The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has started using an electronic system for managing the meetings of the tenders and auctions committees.

The advanced system is used for preparing meeting agendas and signing the tenders committees’ meeting minutes electronically instead of preparing them manually. This is expected to save time and effort, in addition to enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and ease of follow-up and archiving processes for the agendas of the meetings.

The implementation of the new electronic system is expected to significantly reduce the amount and cost of paper documents used, by converting the committees’ agendas.

This will ease the process of preparing and reviewing those agendas. It is also hoped to accelerate the workflow by minimising the number of stages needed to prepare work agendas and sending them electronically to the members for reviewing at any time and in any place.

The move is expected to reducing the repetitive manual tasks such as signing or commenting by enabling the committees' members to electronically sign documents consisting of a single page or several pages.

The change, it is hoped, will enhance control over data integrity by applying a secure system that only authorises committees that have permits to sign documents and write comments. It will enable the secretariat of committees to know the attendance and absence of members through a text message or e-mail, which will improve the sharing of information and enhance co-operation.

Ashghal is keen to design a comprehensive application which is easy to apply and use by everyone in line with the Qatari e-government’s vision which encourages all of the country’s sectors, authorities, and organisations to adopt modern technology to achieve real benefits for everyone, whether on the internal level of those organisations or in enhancing interaction and co-ordination among them.

With an eye to create work environs Ashghal is implementing several electronic programmes and applications. The authority is also working on putting in place electronic systems in all services it provides to its stakeholders.

An important move on this direction is the system for buying tender documents electronically. It is expected to enhance the accuracy and transparency of the tenders as well as, the development of their database in terms of content, accuracy, report quality, and ease of access.

The new systems and applications are being implemented in line with the authority’s strategy which is aimed to exploit modern electronic systems to achieve organisational efficiency and support the country’s vision to develop the e-government.