Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698835838629.pdf (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) National Digital Economy Development Strategy for SVG Prepared By: P a g e | 1 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized Rejo Sam 30 May 2023 NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) National Digital Economy Development Strategy for SVG Presented To: Ministry of Finance, Economic Plannings and Information Technology, Administrative Building, Bay Street, Kingstown Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prepared By Rejo Sam Consultant Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) +971-528955212 rejo.sam@avasant.com P a g e | 2 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 6 May 2023 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Digital Transformation Overview ................................................................................................................ 6 Digital Government Transformation Evolution ................................................................................... 10 Underlying Principles for DT Initiatives ............................................................................................... 11 Digital Transformation Maturity Levels ................................................................................................ 12 Digital Standards ................................................................................................................................... 12 Alignment with National Sustainable Development Goals ............................................................... 12 COVID-19 Impact and Global Digital Transformation Trends .......................................................... 14 St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Socio-Economic Overview ............................................................... 17 Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 17 St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Digital Transformation Initiatives .................................................. 19 Regional Comparative Assessment ..................................................................................................... 20 Developing SVG’s Government Digital Transformation Roadmap ...................................................... 24 Policy Document Assessment .............................................................................................................. 24 National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2015 ............................................................................. 24 National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025 ......................................................... 30 Visioning Workshop and Stakeholder Consultations ........................................................................ 36 SVG Government Digital Transformation - SWOT ................................................................................. 41 Government Digital Transformation – Key Constituents........................................................................ 46 Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) ......................................................................................................... 46 Digital Public Goods (DPGs) ................................................................................................................. 48 DPGs in St Vincent and the Grenadines .................................................................................................. 52 Structural Gaps Across Digital Pillars ....................................................................................................... 55 Vision and Mission Statement .............................................................................................................. 61 Expectations and Priorities ................................................................................................................... 61 Recommendation and Action Plan .......................................................................................................... 64 Approach ................................................................................................................................................ 64 Classification of Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 65 SVG Digital Economy Development Roadmap - Recommendations and Action Plan ...................... 68 Digital Policies ........................................................................................................................................ 68 Digital Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 69 Digital Governance ................................................................................................................................ 74 Digital Skills ............................................................................................................................................ 77 Digital Platforms ..................................................................................................................................... 81 Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship ............................................................................................ 92 P a g e | 3 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Recommendation Role Out Timeline ...................................................................................................... 96 Appendix .................................................................................................................................................... 98 Glossary .................................................................................................................................................. 98 Table of Figures Figure 1: Government Digital Transformation - Initiatives ...................................................................... 6 Figure 2: Government Digital Transformation - Results .......................................................................... 7 Figure 3: Public Sector Digital Transformation Drivers............................................................................ 7 Figure 4: Socio Economic Benefit of Improving Digital Competitiveness ............................................. 8 Figure 5: Government Digital Transformation and Outcomes ............................................................... 8 Figure 6: Pre-requisites for Building a Digital Economy .......................................................................... 9 Figure 7: Evolution of Digital Transformation in the Government Services ........................................ 11 Figure 8: SVG's Economic Indicators ....................................................................................................... 17 Figure 9: Sectoral Contribution to SVG’s GDP (2021) ........................................................................... 18 Figure 10: SVG’s Social, Economic and Technology Mix ...................................................................... 18 Figure 11: St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Priorities 2013-2025 .......................................... 30 Figure 12: SVG Government Digital Transformation SWOT Analysis .................................................. 41 Figure 13: Role of DPIs in Socio-Economic Development .................................................................... 47 Figure 14: DPI Use Case - Example ......................................................................................................... 48 Figure 15: Types of Goods ....................................................................................................................... 48 Figure 16: DPG Framework ...................................................................................................................... 50 Figure 17: DPG Use Case Example .......................................................................................................... 50 Figure 18: SVG’s DT Strategy Alignment to National Priorities and SDG Goals ................................. 63 Figure 19: SVG’s National Digital Strategy Roll Out Approach ............................................................ 64 Figure 20: SVG Digital Economy Vision and Mission ............................................................................ 67 Figure 21: The Smart Island Connectivity Concept ................................................................................ 70 Figure 22: Physical Common Service Centres Established in Different Islands of SVG ..................... 72 Figure 23: SVG’s National Digital Economy Development Agency Organizational Structure .......... 75 Figure 24: Sample Digital Incubation Space .......................................................................................... 93 Table of Tables Table 1: Digital Government Rankings .................................................................................................... 21 Table 2: Macroeconomic Indicators ........................................................................................................ 21 Table 3: Current State Assessment of the National ICT Objectives Per National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2015 .............................................................................................................................. 24 Table 4: Current Status of Key Programs and Projects Identified in the National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-15 .................................................................................................................................. 28 Table 5: Strategic Interventions identified in the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025 .................................................................................................................................................. 31 Table 6: Main Challenges Identified (Across Key Digital Pillars) .......................................................... 39 Table 7: List of Existing DPGs in SVG and the Potential Solutions ....................................................... 52 Table 8: List of Digital Challenges, Opportunities, and Outcomes in SVG categorized as per the Digital Pillars ............................................................................................................................................... 55 Table 9: Recommendation Rollout Timeline........................................................................................... 96 P a g e | 4 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Introduction The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has acknowledged the importance of government digital transformation for smooth and effective delivery of public services and has initiated a series of initiatives to accelerate government digital transformation focusing on key priorities, such as digital infrastructure readiness, technology procurement and deployment, digital talent and literacy, and policies and reforms related to the digital ecosystem.
While the world had realized the importance of digital technologies for effective governance decades ago, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need and resulting benefits accruing from accelerated digital adoption especially among developing nations.

Today, over 70 percent of the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have a digital government strategy1 in place and are in various stages of its rollout.
Within the Caribbean, there have been multiple digital transformation-focused projects running including Caribbean Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP), Electronic Government for Regional Integration Project (E-GRIP), and now the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project (CARDTP).
in parallel The CARDTP project aims to focus on building a digital enabling environment, support public sector modernization, and enhancement of digital skills and technology adoption across the country over the course of five years.

As part of its effort, SVG aims to create a five-year roadmap to achieve a sustainable digital ecosystem.

Drafting a National Digital Economy Development Strategy for SVG is one of the first steps towards developing a digital government ecosystem.
The strategy provides short to long term recommendations to build a digital government for SVG based on an appropriate institutional framework within the Government that will help in efficient implementation of the strategy in the next five years.

The strategy also sets directions to improve government systems and processes and public service delivery with an aim to strengthen the efficiency and transparency of public administration services.
Most importantly, it validates the transformation initiatives for its alignment to the broader socio-economic objectives of the country.

The recommendations provided in this strategy document primarily address the gaps in the current digital government ecosystem and provides a five-year roadmap that provides the implementation steps and timelines for each initiative that will provide guidance to the various Government entities participating in the implementation process.
1 Source: Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) P a g e | 5 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Digital Transformation Overview2 Government Digital Transformation Overview Government Digital Transformation aims to make public sector services faster, agile, user-centric, paperless, and contactless.

Advancement in digital technologies has significantly changed the way governments operate and interact with the public.
Globally, there is a push towards digitally enabled governance as evidenced by the fact that over 170 countries3 have introduced a national digital government or national government technology initiative in the last two decades.

Governments are focusing on improving citizen/public4 access to online services, introducing platforms for citizen/public participation, and creating a sustainable digital government ecosystem.
Following are a few examples of countries that have successfully rolled out digital initiatives and have realized substantial economic benefits – Figure 1: Government Digital Transformation - Initiatives Source: Respective government websites, World Bank, Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) 2 Note: The following section covers the key takeaways from the presentation made by Rejo Sam, international consultant digital transformation project 3 Source: United Nations 4 Note: Government digital services are not limited to citizens as some services can also be availed by non-citizens e.g., foreigners, residing within the jurisdiction.
P a g e | 6 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 2: Government Digital Transformation - Results Source: Project Assessment, Respective National Agencies Digital transformation of public services can significantly enhance efficiency, accountability, and transparency of government functions and service delivery.

Moreover, it can also have significant benefits in terms of cost and reduction of manual effort.
Governments around the world are leveraging Digital Transformation (e-Gov) to lower costs, improve customer experience, and drive key socio-economic development initiatives.

The following figures shows some of the key digital transformation objectives, drivers, and the outcomes – Figure 3: Public Sector Digital Transformation Drivers P a g e | 7 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Source: World Bank Digital Dividends Report (Modified) Technology driven government digital transformation can spearhead the improvement of the digital competitiveness which has become a key enabler for national economic development, with proven examples of the positive impact of robust digital and ICT strategies on socio-economic development across emerging and developed economies.
Digital transformation is also an engine for accelerated growth and better climate resiliency.
The following figure indicates the benefits of a successful e- government strategy on economic growth and social development – Figure 4: Socio Economic Benefit of Improving Digital Competitiveness Source: Impact of e-government strategy on economic growth and social development, SCTE Business School As indicated by the World Bank, “Countries need to develop a strategy that can leverage e- government and digital services to support public-private sector transformation towards an economically sustainable and resilient society5”.
The following figure depicts the pathway for a country to achieve socio-economic benefits through digital transformation – Figure 5: Government Digital Transformation and Outcomes 5 Source: World Bank P a g e | 8 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Source: Avasant Consulting Beyond improved governance, an inclusive digital economy can lead to more trade, better capital usage, improved efficiency, and accelerated innovation.
To gain such benefits, developing economies must address the challenges causing digital divide with interventions across the technology ecosystem (infrastructure, innovation, access), human resources (capacity development, access to local talent), and business environment (institutional capacity, legal and regulatory environment, business sophistication) which all play a key role in driving key national economic objectives.
Following figures showcases the key pillars that form a stable platform for building a digital economy (among various other models).

Figure 6: Pre-requisites for Building a Digital Economy Source: Avasant P a g e | 9 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) However, government digital transformation is a complex undertaking and effective management is the key to a successful implementation of any digital transformation initiative.
Some of the most common challenges include: Initiative Failure: Digital initiatives fail to meet their scope, cost or time objectives – – Cost Overruns: Cost overruns in digital initiatives are common with almost half of the projects needing additional funding – Operating Model Disruption: Digital programs cause operational disruption in the short to medium term especially in local government initiatives creating significant resistance both internally as well as among public.
– Outcome Challenges: Challenges around improving outcomes (measurable) across a broad range of areas – – Real-time digital interactions – Responsive customer experience – Multi-stakeholder collaboration – End to end business processes – Open data and seamless information flows – Connected civic services, utilities, transportation, security Digital Government Transformation Evolution Before the term and the concept of “digital“ came into being, government procedures were mostly analog, paper-based, and manual and citizens had no input in the government processes.
The onset of digital transformation in the public sector can be traced back to the use of ICT within government i.e., use of computers and computerization of essential administrative work also termed as “E- Government”.

Since, increased levels of services scope, complexity and technology has resulted in digitization of more government processes and services leading to next levels of government digital maturity to Digital Government and further to GovTech (Government Technology).
E-Government is focused on external use and user-centricity, for e.g., services provided to the citizens, using ICT and the internet to modernize public administration, making the services user- centric, encouraging ICT development, and improving transparency of the procedures.

In 2004, the World Bank defined E-Government as "The use by government agencies of IT that can transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of Communications of the Association for Information Systems.
These technologies can serve various ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient government management.

The resulting benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost reductions".
Digital Government is a step ahead of e-government where all the processes are digital by design, there is use of digital tools and data, and user’s (citizen) need is prioritized.

Use of shared and integrated tools and resources is encouraged, and open government data and digital tools are made available for the public to access.

P a g e | 10 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) GovTech6 is a term developed by the World Bank to represent the next level of “Digital Government” and it involves the use of disruptive technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT, cloud computing, etc.

GovTech is a Whole-of-Government (WoG) approach to modernize the public sector by promoting a simple, efficient, and transparent government.
It includes the provision of public services that are universally accessible and user-centric and developing e-Government systems through the digital transformation of basic services that cut across the WoG.

Figure 7: Evolution of Digital Transformation in the Government Services Underlying Principles for DT Initiatives Source: World Bank - Transversality: Digital government is a resource that can benefit all sectors.
Therefore, anything that has applications in multiple contexts (such as sending electronic notifications to citizens) or involves multiple stakeholders (such as interoperability) should be created by a central entity, and only once to be replicated and expanded across government - Comprehensiveness: While technology is important it is necessary to consider the appropriate - regulatory and institutional framework, governance, and talent availability Technological Neutrality: Technology is most effective when the solution is designed according to the need.
Therefore, transformation initiatives should be technology emphasizing on guiding principles and desired functionalities.

- Practicality: Although while its ideal to have all elements in place before getting started that is rarely the case.

