Needs’ Assessments of Governance & Public Administration in Syria

1. INNOVATION IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONIN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN REGION. Needs’ Assessments of Governance & Public Administration in Syria Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Najwa Kassab Hassan

2. - INTRODUCTION: Syria endeavored from the mid-nineties an ambitious development of the ICT infrastructure to accelerate developments on all social, economic and administrative levels. During the past decades, Syria has achieved considerable developments on the social and economic life of the country.

3. With the new millennium, Syria embarked on administrative reforms of all governmental institutions and bodies. All ministries conducted a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of its internal procedures, processes, services and the necessary changes. All suggested changes were studied to insure coherency on both the internal and inter-ministerial levels and with the new technological requirements of e-administration and e-government. The new structures were approved early 2003 and is now under implementation at various levels.

4. - STRATEGY AND PLANNING: Strategies of development and reformation of the public administration is based on the overall objectives of the government and inline with the third millennium program and the Barcelona Declaration. Important achievements are reached on the strategic levels affecting the legislative and executive branches of the government

5. A. Achievements Affecting All Aspects Of Governance: • Updating laws and regulation and eliminating all bureaucratic barriers prohibiting national and foreign investments • Administrative reforms through training and recuperating Human resources. • Creating Administrative information centers for decision support systems in all ministries • Creating either a central committee or high committee to put the strategy for e-transformation • Updating laws and procedures of the banking systems • Updating and modernizing education and higher education, especially programs of e-learning and continuing education • Increasing the role and involvement of all information mediums (public and private) in the processes of good governance.

6. B. Reformations At The Legislative And Jurisdictional Level: • Amending and updating the Unified Labor Law • The proclamation of Ordinance No. 22 for the Year 2002 organizing the authorities of Deputy Ministers • Eliminating of the authority of High Committees and transferring its rule and role to involved ministries. • The proclamation of Law No. 24 for the year 2003 to restructure the Ministerial Cabinet and the establishment of the Ministerial General Secretariat. • The formation of “Ministerial Decision-Support Committee” in 2002 to assess administrative and other reformations done by ministries.

7. C. Projects & Programs Related To The Achievement Of The Strategy: • Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Peoples’ Assembly. • E Strategy for Syria. • Strategic ICT program for socio-economic development in Syria. • Support to Administrative Development. • Project implementation and coordination unit. • The Electronic Library. • Syrian Virtual University. • E-Village. • Syrian Higher Education and research Network (SHERN).

8. D. ICT And Governmental Sectors – Levels Of Integration: • The National Number Project. • H-Card: also known as the Smart Health Record. • Virtual Museum. • literacy e-radication.

9. NEEDS’ ASSESSMENT AND PRIORITIZATION: • Despite the noticeable achievements that took place in Syria towards development and modernization, the requirements of building a knowledge society and the utilization of ICT in sustainable development necessitate changes and progress.

10. 1. Legislative Changes Affecting The ICT Sector And Implementation: • Implementing and activating intellectual Properties Laws • Organizing the processes of exporting & importing software/hardware. • Legislating relevant laws governing the distribution, exchange and protection of data. • Encouraging and organizing investment in the ICT sector. • Organizing and regulating e-Commerce and e-Trade and benefiting from the experience of other countries in this field. • Legislating relevant laws authorizing and regulating the usage of electronic signature and its use.

11. 2. Legislative Changes Affecting Social And Economic Developments • Finalizing and implementing the new Labor Law • Easing the process of investment and completion of investment projects. This is of special importance to the banking and financial sector.

12. 3. Developments And Changes Affecting The Implementation Of A Comprehensive ICT Strategy Reaching E-Government • The importance of the private sector’s participation in the development and implementation of any ICT development or in drawing the e-strategy. • Accessibility to information through all available methods and mediums. • Providing access to information to civil establishments. • Establishing National Data Bank(s) providing data and information to all sectors. • The atomization and standardization of processes. • Supporting technology incubators projects. • Supporting efforts of internet content Arabization. • Supporting the local ICT industry to participate more in the process of development.

13. 4. Human Resources And Capacity Building • Integrating IT curricula, information, and usage in all levels of formal education. • Initiating training programs on the national level to eradicate PC illiteracy & supporting programs of continuing education • Supporting the utilization of existing infrastructure and facilities in rural areas to initiate training programs. • Supporting the initiative of the “Popular PC”. • Supporting the “Mobile Internet Unit”

14. 5. Administrative And Public Sector Reformation And Development: • Decentralization of the processes in the public sector. • Installing and activating information systems and mechanisms. • Changing and modifying human resources management systems and procedures • Training executives and managers

15. 6. Reformation In The Banking And Financial Sector: • The utilization of ICT and computerization in banks is essential in reforming the economy. • Modifying and updating relevant laws and legislations. • Supporting micro and investment loans for projects requiring finance. • Modernizing the insurance industry.

16. 7. Reformation And Modernization Research And Studies • Conducting Continuous research and surveys, studying the needs and effects of reformation and modernization 8. Utilization Of Mass Media • Utilization of mass media (television broadcasting, local newspaper) in advocating reformation. 9. Reformation And Gender • The creation of a specialized Gender information Center. • Providing and allocating special programs for training females in general, and in particular, females in rural areas. • Encouraging woman to benefit from the process of reformation, especially on the financial levels by allocating special funds for projects piloted or initiated by females.

17. 10. Reformation and Social Acceptance: • Insuring social acceptance as a manifestation of successful implementation to any reform. • Involving opinion leaders in promoting the benefits of reforms