Advanced data analytics and AI have the ability to help governments work more effectively and efficiently

The year 2020 has left us all changed forever. The pandemic has impacted every aspect of our society and personal lives.

As the people struggle to cope, governments and public sector agencies across the globe are working relentlessly to remain sustainable and functional.

The public sector has not had any respite during the last few months. In fact, efforts to deal with the present and to be better prepared for the future, the focus on digital transformation and resilience have redoubled.

OpenGov Asia hosted the second in a series OpenGov Live! Virtual breakfast Insights to discuss what “Powering Smarter and Resilient Government with Advanced Analytics and AI” entails.

The virtual session saw a full house, with public sector executives from various Malaysian agencies in attendance.

Technology is a powerful tool that can lead us towards a better future

Mohit Sagar, Group Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, OpenGov Asia, set the tone for the discussion by highlighting the pain and pressure on governments over the last four 4 months.

Governments are dedicating all their energy and resources to provide whatever is necessary to maximise the wellbeing of its citizens.

Even as governments have been working hard to protect residents, they have been collecting huge volumes of data from the general public.

This data has been for logistical purposes, for tracking and tracing, for infection control and overall citizen care.

In such times, Mohit said, the role of leaders becomes very important. Leaders not only manage the response to the crisis but also the recovery and path to a better future.

Technology is a powerful tool to communicate and connect with people and has the potential to lead to a better life ahead.

Mohit concluded his opening on an optimistic note pointing out that in a crisis danger and opportunity coexist.

With the right mindset and right people around, one can capitalise on the opportunity that present themselves.

Data Analytics can help government agencies plan better during stressful times

After the opening, the stage was taken by Remco den Heijer, Vice President – ASEAN, SAS.

Remco briefly introduced the audience to SAS and its mission of improving lives through better decisions.

He then shares his observations about the phased approach being followed by governments in tackling the pandemic and how SAS data analytics tools support that.

Remco presented the three stages highlighted by him:

Respond
Recover
Reimagine

To expound on the Respond Stage, he talked about collaboration with governments in India and the United States to predict their medical infrastructure requirements using SAS’s data analytics.

Similarly, during the Recovery Stage, SAS worked closely with government agencies to prepare them as they were getting ready to reopen their economies.

Data analytics helped government determine their revenue streams, expenses and distribution patterns of stimulus packages.

Remco closed by saying that SAS technology can help governments Reimagine the future – to be better prepared for the next emergency well in advance, avoiding loss to lives and resources.

Data is the biggest commodity that governments have today

Joseph Muslino Update OpenGov Asia — Data is the biggest commodity that governments have today

The next presenter was Joseph Musolino, Global Sales and Strategy Consultant for Fraud & Security Intelligence, SAS.

Joseph began by emphasizing the importance of data analytics as a tool that can help get valuable insights to understand the environment and the need of the hour.

He further emphasized the relevance of data analytics in the light of the pandemic tying it to the three stages of Respond, Recover and Reimagine.

With governments investing billions of dollars in stimulus packages to support its citizens, it becomes imperative to make sure it reaches people who really need it.

Advance data analytics is a useful tool that can help governments identify the needs of its people and fulfil them by accurately allocating the resources.

Analytics can also help governments manage to their revenue streams and distribute aid to people as they enter the reimagining stage.

He concluded by advising delegates learn a lesson from this pandemic and be well prepared for the next critical event that might hit us.

Analytics can help government get useful insights by measuring the impact of their response to the pandemic

SasWebsitelogo OpenGov Asia — Analytics helps plan a response and measure its impact

Chris Buxton, Chief Digital Officer, Stats New Zealand shared his insights on the topic.

He began by talking about the three-horizon model by Mckinsey and contextualizing it to New Zealand’s response to the pandemic.

Horizon One is concerned with seeing the way the pandemic has impacted the nation. In this horizon, data and analytics tools help the government to measure the virus’ impact and suitable plan its response.

Horizon Two is more focused on measuring the response of the initiatives by government.

The data related to this horizon helps government identify the areas that needed help more than the others and then act accordingly.

Horizon Three is focused on getting the country back to the speed to which it was before.

Monitoring long-term data indicators like employment rates, GDP, etc. will allow governments to decide their course of action in the years to come.

With this, the session moved into an interaction with participants as they discussed various polling questions around the topic.

On the question of what was most impacted in their respective organisations due to the COVID – 19 they audience were fairly evenly split.

They were divided between Increased demand for services with rising expectations from the citizens (32%), Workforce planning and Need to test the resilience of working remotely both in short and long term (32%).

The Director of Public Services, GLC’S and Telco Sales for SAS Malaysia shared that in the current stage of the pandemic, organisations are already in the reset mode. At this point all areas mentioned in the poll question are equally impacted and need attention. Had this question been asked at the beginning of the pandemic, the answer would have been different.

