OPMCM unveils E-Governance Blueprint

Kathmandu, Feb 25: The E-Governance Board under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) today unveiled the 'E-Governance Blueprint' aiming to achieve transformative changes in the existing government affairs through a digital technology, making public services paperless.   

The draft of the Blueprint that was prepared on January 27 was released today, according to Board's Chief Executive Officer Dipesh Bista.     

 Prior to this, the Board held discussions and interactions with multi stakeholders to receive their submissions regarding the draft of the Blueprint.     

The document cites the government's commitment to making the government services achievable, prompt, transparent, accountable and effective with the support of digital technology by discouraging physical presence in service delivering facilities.     

The development of infrastructure, policy and legal structures required for the implementation of digital system, institutional capacity enhancement and operation of and facilitation for digital governance-related governance innovation, research and development endevours have been highlighted as the objectives of the document.     

The blueprint has identified seven strategic pillars for digital transformation and they are: a clear governance framework for digital governance; legal and regulatory frameworks, and continued development of digital promoters; digital literacy and skills development; digital standards; formulation and implementation of guidelines; strengthened regional and international cooperation; and innovation, and research and development.     

The document has assimilated the spirit of ICT Policy of Nepal - 2072 BS, Government Enterprise Architecture Directive-2076 BS and Digital Nepal Framework-2076 BS.     

Amidst increasing IT advancement and its growing attraction, the Blueprint is expected to be useful in strengthening inter-agency coordination though exchanges of data, creating pressure for making the public service delivery further transparent and effective.     

E-governance blueprint was prepared in view of the arrangement of global compact, government stack as well as other international established model, as a national strategic document was necessary.     

Development, strengthen and use of common infrastructures and standards, innovation and procedural simplicity in public service delivery, guarantee of safety and privacy from plan formulation, guarantee of easy accessible of services provided through digital medium, transparency and promotion of e-governance based on development were mentioned in the blueprint.     

Similarly, low role of board on policy-level issue to maintain digital good governance, functional problem, problems related to management framework for e-governance, lack of citizen service centre to facilitate public service delivery have been taken as the challenges in the blueprint.     

Likewise, there is challenge in formulation of digital guideline and directives and implementation, problem in strengthening regional and international cooperation, and to make the issue of public procurement further transparent and competitive.     

Various activities have also been determined for next three years--preparing draft of e-governance act, restructuring of Department of Information Technology, establishment of Data Protection Authority and establishment of data exchange platform.     

After receiving the final draft of blueprint prepared by International consultants with the technical support of United Nations Development Programme on April 29, 2024, it was again internalized from the prospective of Nepal.     

The final draft of the blueprint was received on September 30, 2024 from Nepali consultants and final shape was given to it on January 27, 2025.     

The fifth meeting of E-Governance Board held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary on January 28 had decided to send the blueprint draft to concerned body for opinion.(RSS)