As such a minimum requirement for a program to be feasible should be established 6 Source: World Bank, GovTech Maturity Index, 2021 P a g e | 11 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Digital Transformation Maturity Levels For the assessment of a Digital Economy, it is imperative to define the different levels of maturity.
Digital Transformation usually consists of four levels of maturity – - - - - Level 1: Electronic: At this level, e-government means going paperless, that is, eliminating the need for paper-based processes to become paperless and eliminating the need for visiting government offices in person Level 2: Interoperable: At this level, besides going paperless and presence-less, there exists interoperability within the government.
This includes regulated exchange of data between all the public institutions, eliminating the need to get citizen’s information multiple times and adding it to a public registry Level 3: Automated: At this level, in addition to the electronic and interoperable levels, most of the processes become automated, eliminating the need for manual intervention by public servants, leveraging automation technologies that can also trace the entire history of the processes Level 4: Proactive: At this level, the citizens do not have to initiate actions.
Government can initiate the actions proactively without requiring citizen’s intervention, leveraging the citizen information electronically stored in the government repository and taking advantage of all the intelligence, interconnection, and automation that ICTs offer.
This can be done for all the life events for the citizens, businesses, as well as the government employees Digital Standards Digital Services Standards are a set of standards that will help public agencies deliver their digital services to be easy to use, seamless, and relevant to users.
The digital services standards are based on the following three principles: - Intuitive Design and Usability: Identify, access, and navigate a service easily and track and monitor transactions more efficiently - Accessibility & Inclusivity: Service can be accessed across devices by all the sections of the - society and development of clear and concise content Relevance & Consistency: Adopt common design elements for a consistent user experience and conduct regular reviews to ensure contents and services are up-to-date Alignment with National Sustainable Development Goals The National Digital Strategy aims to transform every sector of SVG; therefore, it is critical that the strategy for the same is in sync with the national objectives of SVG.
SVG, being a SIDS country, needs to allocate its resources prudently for national priorities.

In this perspective, Digital Government is a best-fit, as it lays a platform leveraging which, government can reduce its costs of service delivery and re-deploy the savings in encouraging citizen participation under its programs.

It also paves a way for resource sharing within the Government Ministry, Departments or Agencies (MDAs) and capacity building of the public sector.
The alignment of the National Digital Strategy with the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025, National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2011-2015 and UN SDGs will help SVG create P a g e | 12 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) an enabling policy, legal, and regulatory environment; provide e-government services that are simple to use and convenient for citizens and businesses; increase the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of critical economic sectors; stimulate the setup and growth of ICT/digital-related businesses to enhance employment creation; enable and scale up ICT/digital innovation; and develop a dynamic and robust ICT/digital sector that will enhance socio-economic growth.
The specific details of the national objectives in alignment with the National Vision & Strategy, National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025, National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2011- 2015, and UN SDGs is mentioned below: As per SVG’s National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025, National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2011-2015, the national objectives include – 1.

Re-engineering Economic Growth; 2.

Enabling Increased Human and Social Development; 3.
Promoting Good Governance and Increasing the Effectiveness of Public Administration; 4.

Improving Physical Infrastructure, Preserving the Environment and Building Resistance to Climate Change; and 5.

Building National Pride, Identity and Culture Through – ICT enhancement and expansion in the technical infrastructure; 1.

2.

Optimal ICT adoption by the government; 3.

Development of a legal and regulatory environment to facilitate development of ICT; and 4.
Promotion of affordable and universal access to ICT services and resources in rural and underserved communities With focus on the following sectors – 1.

Agriculture 2.

Health 3.

Tourism 4.

Education 5.

Industry and ICT Sector (incl.
Trade and Financial Services) And contribute towards the following SDGs – GOAL 1: No Poverty GOAL 2: Zero Hunger GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being GOAL 4: Quality Education GOAL 5: Gender Equality GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production GOAL 13: Climate Action P a g e | 13 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) GOAL 14: Life Below Water GOAL 15: Life on Land GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal As such, any digital transformation roadmap has to be aligned to and contribute towards achieving the national objectives COVID-19 Impact and Global Digital Transformation Trends During the COVID-19 pandemic, depending on the level of government digitalization allowed for varying levels of impact mitigation, helping countries combat the crisis and ensuring the continuity of many economic activities.
Countries with a higher degree of digital adoption were able to limit the pandemic's social and economic impact while having a much shorter recovery cycle as compared to less digitally evolved countries.

Since then, nations have accelerated their efforts for digital adoption and transformation.

Countries have notably increased spending on developing and expanding digital infrastructure and implementing digital technologies intending to close the digital infrastructural gap.
The 2022 UN E-Government Survey shows further advancement in e-government development across the globe with many countries transitioning from lower to higher E-Government Development Index (EGDI) levels.

As per the Survey, three more nations entered the very high EGDI value range (0.75 to 1.00), reflecting a 5.3% rise for this group.
Additionally, the global average EGDI value rose from 0.5988 to 0.6102, and the average Human Capital Index (HCI) and Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) increased by 2% and 5%, respectively.

Governments are increasingly putting digital transformation at the front and center of policy agendas as they strengthen their strategic approach.

And the pandemic-induced disruption provides an opportunity for SVG to pivot its growth strategy by prioritizing a digital growth path.
A key driver to build the digital economy is creating a broader pool of trained resources and broadening the scope of services by adding digital technology driven services.
The following table indicates examples of some highly successful digital initiatives – Singapore Singapore government is reaping the benefits of significant investments in building its digital ecosystem that in turn supports a highly agile government transformation program by encouraging development of digital technologies, innovation in the private sector, and providing good quality technological infrastructure.
Some of the key initiatives introduced by the Singapore government – - E-Governance: The country has a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ portal, Data.gov.sg, that gives access to various e-services, open data (open datasets from 70 public agencies), and allows e-participation and public procurement7 - Digital Platforms: The Government has created digital platforms that enable citizens to plan and monitor their social security savings and/or report issues with government services 7 Source: Singapore’s data website P a g e | 14 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Digital Legislation: Singapore has a Personal Data Protection Act on cybersecurity, including various obligations to ensure that suitable measures to prevent and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents Singpass: Singapore’s digital ID, Singpass, has ~4.5 million users (~97% of the eligible population) undertaking 350 million transactions every year to access 2,700+ public and private sector services8 - - Digital Payment: Singapore’s Fast and Secure Transfers (FAST), an e-funds transfer service that allows user to transfer funds within banks almost immediately - Data Science Competency Framework: The country’s Data Science Competency Framework - aims to provide structured training to public officers to enhance their data capabilities Silver Infocomm Initiative: The Government launched the Silver Infocomm Initiative to integrate older persons into the digital community and to help bridge the digital divide India The Indian Government Introduced Digital India initiative in 2014 to make India digitally ready.
The government also introduced various awareness campaigns and digital applications for achieving universal accessibility.

For e.g., - Aadhar: India’s Unique ID and the country has generated over 1.3 billion Aadhar cards9.

In 2008 Aadhar was the largest biometric identification project around the world.
Aadhar has centralized data bank about a person, including biometric and demographic information - MyGov Platform: A platform that helps the government provide online public services and promote citizens' participation in decision-making.

The platform has over 30 million registered users10 - Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) Unified Payments Interface (UPI): An application that allows for easy, quick, simple digital payment transactions leveraging a Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
In the FY 2021-22, 346 banks were live on the UPI and 8,840 million digital transactions were reported11 - DigiLockers: An application that provides citizens access to authentic digital documents to citizen’s digital document wallets - CO-WIN application: During COVID-19 pandemic, when many countries were facing challenges in identifying and reaching the target population for providing COVID-19 vaccinations, India developed the COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN), a digital platform to facilitate the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines that leveraged the electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN), an electronic Logistics Management Information System.
India had registered 1.97 billion doses of vaccine, covering 63% of the total population by 1st July 2022 12 The government has also introduced various sector-specific digital initiatives.

For instance, - AgriMarket: An application that aims to help farmers gain knowledge of real time crop prices and prevent them from making distress sales.
The application has reached more than 80 million farmers in India 8 Source: Singapore’s Singpass website 9 Source: Aadhar India website 10 Source: mygov website 11 Source: Press Information Bureau, India 12 Source: World Bank P a g e | 15 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - E-Hospitals: A Hospital Management Information System (HMIS), a one-stop solution that allows patients to connect with hospitals and doctors through a single digital platform.
As of February 2021, 420 e-Hospitals had been established under the Digital India campaign13 Additionally, the Digital India initiative has led to – - ~12000 post office branches in rural areas have been electronically connected - - - Online infrastructure has improved to enhance the economy The “Make in India” initiative has improved the electronics manufacturing sector in India The healthcare and education sector has seen growth, especially in terms of digitization Rwanda Rwanda’s government has been focusing on ICT and digital as part of its development plans.
Rwanda was ranked as the most innovative economy among low-income countries in the Global Innovation Index report 2022.

The country has launched various digital solutions and initiatives to enhance digital access and adoption, digital public service delivery, and promote digitally enabled innovation in the country.

For e.g., - Irembo: Rwanda’s e-government services portal, a “one stop shop” for providing over 66 cross sectoral government services to its citizens.
The services include immigration and emigration services, National ID application, land registration services, police services, scheduling museum visits, etc.
- - Digital legislation: The government passed an e-waste law in 2016, making Rwanda one of the first few countries with a national legislation on the management of discarded electronics E-National Population Register (NPR) and National ID: Rwanda’s electronic NPR and the smart national ID14 captures ~98 per cent of its population15 Rwanda Innovation Fund (RIF): The government launched the RIF in partnership with Angaza Capital, to support and encourage companies that offer disruptive and innovative solutions to overcome the region’s challenges - - Digital Acceleration Project: A world-bank funded project that aims to support Rwanda’s government to expand digital service capabilities through various innovative digital access and inclusion initiatives 13 Source: E-hospital government website 14 Source: Rwanda National Identification Agency (NIDA) website 15 Source: World Bank P a g e | 16 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Socio-Economic Overview Overview Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is an archipelago comprising of 32 islands located in the Eastern Caribbean region.
67% of the country’s population is in the working age group (between age 15-64 years) and overall, 90% of the population is under the age of 64 years.

Almost 50% of the population is part of the labour force with a 41% female labour force participation rate.

Figure 8: SVG's Economic Indicators Source: World Bank The island country had a GDP per capita16 of ~USD 8,666.4 in 2021.

The island’s economy majorly depends on agriculture, tourism, and overseas remittances17.
Agriculture, dominated by banana production, is an important sector of SVG’s economy with the agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing sector contributing 5.4% to the GDP value in 2021.

However, the GovSVG has been effective in growing other economic sectors, with the services sector being the largest contributor (37.4% of the GDP value) in 2021.

The country has a small manufacturing and an offshore financial sector.

Commented [A1]: Is this the case?


16 Source: World Bank 17 Source: SVG Chamber of Industry & Commerce (CIC) P a g e | 17 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 9: Sectoral Contribution to SVG’s GDP (2021) Source: SVG, Statistical Office, 2021 As one of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the island chain faces numerous social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities and challenges.

The country was hard hit by the COVID- 19 pandemic, followed by a volcanic eruption in the first quarter of 2021.
However, despite the multiple shocks, SVG’s economy witnessed a healthy recovery registering a 0.7% increase in GDP in 2021 as compared to a -5.3% in 2020 (on the back of increased post eruption construction activity).

Recent growth has been stimulated by strong activity in the construction sector and an improvement in tourism.
The country is extremely vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters, unstable trade, as well as economic downturns in external markets that impact tourism and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The FDI net inflow was only 3.5% of the GDP in 2020 as compared to 8.2% of GDP in 2019.

Figure 10: SVG’s Social, Economic and Technology Mix Source: Data source – IMF and World Bank, Representation – Avasant P a g e | 18 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Digital Transformation Initiatives The Government of SVG (GovSVG) has realized the importance of digital transformation for smooth and effective delivery of public services to boost economic growth and has embarked on a strategy to accelerate digital transformation.
GovSVG has already undertaken certain steps towards digitization of its economy – National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-202518 The plan outlines SVG’s long-term strategies for national development including e-Gov development and network services strategies, and the strategic ICT interventions.
The plan aims to boost economic growth, increase human and social development, promote good governance and effectiveness of public administration, improve physical infrastructure while preserving the environment and building resistance to climate change, and build national pride.
Draft National Broadband Plan 2015-202019 The plan aims to promote the development of local and relevant broadband services; provide teachers with proper training in necessary skills; ensure sufficient broadband connection for all schools, health centres, community centres and government buildings; promote digital literacy; promote adoption of relevant IT and ICT courses in schools; and ensure necessary support for aspiring ICT entrepreneurs.
National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2011-201520 The plan provided an ICT enabled environment, established a life-long learning environment to support use of ICTs at levels of community, business, and government, and encourage innovative use of ICT.
Caribbean Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP)21 The Government of SVG (GoSVG) invested in building several pieces of key infrastructure including a high-speed fiber-optic based Government Wide Area Network (GWAN) through the World Bank funded CARCIP.

