IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Sadly, the principal victims of poor access to information are rural people. This is despite the fact that rural communities require information, inter alia, on supply of inputs, new technologies, early warning systems (drought, pests and diseases), credit, and market prices.

The kingdom's eGovernment Authority has announced the initiative, and an initial contract has been awarded to design and build the centre to Bahrain-based strategic consultants BDO Jawad Habib.

Eidsvik and his team has been working closely with the Australian government to improve citizen experience at contact centres. He summarises the biggest opportunities for public sector organisations:

Contact Centre received a total of 40,383 cases in August 2016, with voice calls, email, online chat and City Guard topping the list of most popular contact methods

Ten government entities receive the highest levels of user interaction

Contact Centre's continuous success is attributed to ADSIC's ongoing efforts to provide high-quality government services with easy access

Mariam started work at 8am on a Saturday morning. Within the next hour, she had received more than 10 calls from concerned residents about how to process visit visas, how to access building services, and a handful of complaints.

All of this is part of a regular workday for Mariam, a 22-year-old from Egypt (whose name has been changed to protect her identity) who currently works at the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Centre.

The event was attended by HE Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Systems & Information Centre (ADSIC), the government entity responsible for the supervision of ICT agenda in Abu Dhabi and H.E. Ali Rashed Al Ketbi, Chairman at Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council (ADTC). Upon concluding the press conference, the executives conducted a tour to showcase its innovative facilities to the media.

To explore the best practice industry methods for delivering world-class contact centres. Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC), the government entity responsible for the emirate’s ITC agenda, recently participated in the Government Contact Centre Summit Middle East 2015, which took place at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Dubai from 17th to 20th May.

As the only event in the region dedicated to the government sector as a central gathering for senior contact centre professionals interested in learning, networking and planning for future developments, the two-day knowledge sharing event aimed at exploring the best practice industry methods for delivering world-class contact centres through efficient workforce management and modern technologies.

H.E. Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment Department, said: "AskDubai embodies eGovernment's core vision based on easing the lives of citizens, residents, visitors and businesses as it plays a significant role in enhancing the quality and efficiency of the government services provided to various sections of society in the emirate, in both Arabic and English.

In recognition of the ongoing commitment by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to provide world-class facilities and services built around the needs of its customers, DEWA announced that it has opened a new Customer Service Centre at Dubai Municipality - Al Manara Centre.

Al Manara Centre replaces the DEWA Customer Service Center in Umm Suqeim which has been relocated to Sheikh Zayed Road to offer a more convenient and helpful face-to-face service on all electricity and water services for the Dubai community.

The mobile portal and common service centres (CSCs) are the latest channels being used to provide government services to the public.

They were launched by Cabinet Affairs Minister and Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology member Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa and e-Government Authority (eGA) chief executive officer Mohammed Al Qaed yesterday.

It is being run by a newly-formed company, Silah Gulf, which was also launched yesterday during a ceremony held under the patronage of and attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.

Operated by the newly formed company, Silah Gulf, the centre offers the same comprehensive services at an elevated level of quality to all ministries, government and private sectors on both local and regional levels through an easy to dial number on a 24 hour basis.

The National Contact Centre is considered as a channel that permits the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Government to expand the services it offers to its citizens, residents, visitors and businesses by ensuring the prompt as well as simple access. It is part of the main national strategic objectives of the eGovernment Authority that strives to facilitate and to enable citizens to interact with the government through telephone calls, post, emails and by fax.

The initial contract of BD109 500.00, to design and build the centre has been awarded to BDO Jawad Habib, one of Bahrain's leading strategic consultants.

The partnership also paves the way towards launching the National Contact Centre, the fourth and final integrated government eService delivery channel, having previously launched the eGovernment National Portal (Bahrain.bh), Mobile Gateway, and Common Service Centres.

The company will provide a full range of integrated contact centre solutions on a local and regional level.

The partnership will also pave way towards launching the National Contact Centre, the fourth and final integrated government eService delivery channel, having previously launched the eGovernment National Portal (Bahrain.bh), Mobile Gateway, and Common Service Centres.

As stipulated by the strategy, the eGovernment Authority will offer 200 basic government services to the public through 4 channels – eGovernment National Portal, Mobile Portal, Common Service Centers and the National Call Center. To date, 90 eServices are available through the National Portal (www.bahrain.bh) with the rest set to launch at various stages until the end of 2010.

"In line with the present government's plan to build Digital Bangladesh, the centre was launched in Jessore to reach all kinds of service of the district administration to the doorsteps of the people," Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Sheikh Abdul Wahab told the inaugural function as the chief guest.

In the last 18 months, the NCC has received over 165,074 calls in total and has responded to an average of 94% of these calls (154,842 calls till 22 Feb 2011). This rate of service makes it one of the top performing contact centres in the region.

As per current statistics, calls peak between 8AM and 2PM during weekdays, i.e. normal working hours for a ministry in Bahrain, even though the contact centre is open 24 hours 7 days a week.

A government objective of establishing community centres (CCs) in all gewogs by 2013 may not happen, it was revealed at the mid-term review of the ministry of information and communications (MoIC) on Wednesday.

The department of information technology and telecom (DITT) informed the government that Nu 256M more was needed to complete the objective. The department’s director, Phuntsho Namgay, called it a “serious constraint” and a financial requirement that would have to be fulfilled for the objective to be completed.

Fünf Jahre nach Einführung des Bürgerservice im Stadthaus hat die Beigeordnete für Soziales, Elona Müller, gestern eine positive Bilanz gezogen. Das Ziel, möglichst viele Bürgeranliegen zu bündeln, sei erreicht worden, so Müller. 1,499 Millionen Anfragen und Anträge haben die 34 Mitarbeiterinnen des Bürgerservice seit dem 26. Juni 2000 bearbeitet, davon haben sie 528 500 Vorgänge schriftlich erledigt und 970 500 Anliegen direkt im so genannten Front Office im Stadthaus.