Barbados sets sights on citizen-driven digital transformation

Barbados is undergoing a major shift in how public services are delivered, with a focus on making them more accessible, efficient, and citizen-driven. This is according to Mark Boyce, Chief Executive Officer of GovTech Barbados, who says this digital transformation is a part of the government’s broader goal to enhance the way it interacts with and serves its citizens.

GovTech Barbados, the government agency responsible for spearheading the country’s digital evolution, is tasked with modernising public services through the use of advanced technology and data-driven processes. Their mission is to ensure that government operations are streamlined, secure, and designed with the needs of citizens at the forefront.

“These priorities are not just about taking analog government processes and putting them online or about upgrading technology,” Boyce said. “They’re about fundamentally changing the way that government serves its citizens. Yes, we want to make public services accessible, efficient, and secure. But more fundamentally, we want to make them citizen-driven.”

Currently, many public services in Barbados operate in silos, requiring citizens to repeatedly submit the same information and navigate complex processes. The GovTech CEO noted that the future design of these services will focus on the needs of the people. “Public service design should start with and be constantly tested against the needs of the people and entities that use the service,” he explained.

To achieve this, the government plans to overhaul its internal processes and make better use of digital infrastructure. Boyce pointed out the need for integrated systems within ministries and departments, supported by new technologies like digital identifiers and digital signatures, as well as centralised access points for services such as the gov.bb portal.

“We must begin to move from government processes that are reactive — that is, those that rely on a citizen or business to know that they need to go through a particular process — to processes that are proactive, that is, those that anticipate needs,” he stated, noting that life events, such as births, marriages, and business incorporations, should automatically trigger relevant government services with minimal human intervention.

Boyce also highlighted the role of data in the government’s transformation. “Obviously, the government should be analysing its data to yield insights that can be used in decision-making rather than treating it as a mere by-product of activity,” he said.

By using data more effectively, the government aims to improve service delivery and even create new opportunities for the private sector to develop products that address local issues.

This shift toward a more proactive and data-driven government will, according to him, enable Barbados to better serve its citizens while fostering a culture of innovation. “Meeting these needs will lead to fundamental changes in the government’s technological infrastructure, internal processes, treatment of data, and ways of working,” he stated. (RG)