The project was completed in December 2020 with the GWAN connected to 232 Government Office locations across SVG.
18 Source: Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology, SVG 19 Source: CARCIP website 20 Source: ITU 21 Source: World Bank P a g e | 19 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Regional Comparative Assessment The Eastern Caribbean region is extremely vulnerable to external shocks due to its geographical location, small economy size, population, domestic markets, and high global competition.
For instance, SVG’s volcanic eruption in 2021 led to ~30% GDP22 with the evacuation of over 13,000 people, Grenada suffered ~200% of GDP (on average) loss from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and Dominica suffered ~226% of GDP loss from Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The region faces multiple economic and environmental challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic increased the region’s vulnerabilities even more.
In the absence of reliable internet connectivity and a citizen-centric e-government platform, many citizens and businesses found it very difficult to access essential information and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even prior to the pandemic, government digital transformation had become an imperative for countries worldwide to address complex development challenges, drive economic growth, and realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Like most nations across the globe, the countries in the Caribbean region embarked on a mission to leverage the potential of digital transformation to tackle its persistent development challenges, which was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital transformation in the Eastern Caribbean region is still at a nascent stage but the governments in the region have made strong commitments to digitize their economies.
For the Caribbean SIDS, the real challenge to build and support e-government applications lies in lack of resources and small populations that undermine economies of scale.

Investments in e- government applications and services can be justified if a regional approach is encouraged.

The World Bank and UNDP have already taken a regional approach to the procurement of e-government applications and services.
For instance, the EGRIP project, Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Program (CARCIP), and CARDTP target multiple countries in the Caribbean region.

For 2022, Barbados, Fiji, and Grenada were among the only twelve (out of 38) SIDS with an E- Government Development Index (EGDI) value above the global average of 0.6201 in 2022.
Among the SIDS group23, Grenada (UN EGDI rank24 3), Barbados (UN EGDI rank 6), and Fiji (UN EGDI rank 11) were ranked above St. Vincent and the Grenadines (UN EGDI rank 15) while Dominica (UN EGDI rank 17) and St. Lucia (UN EGDI rank 19) were ranked lower than SVG.
The following tables showcase the digital government rankings and macroeconomic indicators of select countries in the Caribbean region for a relative comparison with St. Vincent and the Grenadines – 22 Source: IMF estimates 23 Note: SIDS is a group of 38 small island nations who are UN Members 24 Note: This SIDS EDGI ranking is out of the 38 SIDS.

For instance, Grenada’s EGDI value was the third largest out of the 38 SIDS.

P a g e | 20 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Table 1: Digital Government Rankings Index St. Vincent and the Grenadines Barbados St. Lucia Grenada Fiji UN E-Government Index Rank (2022) (Out of 193 Countries) UN E-Participation Index Rank (2022) (Out of 193 Countries) UN Online Service Index (2022) (Out of 193 Countries) UN Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (Out of 193 Countries) Digital Competitiveness Index (2020) Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation (DARE) Index (Out of Countries) UNICEF’s Remote Learning Readiness Index (2021) Regional 107 98 79 95 114 93 66 157 SIDS 97 143 0.4526 0.5388 0.4007 0.5507 0.4813 0.5486 0.7318 0.5683 0.7348 0.5935 11.62 37.2 N/A 77 N/A 135 12.91 N/A N/A 67 N/A 5 Stars 3 Stars N/A N/A Table 2: Macroeconomic Indicators Macroeconomic Indicators Population (2021) Labour force (2021) Female Labour (% of total labour) (2021) GDP (2021) GDP Growth Rate (annual %) (2021) Unemployment25 (2021) GDP Per Capita (2021) ICT Services Export (2021) St. Vincent and the Grenadines 111,269 55,545 41.6% Barbados St. Lucia Grenada Fiji Regional 287,708 143,418 48.8% 184,401 103,300 47.4% 113,015 N/A N/A SIDS 902,899 363,460 33% US$ 4.9 Billion 1.4% 10.4% US$889.78 Million 0.7% 21.6% US$1.76 Billion 6.6% 16.9% US$7,996.6 US$17,033.9 US$9,571 US$9,928.6 US$5,086 1.4% US$4.59 Billion -4.1% 5.2% US$1.12 Billion 5.3% N/A26 4.4% 1.7% 5.9% N/A Following section includes various digital initiatives and solutions undertaken by the governments of Grenada, Fiji, Barbados, and St. Lucia – 25 Note: World Bank, modeled ILO estimate 26 Note: World Bank data not available P a g e | 21 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Grenada The government of Grenada has introduced various digital initiatives to encourage public sector digitization – • • • • • Digital Governance: The country launched a National Sustainable Development Plan for 2020- 2035 in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that aims to make Grenada a Smart Small State.
UNDP defines a Smart Small State as “one that leverages the power of data and digital technologies to strengthen the country’s resilience, enhance sustainability, and improve the well-being of its people by creating economic opportunity that is led by an agile and efficient Government” Digital Infrastructure: The Grenadian government also plans to introduce a smart government programme to digitize public administration, provide online services, create an innovation hub, and involve its citizens.
Grenada and SVG partnered with Digicel, a private telecommunications provider to build an undersea fibre cable system and government-wide area networks in and between the countries Digital Platform: As part of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Integrated Landscape initiative, the government launched an app for the citizens that will provide them with real-time information via mobile alerts/notifications on how to respond during natural disasters Digital Platform: By the end of the Electronic Government Regional Integration Project27 (EGRIP), ~800 civil servants registered for the eID (Electronic ID) system, followed by the general population.
The average time to complete a Value Added Tax (VAT) filing was reduced from one day to thirty minutes across the countries.

Digital Innovation: The Blue Blot Project uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze images captured by underwater reef robots and monitor species and climate change patterns to address climate change Fiji The government of Fiji had started developing its e-government plans very early with the introduction of an e-government program in 2006.
Following are some of the digital initiatives introduced by the government of Fiji – - Digital Governance: The Fijian Government introduced an e-government program which encompassed the delivery of government services via an e-government portal and the development of the Government Information Infrastructure (GOVNET).
GOVNET connects government offices and e-community centres located in schools - Digitisation of civil registries: Registries such as the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry, the Registry of Companies and the Registry of Titles and Deeds are available online and tax and superannuation information are also accessible through an e-profile - Digital Platforms: • Fiji government launched a new platform and a mobile app, DigitalFIJI, in 2018.
It aims to provide directory service with contact information for government departments and enterprises.

It also includes a feedback system that allows users to submit their feedback on the services delivered • The government also has made registries such as the births, deaths, marriage, companies, as well as registry of titles and deeds available online on an e-portal 27 Source: World Bank P a g e | 22 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) • The myFeedback platform provides users with an online space to discuss issues and comment on governance and government services.
The issues/messages are directly sent to the appropriate ministries for timely resolution Barbados - Digital Governance: • The government of Barbados launched a Public Sector Modernization Program that aims to improve the effectiveness of the Government and increase the adoption of digital channels to access public services by individuals, businesses, as well as government employees.
The program will be supported through a USD40 million loan from Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)28 • The government launched a Trident (Trusted Identity) card, a digital ID card compliant with international standard of identification, to replace the existing national ID card.
• The government plans to launch CaribCoin, a central bank digital currency in the country to facilitate faster and easier payments within the country and across the Caribbean region - Digital Platforms: • The government launched a Tax Administration Management Information System (TAMIS), an e-platform for tax management online29 • The government also launched an e-platform for Barbados Revenue Authority for the online registration of private and commercial vehicles30 • Barbados Statistical Services launched a new website to provide regular updates on the national population and housing census31 St. Lucia - Digital Governance: • The government of St. Lucia had established the Division of Public Sector Modernisation (DPSM) under the Department of the Public Service in 2012 • As part of the EGRIP project, St. Lucian government bought eID cards for all its citizens • The government of St. Lucia bought and implemented a Unified Communications System (UCS) in 2016 that can support emergency communications across government agencies in case of adverse climate events to help in the response and recovery efforts - Digital Platforms: St. Lucia has an integrated e-services platform (DigiGov) and aim to provide online access to ~154 public services to its citizens across eight ministries32 As St. Vincent and the Grenadines embarks on its government digital transformation journey, it is important to ensure that it leverages advances in government transformation across all the key digital pillars (technology, governance, skills, polices, platform and data), learn from the experiences of other similar nations in rolling out similar initiatives all the while contextualizing the entire initiative to its priorities and national objectives.
28 Source: IDB 29 Source: IDB 30 Source: IDB 31 Source: IDB 32 Source: Government of Saint Lucia, DigiGov website P a g e | 23 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Developing SVG’s Government Digital Transformation Roadmap Policy Document Assessment Development of a strategic roadmap, especially the one that would have a national impact is an intensive process and includes multiple iterations.
Among other steps it also includes assessing existing policy documents and related achievements and also understanding the expectations from the proposed project from all stakeholder segments.

Understanding the gains from previous related projects and future expectations will help create a baseline for the proposed strategic roadmap.
The following segments are focused on assessing the achievements of two key strategic documents i.e., National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2015 and National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025 as it relates to the proposed government digital transformation program and synthesizing insights from all stakeholder segments through validation workshops, individual meetings in order to develop future recommendations.
National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2015 SVG’s National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2015 is a comprehensive document capturing the national ICT objectives, sector-based projects and programs to support the attainment of the national ICT vision – “St.
Vincent and the Grenadines is a sustainable knowledge-based society that maximizes the use of Information and Communication Technology for greater competitiveness, economic development, an improved quality of life and work for all its people, at home and abroad.” However, as the National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2015 was adopted over ten years ago it may not reflect the latest technology trends or requirements in line with the fast-changing technology environment and/or the current socio-economic landscape.
The following table provides an assessment of each of the nine national ICT objectives identified in the document (as it relates to the roll out of a proposed government digital transformation strategy) – Table 3: Current State Assessment of the National ICT Objectives Per National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-201533 National ICT Strategy Technical Infrastructure Current State Assessment - GovSVG (Government of SVG) has invested in several projects to improve internet connectivity in the country e.g.
- The high-speed fiber-optic Government Wide Area Network (GWAN) that connected 232 Government office locations across SVG.

- Grenada and SVG partnered with Digicel, a regional telecom provider, to build an undersea fibre cable system and GWAN in and between the two countries.
33 Note: The current assessment pertains to the assessment of the National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-2015 and the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025 as it relates to the government digital transformation initiatives and is not an exhaustive assessment or indication of the overall performance of these strategic initiatives.

P a g e | 24 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Although the country hosts good quality internet in most of the areas in the country, the country lags in terms of affordability of internet services.
- There are several other improvement to reap the benefits of ICT e.g., - - Upgrade/availability of ICT/digital devices (hardware) across (non-connectivity related) areas of government offices, schools, universities, etc.

- Upgrade and availability of software/platforms to support the ICT - devices Improve/increase usage of ICT solutions across the entire value chain in various domains/sectors e.g., government services, tourism Improve/increase usage of cybersecurity solutions.
- - Encouraging private sector and start-ups to innovate and develop Government ICT solutions within the country.

- GovSVG has introduced and implemented various ICT solutions to improve government operations and service delivery.

E.g., the leave application and HR system that helps to accommodate leave application of government personnels and improve efficiency in the administration of employees’ records, E-tax system etc.
- There are several digital initiatives currently in progress e.g., government payment platform, Documents and Record Management system, Unique Digital ID, and Single Sign-On Platform, An Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS), E-Single Window for Land and Property transactions, etc.

(under CARDTP and other programs) Observations ICT utilization within the - GovSVG can significantly improve government.
There is a scope/need for - - A centralized digital platform for public e-services - A dedicated cybercrime division.

- Improved and include AI chatbots for inquiry.

interactive government websites/portals e.g., - A common collaboration mechanism among the ministries for internal and external communication.

- Training and equipping government officials with digital tools and - applications.

Improve coordination and collaboration within ministries and public administrative units.
E.g., data sharing between ministries or public offices.

Further, there are several ICT-based systems that can be developed for improved, efficient, cost-effective, and time saving government.

E.g.

– P a g e | 25 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Project Management Information System that can help public officials to organize, manage, and track government projects.

- Performance Management System that can help government leaders to track the performance of employees consistently and measurable.
- HR Management System that can integrate and manage data related to personnel decisions, salary, performance evaluation, education and training, and services for public officials and the electronic processing of overall civil service management.

Agriculture - The GovSVG introduced the National Agricultural Management Information System (NAMIS) that allows the government to have timely, reliable, and accurate production and marketing information.
Observations - Farmers and local retailers in SVG leverage social media to market their produce as it is free and has high market reach (however, this is only a very small segment of the overall segment) - Overall, SVG lags in terms of ICT use in the agriculture sector.
There are various digital solutions, applications that can be developed to support the agriculture sector, e.g., - Platform to provide web-based mobile advisory to farmers - Using satellite data and GIS Technology for crop production estimation, horticultural inventory, and site suitability analysis for crop expansion - Online trading platform for agricultural produce for better price discovery, efficient marketing, and transparency - G2B, G2C marketplace to connect farmers to end consumers Community Development - The country offers online education that allows students living in rural areas as well to receive quality education via the internet.
Health Observations As the cost of internet is high, it could prove costly for public to regularly access online content.

Internet access is the foundational requirement for a range of e-services including healthcare, education, public services, etc.

- GovSVG introduced a Health Information System in 2010.

