDGs that are addressed and aligned and taken in consideration by Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in the UAE when launching the initiative which are Zero Hunger, Good Health, and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Zero Hunger: The initiative helps in Food Security because these certificates and related to animal and agricultural wealth, in addition to other food products. Accordingly, it leads to properly functioning food product market and enable accuracy when accessing this information. Good Health: By ensuring the accuracy of data using the latest technologies, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment contributes in reducing health risks and manages the data in a way that prevents fraud and enables people to verify the data from a trusted source. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Ministry of Climate Change and Environment insures to be an effective, accountable, and transparent authority by launching the digital hub, which helps accessing the data. In addition, it ensures to enforce the laws and policies to make sure that correct shipments enter and exit UAE borders.

The initiative maintains its sustainability in the social terms by increasing the confidence of people when accessing the data which builds a strong sustainable and transparent relationship with them. In addition, it contributes in the prosperity of society economically by enforcing rules and equity between citizens, customers, and beneficiaries of provided services. In terms of environmental, the initiative maintains the food security by providing accurate data about animal and agricultural shipments and their health conditions by enforcing rules and regulations on importing and exporting these shipments through UAE and world-wide, which leads to happiness and confidence of beneficiaries.

The initiative contributes in providing a centralized source for verifying the accuracy of shipments’ certificates and permits data and preventing forgery acts towards these data such as country of origin, date of import, exporting port, entry port, vaccination information, …etc. since these data are significantly important and crucial for making sure that correct shipments are being transmitted between countries. Moreover, this ensures food security because the shipments are related to animal, agricultural, fisheries, and other food products. In addition, if helps to maintain human safety by preventing any action of exchanging dangerous or harmful materials or products. In conclusion, all these measures and actions make sure that proper governance is enforced.

In support of gender equality vision of UAE’s leadership, the digital hub supports this vision by enabling using the initiative by any person regardless of their gender, age, religion, marital status, …etc. Furthermore, UAE encourages gender equality and empowers everyone in all sectors regardless of their roles, in both public and private sectors. The initiative is accessible by anyone from anywhere at any time. Furthermore, MOCCAE has 19,359 female users, and the initiative enables them to use issue the permits digitally, verify them through the digital hub, and complete the process without any visit to MOCCAE customer happiness centers.

The target group for the initiative is all people especially those who are involved in the process of benefiting of the shipments certificates and permits data such as public and provate entities, companies, individuals, traders, and any other beneficiary. The digital hub is accessible by everyone, once the user scans the QR code of the certificate or permit, the important information appears for them, and they can use it to ensure the safe transition of shipments between countries and raise the confidence and transparency. This results in Food security and making sure that the live animals, agricultural, and food products are healthy and doesn’t cause harm or health issues to consumers. This initiative encourages beneficiaries to use the services provided by Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in UAE with confidence and faith because the data is being validated and shared transparently. It also contributes to reduce printing and use smart devices at anytime and any where, and also reduce Customer Service Centers' visits which accordingly contributes to environmental benefits.

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment’s services were manually verified and checked by agricultural engineers and veterinaries in the border across the UAE, which lead to consuming a lot of time and effort and lack of accuracy. Therefore, the ministry analyzed the services and re-engineered them, and then digitally transformed in a centralized system and database. They even reduced the steps and facilitated their services to be easier with high availability. This enabled the ministry to create the digital hub for its different stakeholders in order to enable them to verify the accuracy of data by themselves from a unified, easily accessible, with no-cost hub. This saved a lot of time and effort since it is available through 24/7 from anywhere at any time, using any smart device. The ministry analyzed and used the latest technologies to do this transformation and avail its services through different channels like web and responsive. The database collects all the information of the services that ministry provides, which enables them to even produce reports in order to monitor the system properly and implement proactive actions in all times. The system is integrated with different notification channels such as SMS, smart mobile notifications, emails, …etc. Various workshops were conducted with different users to introduce the digital hub to them and explain how to use it in an efficient and effective way. Furthermore, awareness newsletter and posts were published on different channels like social media channels, website, sms, email, …etc.

The most noticeable obstacle during the implementation was to aware the different stakeholder the importance of using the Digital Hub to verify certificates data instead of manual check because many people depended on papers based on their culture, education, …etc. noting that the system is used not only in UAE, but also by other countries. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment overcame this obstacle by raising the awareness through social media campaigns, emails, SMS, website, …etc. which helped to educate people of how will this help them socially, economically, environmentally, …etc.

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has developed a unique, transparent, easy to access, and centralized platform with zero human interaction that can be used by different stakeholders from anywhere, anytime, and via any device. The system is build using the latest and most innovative technologies to provide real-time and accurate data to users in a quick and easy way taking in consideration how crucial is the information provided in the Digital Hub for all the users.

United Arab Emirates’s 2021 vision is to be the number one country in digital services, and UAE’s leaders always seeks to the number one ranking in all sectors continuously. Therefore, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, being an effective member in the country, also seeks to develop new and innovative ideas towards this goal. Therefore, the Digital Hub is one of many innovative projects that the ministry works on to be aligned with the vision. The spent time to verify has been reduced and accurate real-time data is provided.

