USAID’s E-Governance Activity in BiH, Quarterly Report, July–September 2020

The project aims to increase transparency and reduce corruption in targeted government-led processes by leveraging digitalization as a tool for fighting corruption. The operating environment for government-led processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina is inefficient and insufficiently transparent, with government agency staff lacking the knowledge and training needed to harness digital tools to improve efficiency and overcome technical barriers to access relevant information on procurement processes. Most information and communications technology (ICT) systems deployed in institutions are outdated and require new software systems, and interoperability within institutions at the same government level, as well as with relevant agencies at the state and other government levels, must be addressed to ensure that Bosnia and Herzegovina and its citizens can benefit from the efficiencies of a modern e-government system. The E-Governance Activity is assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina to harmonize its legislative and regulatory framework for e-governance with European Union (EU) directives and international best practices, develop new software solutions for targeted government-led processes, and improve horizontal and vertical interoperability among different levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These activities will enhance the efficiency and accountability of government institutions responsible for providing services to businesses and citizens. The project will also build the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to monitor and report on public procurement, and will assist local authorities to adopt a country-wide e-signature service and support specific agencies to complete the Certifying Authority (CA) accreditation process. In addition, the project will automate processes that have an immediate, positive impact on Bosnia and Herzegovina's citizens and businesses, including Government to Government (G2G), Government to Business (G2B), and Government to Citizens (G2C) services. The E-Governance Activity will also assist the Public Procurement Agency (PPA) to increase transparency, risk mitigation, and oversight by establishing a centralized procurement ICT application in four pilot cantons, and will develop two modules to work with the existing e-procurement system. The project will also create a state-of-the-art enterprise system for e-construction permitting in selected municipalities in the Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and will develop a new Information Management System (IMS) for all inspection services in the Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project's objectives are to enhance the efficiency and accountability of government institutions, increase transparency and reduce corruption, and improve the participation of the private sector and citizens in public proceedings and decision-making processes. The E-Governance Activity will also support the development of a modern e-government system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will enable the country to benefit from the efficiencies of digitalization and improve the delivery of services to its citizens.