The program managed to connect almost 50 percent of the healthcare centers across the country and trained over 1,500 healthcare workers on using the system.
However, several issues ranging from leadership change, technology update requirements and resistance to change from current clinicians and inadequacy of continued training, lack of interoperability between pharmacy, supply chain and clinical model resulted in the initiative not being used at its optimal level.

However, P a g e | 26 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) access to seamless pan-island healthcare system continues to be highlighted as the single most important DT initiative.
Observations - Opportunity for an integrated healthcare solution to provide quality, cost-effective, and remote medical services, such as a telehealth system that will enable healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients without the need for an in-person visit.

Tourism - GovSVG is focusing on the growth of the tourism sector and has already introduced the online application system for entry visas and fees payment.
Legal and Regulatory Observations - SVG has a strong value proposition as a tourist destination and it can achieve its full potential by utilizing technology.

Following are some of the issues that need attention – - Limited consolidated data to assess the sector and identify improvement areas.

- Enable digital payments.

- Support booking/planning through local service providers online.
- Electronic integration of the tourism ecosystem and value chain for both B2B and B2C services - GovSVG has passed several legalisations such as Cybercrime Act 2016, Privacy Act 2003, and the latest Electronic Communications Act 2022 to facilitate the development of ICT in the country.

It has also introduced laws to support the adaptation of digital technologies, e.g., legalizing digital signature.
Observations - SVG needs to introduce new regulations and/or amend the dated laws in order to – - Ensure Data Protection and Privacy as it relates to the proposed digital transformation programs e.g., law for the protection of citizen data under the Unique ID program - - Amend and update the existing laws in line with changing environment, e.g., Privacy Act was introduced 2 decades ago in 2003.

Improve and expand the implementation of existing laws e.g., use of digital signature.
Introduce regulations to support the proposed digital initiatives, e.g., Unique ID, Government Payment Platform, Tax System Development, etc.

- Education and Human Resource Development - During the COVID-19 pandemic, SVG adopted the online education format and offered online as well as offline classes.

P a g e | 27 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - The Ministry of Education also introduced a Schools Information System (OpenSIS).

- The country has also introduced several schemes such as free laptops for students, laptops/computers/smart-education classes in schools and universities, etc.
to improve tech adoption/enablement Observations - To build ICT/digital skills and capabilities and thereby, formal employment opportunities that leverage digital skills, GovSVG can consider: - Assessment of the gaps in the current IT/Digital curriculum in schools, universities, and TVET institutions and updating the curriculum accordingly - Introduction of IT/digital exchange programs and internships - Annual update of IT/Digital curriculum to keep pace with the fast- changing technologies.
- Collaboration with private sector to identify the current and future demand for ICT/digital skillsets.

- Development of clear structured career paths and incentives to pursue digital jobs.
- GovSVG has introduced or adopted several digital solutions to facilitate the operations in the industry sector, e.g., E-customs, Standard Integrated Tax Administration System (SIGTAS) to manage tax collection, Automatic System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) World to support customs, and SMARTSTREAM that is used by the Accounting Divisions of the Government.

Observations - SVG can improve on – - A strong policy and financial framework supporting the country’s start-up ecosystem.
- Provide support services, such as incubation centres, co-working spaces for start-ups - Educating non-ICT sectors/business on digitalization and supporting such initiatives the benefits of Industry and ICT Sector Table 4: Current Status of Key Programs and Projects Identified in the National ICT Strategy and Action Plan 2010-15 National ICT Objectives Programs and Projects Technical Infrastructure National Implementation Secretariat National ICT Advisory Forum Transition to IPv6 Universal Connectivity Status (Completed/On-going) Defunct Defunct N/A N/A P a g e | 28 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Government Agriculture Community Development Health Tourism Legal and Regulatory Education and Human Resource Development Expand Government Backbone to Rural Areas Communications Backbone Standards and Policies E-Government Portal Government On-Line Process Re-design AIMS – Agriculture Information Management System NAPMIS - National Agricultural Production and Marketing Information System ICT in Agriculture Community Empowerment Ministry of Community Development’s ICT Development Community Integration e-Health Portal Hospital Information System Policy, Legislation and Protocols Medical and Health Inventory System Telemedicine Infrastructure Infrastructure SIS – Staff Information System Electronic Tagging Virtual St. Vincent and the Grenadines Supply Chain Management e-Legislation AWARE – ICT Literacy ICT Infrastructure-in-Education SMART People – ICT Enabled Life-Long Learning Virtual Directory - Survey and Benchmarking Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) Industry and ICT Sector e-Commerce Completed Completed Ongoing To be implemented under CARDTP Completed N/A Incomplete and project closed Ongoing Ongoing N/A Implementation of a Social Assistance Management Information System (SAMIS) is ongoing N/A To be Determined On-going On-going On-going Completed/On-going Completed/On-going On-going To be Determined Tourism Website completed N/A Some pieces completed (e-filing, e-transactions, cybercrime, /Ongoing N/A On-going N/A N/A Operation of Broadband Network with Digicel Ongoing – Point of Sale implemented, e-payment system development ongoing P a g e | 29 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025 The National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025 lays down five main goals for SVG as a nation in order to achieve continuous development and strengthening of national institutions, improving the technical and administrative capacity, and the ability to capitalize on opportunities.
The aim of the thirteen-year plan is to lead to a balanced, comprehensive, and sustainable development.
Following are the five goals identified in the plan – Figure 11: St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Priorities 2013-2025 Source: National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-2025 The plan also lays down objectives and strategies associated with the sectors including economic sector, social sector, governance, and physical infrastructure and the environment, that will assist in realizing the national vision.
the plan The plan is still in progress and the assessment of the status of the projects and programs identified in the strategies, actions, and or systems have been achieved/developed/implemented can be developed after the completion of the plan, i.e., end of FY2025.

to ascertain what P a g e | 30 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) The following table contains a list of digital transformation initiatives that can help achieve the National Economic and Social Development Goals identified in the plan – Table 5: Strategic Interventions identified in the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2013-202534 National Economic and Social Development Goals Strategic Interventions Proposed DT and Expected DT Initiatives 1.1 To maintain strong macroeconomic fundamentals 1.2 To revitalize the agricultural and fisheries sector 1.
Re-engineering economic growth 1.3 To stimulate growth in the tourism sector 1.4 To develop the financial sector - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Leveraging ICT in the agricultural sector.

E.g., – - Using satellite data and GIS Technology for crop production inventory, and site suitability estimation, horticultural analysis for crop expansion.
- Online trading platform for agricultural produce for better - price discovery, efficient marketing, and transparency Information dissemination to support higher productivity and better access to domestic, regional and global markets - Leveraging ICT to encourage growth in the tourism sector, e.g.
– - - Leveraging digital data to support better policy making Easier/faster certification processes, online training and skill development initiatives to encourage higher employment - Develop an integrated tourist experience by providing platform based ‘one stop shop’ services.
- Marketing and Promotion: Leveraging social media even more to market “SVG” as an attractive tourist site in new/underdeveloped regions - Development of a robust digital financial environment to support digital payment leading to easier, accessible, 24*7, and secure payment mechanism.
- Develop a Financial Management Information system (FMIS) that will support the automation and integration of public finance 34 Note: While an individual DT initiative may not directly coniantue to the attainment of a specific strategic global, carious DT initiatives when considered together will help achieve the national goals P a g e | 31 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 1.5 To enhance the role of the private sector and manufacturing in economic and social development in conjunction with the State and co- operative sectors 1.6 To attain a strong and sustainable external trade position 1.7 To develop the information and telecommunication services sector 1.8 To enhance productivity and competitiveness 1.9 To maximize benefits through integration into the OECS Economic Union, CSME and global economy 1.10 To boost economic activity in the construction sector 1.11 To optimize the economic contribution made by ocean resources 2.1 To reduce poverty 2.2 To create jobs and reduce the levels of unemployment management processes such as budget formulation, accounting, and reporting.
- Engage and encourage Public-Private partnerships/collaboration to provide innovative technologies, ICT training, ICT awareness, etc.
in the country - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Update the ICT curriculum in schools, universities, TVET institutions to stay up-to-date in line with changing technology trends - Encourage ICT skills development from primary school levels - Encourage ICT education through various incentive programs such as hackathons, competitions to develop innovative ICT solutions, etc.
- Incentivize inward investments into the ICT sector to develop capacity and competency - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal (future initiatives) - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - e-Fisheries initiatives - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Digital Skills Development Programs 2.
Enabling Increased Human and Social Development P a g e | 32 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 2.3 To develop an adaptable, functional, and literate population 2.4 To promote self-care interventions and healthy lifestyle practices 2.5 To facilitate social, cultural, and economic development at the community level 2.6 To empower the youth to participate meaningfully in and contribute to national development 2.7 To improve the housing and living conditions of all sections of the population 2.8 To facilitate the protection and inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups 3.
Promoting Good Governance and Increasing the Effectiveness of Public Administration 3.1 To enhance participatory democracy, accountability, transparency, effectiveness, and efficiency in the provision of public goods and services - Digital Skills Development Programs - Leveraging ICT in the healthcare sector to promote a healthy lifestyle and self-care, e.g., a telehealth mobile application, - Digital Skills Development Programs - Digital Skills Development Programs -Implementation of an integrated GIS and National Addressing System - Development of digital inclusive practices, e.g.
– - Monitor and track annual employment of vulnerable groups in the current workforce - Assess and adopt best practices to increase employment opportunities for the vulnerable and marginalized groups in the ICT/Digital sector - Conduct annual/regular workshops and seminars promote the concept of inclusivity in the workforce to - Develop Digital Inclusion policies to promote inclusion of in the women, disabled, minority and ethnic group ICT/Digital workforce - Conduct audits/checks to ensure eServices are accessible by all the sections of the society through feedback from citizens - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal P a g e | 33 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 3.2 To develop and maintain a peaceful, safe, and secure environment 3.3 To lift the quality of the judicial and legal system and to enhance public confidence in it 3.4 To enhance the role of civil society in the maintenance of democracy 3.5 To widen and deepen diplomatic relations 4.1 To optimize the use of limited land space 4.2 To upgrade the road network in St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4.3 To improve air access to St Vincent and the Grenadines, including the construction of an international airport 4.4 To modernize and expand seaport facilities 4.5 To enhance the capability of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to prepare effectively for, respond to and mitigate disasters 4.6 To ensure an adequate, safe, reliable, and sustainable supply of water - Develop a virtual addressing system based on GIS - Develop an integrated Disaster and Safety information system to support cross-government communication and collaboration for a rapid inter-agency response Digitization of the judiciary for efficiency and transparency in cases – E-filing cases - Digitization of the case files - - AI used for live transcription of hearings - Hearing cases through video-conferencing - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Integrated GIS and an Electronic Single Window for Land and Property Transactions - Integrated geospatial information Framework and GIS - Implementation of an Electronic Single Window for Trade Facilitation as well as enhanced Border Management Systems - Implementation of an Electronic Single Window for Trade Facilitation as well as enhanced Border Management Systems - Disaster and Safety Information System - GIS - Integrated geospatial information Framework and GIS 4.
Improving Physical Infrastructure, Preserving the Environment and Building Resilience to Climate Change P a g e | 34 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 4.7 To conserve the natural resources of the country through effective utilization, and management 4.8 To ensure a clean, safe, and healthy environment 4.9 To reduce the dependence on imported fuel 4.10 To reduce the adverse impacts of climate change 5.1 To instill in the citizenry a sense of national pride and appreciation of the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 5.2 To engender a greater sense of community and social responsibility 5.3 To preserve, maintain and promote the cultural heritage of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 5.4 To maximize the contribution of cultural industries to economic growth - GIS - Disaster and Safety Information System -e-Healthcare NA - Disaster and Safety Information System - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal as well as a citizen dialogue system - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal - Various DT initiatives together will contribute to the attainment of this goal 5.
Building National Pride, Identity and Culture P a g e | 35 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Visioning Workshop and Stakeholder Consultations Visioning workshops are important to produce a shared vision of all the key stakeholders through open discussions.

Conclusive vision and mission statements provide focus and direction towards building an appropriate strategy to achieve the shared vision and objectives identified during these discussions.
The main objectives of the visioning workshop and consultations were: – To assess the current state of digital maturity in St. Vincent and the Grenadines – To assess the priorities and key sectoral opportunities for St. Vincent and the Grenadines from a – digital transformation perspective Identify and assess digital innovation priorities that would best support the priorities of the government.
– To understand the digital capabilities across key digital pillars – To define the vision and mission statement – To define the national digital transformation strategy roadmap that is responsive to the key interests of the government as well as private sector imperatives required for the digital economy.
Visioning Workshop Discussion and Key Takeaways Note: The following section is based on the collective assessment of the inputs provided during the visioning workshop and other in-person and virtual interviews conducted as part of the assessment exercise.

1.

What should be the main benefits of a government digital transformation program in St. Vincent and the Grenadines?

1.

Faster/improved government services or higher efficiency 2.

Improved service availability e.g., 24*7 online services 3.
Less paperwork 4.

Increased transparency 5.

Improved competitiveness 6.