On the question of which area does your organisation needs to develop most to respond more efficiently to the next COVID – 19, the delegates seemed divided between Integrated operations models to keep the government running efficiently and sustainably (40%) and Use of data and analytics to improve situational awareness for real time decision making (37%).

A senior technical delegate from MIMOS explained that data sharing among government agencies and organisations was a big challenge. For one, they are not integrated and secondly, there are several restrictions on data sharing. This is one area he felt that needed more attention.

On the final question on the biggest risk when spending billions on stimulus packages during the COVID – 19 pandemic, almost half the delegates voted that the money has not been disseminated to the right citizens or businesses that need it the most.

A senior delegate from a social security organisation reflected that one of the major lacunae in distribution of the stimulus packages was that people who were not affiliated to an organisation or were contributing to a social security fund were deprived of the benefits of government’s stimulus package.

The session concluded with remarks by Nik Ariff Nik Omar, Director of Public services, GLC’S and Telco Sales for SAS Malaysia.

It was very interesting to know that about 25% of the attendees were already using the analytical and AI tools that were discussed during the session.

Nik also encouraged the rest to make data analytics an integral part of their workings to enhance their delivery to citizens.

He thanked all the delegates for taking their time out and wished them the best as they are on their journeys to return to the normal.

EXCLUSIVE! Chatbot Development for Public Service

OpenGov Asia has recognised GovTech for the public sector’s evolving digital use. The agency has streamlined government operations and broken new ground with its Virtual Intelligent Chat Assistant (VICA). The project is part of GovTech’s ongoing efforts to develop and deploy chatbots to fill gaps in government services and enhance the lives of citizens.

VICA is the most recent citizen assistant platform from GovTech, utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create more efficient and beneficial chatbots for government agencies to manage and for end users. The ‘Ask Jamie’ Virtual Assistant will eventually be replaced by VICA.

The engine-neutral platform employs cutting-edge tech to enhance performance and precision. VICA utilises natural language processing engines, machine learning and AI to enhance virtual and phone interactions between Singapore government institutions and residents or businesses.

This platform not only learns and interprets conversations but also offers businesses the ability to design and train chatbots, features that Ask Jamie did not provide. The automated processes provided by VICA make it easier for agencies to onboard and “train” their chatbots.

This accomplishment earned GovTech the prestigious OpenGov Asia Recognition of Excellence Award, which will be presented at the 8th Annual Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2023.

Chatbot advancement to improve citizen experience

In addition to providing a simple FAQ, VICA improves transactional services in numerous other ways. Streamlining transactions provides greater convenience and access to government services and information, as well as quicker and more direct responses to user inquiries.

Taxi drivers and hawker stall owners, for instance, can use the IRAS chatbot to request assistance with tax filing. The Municipal Services Office’s OneService Chatbot, Kaki, which allows residents to easily report municipal issues via WhatsApp and Telegram, is also powered by VICA.

VICA-powered chatbots provide the public with timely updates, such as the Gov.sg chatbot, which provides COVID-19 updates and disseminates important government announcements in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

Using NLP technology has allowed VICA-powered chatbots to better understand and interpret human language, particularly in the context of Singaporean English, thereby improving overall user experience. It is possible to create more structured conversational flows by defining intents, entities and context management – the building blocks that provide directions to chatbots and allow them to meet the needs of users.

VICA provides detailed analytics and insights into the performance of the chatbot as well as user conversations. With this information, the team can identify areas for improvement to enhance performance and accuracy.

Technology is constantly evolving, and the team is continuously on the lookout for and learning about new AI trends. Hence, VICA has been experimenting with a Generative AI programme that can understand written prompts and respond with helpful assistance in real-time since mid-2022.

VICA’s development involves the gradual integration of cutting-edge technology that meets the requirements of the entire government. These technological upgrades will include a unified chat frontend to ensure consistent branding across all government ministries and agencies – Singpass Integration, Live Chat Escalation, and support for various chat platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

As part of the closed beta programme with internal testers, the VICA team has been utilising these technologies to improve the quality and efficacy of the chatbots with citizens.

Developers also want to reduce the time and effort that their agency partners have to invest in training and maintaining their chatbots. While the team has always been receptive to new technologies, they take a measured approach, through progressive internal testing phases with the selected partner agencies before launching to the public.

The strategy is to determine how technological advancements can benefit not only the agency partners but also citizen users.

VICA intends to surpass FAQ-style chatbots with near-human conversation capabilities in the long run. It intends to combine services and transactional capabilities so that chatbots can assist users with their inquiries and complete transactions.

Given the potential risks and shortcomings associated with the development of intelligent development of platforms, it is vital to have an ethics framework in place. This will allow developers to plan for and be aware of the pitfalls and limitations of AI, which include:

Accuracy: Models can give false responses that sound convincing
Bias: Inherent biases may exist in the training dataset, which can be difficult to pre-empt due to the lack of information. This could then manifest in the model’s responses;
Harmful content: To create a safe and healthy environment for users’ interaction with chat apps, chat moderation is important to monitor and regulate user input messages against inappropriate and offensive content;
Data governance: When interacting with chatbots, users may inadvertently volunteer personal and confidential data through the chatbot’s prompts.

