| Project Detail |
Proposed Development Objective(s) Original PDO To improve the regulatory environment for investors through simplified licensing and transparent industrial land allocation processes. Key Results This AF will use the results framework developed under the parent project. D. Project Description The Additional Financing (AF) will scale-up activities being implemented under the Component 1 “Facilitating Accessible and Transparent Investor Services (GAFI)” of the parent project. The AF remains fully aligned with the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) overarching goals of promoting a private sector led job creation agenda and inclusive growth. The details of activities to be supported through this AF are described below: Activity 1: Supporting the Role of Investor Service Center (ISC) as the National Platform for Business Registration The AF aims to strengthen GAFI’s role, in line with the new Investment Law, as the main business entry point for all sorts of companies and the “one window” for providing certain licensing and permits activities to investors. This requires the development of a comprehensive and functional digital system to mainstream business procedures, connect the central and subnational levels, facilitate easy access to the system in all geographical areas and adopt international successful practices in provision of government services. To that end, the AF will build on the work being implemented under the parent project and will promote the electronic coordination and synchronization among relevant line ministries, local authorities at different governorates, and public entities that are involved in granting business licensing and permits; and establish a quality control system to guarantee its efficiency and effectiveness. Task 1.1: Assessment of Technical Requirement for digitalized process among stakeholders The AF will provide a full readiness assessment to relevant national entities that are involved in the licensing and permits of business activities with the objective of evaluating their capacities and preparedness to implement this digital transformation of the licensing services. It is inevitable to bring national stakeholders to become active participants in this new digital eco-system irrespective of the current status of their digital maturity, to move to a “one window” model as mandated by the new Investment Law and recommended by the outcomes of current project. Task 1.2: Procurement and installation of needed IT Equipment The AF will support the preliminary step of deploying “digital integration unitskits” that can enable relevant ministries and government institutions to perform licensing transactions in a complete digital cycle using basic hardware, software, and digital signature solutions. An initial deployment of this model to streamline some key licensing activities will be implemented as a model for a national rollout to follow based on assessment conducted and the experience and lessons gained from this initial deployment. The process should also include establishing a sustainable business model for these new deployments, providing stakeholders with the needed capacity building, and decision on the key measures to insure program effective operations, sustainability, and scalability. Task 1.3: Creating Agents’ Network to Support Digital Transformation The AF will assist GAFI in creating a network of digitally enabled certified agents to support full deployment of GAFI online systems and mitigate the current deficiency and limitations in the community of users, allowing GAFI to reach a complete digital transformation scenario. In particular, this would facilitate the creation of certified lawyers and auditors’ network who are trained on the usage, features and benefits of the new system and are licensed to provide services to the investment community. The AF will support GAFI in: a) Establishing new business unit to manage and operate the network activities. b) Providing internal capacity building activities, developing necessary training manuals, and providing Training of Trainers (TOT) modules to ensure sustainability and knowledge sharing. c) Providing external training activities and setting criteria of participation and certification. d) Supporting a communication campaign that targets (i) informing the investment community of the complete transformation from physical to digital submission to create the incentive and for the trainees to enroll in the system and for the investors to use it, and (ii) recruiting candidates for training. Activity 2: Expanding Digital Transformation in GAFI The parent project assists GAFI in establishing an online portal and in providing electronic services to investors through the Investors Service Center. Further developments are needed to efficiently manage investment data, expand investors’ online services and connect affiliate entities to the digital network, which will be supported through the AF. Task 2.1: Developing a Unified Information Management System for Investment The AF will enable GAFI with the latest solutions to support multiple data sources, data consolidation and reporting tools. This will be realized through an efficient information management system to facilitate the storage, organization and retrieval of investment information, which will allow for the flow of data across all departments and eliminates errors that occur due to manual processing. This will in turn unify data reporting mechanisms, avoid duplication and inconsistency of records and support policymakers develop informed decisions. The investment information management system will support the digital transformation policy in GAFI, and ensure that all sectors, departments and units use and share unified, efficient, timely and user-friendly information platform. Task 2.2: Expanding Investment Map Services The AF will support introducing new features and business services through the Investment Map. The parent project contributed to the launch of the first phase of the Investment Map, which provided the necessary data and information on key investment opportunities, classified by sector and geographical location, through an interactive system. More services and features are necessary to increase value to investors and boost the role of the map in promoting investments and business opportunities. Thus, the AF will support GAFI in introducing the following additional features through the Investment Map: a) “Customer 360” module, which is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) best practice that targets strengthening the relationship with current investors, reaching out to new ones, and reconnecting with former customers. It will enable GAFI to carry out targeted promotional events in order to attract investors. b) Activating revenue-generating features on the map that include: detailed information and data elements to support the investors’ feasibility studies, notifications of new available investment opportunities as well as bidding procedures. Activity 3: Sustaining Reforms through Enhancing Human and Organizational Capacities The AF will support the sustainability of reform outcomes through a comprehensive strategy targeting organizational and human competencies. This will be guided by international successful practices in improving managing institutional change, as well as the lessons learnt from the parent project capacity building activities that emphasize the value of developing a strategic approach to strengthening human capacities. The AF will support GAFI to institutionalize functions aimed at facilitating the implementation and sustainability of the new reforms and digital transformation. This unit will act as a catalyst for change to ensure the adaptability and effective and efficient implementation of the newly introduced digital systems and processes, and the proper coordination among different, internal and external, involved entities. Its role will include the regulation of activities, development of strategies, and risk management of the transformation process. It will also ensure that all branches and affiliated organizations of GAFI are included in the transformative plan, and proper communication channels are established with change agents in other government organizations. This component is in line with the international best practices and systematic approaches to dealing with major organizational changes, including the relevant processes and technologies. Task 3.2: Improving standardized operation in GAFI’s Information Technology Department The AF will provide GAFI staff with the needed information technology service management skills to effectively and efficiently manage the digitalized system. The current capacities of GAFI’s IT department is not compatible with the scale and speed of digital transformation. Under this component, the IT team will receive technical training on ITIL systems, which adopts international best practice for managing information technology. The introduction of ITIL will support the automation processes. Task 3.3: Project Management The Project Implementation Unit (PIU), established in the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation (MIIC) under the parent project will continue the management of the AF activities. The unit will comprise a project manager, financial manager, procurement manager and a monitoring and evaluation specialist. The component will also support the recruitment of additional staff members of the PIU as consultants, if needed, as well as the eligible operating costs |