Reduced corruption Conclusion The participants indicated the primary benefit for a government digital transformation program in St. Vincent and Grenadines would be improved speed and efficiency of public service delivery followed by a higher level of public services availability.
This is especially important considering the vast geographic spread of the country and citizens having to commute to Kingstown to avail several services making public transaction a time-consuming and costly exercise.

A platform based public service delivery mechanism will not only help reduce service delivery time but also address other constraints like requirements of physical documentation (at every point of interaction) and limited process transparency.

2.
2.

What are the main socio-economic goals that should be prioritised through the proposed digital transformation initiatives?

Primary Goals P a g e | 36 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Improving employability 1.

2.
2.

Reducing poverty 3.

Improving efficiency/competitiveness Secondary Goals Inclusivity (digital inclusion) Improved medical care 4.

5.

6.

Economies of scale 7.

8.

9.

Encouraging innovation 10.

Encouraging digital entrepreneurship Increasing digital access and use Increasing digital skills Conclusion The transformation initiative is expected to address two interrelated socio-economic priorities i.e., improving employability and poverty reduction.
As more government services gets digitalized, it is expected that the resulting improvement in efficiency will open more opportunities for employment (new as well as higher value employment) due to the trickledown effect in terms of improved competitiveness of local enterprises, increased foreign investments etc.
However, it also needs to be ensured that the proposed digital initiatives are also inclusive and non-discriminatory and covers all sections of the society e.g., the services should be accessible to citizens in remote islands, differently abled citizens, and elderly, citizens without access to broadband connection or mobile phones etc.
Another key expected benefit from the program is to ensure seamless medical care across the various islands which can be achieved by layering healthcare care services over core digital services.

3.

What sector specific initiatives (layered on the core DT initiatives) should the government prioritize based on its significant impact on the broader society (in order of priority)?

1.

Upgrade of Health Information System (HIS) 2.

Physical and Virtual Addressing Systems 3.

HRMIS (Public Sector) 4.


Licenses 5.

E-learning 6.

Inter-Linking Data Transfer b/w Ministries Conclusion The SVG healthcare system realized the importance of digital transformation and embarked on an initiative, in 2010, to interconnect primary healthcare centers across the country.

The program managed to connect almost 50 percent of the healthcare centers across the country and trained over 1,500 healthcare workers on using the system.
However, a number of issues ranging from leadership change, technology update requirements and resistance to change from current clinicians and inadequacy of continued training, lack of interoperability between pharmacy, supply chain and clinical model resulted in the initiative not being used at its optimal level.

However, access to seamless pan-island healthcare system continues to be highlighted as the single most important DT initiative.

P a g e | 37 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Some of the other high priority initiatives indicated include having a reliable physical addressing system that would allow for identification of physical assets e.g., buildings, warehouses etc.

and in turn provide related services e.g., delivery services, asset authentication services.
An HRMIS system that allows the management of HR services for public servants has also been highlighted as a high priority digital initiative.

A similar solution is currently being developed by the ITSD.

The COVID-19 pandemic also brought into focus the need for a reliable e-learning platform that can be used across all levels of education and has been indicated as a priority.

Challenges 4.

Main issues/challenges faced with the current level of government digital transformation in SVG?
(Ranked highest to lowest based on participant feedback) 1.

Lack of Vision/Understanding – Limited understanding of the benefits of digital transformation across various government entities and need for a singular vision.

2.

High cost of internet, limited network coverage 3.

Limited information linkages – e.g., similar data/info is required by different government entities 4.

5. requiring multiple submissions making it inefficient.
Inadequate collaboration – Between the business/private sector and the government.

Inadequate digital alternatives/platforms, e.g., many government services are still being digitalized 6.

Up-Time – While a digital solution/platform exists in some cases, it is non-functional/non- 7. responsive most of the time Inadequate Digital Skills – Limited digital knowledge/skills, restricting usage of existing online services as well as ability to develop future solutions locally.

8.
8.

Limited digitalization – While some parts of a process has been digitalized/moved online, physical documentation/submission is still required making the process inefficient.

Inadequate encouragement/incentives for digital entrepreneurship from the government 9.

10.
10.

Geographic challenges Conclusion The lack of a collective singular vision encompassing the entire public/government ecosystem (Whole of Government approach) was indicated as a main challenge to the current digital transformation initiative.
While there have been multiple digital transformation initiatives by individual ministries and public sector entities it lacked a broader vision and utility for a number of reasons ranging from lack of data sharing among various stakeholder (outside of the proposed ministry) limiting its broader usage, lack of digital transformation fundamental building blocks (DPG’s/DPI), lack of ownership, etc.
Another key issue raised has been the high-cost connectivity across the island which also explains the low uptake of broadband internet esp.

outside of Kingstown.

A reliable internet connection is key to ensuring 24*7 access to digital services.

5.

What are the main reasons for the failure of similar efforts (including those at private /departmental levels)?

P a g e | 38 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 1.

Absence of institutional leadership to lead the change process.

2.

Absence of a policy mandate 3.

Human resource issue 4.

Financial challenges/sustainability 5.


High access cost of technology / total cost of ownership 6.

Lack of M&E to ensure fulfilment of stated objectives 7.

Lack of institutional monitoring mechanism 8.

Lack of communication 9.

Lack of a digital champion (digital leader) 10.

Lack of accountability 11.

Limited localized conceptualization/applicability 12.
Lack of interoperability Conclusion Lack of effective leadership to support change management process/strategy along with the absence of a clear policy mandate has been highlighted as the main reasons of failure of previous government DT efforts.

A clear policy mandate providing authority to execute the proposed changes will be key in terms of accountability while also giving more ability to the responsible authorities to bring forward the changes.
Like most small developing countries, lack of human resource capabilities and financial capacity to provide continuous upgrade and maintenance support to such initiatives have been the second main segment of issues.
Targeted, long term training initiatives that take into consideration future skill requirements as well as moving to an opex model through adoption of digital technologies like cloud and the strategic use of open-source technologies can be a good alternative towards addressing financial constraints.

6.

What digital pillars are the most challenging when considering implementation of a government digital transformation initiative in SVG?

1.
1.

Digital Governance – Having Includes institutions, leadership, strategies, Monitoring & Evaluation (ME), etc.

2.

Digital Infrastructure – Includes data centres, technology, internet access, broadband, etc.

3.

Digital Platforms – Includes e-Government platforms and other digital platforms 4.

Digital Policies – Includes policies around the management of digital assets and data 5.

Digital Skills – Includes Digital and Technical Skills 6.
Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Includes digital and tech start-ups, innovative digital solutions, etc.

Conclusion Ability to have effective end to end governance around a digital program has been highlighted as key challenge to consider while implementing a government transformation initiatives.

This includes political, administrative as well as technical leadership.
Having an effective multiyear M&E program to assess the progress has also been indicated to be critical for the successful implementation of the program.

Table 6: Main Challenges Identified (Across Key Digital Pillars) P a g e | 39 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Digital Pillars Digital Governance Digital Infrastructure Challenges - Absence of a policy mandate (to adopt DT initiatives) - Limited collaboration between ministries/islands on transformation initiatives, internal or external communication - Limited strategic direction, leadership - Reluctance to adopt/move to newer digital technologies, e-services by the Ministries/Public Sector employees (reluctance to change) - Lack of a central agency to drive DT initiatives - Accessibility, quality, and affordability of internet/broadband services - Outdated hardware including computers, laptops, VC devices, etc.
and software updates (installation, maintenance, and regular updates) - Limited physical infrastructure to provide e-gov services in areas with limited connectivity - Limited adoption of digital technologies e.g., cloud, automation etc.
into current processes and systems to improve cost and process efficiency Digital (Programs) Policies - Limited legislations around o Data management o Privacy and data protection o Cybersecurity - Programs around promoting use of online services – awareness campaigns, processes, etc.
- Change management process within government agencies to adopt digital methods through effective training and transition Digital Platforms - Lack of functional portals with updated content and information - Limited integration of emerging solutions, such as AI, RPA and IoT, to improve e-services - Lack of regular updates on existing online mediums e.g., ministry websites (content, technical and feature updates) - Limited back-end integration of various ministry and government services portal e.g., database to provide a unified access Digital Skills - Lack of ICT training program across public sector employees to effectively transmission/adopt digital alternatives - Limited ICT/digital skilled workforce to support localization and domestic development of resources - Requirements to review and updated ICT/digital curriculum across all educational segments to ensure alignment with changing technologies - Lack of a strong policy and financial framework supporting the country's start-up ecosystem - Insufficient support services, such as incubation centers, co-working spaces for start-ups Innovation Digital and Entrepreneurship P a g e | 40 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) SVG Government Digital Transformation - SWOT Following is a high-level SWOT assessment of the SVG Government Digital Transformation program on the key digital pillars i.e., Digital Infrastructure, Digital Governance, Digital Data, Digital Skills, Digital Policies, Priority Sectors.
Figure 12: SVG Government Digital Transformation SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses General General • Regional Collaboration: High level of regional collaboration, information exchange and technical collaboration under various regional e.g., Caribbean Digital DT programs Transformation Project (CARDTP), Caribbean Communications Program (CARCIP), Electronic Government Regional Integration Project (E-GRIP) etc.

leading to sharing of best practices, resources etc.
Infrastructure • Leveraging Digital Technologies: As a new program, SVG can adopt (move straight to) digital technologies like cloud, blockchain etc.

to leapfrog traditional DT development pattern as there would be limited legacy system to plan for capital intensive transition or hardware redundancy.

• International to DT Technology: SVG shares cordial relations with some of foremost developers/adopters of cost effective government digital transformation programs like India.
These relationships can be leveraged to access various DT technologies’ e.g., India government Modular Open Source Identity Platform for roll out of (MOSIP) foundational digital ID programs to developing countries.

Support/Access • High Public Acceptance: High level of public acceptance of some of the current digital level of initiative’s indicative of a high acceptance of digital initiatives e.g.
7,753 taxpayers representing about 60% of the taxpayer base submitted 23,325 tax filings by June 2016 under the EGRIP project.

Digital Infrastructure • Need for Clear Understanding of the Significant Benefits of a Government DT Programs: There is limited understanding of the significant benefits accruing from various digital transformation initiatives and how they broader in collectively socioeconomic improve change government efficiency.
A broad information campaign is required to educate citizens and public servants on the benefits of individual DT initiatives and its overarching benefits driving and help Digital Infrastructure • Limited Connectivity, High is Cost: Internet/broadband penetration low as compared to other similar geographies e.g., fixed broadband subscription is at 26 per 100 inhabitants (WB-2021) while internet usage among population is around 56 percent (WB- 2018).
High cost of internet is a major limiting factor while reliability becomes a concern in many of the Grenadine’s islands.

In turn limiting easy access to (possible future) government services at a personal level.

The combination of high cost and limited reliability results in limited uptake.

While mobile penetration as a medium of communication has increased its usage as a medium exchange (through use of smart phones) has been limited.
• Outdated Hardware: Outdated IT hardware including data collections/processing devices that may not be the updated DT program compatible requirements additional procurement.

information/data computers, requiring laptops, to of P a g e | 41 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) • Existing (under GWAN Program: Existing Government Wide Area Network (G-WAN) the CARCIP National program Broadband Project) providing fiber connectivity government across institutions/educational institutions can be leveraged to ensure connectivity for any future DT program rollout islands/ most Digital Governance • High Level of Government Commitment: level of government commitment to High ensure a successful rollout of the program.
Digital Data • Availability of National Statistics – Data with the national statistics division can be leveraged to identify existing DPGs, and also support rollout of various DT initiatives e.g., unique ID program etc.

Digital Skills • Existing ICT Resource Pool – Various ICT units, dedicated ICT agencies like ITSD that can be leveraged for cross training and building the scale esp.

during the initial phase of the project roll-out.


Priority Sectors/Social Sector • Healthcare – Learnings from the earlier roll out (Hospital Management System (HMS) can be leveraged to rollout similar program across other sectors.

• Tourism – As a leading sector in terms of revenue and employment, the DT needs for the sector can be prioritized/aligned for roll out of services layered on fundamental DPI/Stacks programs.
• Outdated Software: Lack of periodic s/w, application updates (installation, maintenance, and regular updates).

A periodic refresh cycle has to be outlined to ensure all systems are up to date and compatible the broader DT requirements.

• Private Sector Duopoly/Dependency: The country has two telecom service providers creating limited competition and not in the best interest of the consumers.
The government is reliant on a single telco that owns under-sea to provide fiber optic connectivity across the island chain which is governed by a multiyear contract dictating availability of bandwidth for government consumption.

This may limit expansion as more government services are brought online and require more bandwidth.
capacity cable Digital Governance • Lack of a Central Agency to Drive DT Initiatives: Lack of central agency to that would plan and priorities strategic digital initiatives for government and build long term capacity (technology and human) and promote digital adoption both in public and private section Digital Policies (data locations • Data Localization Policy: Concerns around data residency and data sovereignty) has been raised by different segments of the society.
A clear direction articulating the data storage requirements is required as it would also dictate future technical requirements e.g., local or cloud hosting etc.