It is essential to encourage interactions with them and provide feedback to ensure that chatbots are performing as intended and to improve their overall performance.

Despite the functionality and enormous potential of generative AI, VICA has placed a high priority on governing its use to ensure that such technology is employed in an ethical manner benefitting both end users and society.

To mitigate the risk of unintended prejudices and ensure adherence to data governance rules, it is crucial to adopt an intentional strategy for the collection and transformation of raw data into useful and insightful outputs. Such a strategy can help ensure that the data is handled fairly and responsibly and that any potential risks are addressed pre-emptively or proactively. Moreover, this approach ensures that the resulting outputs are accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

About the team

The organisation recognises the importance of aligning team members towards a shared vision and objective, regardless of their diverse backgrounds. With a diverse team, each member can bring their unique perspectives and expertise to the table. Working collaboratively, the team can leverage these diverse perspectives to generate innovative problem-solving strategies.

The VICA team fosters an atmosphere of open communication and encourages feedback, creating a cooperative environment where team members feel heard and valued. This establishes a safe place where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.

They frequently organise team-building activities outside of work to foster camaraderie, build stronger relationships and create a more cohesive team dynamic. They believe this approach can lead to more innovative solutions and better decision-making.

Defining clear objectives and goals is crucial for the success of the VICA team. Every team member understands that they are working towards a common objective, providing a sense of purpose and direction.

Clear missions and defined tasks allow the team to stay on track and ensure that their efforts are moving the project forward in the right manner. This approach helps ensure that everyone is aligned and focused on achieving the same goals, which ultimately contributes to the success of the project.

The VICA team has implemented a robust project management framework that outlines the roles and responsibilities of team members at each project stage. They adhere to budget planning procedures to manage costs effectively. This framework helps ensure that everyone is clear on their responsibilities and contributes effectively to the project’s success within the specified budget.

The VICA team has adopted an agile approach that emphasises adaptability, speed and continuous quality improvement. The team uses retrospectives to evaluate what works well and what doesn’t, identifying opportunities for future improvement. This enables the team to quickly make adjustments and continuously improve the project’s quality, resulting in a more successful outcome.

EKSKLUSIF! Pemerintah Singapura Pakai AI dan ML untuk Bikin Chatbot Cerdas

Proyek VICA (Virtual Intelligence Chat Assistant) adalah platform layanan chatbot yang bisa digunakan sebagai dasar pengembangan berbagai layanan chatbot di berbagai instansi pemerintahan Singapura. Platform ini ditenagai dengan Kecerdasan Buatan (Artificial Intelligence/ AI) dan pembelajaran mesin (Machine Learning/ ML) agar chatbot yang dikembangkan oleh berbagai instansi pemerintahan bisa memberikan respons yang lebih ‘manusiawi’ kepada warga dan berbagai perusahaan di Singapura.

Layanan platform chatbot VICA dikembangkan oleh GovTech, yaitu Badan Teknologi Pemerintah (Government Technology) yang mendorong transformasi digital ke berbagai instansi pemerintah di Singapura. GovTech mengembangkan VICA sebagai perbaikan dari layanan chatbot sebelumnya; Ask Jamie.

Untuk membantu VICA memberikan jawaban yang lebih natural dan akurat, GovTech memanfaatkan teknologi NLP (natural language processing) terbaru dengan platform mesin-agnostik. Menerapkan kecerdasan buatan dan pembelajaran mesin membuat VICA mampu mempelajari dan menafsirkan percakapan dan meningkatkan interaksi ketika ‘diajak bicara’ secara virtual maupun lewat telepon. Sebagai sebuah platform, VICA juga digunakan oleh berbagai instansi pemerintah lain untuk melatih chatbot yang mereka kembangkan. Fitur ini sebelumnya tak ada di platform chatbot Ask Jamie.

VICA merupakan bagian dari upaya GovTech untuk membangun dan menggunakan chatbot guna menjembatani pemerintah dengan warga dan swasta. Kepiawaian dan inovasi GovTech ini mendapat atensi dari OpenGov Asia untuk mendapatkan penghargaan OpenGov Asia Recognition of Excellence Award yang akan diberikan pada Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2023 tahunan ke-8.

Chatbot pintar

Dalam wawancara dengan CEO dan Pemimpin Redaksi OpenGov Asia, tim pengembang VICA menyebut mereka telah meningkatkan berbagai fitur untuk memperbaiki cara chatbot anyar ini dalam melayani pengguna. VICA bisa memberi jawaban lebih cepat dan sesuai konteks sehingga ia tak hanya menjawab pertanyaan berdasarkan jawaban yang sering ditanyakan atau sesuai template semata. Hal ini membuat pengguna merasa lebih nyaman ketika berinteraksi dengan VICA.

