MDAs Urged To Cooperate With eGov Jamaica’s Data-Gathering Exercise

Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, is encouraging government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to cooperate with the data-gathering activities being undertaken by eGov Jamaica Limited in preparation for the entity’s transition to the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Authority of Jamaica.

Minister Williams, who was speaking at eGov Jamaica’s networking event, dubbed ‘Exec Connect’, at Hope Gardens, St. Andrew, recently, said that the data-gathering exercise will provide detailed information about the ICT needs of the MDAs.

The process, she said, is essential in building out a platform to unify the ICT network across government.

Minister Williams noted that the entity, which is “backed by law”, will streamline the Government’s ICT infrastructure.

“What is going to happen is you will have a much closer working relationship with eGov now, the ICT Authority later. They are supposed to know more about you and your department and what you do in that new regime than they do now,” she said.

Chief Executive Officer, eGov Jamaica, Maurice Barnes, for his part, said digital transformation requires the “buy in” of all stakeholders.

“Digital transformation is not really about the implementation of technology alone. It is really about the people, and if we are to achieve digital transformation, we cannot leave our people behind.

As leaders that have to drive that transformation, it is very important that we consider our people,” he said.

“We are committed to ensuring that the wider GOJ and by extension, Jamaica, gets the message and gets on board the ICT revolution that is expected to transform and modernise doing business and providing services to the citizens of our country,” Mr. Barnes added.

Legislation to establish the ICT Authority and transfer the functions of e-Gov Jamaica and the office of the Chief Information Officer into the new entity was passed in Parliament in 2019.