Digital Data • Need for a Digital Data Authority: SVG currently does not have a national digital authority that would be responsible for the management, maintenance and update of data and related resources (hardware, database, system and process).
Having an independent statutory entity dedicated to the management P a g e | 42 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) of key DT resources will be vital for ensuring continuing public trust in the entity.
• Data Cross Verification: As many ministries conduct their own data collection exercise, it is difficult to cross verify data currently with the Dept of Statistics Digital Skills • Limited Scalable IT Talent: SVG has a very ICT resources to limited pool for trained support a nation-wide program.
A long-term training program covering all levels has to be implemented to ensure the management and maintenance the various DT initiatives technology resources of • Limited ICT/Digital Services Training and Usage Among Public Sector Resources: Lack of a streamlined IT training program for public sector employees.
In many cases, public sector employees continue transact business through regular channels (paper base, over the counter, in person) even when other online channels are available as they are not technology and/or are comfortable using resistant to change.

to • Limited Capacity of Public Sector ICT Unit/ ITSD to Support Large Scale Government Digital Transformation Process: Government IT units like ITSD have limited capacity to support any large-scale DT initiatives due to capacity constraints.
Any DT program should long-term skill be accompanied with a augmentation in takes consideration the future skills requirements (and also the organization of these resources as a separate entity or as part of existing IT units) program that • Long Hiring Process: The current hiring cycle for IT resources is long ()and is not suitable for a fast-changing IT/tech environment esp.
as many skillsets are needed for a short term • Limited Relatable Digital Transformation Initiatives/ Strategies: While almost all of the priority sectors have a digital transformation P a g e | 43 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) strategy/roadmap, some are not backed by an appropriate execution strategy that takes into local requirements and consideration constraints.
Some sector strategies attempt to cover concepts that may not be relatable to the current context e.g., metaverse the Threats General • Wide Geographic Spread: As an island nation, SVG is geographically dispersed making it cost prohibitive to lay digital infrastructure across the island chain and ensuring the same level of service availability across the various islands • Natural Disasters – Prone to both natural disasters that may result in damage to digital infrastructure leading to service outage.
• Cyber Threats – Cybersecurity is a main concern in the country and the broader region, and requires a targeted mitigation strategy that takes into consideration the proposed digital transformation strategy.

Opportunities General • Transforming Public Government– transform to Relationship: Opportunity government by reimagining G2B, G2C transactions making it more easily accessible, cost effective.
More importantly, making it a the two-way government and users communication between Digital Infrastructure • Adopting Digital Technologies: SVG can consider leveraging digital technologies – cloud, blockchain etc.

for DT deployment as it offers a cost effective and scalable alternative to traditional technology deployment models.
It also significantly lowers initial capital outlay requirements and offers an easily scalable model (capex vs. opex) Digital Policies • Current Revision of Digital policies and Legislation: Revision of existing policies under the proposed, ‘Policies and Legislation and Development of Recommendations.” under the Transformation same Caribbean Digital Program will enable the appropriate legislative environment for the roll out of various DT initiatives the creation of Digital Skills Integrate Private Sector ICT Companies For Service Provisioning/Training – Collaborating with local ICT companies to be a part of the digital transformation value chain by providing training and product development support.
Private initiatives by entities can support training P a g e | 44 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) providing training on latest technologies and platforms to public sector employees as well as collaborate on the development of platforms and solutions not only reducing the burden on ITSD (and other related government agencies) but also opening opportunities for local talent to work on developing localized solutions.
Priority Sectors • Healthcare: Possibility of the deployment of telemedicine and mHealth services to improve access to diagnosis, while also reducing the cost to the healthcare system.
This is in addition to the proposed improvement to the Health Information Management System (HIMS) for teachers • Online Education: Access to open and learning opportunities enabling distance capacity and building administrators, while also providing equitable access to quality education across a wide section of the society (children, youth, as well as adults Improve student experiences by using digital content, that is curated centrally.

for skills-based training).


• Agriculture: e-Agriculture services can support efficient farming methods, connect farmers to markets allowing for demand-based farming in turn making communities more rural economically resilient • Tourism: Platform based applications that could support access to e-commerce and e- marketing income opportunities and in turn support livelihoods.

initiatives improve to P a g e | 45 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Government Digital Transformation – Key Constituents Introduction35 The importance of digital enablers, i.e., infrastructure, policies, skills, platforms, and governance cannot be overstated as it impacts and enables various aspects of our daily lives, from communication, education, commerce, or healthcare to trade, politics, and defence.
These digital enablers are becoming the very foundation for modern economies.

While the private sector has played a significant role in building and maintaining digital enablers, there is a growing need for public sector involvement in creating what is known as ‘Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)’ to support digital adoption in public services and further enable private sector growth.
This section of the report covers the definition and relevance of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs), SVG inventory of existing DPGs, and opportunities to build new DPGs.

The report also provides an initial assessment of the structural gaps across each digital pillar, covering infrastructure, skill, policies, governance, etc.
It also includes a capacity assessment of the ITSD to determine capacity gaps as well as the optimal deployment of IT staff across the Government service along with regulatory policies, private sector engagement, and digital literacy training.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a set of solutions and systems that facilitate the provision of digitally enabled services to support societal functions.
These include digital ID, civil registration, digital payments, data exchange, information systems36, etc.

DPI solutions and systems are open- source and customizable and enable citizens and the private sector to adopt, deploy, and scale these solutions, enabling a digital economy.

While DPI solutions can also be proprietary, an increasing number of countries are moving towards open-source solutions as it allows countries to retain strategic control over their digitalization efforts in the long-term.
DPI Features and Benefits – Different DPI solutions can be combined and used as building blocks to develop national DPI.

– Provides increased resilience.

– Avoid vendor lock-in: Unlike typical vendor lock-in contracts, DPIs provide flexibility without large costs (fees/subscription costs), are customizable, and can integrate citizens into governance and the decision-making process.

It also prevents the market from being centralised around a few private sector solution providers.
Leverage existing solutions and adapt them to local needs: DPIs are customizable and can be localized.

Support interoperability between different platforms and solutions and have the ability to respond swiftly and effectively to global changes.
– – DPIs are a pre-requisite for a digital economy and drive socio-economic development as it supports: 35 Note: These sections are included as it is important to develop a good understanding of concepts as it will affect future procurement and rollout processes 36 Source: Digital Public Goods Alliance P a g e | 46 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) – – Inclusive Digital Society: Provides access to digital infrastructure and services to all citizens Institutional Capacity: Efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the delivery of public services – Trust and Security: Locating and fixing vulnerabilities is one of the top benefits of open-source solutions, a critical feature of DPI – Global Digital Cooperation: Greater digital borderless collaboration to promote digital inclusion – Climate Resilience: Datasets and analysis to power decision-making for climate resilience and sustainable development.
The following figure showcases the role of DPIs in driving socio-economic development – Figure 13: Role of DPIs in Socio-Economic Development Source: World Bank P a g e | 47 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 14: DPI Use Case - Example Digital Public Goods (DPGs) A Public Good is a product or service provided to all the members of society for free to achieve a society-wide positive impact.

Generally, public goods are provided, administered, and managed by the Government.
They are non-excludable, i.e., no person in the society can be excluded or kept from using them and are non-rivalrous, i.e., if one member of the society uses the Public Good, it does not prevent the others from using it.

Examples of Public Goods include national defence, clean drinking water, law enforcement, etc.
The following matrix explains the difference between private, club, common, and public goods – Figure 15: Types of Goods Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) DPGs are a sub-set of Public Goods and are, as the name suggests, public goods in the form of software, data sets, AI models, standards, or content that are generally free and contribute to P a g e | 48 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) sustainable national digital goals.

DPGs are a subset of open-source technologies, which people can modify and share as their programming is publicly accessible.
Open-source technologies enable digital sovereignty and cultivate trust in technology through openness, direct involvement, and preserving entities' autonomy.
In other words, “DPGs are open-source software, open data, open AI models, open standards, and open content that adhere to privacy and other applicable laws and best practices, do no harm by design, and help attain the SDGs.37” The main components of DPGs – • Open-Source Software: Open-Source software is the software that allows software developers across the globe to leverage the software code, share, modify, and monetize with it.

The code of the software is publicly accessible.


For instance, Linux, an open-source operating system, and MySQL, an open-source database management system.

• Open AI Models: Artificial Intelligence (AI) models use different types of algorithms to interpret the collected data and draw conclusions that mimic human intelligence.

Open AI models are AI models that are freely available for public use, e.g., ChatGPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer), GPT-J, GPT-NeoX, CodeGen, etc.
• Open Data: Data that is openly accessible and that can be used or shared by anyone, e.g., geospatial information, weather data, census data, government accounts, etc.

• Open Content: Open content includes any kind of work such as pictures, audio, video, articles, blogs, books, etc., that are published in a way that allows anyone to copy, edit, share, distribute the information, e.g., academic textbooks, wiki pages, lectures, etc.
• Open Standards: “A document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.38" And open standards are the standards/guidelines accessible freely, e.g., XML, SQL, HTML, etc.

DPGs are needed to accelerate the DPI agenda as DPI is formed by multiple DPGs.
Use of DPGs can lead to the following benefits – • Adaptability: Adapting DPGs that were successfully implemented at scale in other countries and ministries can save resources and enable faster piloting and roll-out.

For example, the Government of India is offering its natively developed digital goods platform to several countries.

• Accountability: Open-source licensing of DPGs means that their code base can be independently scrutinized and audited.
This facilitates accountability and public discourse around issues such as incorporating best practices and designing DPGs with the aim of doing no harm.
Interoperability: DPGs allow interoperability for systems and digital solutions to function together regardless of their origin • The following figure represents the DPG framework, its characteristics, and the subsequent national and international outcomes – 37 Source: DPG Alliance 38 Source: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) P a g e | 49 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 16: DPG Framework The figure below showcases a use-case for DPGs while issuing a driving licence – Figure 17: DPG Use Case Example Source: Avasant Source: Avasant/ Project Assessment P a g e | 50 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Examples of Successful Implementation of DPGs – Estonia39 co-funds the DPG X-Road40, an open-source software that provides unified and secure data exchange between organizations and improves service delivery for citizens, and shares vendor training and certification approaches with Finland and Iceland.
Estonia's approach to DPGs has led to – – Estonia became the first country with a data embassy – Online availability of 99% public services, 24/7 – Encouraging co-creation tools lead to significant cost reduction – Adopting GovSTacks to deliver automated and reusable data to provide government services – Connecting citizens, enterprises, and land registries to enable e-services Similarly, in New Zealand41: – 96% of private individuals use digital services to pay taxes – Government introduced Governmentnz, a one-stop guide for finding and using government services, keeping citizens and businesses at the centre of these services – End-to-end online passport renewal service and first-time issuance – Government introduced SmartStart, a cross-agency online life event service, for information and services around the birth of a child 39 Source: e-Estonia 40 Source: X-Road Global website 41 Source: gov.nz website P a g e | 51 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) DPGs in St Vincent and the Grenadines Developing an inventory of DPGs or digital building blocks that will in turn be part of the DPI is the first step towards building national digital solutions.
One of the objectives of the project is to identify existing DPGs that can be leveraged or developed further to be a part of digital solutions.

The following table provides the list of existing DPGs (or datasets that can be leveraged for developing DPGs) in SVG that can be directly or indirectly leveraged for rolling out digital transformation programs across the country.
As per the discussions with ITSD and various government ministries, SVG does not have any open-source software, AI model, content, or standards currently in use that can be leveraged to further develop DPGs.