Sebagai sebuah platform, VICA juga digunakan untuk mengembangkan chatbot instansi pemerintah lain. Contohnya adalah chatbot IRAS yang digunakan wiraswasta seperti supir taksi atau pemilik kios jajanan untuk meminta bantuan dalam pengajuan pajak. Kaki, chatbot layanan terpadu dari Kantor Layanan Kota bisa yang akan menampung laporan dan keluhan warga soal masalah kota lewat WhatsApp dan Telegram.

Selain itu, platform chatbot VICA juga bisa memberikan informasi terbaru secara real-time kepada warga. Contohnya, chatbot Gov.sg yang memberikan pembaruan status COVID-19 dan pengumuman pemerintah dalam bahasa Inggris, Mandarin, Melayu, dan Tamil.

Agar interaksi dengan VICA lebih ramah pengguna, tim memanfaatkan teknologi NLP untuk bisa memahami dan menginterpretasikan bahasa manusia. Namun, bahasa utama yang paling baik diinterpretasikan VICA saat ini adalah bahasa Inggris Singapura.

“Dengan memahami maksud pertanyaan, siapa yang menanyakan, dan konteks pertanyaan, ini akan jadi bahan arahan bagi chatbot untuk memberikan jawaban yang memuaskan kebutuhan pengguna, sehingga alur percakapan bisa lebih terstruktur,” jelas tim VICA.

Agar performa VICA makin bagus, tim juga melengkapi platform ini dengan analisis data. Hasil analisis itu memberikan gambaran terperinci tentang kinerja chatbot serta bagaimana kinerjanya atas percakapan pengguna. Hal ini membuat tim VICA bisa mengidentifikasi hal yang bisa diperbaiki untuk meningkatkan akurasi VICA.

Ketika memanfaatkan AI, terdapat kekhawatiran masalah etika dari kecerdasan buatan yang digunakan. Sebab, pada beberapa kasus, AI kerap memberi jawaban yang menyesatkan atau tidak sesuai etika. Tim VICA menyadari hal dan sepakat kalau model AI bisa memberikan respons yang salah namun terdengar meyakinkan.

Jawaban yang keluar dari model AI juga bisa terkontaminasi oleh bias. Bias bawaan ini mungkin terjadi imbas dari kumpulan data yang digunakan untuk melatih model AI itu. Namun hal ini bisa jadi sulit dicegah karena kekurangan informasi yang dimasukkan dalam data latihan AI tersebut. Bias dan jawaban menyesatkan tadi kemudian nampak dalam respons AI atas pertanyaan pengguna.

Untuk menjaga pembicaraan yang sehat, model AI juga perlu menyaring konten yang ditanyakan pengguna. “Moderasi obrolan diperlukan untuk memantau dan menyaring pesan yang dimasukkan pengguna untuk mengatur respons AI terhadap konten yang tidak pantas dan menyinggung.”

Etika lain yang dipertimbangkan tim pengembang VICA adalah soal tata kelola data. Saat berinteraksi dengan chatbot, pengguna mungkin secara tidak sengaja memberikan data pribadi dan rahasia secara sukarela akibat perintah chatbot.

“Terlepas dari fungsi dan potensi AI generatif yang sangat besar, kami memastikan teknologi ini digunakan dengan cara yang etis dan menguntungkan pengguna dan masyarakat,” tegas tim VICA.

Untuk mengurangi berbagai risiko disinformasi, misinformasi, bias, dan masalah etis lain, tim memastikan efisiensi dan kegunaan tiap informasi yang dikumpulkan dan ditransformasi sebagai bahan data mentah pelatihan model AI yang mereka kembangkan. Hal ini juga dilakukan agar mereka mematuhi aturan tata kelola data yang berlaku. Selain itu, mereka pun senantiasa memeriksa umpan balik pengguna agar chatbot yang dikembangkan berfungsi semestinya.

Ketika ditanya soal pengembangan VICA ke depan, sejak pertengahan 2022, tim pengembang telah mulai bereksperimen dengan program AI Generatif. Program ini bisa memahami petunjuk tertulis dan merespons dengan bantuan yang bermanfaat secara real-time.

Dalam jangka Panjang, VICA akan terus disempurnakan dengan teknologi terkini yang paling sesuai dengan kebutuhan Whole-Of-Government. Mereka akan mengembangkan antarmuka obrolan terpadu sehingga branding pada chatbot pemerintah lebih seragam di semua kementerian dan lembaga. Selain itu, mereka juga berencana melakukan integrasi VICA dengan Singpass, memperbanyak fitur Live Chat, serta integrasi dengan platform chat seperti Whatsapp dan Telegram.

