Qatar is on track to achieving its target of bringing all key government services online by 2020, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said yesterday.
A report entitled, “Qatar’s ICT Landscape 2015” released by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, reveals ICT adoption within the government workforce is widespread, government organisations are embracing new technologies and the rapid rise in penetration levels of smartphones and tablets in Qatar is spurring the rollout of mobile apps and services by government entities.
Government organisations in Qatar are using social media channels to reach out to external stakeholders and foster deeper engagement as well as improve service delivery.
In 2015, 78% of government entities in Qatar are using social media, with 97% of those using social media using it to publish information, 84% to engage with social media users, and 70% to solicit ideas and involve social media users in the policy and service-delivery processes of government organisations.
In addition, more than three-quarters (80%) of government organisations that use social media now employ at least one dedicated social media executive.
As of December 2015, as many as 681 government services were online, and that number is expected to rise to 1,000 by the end of this year.
In fact, IT executives in Qatar believe that the use of ICT by the government has improved the quality of government services to citizens significantly.
The report is based on a large-scale study of 480 government employees and IT executives from 48 government organisations (ministries, councils, authorities, and other institutions), with the aim of monitoring the government’s progress in improving government service delivery, transparency, and efficiency.
“The environment is ripe for continued progress, and this study validates that Qatar’s digital government strategy has put us on the right course for future success,” said HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti.
“We continue to pursue the important objectives of this strategy - better serve individuals and businesses, create efficiency in government administration, and increase government openness. There is a way to go in ensuring that government employees have the necessary skills and training to keep up with emerging technologies,” he added.
The report said government entities in Qatar are rolling out mobile apps and services. The most common reason cited by government organisations for deploying mobile applications is to enable citizens to have a true multichannel service experience (81%).
Offering managers and executives the ability to access key performance data and push notifications to citizens were both cited by 44% of IT executives. Of the channels used for providing e-services, the increasing importance of mobile is visible, with nearly half of the online services being made available through a mobile-enabled website or mobile app.
The investments government organisations have made in automation of core business processes are bearing fruit. While 87% of organisations in Qatar had automated their core business processes in 2013, this percentage rose to 93 in 2015.
Of those who have automated their core business processes, 100% have reportedly automated their HR functions.
The Qatar government  has been conducting market research studies since 2008 on the state of ICT in major sectors.