However, the country has several open data sets that have the potential to build digital solutions, thereby fulfilling the expected digital transformation goals.
The following table shows the existing DPGs being leveraged in SVG, the potential DPG solutions that can be leveraged in case there are no existing/active DPG solutions and the digital initiatives that have to be prioritized42.
All these solutions have been categorized as per the type of DPG – Table 7: List of Existing DPGs in SVG and the Potential Solutions DPGs Open Software Priority Sectors All Sectors N/A Existing DPGs/Datasets43 Potential Solutions Linux, MySQL, Mulan, PHP, GNU General Public License Digital Prioritized Initiatives44 (i.e., pre- Standard requisite.
Not related to proposed digital initiative) Open AI Models All Sectors N/A OpenAI GPT-4 Open Data Population and Demographics Agriculture • Household population census • Population by Religious Denomination and Sex, 1980 to 2012 • Child Mortality, Death of Residents, Live Births by Age and Sex, 2017 to 2021 • Estimated Fish Landed and Marketed, 2016 to 2020 • Livestock Production, 2016 to 2020 e- Introduce agriculture services to: - Connect farmers to markets - Enable demand- based farming (i.e., pre- Standard requisite.
Not related to proposed digital initiative) Data b/w - Inter-Linking Transfer Ministries - Licensing - e-Agriculture suite 42 Note: Based on the answers to the survey question “What sector specific initiatives (layered on the core DT initiatives) should the government prioritize based on its significant impact on the broader society (in order of priority)?” 43 Source: Department of Statistics, SVG 44 Note: Based on the answers to the survey question “What sector specific initiatives (layered on the core DT initiatives) should the government prioritize based on its significant impact on the broader society (in order of priority)?” P a g e | 52 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) • Number of Heads of Livestock Poultry and Slaughtered, 2016 to 2020 • Production of Legumes, Vegetables, Fruits, 2016 to 2020 • Production of Root Crops, Condiments, Spices, and Other Crops, 2016 to 2020 Reported • Abridged Life Table for Total Population, 2021 • National Health and Nutrition Survey, 2012 • Health Indicators, 2016 • Most Common Causes of Mortality Specific by Subgroups, 2016 • Number of Malignant Neoplasms Cancer Cases, 2012 to 2016 • Chronic Illnesses by Type of Illness, Age Group, and Sex, 2001 & 2012 • Enrolment by Level of Education, 2015 to 2019 • Enrolment in Primary and Secondary Education by Age and Sex, 2015 to 2019 Grades and CXC Results Database, E-Registration • Stay-Over Visitors by Country of Residence and Purpose of Visit, 2017 to 2019 • Visitor Arrivals by Visitor Type, 2015 to 2019 • Tourism Expenditure Survey Provide - information on weather, market, farming techniques, pest, and disease incidence control - Farm Data, Filing of returns by farmers - for Farmers ID - Introduce telemedicine and mHealth services to improve access to diagnosis E-Registration - More informed planning for the health sector - Upgrade of Health Information System (HIS) - E-Learning - Content creation for online training/educatio n platforms Interlinking of - databases Tourism (immigration, tourism ministry, hotel registrations, etc.)
- Platform-based to applications support access to e-commerce and e-marketing initiatives, - Platform to allow for feedback by visitors Health Education Tourism P a g e | 53 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Finance • Central Government Fiscal Operations, 2016 to 2020 • Central Government Public Debt Sector Indicators, 2016 to 2020 Open Content All Sectors Open Standards All Sectors • Freely available content developed by ministries for educational and advertorial purposes N/A - Ministerial Interlinkage (i.e., pre- Standard requisite.
Not related to proposed digital initiative) Standard (i.e., pre- requisite.

Not related to proposed digital initiative) - Introduce Digital Payments Concessions - Based Platform, Budget Module, Virement, Special Warrant Database, Advances module Open API, RFC 4180 (for Tabular Information Publication), Core Dublin schema (for sharing data over CSV, spreadsheets), etc.

P a g e | 54 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Structural Gaps Across Digital Pillars The following table represents an assessment of the structural gaps across each of the digital pillars, covering issues such as governance, infrastructure, digital skills, digital policies, platforms, and innovation and entrepreneurship – Main Challenges Identified (Across Key Digital Pillars) Table 8: List of Digital Challenges, Opportunities, and Outcomes in SVG categorized as per the Digital Pillars Digital Pillars Challenges Digital Transformation Opportunity Outcome Digital Governance - Paper-based and manual government services - Inability to interface with the citizens on a virtual platform - Limited common collaboration among ministries/islands for internal or external communication - Limited ability to access thematic services in a single for space business opportunities; trade related guidance) example (for Potential Initiatives - Develop a central government digital platform, a one-stop solution for all digital public services and information - Develop a digital service catalog to provide a brief description of all digital public services and procedures for citizens and businesses collaboration - management platform help Ministries to collaborate with each other and external organisations, organise online and offline meetings, see important announcements, and share content Develop to a Applicable DT Solutions45 - Unique Digital ID and Single Sign-On Platform - Tax System Development out Pre-roll governance - initiatives - Centralised databases on thematic services - Paper-less economy - Improved information/date security - Faster, efficient, and minimal error procedures - Contact-less services - Easy, efficient communication transparent, and - More informed citizens who can be mobilised for greater economic contributions 45 Note: Indicates to the current set of digital initiatives that are being rolled out under the World Bank program or appropriate pillar P a g e | 55 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Streamlining inland revenue - Streamlining company - Introduce an online revenue and registration platform registration processes - Limited e-Financial Services - Introduce a digital payment platform single window - Electronic Single Window for Land and Property transactions- CIPO’s for business registration - Tax Information Management System - Government Payment Platform - Data Management - Implement the Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) - Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) - Easy, registration processes fast, and efficient international - Online Payments - Cashless Society - Easier transactions the manual - Automate document management and exchange - Manage documents and records in a central repository - Provision of secured and easy access to documents - Continuous adoption of digital initiatives leading to improved services initiatives - Centralized management of reducing DT overlaps and improving inter- ministerial collaboration requirements - Institutionalize progressive digital adoption across ministries and public sector agencies (under the directive of a central digital agency) Developing a central agency to lead DT efforts Pre-roll - initiatives out governance Pre-roll - initiatives out governance - Absence of a policy mandate (to adopt DT initiatives) - Limited collaboration between ministries/islands on initiatives, transformation internal external or communication - Lack of strategic direction, leadership Identifying digital champion(s) to encourage adoption at all levels.
To advocate the case for digital adoption as well as encourage adoption by public agencies Pre-roll - initiatives out governance Greater understanding of digital initiatives and benefits of adoption among public P a g e | 56 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Reluctance to adopt/move to newer digital technologies, e- services the Sector Ministries/Public employees to change) (reluctance by Digital Infrastructure - Lack of a central agency to drive DT initiatives - Lag in terms of accessibility, quality, and affordability of internet services laptops, - Outdated Hardware including computers, VC devices, etc.
and software (installation, maintenance, and regular updates) for the trainings implementing - Develop a government-wide change management plan - Develop a training manual and conduct annual the employees who will be responsible for change management plan - Rolling out information campaigns to educate on the benefits of DT initiatives and their larger impact on the society Developing a central agency to lead DT efforts - Develop a PPP model to provide mobile and broadband internet services at affordable prices - Conduct annual audits/checks to ensure that broadband network is accessible by all at affordable rate - Prioritize investment in hardware and software updates - Conduct annual audits/checks to ensure that hardware devices and software in government offices are updated/maintained Pre-roll - initiatives program out governance communication – and Better adoption - openness to DT initiatives - Willingness to adopt new technologies and stay up to date out Pre-roll - initiatives -Digital Strengthening governance Infrastructure Unified planning, development of DT initiatives - Improved connectivity - Affordable internet Digital - Strengthening Infrastructure IT asset - Develop and management policy - Updated and maintained - Hardware devices installation - New software and maintenance for smooth operations Better access to DT services/ platforms quality, Accessibility, affordability internet/broadband services and of - Collaborate with telecom services providers to provide free/reduced fee access to government digital services platform post-roll-out - improvement initiatives service P a g e | 57 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Digital Policies Limited physical infrastructure to provide e-gov services in areas with limited connectivity e.g., Limited adoption of digital cloud, technologies automation etc.
into current process and systems to improve cost and process efficiency - Lack of strict legislations for data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity - Need for policies promoting use of online services – awareness campaigns, mandating online processes, etc.

- Digital Signature made legal but still not used - Explore the possibility of providing reliable connections to e-kiosks in different islands as part of USO - Develop e-kiosks in community spaces for better access to DT services esp.
the underserved category Consider technologies procurement programs integrating digital into planning and - Introduce provision for unlawful handling of data, private information, computer systems/network, etc.

- Introduce provision for allocating in developing substantial budget state-of-the-art cyber technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics, etc.
- Organize awareness campaigns - Make online processes mandatory for all - Establish physical kiosks to access government services for those who are unable to access online - to collaborate with each Ministry to understand the challenges implementation of digital the in signature ITSD initiatives Outpost-roll-out service - improvement to be undertaken by the central DT agency -Improvement initiatives to be undertaken by the central DT agency Better access to DT services Lower capital expenditure on management and maintenance of services Cybersecurity Protection and Data - Trust building and cultural acceptance of online services - Security and safety - Trust building and cultural acceptance of online services - Easy banking procedures - No need for physical (paper- based) forms - Processes can be accessed remotely from anywhere at anytime P a g e | 58 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Digital Platforms - Lack of functional portals with and content updated information - Conduct awareness and training programs for all staff levels in each ministry and general citizens - Conduct regular audits and checks of government websites and portals to ensure regular updates and reviews of content - Lack of integration of emerging solutions, such as AI, RPA, and IoT, to improve e- services Digital Skills - Limited ICT Training Program - Limited qualified skilled workforce ICT/digital - ICT/digital curriculum review and update ICT and implement - Introduce provision for allocating budget for developing solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI, big data analytics, etc.
- Develop Education an Curriculum Framework to improve the technical skills of public employees - Design and implement ICT/digital certification accreditation and programs - Design an onboarding program to enable new civil and government employees to receive training and become certified/accredited in digital solutions - Review current ICT/digital curriculum in schools, universities, and vocational institutes in SVG - Update the ICT/digital curriculum based on the best practices adopted by other countries - Ministry of Education to conduct training programs and workshops servants - Minimal errors - Faster verification and interactive - Updated websites and content - Useful websites - Automated services - Useful websites - Automated services interactive and Digital Upskilling Programs - Digitally-abled public sector employees - Digitally-abled workforce - Improved employability - Increase in digital adoption - Digitally-enabled workforce - Improved employability - Increase in digital adoption P a g e | 59 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Lack of a strong policy and financial framework supporting the country's start- up ecosystem - Insufficient support services, such as incubation centres, co- working spaces for start-ups schools, institutes universities, on and the the updated with vocational implementation of ICT/digital educational curriculum - Provide easier access to financing and capitalization - Introduce a financial incentive model for start-ups to encourage innovation - Provide physical facility support (workspace, internet connectivity, etc.)
- Provide Start-up support services such as, easy business registration, resources, onsite education, entrepreneurial and community mentorship/advisory service support, learning - Digital job creation - Economy boost - Innovative solutions Digital Upskilling Programs - P a g e | 60 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized Commented [A2]: Which is the mission and which is the vision?

Commented [A3]: What is the purpose of the mission and vision in relation to the rest of the paper?
NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Vision and Mission Statement Based on the feedback from the various segments of the society, at a broad level SVGs Government digital transformation initiatives should attempt to achieve the following: SVG’s Government Digital Transformation Program “Enable a countrywide, cost effective, scalable, sustainable, user-friendly, single channel medium of transacting with the government by enabling online processes and payments in turn reducing paperwork, improving efficiency and supporting government policy making process through efficient data capture and standardization, and ease of locating citizens through the physical and virtual addressing system.” Option 2 “Enable a nationwide, cost effective, scalable online medium to transact government services under a unified service delivery model in turn improving government efficiency and policy formulation capacity.
Develop the required human and technology ecosystem to forward the digital agenda in order to achieve national development and sustainability objectives” Note: The proposed Mission and Vision statements are unduly long and may not serve its purpose.

Some other examples include.


Brunei Darussalam Vision – Samrat Nation Through Digital Transformation Mission – To Drive and enhance Brunei Darussalam socio economic growth through digital transformation Singapore Mission - Lead the development of a Smart Nation by working with the public, private and people sectors.

Vision - A Singapore where people are more empowered to live meaningful and fulfilled lives, enabled seamlessly by technology, offering exciting opportunities for all.
Expectations and Priorities Conclusive expectations from the national digital strategy – All sectors expect the following results from the national digital strategy – 1.

Real transformation – Real tangible solutions making a difference in interacting with the government P a g e | 61 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 2.

Improved communication – Better communication within government departments and with the general citizens to educate and address concerns, timely and effectively.

3.

Cost effectiveness – Ensure long term cost effectiveness and financial sustainability (telecom/ digital infrastructure/ connectivity) Inclusivity – Ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital journey 4.

5.
5.

Cybersecurity – Address the security/data security concern right at the outset 6.

Digital talent – Build local technical talent capacity to ensure long term support and knowledge transfer 7.

Digital services adoption – Encourage and enforce digital services adoption especially among government employees 8.

Central digital platform – National-level platform for delivering digital training (among government employees) 9.
Two-way efforts – Encourage Government-to-Citizen (G2C) as well as Citizen-to- Government (C2G) communication 10.

Need for a centralised database and centralise IT operations for interoperability Having identified the progress made under various related strategic initiatives and having gathered the future expectations from the proposed digital initiatives, it is now time to align these with future roadmap.
At a high level, the following figure outlines this strategic alignment that would serve as a baseline for identifying specific strategic interventions.

P a g e | 62 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 18: SVG’s DT Strategy Alignment to National Priorities and SDG Goals P a g e | 63 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized Source: Project Assessment NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Recommendation and Action Plan Approach In order to ensure long-term and sustainable development of SVG’s digital economy, any proposed digital initiative should take into account a few key considerations – - Support the National ICT and National Economic and Social Development goals - Prioritize development of citizen-facing digital government services - Support digital inclusion - Develop resilient policies and systems that promote government business continuity in the event of natural or other disasters - Take into account the successes and/or failures of previous strategies The development approach should also be classified based on the following timelines – - Short Term (0-1 Years): Implement immediate interventions that will build the foundation of a digital economy and are most essential for any future initiatives, i.e., basic requirements to support a digital economy - Medium Term (1-3 Years): Build on short-term interventions to roll-out a broader digital transformation initiative (develop scale) to cover a larger segment and broader scope - Long Term (3-5+Years): Develop a self-sustaining, government driven digital transformation program that meets the continuously growing and changing digital requirements The following section outlines a proposed approach towards rolling out all the digital transformation recommendations while meeting the above-mentioned considerations.
The figure below (ref.