Selain itu, tim VICA juga telah menjajaki teknologi kemampuan percakapan tingkat lanjut seperti yang digunakan oleh ChatGPT. Mereka tengah menelisik teknologi ini dalam program beta tertutup dan tengah melakukan pengujian internal untuk meningkatkan kualitas dan kenyamanan pemakaian chatbot. Langkah selanjutnya adalah menerapkan cara yang dapat mempermudah para mitra GovTech ketika mengadopsi platform VICA ketika mereka ingin membuat chatbot sendiri. Dengan VICA, mereka bisa mempersingkat waktu dan mengurangi kerumitan dalam melatih serta memelihara chatbot mereka.

“Kemajuan teknologi apa pun harus bisa memberikan pelayanan yang lebih baik bagi mitra instansi dan warga, itu sudah menjadi DNA kami,” tegas tim VICA

Cita-cita jangka panjang lain adalah membuat chatbot VICA bisa digunakan sebagai media transaksi. Jadi, chatbot ini tak sekedar bisa menjawab pertanyaan saja, tapi juga bisa terintegrasi dengan operasional layanan pemerintah. “Kami juga selalu terbuka untuk teknologi baru dan siap melakukan kalibrasi melalui fase pengujian internal, sebelum meluncurkan layanan itu kepada warga.”

Membangun tim inovatif

Tim VICA lantas membeberkan sejumlah cara yang mereka lakukan untuk memastikan inovasi berkelanjutan dan keberhasilan program.

“Dengan menetapkan tujuan dan sasaran yang jelas, setiap anggota tim akan terbantu untuk memahami bahwa mereka memiliki tujuan bersama yang jelas, sehingga setiap orang memahami tugas dan tanggung jawab masing-masing.”

Di tahap awal, tim membangun kerangka kerja manajemen proyek. Kerangka ini membantu peran dan tanggung jawab anggota tim untuk pembagian beban kerja yang sehat di setiap tahap proyek. Kerangka ini juga berguna untuk penentuan perencanaan anggaran agar biaya bisa dikelola secara efektif. Tim juga menciptakan suasana yang terbuka terhadap berbagai umpan balik, sehingga setiap anggota tim bisa dengan bebas dan merasa aman dan didengar ketika mengajukan pendapat.

Untuk mengukur dan mengevaluasi keefektifan kerja, tim VICA mengadopsi metodologi Agile. Metode ini dianggap lebih fleksibel, cepat, dan bisa membantu tim untuk meningkatkan kualitas kerja mereka. Sementara dalam proses pengembangan produk, mereka mendapat manfaat dari metode Scrum dan Kanban. Sebagai bahan evaluasi, tim juga mengandalkan retrospektif untuk mempelajari kembali apa yang berhasil dan apa yang tidak. Bahan ini lantas digunakan untuk perbaikan produk di masa mendatang.

Ketika berinteraksi dengan tim yang berbeda latar belakang, tim VICA memulai proyek dengan membangun rasa saling percaya dan menyelaraskan visi dan tujuan bersama. Sehingga, tiap anggota bisa memiliki cara masing-masing untuk berkontribusi dengan caranya yang unik. Dengan menyatukan semua pendapat berbeda ini, mereka dapat menciptakan dan menemukan solusi inovatif untuk berbagai masalah.

Sementara untuk menjaga kebersamaan dan kolaborasi yang efektif dalam tim, mereka memperbanyak waktu bersama lewat sesi curah pendapat (brainstorming), proyek bersama, hingga kegiatan team bonding. Mereka pun mengembangkan budaya untuk menghargai kontribusi dan menghormati pendapat setiap anggota tim. Inisiatif ini menjamin tiap pendapat didengar serta memberikan lingkungan yang aman bagi tiap anggota untuk berbagi pandangan yang berbeda.

Indian Council of Medical Research Releases Ethical Guidelines for AI

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released Ethical Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Biomedical Research. These guidelines apply to AI-based tools for all biomedical and health research and applications involving human participants and/or their biological data.

The recognised applications of AI in healthcare include diagnosis and screening, therapeutics, preventive treatments, clinical decision-making, public health surveillance, complex data analysis, predicting disease outcomes, and health management systems.

To ensure the responsible development and use of AI in healthcare, it is crucial to establish an ethical policy framework that guides decision-making. The ICMR guiding document stated that as AI technologies evolve and are increasingly applied in the healthcare sector, there must be processes that discuss accountability in case of errors.

The document outlined ten ethical principles based on the well-being of patients that must be considered when applying AI technology. These principles include accountability and liability for decisions made, respecting patient autonomy, ensuring data privacy, promoting collaboration, minimising risk, and ensuring safety, striving for accessibility and equity, optimising data quality, preventing discrimination and promoting fairness, and ensuring validity and trustworthiness of AI applications.

The principle of autonomy emphasises the importance of obtaining informed consent from patients, who should also be fully informed of the potential physical, psychological, and social risks associated with AI applications. On the other hand, the principle of safety and risk minimisation aims to prevent any unintended or intentional misuse of AI technology.

