ABOUT DIGIGOV

Welcome to the Government of Saint Lucia eServices Integrated Platform (DigiGov)

Leading Agency: The Department of Public Service

Division responsible for the implementation of the DigiGov project: Division of Public Sector Modernization.

The Government of Saint Lucia established the Division of Public Sector Modernisation (DPSM) in the Department of the Public Service from April 2012. The Ministerial portfolios of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), E-Government and Telecommunications are also assigned to this department, under the DPSM. The DPSM was established to provide leadership, coordination and cohesion to the implementation and monitoring of several key aspects of the modernisation agenda: i.e. strategic human resource management, information and communications technology, e-government, telecommunications, legal and regulatory frameworks, structures, policies and processes.

DPSM is tasked with the responsibility of:
  • Assisting with the development of the policy framework and the legal and regulatory environment to foster good governance and accountability
  • Providing support to ensure that appropriate systems and processes are in place to optimize the use of the human resource capacity in transforming the operations and improving the levels of the Public Sector service delivery
  • Application of innovative solutions through the use of ICTs to improve productivity, enhance efficiency and streamline Public Sector service delivery

 

The Government of Saint Lucia initiative for the establishment of the Saint Lucia eServices Integrated Platform(DigiGov) is a direct response to gaps identified in the delivery of timely, efficient and transparent Government to Citizen, Government to Employees, and Government to Business services offered by the Government of Saint Lucia. To rise to this challenge, the Government of Saint Lucia through the Department of Public Service begun work on transforming the way ministries and agencies work collaboratively to engage and interact with businesses and citizens, as well as, the creation and updating of relevant legal, regulatory and governance frame work required to support this transformational change in the government's service delivery methods. The DigiGov project will not only enhance civil servant's productivity as it will improve internal efficiencies but is also designed to provide a people centric approach to governance, thus making public services more user driven, more convenient to access and tailored to the needs of citizen and businesses.

Our vision is to "improve the quality of life in Saint Lucia by embracing ICT to promote development, innovation and global competitiveness thereby enabling sustainable social and economic growth."

Our mission is to transform how the government creates public value by providing public services that are more efficient and responsive to users' needs and expectations in a cohesive, transparent, secure and reliable manner. The Department of Public Service will accomplish this by reengineering its current manual methods of service delivery to improve internal policies, processes, legislations and procedures to move government services online to make it easier and more convenient for people to access public services and information

Our Core Values: Community, integrity and innovation

Through an integrated eServices Platform, the government is working hard to ensure that by 2021, the public will have online access to one hundred and fifty-four (154) public services across eight (8) ministries, using a secure digital identity and digital signature for each user. The overall objectives for the Government of Saint Lucia's digital journey:

  • Connect the People: Empower the citizenry to interact and collaborate on their terms with government
  • Connect Business: Enabling information and resource sharing between the private sector and government
  • Connecting Governments: Enable information and resource sharing across different governments
  • Connecting Ministries and Agencies: Connecting all government institutions thus making it possible to integrate processes and share the resources required to deliver coherent digital public services. Connectivity of government institutions also provides the public sector with new and more flexible channels for interacting more directly and cost-effectively with its citizenry.
  • Improving the supply and uptake of digital government services across Saint Lucia to take advantage of information communication technologies (ICT), improve collaboration and coordination of ICT projects to avoid duplication of efforts and spending across government ministries and agencies

Benefits of the DigiGov Platform

The benefits that will be derived from such a transformation includes but not limited to:

  • Online access to 154 government services online anytime, anywhere
  • Build a society Single Window (or single-entry point) where data will only be submitted once: Customers will not be required to enter their personal information every time a service is required, the system will automatically fill the forms on behalf of the user
  • Digital Government Services Platform is mobile, tablet and desktop responsive system (customers will be able to access the single point of entry on any device)
  • Convenience of having 24/7 online access to Government Services:
    • Access government information and services
    • Download and upload government forms "at your finger tip"
    • Application for government services
    • Online payments via Master & Visa card and SurePay (for services):
    • Complete online payment transaction (for services)
  • Tracking and status updates of requested services "with the click of a button"
  • Alert and notification in real-time on the status of your application process via email and SMS
  • Decrease processing time and service delivery
  • Call Centre: user support to address any customer issues
  • Kiosk: Will be made available at several government institutions (service agents will be stationed at the Kiosk in the event a customer requires assistance whilst using the system)
  • Service Bureau: Existing Community Access Centers will be transformed to services bureau's. Agents will be available to provide services to persons who have no or limited access to the internet, and also for individuals and businesses who do not feel comfortable conducting transactions on the internet.
  • National Authentication Framework (NAF) will provide a convenient and secure manner for citizens and business users to transact online with government agencies
  • Provide access to resources and training to become good digital citizens: Digital citizen refers to an individual who develops the skills, values and behaviors to effectively use digital technologies in a safe and responsible manner whilst engaging and communicating online.

 

The government is committed to transforming and strengthening the relationship between its ministries/agencies and its citizens by harnessing the opportunities facilitated by digital technologies to build and deliver citizen-centric public services. We are dedicated to providing appropriate infrastructure, rationalizing the institutional framework, investing in appropriate skill development, and implementing effective policy and regulatory framework so as to enhance development of the Private sector and facilitate the modernization of the Public Service. Our digital transformation efforts take into account the risk of conducting government services online. In light of this, a number of clauses from the Data Privacy and Protection Act (2011) were amended and enforced to support the legal framework required to secure and maintain individual's data privacy rights.