interview interview
Change Management: Key Challenge of ULBs in Implementing e-Governance www.wipro.com effectively and efficiently. This would bring transparency and accountability to the ULBs.
Muralidhara Honnur C General Manager, Industry Services – Government, Wipro Consulting Services
What are your views on e-Government implementation in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)? Implementation of e-Governance in ULBs would enormously help the citizens in interacting with ULBs for availing services and help communicating their needs to ULBs. Adoption of e-Governance at ULBs would make them more efficient and citizen friendly. Citizen Centric Services like property tax, birth and death, building approvals, ward works etc. once re-engineered and automated would help citizens to easily access services and information. It would help ULBs to process and deliver services seamlessly and efficiently through an integrated automated ‘frontend-backend’ platform. The automated functions of ULBs – utility payments, solid waste management, e-Procurement etc would help in addressing the public needs faster and manage its internal work more easily,
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www.egovonline.net
What are your company’s offerings in the ULB segment? We have a dedicated team of consultants focused to Government Consulting. We have been helping the ULBs to prepare ‘Detailed Project Reports for the implementation of eGovernance in ULBs which covers all the aspects including business process re-engineering, technical solution, cost estimates, capacity building and change management requirement, etc. We have been providing program/ project management services for the implementation of e-Governance in ULBs. We have developed RFP for the selection of System Development Agency, undertaken Bid Management and supported ULBs in Vendor Selection. We have undertaken monitoring of implementation on behalf of ULB, provided technical and functional recommendations, final testing and approval of application, implemented change management and monitored training program, etc. We have conceptualised and worked on a completely different model of supporting ULBs through “Service Outsourcing” which would entail complete ownership of vendor to develop, manage, maintain and deliver services to citizen within prescribed SLAs. What are your views on the recent move of MoUD for state level software across ULBs in a state? We understand that the requirements of all the ULBs in terms of functions and processes are more or less same but at times some requirements to avail the services may vary from one ULB to other. As a matter of fact suggesting, a uniform software across ULBs will not meet the needs and requirement of ULBs.
In our perspective towards the state level software across all the ULBs in the State would be realistic if it has a common core application with flexibility given to ULBs to add on more features and undertake required customization without hindering with the common application. We believe that the proposed common application should be scalable enough to cater to ULBs’ specific needs across the states. In terms of management of the implementation, it will surely benefit in standardizing ULBs processes and system and at the same time better handling issues and control at central location could be achieved. Besides, cost, time, resource effciencies. As a suggestion, MoUD should understand the needs of all the ULBs in terms of software and hardware and then probably look at a common frame work for management, monitoring and implementation. What challenges did you face while implementing e-Governance in ULB? We understand that as a country we are still evolving and setting up e-Governance nuances and standards for adoption and integration of e-Governance with the stated agenda of Good Governance. The challenges which we have encountered in implementation of e-Governance in ULBs are no different from other e-Governance project. Having said that, we would like to highlight the key challenge of ULBs in implementing e-Governance is “Change Management”. Different levels at which Change Management is required are political leadership, bureaucracy, department and citizens. We would strongly recommend a high focus on change management augmented by skill and capacity building interventions in ULBs for successful implementation of the e-Governance initiatives. \\ Gayatri Maheshwary