The body is responsible for assessing the scientific rigor and ethical aspects of all health research. It will ensure that the proposal is scientifically sound and weigh all potential risks and benefits for the population where the research is being carried out. Informed consent and governance of AI tools in the health sector are other critical areas highlighted in the guidelines. The latter is still in the preliminary stages, even in developed countries.

India has made significant strides in increasing the use of AI and other technologies in healthcare. Emerging technologies are being used to track citizens’ health statuses as well as to monitor health outcomes and identify areas for improvement. Last August, the National Health Authority (NHA) issued hardware guidelines for state and union territory hospitals, clinics, and wellness centres. The aim was to promote digitsation in healthcare institutions. The guidelines briefly describe the required infrastructure for the efficient implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), with a particular focus on quality patient care and the adoption of digital initiatives.

As OpenGov Asia reported, the guidelines provide a basic framework for the planning, assessment, and procurement of the IT hardware (including IT specifications of various hardware equipment) based on the size of the healthcare facility. It enables healthcare providers to operate applications compliant with the ABDM. The document includes guidelines for desktops and laptops; printers; QR code readers; QR code printers; fingerprint scanners; uninterrupted power supply (UPS); and web cameras.

ABDM is a national-level digital health ecosystem that intends to support universal health coverage (UHC) in an accessible, inclusive, and affordable manner, through the provision of big data and infrastructure services, and by leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems. At the same time, the government is keen on ensuring the security, confidentiality, and privacy of health-related personal information.

Indonesia Collaborates to Boost Connectivity for Digitalisation

Director General of Resources and Equipment of Post and Information Technology (SDPPI) at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Ismail, revealed that Indonesia is optimising technology by ensuring sufficient digital connection and working in concert with the private sector and the community. For its citizens to make the most of this technology, the government of the Republic of Indonesia is investing heavily in its development.

According to Ismail, Indonesia has a well-balanced strategy of infrastructure development and radio frequency spectrum management in place, which would speed up the nationwide rollout of digital infrastructure. However, Indonesia needs to harness an IoT-based platform that uses the country’s digital infrastructure to speed up digital transformation and promote innovation in day-to-day living.

“The Indonesian government has invested much in expanding access to the internet throughout the country, particularly in rural and isolated areas. While this is happening, the Indonesian government is working to speed up the spread of ICT applications and services across many sectors,” Ismail mentioned in an online session for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2023 titled “High-Level Policy Session 7: Ethical Dimensions of Information and Knowledge Societies/Bridging Digital Divides”.

The event attended by ministerial representatives from the European Union, Pakistan, Iran, Cambodia, India and the United Arab Emirates were in attendance. In addition, academics and representatives from foreign organisations were also in attendance.

Ismail points out that the government and the private sector need to collaborate with other actors as the infrastructure network expanded. As seen by the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia, the business sector was spurred to develop and implement several digitisation programmes in the education, healthcare, and SME support sectors.

“Such as student e-book libraries and e-chat programmes. The programme was designed to help educators and students in their academic pursuits. In addition, there is a database of digital web pages, including about 7,500 pieces of digital information. Using digital technology, they hope to create a more accessible education system for all members of our community, he explained.

Ismail said the programme has the potential to benefit over 40,000 educators and over 600 institutions this academic year through enhanced professional development opportunities. Over 20,000 educators and 16,000 pupils have benefited from private sector capacity development programmes.

The private sector in Indonesia has launched several programmes to aid the growth of SMEs. These programmes provide SMEs with resources, including startup funding, digital marketing courses, and more.

Several private sector personnel and over 16,000 partners began the programme to digitalise small and medium-sized businesses. From this, we can infer that the government is trying to promote the availability of digital services and apps,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the healthcare sector, the private sector helps to produce the PeduliLindungi health app during the recent Covid-19 outbreak. The collaboration from a local developer’s team, the Indonesian government’s Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Communication and Informatics have sped up the development and improvement of the app.

During the pandemic “this application provides information about health and other relevant information,” the Director General of SDPPI of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics pointed out.

With over 100 million users, the software has been downloaded and is now used as an Indonesian Health Service Platform known as Satu Sehat Platform. The Platform is a unified health record system for locals. Director General Ismail cited that app as an example of one that is crucial to Indonesia’s healthcare system.

Indonesia’s government is constantly improving its public services to make them more effective and accessible to the people. Efforts to manage Indonesia’s National Public Service Innovation Network have officially commenced. (JIPPNas). The JIPPNas website has become a clearinghouse for innovative methods in public service throughout the country.

The website was created to compile all accessible statistics and information on the best public services and help Indonesia’s public and private sectors better understand how to develop innovation. The JIPPNas website is a hub for promoting innovation, especially in public services, thanks to the collaborative efforts of several different organisations.

