PILOT JOINT LEARNING STUDY ON E-GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SIMPLIFICATION IN LEBANON

1. PILOT JOINT LEARNING STUDY ON E-GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SIMPLIFICATION IN LEBANON André J. Amiouni Senior Policy Analyst Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) Lebanon

2. Context • Modernisation of the Lebanese public administration • Progress made in use of ICT in government… • …but limited access to knowledge and first-hand • international experience on implementation • Demand by OMSAR Minister to the OECD for expert • support and cooperation within GfD

3. Focus of the Project • OECD and OMSAR designed a joint project focusing on: • assessing current achievements and challenges in • bridging administrative simplification and e-government • policies in Lebanon • Providing expert advice on how to move forward • Experts from OECD and Arab countries with similar • approaches are invited to participate in the project • (Italy and France)

4. Project Goals • To take stock of the achievements and progress made by Lebanon • To provide Lebanese experts with first-hand practical experience from OECD countries • To produce proposals for action to Lebanese decision makers • To stimulate discussion and encourage mutual learning between Arab and OECD experts

5. Project Outputs • A study on Lebanon experience with e-government and administrative simplification based on the result of a series of data collection interviews and presentations during a field mission • A high level seminar in Lebanon addressed to Lebanese government officials and with the participation of experts from invited Arab and OECD countries to present and discuss the results of the study

6. Project Timing

7. OMSAR – Program CharterBased on the Paris III DocumentTowards Good Governance:Performance Management AndBetter Public Service Delivery

8. Program Objectives/Description High Level Work Plan • Public institutions carry a backlog of years of scarcity in sustainable development assistance on all levels: institutional, human or technological. This has reflected negatively on the administration’s responsiveness and quality of service delivery, doubled by a more demanding and well aware citizen and private sector. To better respond to these challenges several tools need to be introduced and adapted including service quality, one stop shop etc. but foremost is a review and streamlining of existing administrative processes and procedures combined with the introduction of a better regulation system. Develop specialized skills for simplification in newly created team/unit through OTJ training and special training courses Finalize simplification of procedures in six pilot ministries and begin implementation Develop a simplification program to identify and attend to procedures tagged for simplification within the administration Eye competent and skilled counterpart staff in each ministry to join a network of procedure simplification run by OMSAR and train identified network staff Create and develop task force to carry out better regulation project KPIs 2a) two core team members produce one final simplification report in under 6 weeks time (for complex procedures) 2b) five full simplification reports ready in six months 2c) 70 percent of ministries analyzed for simplification before year end 2d) key network staff identified and officially assigned to simplification task Program Charter I Program Title Modernize institutional, human and technological capabilities of public institutions to be more responsive to citizens’ needs Program Owner Minister of State for Administrative Reform Program Number OMSAR-002 Key Stakeholders Lebanon Public Administration Competitive advantages Milestones and Key Deliverables • Omsar IDU successfully completed streamlining in several ministries previously and has accumulated know how in procedure simplification and better regulations • Omsar has created a special unit of qualified staff within its organization chart for procedure simplification and better regulations in the administration • Omsar e-government project is underway well trained core simplification team at OMSAR five final reports of procedure simplification approved by concerned parties and ready to implement Procedures for simplification program approved and ready to implement Well defined network of qualified and trained staff in target ministries Special task force for better regulation created and operational Resources Requirements Description Technical Assistance • One international expert on procedure simplification • One international expert on better regulation and regulatory reform Budget • Euro 450,000 Ministry Team • Simplification and better regulation team

9. Modernize capabilities of public institutions to be more responsive to citizens’ needs Program Objectives/Description: Public institutions carry a backlog of years of scarcity in sustainable development assistance on all levels: institutional, human or technological. This has reflected negatively on the administration’s responsiveness and quality of service delivery, doubled by a more demanding and well aware citizen and private sector. To better respond to these challenges several tools need to be introduced and adapted including service quality, one stop shop etc. but foremost is a review and streamlining of existing administrative processes and procedures combined with the introduction of a better regulation system.

10. Modernize capabilities of public institutions to be more responsive to citizens’ needs High Level Work Plan: • Develop specialized skills for simplification in newly created team/unit through OTJ training and special training courses • Finalize simplification of procedures in six pilot ministries and begin implementation • Develop a simplification program to identify and attend to procedures tagged for simplification within the administration • Eye competent and skilled counterpart staff in each ministry to join a network of procedure simplification run by OMSAR and train identified network staff • Create and develop task force to carry out better regulation project

11. Modernize capabilities of public institutions to be more responsive to citizens’ needs • OMSAR Competitive Advantage: • Omsar IDU successfully completed streamlining in several ministries previously and has accumulated know how in procedure simplification and better regulations • Omsar has created a special unit of qualified staff within its organization chart for procedure simplification and better regulations in the administration • Omsar e-government project is underway

12. Modernize capabilities of public institutions to be more responsive to citizens’ needs Milestones and Key Deliverables • well trained core simplification team at OMSAR • five final reports of procedure simplification approved by concerned parties and ready to implement • Procedures for simplification program approved and ready to implement • Well defined network of qualified and trained staff in target ministries • Special task force for better regulation created and operational

13. Modernize capabilities of public institutions to be more responsive to citizens’ needs Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • two core team members produce one final simplification report in under 6 weeks time (for complex procedures) • five full simplification reports ready in six months • 70 percent of ministries analyzed for simplification before year end • key network staff identified and officially assigned to simplification task

14. Modernize capabilities of public institutions to be more responsive to citizens’ needs Resource Requirements: • One international expert on procedure simplification, better regulation and regulatory reform for a period of three (3) years Budget Requirements: • Euro 450,000 Program Owner: • OMSAR Program Beneficiary: • Six key service Ministries