Learning Lessons along the Digital Transformation Journey: Recent examples from the Caribbean

Dr Kieron Swift6 August 2020

Presentation to theLaw Association of Trinidad & Tobago

Reading List & References

OUTLINE

• Opportunities & Challenges

• A Framework of Good Practice

• 3 Current Compete Caribbean Cases

• Lessons Being Learned on the Journey

What do “The Wizard of Oz” and Digital Transformation have in common?

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGESof Digital Transformation in the Public Sector

A FRAMEWORK OF GOOD PRACTICE

A connected government means the seamless integration, or joining up, of various agencies to provide services

which are aligned to the complete customer journey – and not to the dictates of agency silos.

At the heart of Digital Transformation for Governments

”

Key Challenges

Inefficiency and

inconsistency across the

service value chain

Many high volume,

transactional interactions that can be migrated to self service platforms

Inefficient face to face

access points

Poor customer

experience

Key Strategies

Exhibit visible strategic leadership

Set common goals and service standards for connected government

Focus on front end public service delivery

Enable regulatory and legal framework

Key Principles

02

01

03

04

05

Listen to

customers

Break down

the silos

Enable a multi-

channel service

experience

Set customer-

centric service

standards

Continuously

improve

through

customer

feedback

3 CURRENT CASES

CONTEXT - ANTIGUA & BARBUDA BUSINESS CLIMATE

STREAMLINING THE ISSUANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITS

IN ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

Digital Transformation Objectives

Reduce the average development application processing time by 50%.

Ensure that more development applications are submitted with the appropriate documentation

Reduce the number of building permits and plans filed by non-licensed architects, engineers or contractors.

Enhance the collection of revenues owed to the jurisdiction.

Enhance the ability of government departments to conduct parallel plan reviews rather than perform them sequentially.

Reduce and eliminate space and retrieval problems associated with paper blueprints (e.g. number of physical trips to and from government offices & lack of proper storage)

CONTEXT – GRENADA BUSINESS CLIMATE

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS CLIMATE REFORMS IN

GRENADA

Complete the transition to full use of the online Companies Registry (record digitisation, software debugging, local system maintenance, training, communications)

Increase technical and non-technical skills of Customs officers (evidence-based methods for PPD, continuous delivery of solutions to reduce time and cost of trading across borders)

Develop a system to monitor and increase accountability for business climate reforms

Understand how the World Bank Doing Business indicators can drive continuous improvement in the business climate

Digital Transformation Objectives

SAINT LUCIA COMPETITIVENESS AGENDA &

ACTION PLAN

Provide systems and tools that increase NCPC’s ability to measure firm-level productivity

Improve capacity of BSOs to engage the private sector, understand their needs & drive value propositions to meet those needs

Increase NCPC’s ability to promote specific measures to improve productivity of Saint Lucian firms

Promote intra-governmental cooperation in the collection of national data & delivery of support services to MSMEs

(In this case we are only discussing Component 2 -Capacity Building to Improve the Coordination and Implementation of Competitiveness Related Activities)

Digital Transformation Objectives

LESSONS BEING LEARNED ALONG THE JOURNEY

DISCLAIMER

The projects reviewed here, and the lessons being learned from them, are works in progress.

The following thoughts are not representative of Compete Caribbean’s final evaluation of these projects.

Snapshots of our experience to date

Low-lights

Inadequate information from local counterparts on scope of work to be done meant that project activities, and hence budgets, were under-scoped

Weak leadership & lack of organizational commitment and ownership of the change process

Low inter-agency coordination hampered project governance

Physical spaces that were not fit-for-purpose

Tensions between consultants (due to perceived low-quality deliverables) and beneficiaries (due to slow turnaround time for reviews)

Equipment failure/unavailability and lack of reliable Internet access

Under-emphasis on early and frequent capacity building and communication

Lack of remote work capability meant total work stoppage (in some cases) or significant slowdowns (in most cases) due to COVID-19

High-lights

Levels of local ownership increased slowly over time

Comprehensive gap analyses of legal and regulatory frameworks allow for clear recommendations on policy reforms

Early signs of successful capacity building as evidenced in improved staff performance

Main lessons learned so far

Maintain momentum

Triple-check estimates

Change management w/ICT

(but not the reverse!)

Double down on collaboration & working standards

Purchase equipment in stages

CLOSING

What do “The Wizard of Oz” and Digital Transformation have in common?

In “The Wizard of Oz” a major tumultuous event (tornado) dominated consciousness during the first act.

Yet, the main story wasn’t about the tornado.

Yes, it is true that Dorothy’s adventures in the Land of Oz wouldn’t have been possible had the tornado not come to Kansas and whisked her away.

However, the key lessons to be learned in the story were about how Dorothy made her way in the strange new world rather than how she got there.

Similarly…

Digital Transformation is not really about technology.

Set customer-centric standards

Break down the silos

Enable a multi-channel service

experience

Continuously improve through customer

feedback

Listen to the customers

Instead, Digital Transformation is about …

• How organizations navigate their way through the new landscape to which technology has brought us

• How they learn to do business in different ways

• How they restructure themselves to respond more effectively to changes wrought by an increasingly digital environment

• How they learn to adapt individual and institutional skill development and leadership styles for the demands of this rapidly changing world

Thank you

‘Hythe’, Welches, Maxwell Main Road

Christ Church, Barbados BB17068

Tel: 1. 246. 627. 8536 • Fax: 1 .246. 629. 8869

competecaribbean@iadb.org

www.competecaribbean.org