HKUST Releases Regtech Study

The HKUST Business School conducted a comprehensive research study aimed at guiding policy and strategy development for Hong Kong’s regtech sector. The study highlights the pain points currently facing the industry and proposes measures that could strengthen its growth.

To create a more vibrant and innovation-friendly regtech ecosystem, regulators should consider leading in technology development, providing incentives for technology use, and issuing clear guidelines to facilitate technology adoption.

Regtech is a subsector of fintech that adds value to financial institutions and end-users of financial services by automating compliance processes and facilitating innovative customer services such as remote bank account opening. The Hong Kong Government recognises the significance of regtech as part of its fintech strategy and promotes its growth in the city.

To conduct the study, the research team collected insights from regtech solution providers and users, including senior management from banks, payment service providers, and asset management companies. The team used an online survey and focus group discussions to gather this information. Based on their findings, the team developed two reports that summarise their key observations and recommendations.

The research team identified the potential of regtech in automating financial institutions’ know-your-customer (KYC) processes and recommended establishing clear protocols for releasing government data for document verification purposes.

Additionally, the team proposed several solutions to address Hong Kong’s regtech talent shortage, including allocating more resources for on-the-job training, mandating IT courses for finance majors, and establishing an accredited regtech program that is widely recognised.

The Dean of HKUST Business School expressed that financial institutions are turning towards regtech to stay competitive and provide consistent value to customers amid a rapidly changing market with numerous regulatory requirements.

He hopes that this study will help policymakers, regulators, and industry participants to enhance the regtech capabilities of the city and accelerate industry growth. Additionally, the school plans to allocate more resources and focus on regtech research in the future.

The following are the recommendations provided by the HKUST Business School’s study on promoting regtech development in Hong Kong:

Creating a Friendly Regulatory Environment that Encourages Innovation:

Establish clear guidelines with notes on interpretation and provide prompt feedback
Provide incentives to the industry, startups, and academics to facilitate regtech innovation

Building a Connected, Inclusive, and Vibrant Regtech Ecosystem:

Regulators to take lead in technology solutions to address pain points of the industry
Build an inclusive regtech network through the facilitators
Accreditation of regtech solution providers

Facilitating the Sharing of Data & Technology in the Regtech Community:

Standardise the APIs for different banks to share data
Provide shared databases and platforms to be accessed by different regtech stakeholders
Allow successful sandbox projects to share solutions

Facilitating KYC Processes and Cross-Border Data Access:

Establish protocols for verification of documents and identities (individuals and corporates)
Collaborate with Mainland China to offer standardised procedures and data access

Solving Hong Kong’s Regtech Talent Shortage:

Government and regulators to allocate more resources for on-the-job training
Government to sponsor more internships, as firms may not have the resources to support student internships
Government could provide living allowance to expatriates, or subsidise the companies that offer housing benefits to expatriates to increase their willingness to relocate to Hong Kong
Higher education providers to include mandatory IT courses in the curriculum for finance majors
Establish a widely accepted accredited program with regtech as a specialisation for graduates and practitioners to certify fintech and regtech talent
Provide a clear path for the regtech profession and offer a more rewarding scheme and more interesting future prospects to attract students into the field.

The Policy Innovation and Coordination Office (PICO) and the Research Grants Council (RGC) funded the study.

Drones Help Thailand’s Smart Agricultural Efforts

Drones are being used in a Thai farm to spread biochemicals. Preesarn Rakwatin, Executive Vice President, Digital Application Promotion Group Team Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) conducted an inspection of the project during a follow-up visit to Sujaritchai Farm.

The farm received funding from depa’s Digital Transformation Fund, which subsidises the use of digital technologies and new ideas in manufacturing. Biochemicals derived from pigs on the farm were employed to boost the nutritional content of rubber and palm trees.

This approach is based on the same research findings that guide agriculture in the areas surrounding Chiang Khan. Data will be taken from the follow-up visit and the depa will be updated on the project’s progress.

Farmers, the Agri-Industrial Business Operators Academy, and agricultural extension and support organisations may work together more effectively and optimise their operations using digital technology. The initiative will serve as a blueprint to improve the agricultural industry in the region.

Meanwhile, the Department of Experimental Science and Engineering (DES) has previously suggested that farmers in the Pin Fah Farm region of Pathum Thani Province, Thailand, use more drones as part of a new smart farm initiative. The Pinfah Farm in Thailand’s Pathum Thani Province is an innovative model farm designed with eco-tourism in mind.

Drones in Pin Fah farms are used to apply fertiliser, pesticides, and other chemicals to their fields to save money and boost farmer health. The Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn, visited the new farm and donated capital.

In recent years, the concept of “smart agriculture” has been gaining popularity worldwide. It increases productivity, solves problems unique to farms (such as meeting rising food demands), and connects and improves the intelligence of farms. Intelligent agricultural systems that utilise the Internet of Things (IoT) include precision farming; variable rate technology; smart irrigation; and intelligent greenhouses.