The digital hub is using evolving technologies and is connected to a centralized database that collects data in real-time, and accordingly help management in Ministry of climate Change and Environment in decision making. Open and smart data is also created from this database, which also helps the ministry to take decision towards allowing and banning animals, plants, food products, …etc. to ensure people’s health and food security.

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has fully digitalized the verification process from beginning till end. The system is used not only in all the cities in the UAE, but also by other countries. This digital hub provides transparent, real-time, and accurate data to users. It is available 24/7 from anywhere using any smart device via omni channels such as web and mobile responsive. Furthermore, The CITES Secretariat which is a world-wide organization is also seeking to benefit from Ministry of Climate Change and Environment’s practice and initiative.

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Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has utilized its human resources to develop this initiative with zero cost. Also, emerging technologies has also been used to provide accurate, transparent, and real-data for users. The digital hub is easy to access and provide quick results which reduces the process time and effort.

Over time, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment maintains data accuracy and transparency using the initiative, which prevents forgery actions and changing certificates and permits data. This builds a confident and strong relationship. The initiative also saves time, effort, and money which was previously used to manually verify the data either by printing, visiting customers center, …etc. Furthermore, human resources’ time and effort is now used to efficiently perform other tasks, and use the technology verify the data.

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The initiative was internally and externally evaluated. It was internally evaluated from different angles. Return of Investment (ROI) was conducted on the different benefits that the initiative resulted in. Furthermore, SWOT analysis was performed internally by Ministry of Climate Change and Environment's team. In Addition, external evaluation was conducted by Telecommunications Regulatory Authority included in the Website Quality enablers and Services Quality enablers criteria and KPIs. Also, customer happiness meter which is developed by Prime Minister Office was used to evaluate the customers’ feedback and collect comments. Moreover, Deloitte & Touche conducted an external evaluation and this is an international company concerned in evaluation in this area.

Return of Investment was performed on the initiative to study the benefits of it. In addition, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s enablers criteria were implemented and evaluated on the digital hub initiative. This evaluation is done yearly to ensure that the criteria is properly implemented. Furthermore, Customer happiness meter was also used to evaluate the happiness of customers and collect their feedback and suggestions. Surveys were also used for customers’ feedback and enhancements. Furthermore, Deloitte’s 4R application rationalization framework and SWOT was conducted by Deloitte and Touches.

The evaluation resulted in many outcomes such as 1. Minimizing the steps of the digital service since previously users had to use manual verification either by papers, visiting customer service centers, …etc. 2. The time spent on verifying the data was reduced by 5%. 3. Around 400,000 AED cost was saved by launching the initiative. 4. Carbon photoprint was reduced due to zero visits of users to customers’ services centers by almost 29,000 emissions units’ carbon dioxide gas. 5. Using a digital verification hub helped to automate the manual work and reduced the time spent by human resources by 3,657 hours which will enable them to work efficiently on other tasks. 6. Paper printing was reduced by more than 200,000 AED papers which led to reducing printers and cartridges costs annually by almost 300,000 AED. Accordingly, maintenance of printers’ cost was also reduced by 100,000 AED yearly in results of it. 7. The hub prevented forgery acts towards the certificates and permits data which increased the accuracy of data, and accordingly confidence of users. 8. More than 29,000 users used the initiative.

Ministry of climate Change and environment works closely with other entities and authorities inside UAE and also internationally. Accordingly, these entities use the initiative in order to ensure the accuracy of shipments that enter and exit their ports. In addition, those entities use the initiative in order to prevent any forgery acts which leads to food security not only in UAE, but also in the other countries. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment also works with other national and international authorities such as CITES Secretariat and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in order to regulate decrees and enforce the rules on importer and exporters to prevent any illegal action. As a result, these regulations are translated automatically in the system’s level to digitally do the necessary checks. This benefits all the other stakeholders such as companies, individuals, …etc.

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment engaged its stakeholders in the initiative of digital hub. Concerned departments in the ministry were closely engaged since they are the main stakeholders to enforce the rules and regulations in collaboration with the Information Technology department to digitalize these regulations and minimize the manual verifications and checks. Also, customers were involved in digitalizing the verification of certificates because many workshops were conducted with them to collect their feedback about the manual process. In addition, entities inside UAE and internationally were involved in improving the process because they work closely with the ministry in terms of checking the shipments that are imported or exported, and many forgery acts are done, so the ministry analyzed the situation and came up with the Digital Hub as part of enhancing user experience and facilitate its services digitally.

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment considers the diversity of its stakeholders when digitalize any service. Therefore, the main lesson learnt from the initiative is how digital initiatives make people’s lives easier specially when they are aligned with government visions. It saves time, effort, cost, …etc. when proper analyses and digital transformation is made. In addition, customers’ voice and feedback is very important in order to gain their satisfaction and happiness. Furthermore, awareness is highly important in order to implement the initiative in an efficient and effective manner. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment will consider to engage more traders and stakeholders worldwide in order to enhance its initiatives. For future enhancements, robust technologies will be considered such as block chain and improvement in Artificial Intelligence will be considered in order to enhance the digital hub and any other digital initiative.