Thailand is devoted to digitalising agriculture and enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the state’s public digital services. The Cabinet of Thailand recently adopted the “Digital Government Development Plan 2023-2027.” The plan’s goals were to usher in a more responsive government that caters to its citizens’ wants and needs, lessen service gap disparities, boost the economy’s productive capacity and competitiveness, and improve the public’s understanding of how things work.

The plan’s goals also included creating a more transparent government and closing the digital divide across all departments. To reap the full benefits of data, the government organised a centralised system to ensure that all data is linked according to the same standards and analysed using the same technologies.

Over the next five years, this strategy will guide government agencies using digital technology to serve the public better and improve administration. Don Pramudwinai, the Thai government’s Deputy Prime Minister, said that the strategy “powered up” the government’s transition to a digital form of administration.

The Digital Government Agency (DGA) noted that the digital government development strategy included the following four critical methods:

Promote the digital transformation of the public sector for flexible, agile administration and extend it to local government agencies;
Create services that are convenient and easy to access;
Create value and facilitate the business sector; and
Encourage public participation and make publicly available the results of the project’s success as documented by the digital government strategy

The approach integrates information and communication channels to provide openness and accountability and improve access to justice. The Thai government hopes implementing this strategy will help the country move up the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) rankings to somewhere above the 40th position.

To better prepare its public servants for the digital age, Thailand introduced an e-Learning system and an electronic certificate. More than a million users are enrolled in 32 different classes on the DGA website. In addition to providing digital job skills relevant to today’s global setting, the website will provide easy access to fundamental data needed by each agency. Developing digital competence will bolster the confidence and preparedness to transition towards a fully digital administration.

Indonesia Integrates Database to Foster Government Innovation

The government in Indonesia continue to develop its public service to enhance efficiency and provide easy access for people who need them. The Indonesian government have begun working on running the National Public Service Innovation Network (JIPPNas). The website for JIPPNas has evolved into a central repository for new approaches to public service around the country.

The website compiled all available data and information about the finest public services to facilitate a shared understanding of how to advance innovation in Indonesia’s public sector. Having several agencies work together to maintain the JIPPNas website is a central hub for fostering innovation, particularly in public services.

“This partnership is a good leap in managing innovation in government agencies,” PANRB Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas mentioned at the signing of the JIPPNas Site Management Cooperation Agreement and JIPP Hub Commitment in South Jakarta.

According to Diah Natalisa, Deputy for Public Services in the Ministry of PANRB, the JIPPNas website evolved from a national public service innovation information portal into a platform for disseminating the Best Public Service Innovations resulting from the Public Service Innovation Competition’s implementation (KIPP). The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Innovative Government Award (IGA) and LAN’s Innoland have been included in JIPPNas.

As required by PermenPANRB No. 89/2020 concerning the implementation of JIPP, the JIPPNas website is the government’s endeavour to encourage innovation in the public service sector. The Joint Innovation Programme for Public-Private Partnerships in the Americas (JIPPNas) is an approach to ensuring that the most effective ideas in the public sector are produced, transferred, and disseminated to other units and organisations. The duplicated innovations may be readily institutionalised and sustained and can be reported immediately on the JIPPNas website.

“With this combined management, it is believed that JIPPNas can strengthen the innovation process for issue solving, sharing information and open cooperation, and generating ideas to support sustainable innovation activities,” Diah remarked.

Merita Gidarjati, representing USAID at ERAT, recently discussed the organisation’s ambitions for collaborative administration of the JIPPNas site. She explained that the goal of this partnership is to serve as a national innovation centre, which would serve as a storehouse for cutting-edge ideas and a platform from which they could be shared with the rest of the country.

“This cross-agency collaboration has a big multiplier impact on the motto of outstanding service and may also become a new tradition in fostering innovation,” she added.

In this activity, a workshop was also held under the theme Progress of Implementation of Assistance and Development of Innovation Nodes at the Provincial Level and continued with a discussion of the Culture of Sustainable Innovation.

The State Administration Agency (LAN), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) signed a collaboration agreement to commemorate the event.

Seven provinces (Jambi, Lampung, West Java, DI Yogyakarta, East Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, and North Maluku) also inked agreements to create innovation clusters. As a result, Indonesia now has 22 provinces with established innovation clusters, up from 15 regions just a few years ago.

In addition, to provide an integrated website to promote local government innovation and digitalisation, Indonesia supervised the Public Service Coordination Forum (FKPP). The forum’s hoped-for advantages extended from creating policies and delivering public services at the national, institutional, and regional levels.

At the event, speakers from various backgrounds present in two sessions to provide insights on how best to structure public services. The speech’s leading figure, East Java’s Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak, claimed that his party hosted an event named Kovablik to promote regional creativity (Public Service Competition).

March 25, 2023

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