Figure 21) showcases the step-by-step process for designing and implementing each of the recommended interventions.

Figure 19: SVG’s National Digital Strategy Roll Out Approach 1.

Analyse and Plan: It is important to analyse and learn from achievements of similar economies and past domestic experiences and establish guiding principles to support the digital design process.
This includes – • Analysing available qualitative and quantitative data/information related to the digital transformation recommendation and learnings from similar projects implemented in the past P a g e | 64 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) • Developing guiding principles that support the project such as – Leveraging open standards - - Building for sustainability - Addressing privacy and security - Developing locally appropriate, equitable, and inclusive solutions - - Reusing and improving on the existing solutions Following a data-driven approach 2.
Design and Develop: Designing and developing quality, relevant, and appropriate digital services and solutions based on the requirements is critical for achieving the desired national objectives by – • Adopting a holistic and integrated approach • Involving and encouraging active participation from the relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries • Assessing the market and demand for the recommended digital services and solutions • Ensuring data privacy and security • Establishing appropriate procurement systems • Establishing the model/approach for the proposed services and solutions 3.
Deploy and Implement: The aim of this step is to create a successful enabling environment to deploy the developed services and solutions effectively and sustainably by – • Investing in management and leadership • Building sustainable partnerships and mobilizing resources sustainably • Managing service providers and third-party contractors • Marketing and communicating about the services and solutions to ensure proper utilization • Implementing through phases – Proof of Concept (PoC), Pilot, Scale up, and Full scale 4.
Monitor and Evaluate (M&E): M&E is critical for a program of national importance as it helps to actively monitor and evaluate the implementation of the digital transformation projects/initiatives for continuous improvement.
It includes – • Designing a M&E framework by involving the relevant stakeholders in the process and taking tried M&E frameworks into consideration • Establishing a committee to oversee the implementation of the M&E plan and establishing timelines • Developing ways to implement and apply the lessons learned from the M&E implementation For this step-by-step approach to remain relevant, it must be considered as a living approach, that is, this should be considered the first draft and with time, the approach should be updated as the experiences grow and evolve.
The public sector is responsible for setting requirements, frameworks, financing models, and overseeing and evaluating implementation, while the private sector should be empowered to deliver agile, flexible, and personalized services to citizens.

Classification of Recommendations P a g e | 65 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Based on analysis done in the previous deliverables, the recommendations have been classified under the following six pillars as in typical frameworks, such as the Hanna framework – 1.

Digital Governance: Assess effectiveness of the government’s vision, commitment, structure, funding mechanism, and collaboration to drive the digital transformation of government services 2.
Digital Infrastructure: Assess the requirements for and use of digital infrastructure, standards, architecture, data, and emerging technologies and solutions for providing integrated, modernized, and user-friendly government services 3.

Digital Policies: Evaluate awareness and implementation of and compliance with the laws, policies and regulations required to develop a favorable, secure, and innovation-driven environment for the digital transformation of government services 4.
Digital Platforms: Recommendations on defining, planning, delivering, monitoring, and evaluating the required digital services and use cases and the extent to which outcomes aligned with national priorities have been realized 5.

Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Assess the state of digital innovation and entrepreneurship in terms of digital start-ups, businesses on the internet, growth of these businesses, contribution to the economy, etc.

6.
Digital Skills: Assess both the demand for and supply of a digitally skilled workforce in terms of requirements and availability of digital skills, jobs, education, training, and other capacity building interventions Further, the recommendations are categorized into three levels – - Fundamental: Pre-requisites that will directly impact the roll-out of the eight digital initiatives and their success - Flagship: Follow-on recommendations that will be built on top of the pre-requisites - Sectoral: Sector-specific recommendations based on the sectors that SVG wants to focus on including agriculture, education, health, tourism, and financial sector P a g e | 66 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 20: SVG Digital Economy Vision and Mission P a g e | 67 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) SVG Digital Economy Development Roadmap - Recommendations and Action Plan Digital Policies 1.
Develop Comprehensive Data Protection and Privacy Laws Rationale As more systems and processes go online, it is essential to have a legal framework that safeguards all associated information, e.g., personal information, data privacy, user freedom, and rights at the same level as in an offline/paper-based environment.

A comprehensive data protection law should ensure individual data is safe and secure within government operations and private sector activities involving access to such data.
Also, a robust legal framework helps build confidence among the public about the safety of their personal information.

Recommendation Develop comprehensive legislation, data protection, and privacy regulation.

The scope of the legislation should be broad (not limited to specific digital transformation programs, e.g., the unique ID system, which can be a subset of the broader regulations).

It should consider legal, administrative, and technical safeguards around data protection and privacy.
The regulations can be based and should be compatible with international privacy and data project laws, e.g., European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR), Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) 2000 – Canada, Privacy Protection Law 1981- Israel, etc.
Some of the common elements that should form a part of such legislation includes – - Limitation of Purpose, i.e., can only be collected for specific purposes as indicated by law - Lawfulness and transparency, i.e., should be collected and used for a legally permissible activity and the data collection activity should be transparent - Accuracy, i.e., ensuring the data is accurate through constant updates - Accountability, i.e., storage and processing of data in accordance with the law should be monitored by an independent oversight authority - Storage Limitation, i.e., limit to the time for which the personal data can be stored 2.
Strengthen Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Legislation Rationale Personal information is highly confidential and any unauthorized access to the information can have severe repercussions.

As personal information will be stored digitally, there is an increased threat of cybercrime ranging from unauthorized access, distribution to ransom holding to targeted attacks on digital.
As such, it is crucial to ensure adequate laws around cybercrime and cyber security that has clear punitive measures to dissuade any such actions.

It is also essential to have strong regulations to ensure confidence among the public about the safety and security of personal data in the digital context.

P a g e | 68 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Recommendation Institute new legislation (or improve existing capacity) to address cybercrime and cyber security related issues in general as well as specific to personal data collected as part of the digital transformation initiative.
At a broad level, the legislation should aim to protect from online crimes, protect SVG government websites and databases, i.e., digital assets, safeguard against electronic fraud and maintain privacy and personal rights.

Further, it should explicitly criminalize unauthorized access, usage or alterations to data, systems, and processes across all the platforms and databases holding personal data.
As a good practice such legislation should ensure the following – - Should ensure national critical information infrastructure is covered exhaustively - Clearly indicate the penalties for violations - - Establishing timeline for cybercrime reporting and authority for cybercrime persecution - Authorize and empower a Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to prevent and Include penalties in case of breach of obligations by digital infrastructure holders (agencies) investigate cybersecurity breaches Digital Infrastructure 3.
Continuous Improvement in Internet Connectivity Rationale High quality, affordable internet/broadband connectivity across the nation is fundamental to a digital economy.

It is key for improving access to government digital services and is the backbone of a digital economy.

Currently, both affordability and quality of internet services are an impediment for the growth of digital services and improving governance in St. Vincent.
Recommendation Stable and reliable internet connectivity is critical for the overall success of the proposed digital transformation program (including e-gov services), as internet outages can lead to service disruption (ability for users to access the services).

Further, stable connectivity is key to the growth of a digital economy.

As private service providers do not have economies of scale, services have to be priced higher to justify the initial capital investments.
However, a higher uptake of broadband services (if more internet-reliant services are available, e.g., e-com, government services, etc.)

can lead to the possibility of lowering prices at the end consumer level as more consumers move towards subscribing to data services (or larger volume in terms of data consumption).
Some of the recommendations to improve access and connectivity include – - Establishing Quality of Service (QoS) regulations to monitor current service levels and set standards (covering both Quality of Network and Quality of Service) - Assess the current capacity constraints and identify improvement areas under the CARCIP-GWAN program to improve ‘last mile connectivity’ (e.g., connectivity within offices due to lack of other P a g e | 69 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) related ICT infrastructure.)
This is very important as access to various e-gov/ government digital programs will become critical once the various initiatives have been rolled out - Assess the current utilization of the subsea cable to the Grenadine islands and explore the possibility of expanding its usage, if possible, to improve GWAN connectivity - Renegotiate current contracts for broadband connectivity while considering multiple point connection (the understanding is the government currently has a single point of connection for internet services from both Digicel and Flow) as this may be a possible bottleneck as more government services come online and accessibility to the public opens - Explore the possibility of a joint government-telecom service provider offering wherein access to government platforms/websites is considered free (bandwidth consumed to access these sites and not considered as part of data package) to improve accessibility (at least during the initial few years) - Consider implementing the ‘Smart Island’ concept of connectivity wherein local island servers could host verified e-content around health, learning, agriculture, entertainment, news, weather reports, etc.
These local island servers can sync relevant content from the local (national) cloud/datacentre at specific time intervals.

Such an approach reduces connectivity and bandwidth issues as complex and data-heavy applications can also be stored on local servers - Encourage adoption of broadband connectivity through information/skill development campaigns informing and equipping businesses and citizens about the potential of ‘digitalizing’ business.
This in turn, will improve adoption and the possibility of lower per-user connection cost In the long term, consider adopting new technologies like satellite internet as it becomes cost- effective in the region.
- - Consider setting up an AS (Asynchronous Network) for exchange of data between the two local ISP’s considering a significant part of the traffic generated to access various e-gov services will be local - Considering a price benchmarking exercise to assess the current cost of internet services at ISP level and regional Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and explore the possibility of setting cost caps in line with regional pricing Figure 21: The Smart Island Connectivity Concept P a g e | 70 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 4.

Establishing a Network of Physical Common Service Centers (CSC) Rationale Ensuring access to all segments of society, especially in rural areas and to those unable to access the services online.
For e-government to be more inclusive, the government should reach out to all segments of the population who are digitally backward or disadvantaged with e-services that will satisfy their needs and ultimately bridge the digital divide.
Recommendation As the provision for access to government services online is core to any government digital transformation initiative, it is critical to ensure that the services are easily accessible to all segments of society, especially the elderly, those without internet access, rural areas, i.e., digital ‘have nots.’ Considering the vast expanse of SVG and limited access to smartphones, the implementing agency/government should look into developing a network of small physical support centers (e- centers) across the islands as a front-end delivery network for government services.
Such centers would act as the node for all the government services (being offered as part of the digital transformation initiative) and should be linked to the centralized digital transformation database and the payment gateway.

The centers should be equipped with adequate hardware, e.g., printers, copiers, computers, broadband internet, allowing access to centralized digital services.

It can also offer a range of services (subject to the type of services to be brought online), e.g.
– - Unique ID registrations - Government payments - land tax payments, fine payments - Utility bill payment - Motor vehicle license payments - National Insurance Program registrations - Farmer’s data entry - Scholarship Applications - Birth/Death Certificate Issuance - Police Clearance Certificate Issuance - Passport Applications - Commercial tax e-filing - Food Business Operator (FBO) registration - Pharmacist registrations etc.
As the centers would be linked to an online payments system, they would be able to accept payments in cash while making the payments online on behalf of the citizen on the payment system.

These proposed systems would also provide an avenue for employment for some segments of society, e.g., women and youth.

P a g e | 71 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 22: Physical Common Service Centres Established in Different Islands of SVG Case Study Country – Topic/Solution Akshaya Centers in Kerala, India was started in 2002 with the stated objective of “Achieving 100% digital and social inclusion by ‘Connecting the Unconnected’” and a mission of providing technology driven efficient, transparent, and convenient services to the citizens.
The state government has set up over 2,650 Akshaya centers across the state providing a range of G2C, G2B as well as B2C services under the Common Service Centers (CSC) model.

The program resulted in a significant shift in the design and operation of public services through the reinvention of service delivery channels allowing for the government in meeting citizens’ needs, improve social inclusion, transparency in governance and overall socio-economic growth.

5.
5.

Implementing a Virtual+Physical Addressing System Rationale Support the growth of the digital economy by establishing a physical and virtual national addressing system for efficient service delivery, postal services, emergency services, security, and improved digitally enabled services by private enterprises.
Recommendation While SVG uses a 6-digit alpha-numeric postal code, the geographic spread of the country and the absence of a formal addressing system makes it challenging to deliver digitally-led services, e.g., e- commerce.

Also, with advances in geospatial technologies and location-based applications, a standardized addressing system has become crucial.

P a g e | 72 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) A possible solution is the adoption of a virtual addressing system.
Such a system will positively impact SVG’s economic and social development, postal services, emergency services, national security, road safety, quality of life, housing, spatial development, transportation, and tourism development, tourist safety, and many other location-based services.

The addressing system will be able to better support work across the country, especially during responses to natural hazards, and to prepare for a more resilient, and sustainable future.
Development of an inclusive, efficient, reliable, and standardized virtual addressing system based on the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that can uniquely and accurately identify location of physical assets, e.g., buildings, houses, warehouses, etc., to provide related services such as delivery services, postal services, asset authentication services and improve service delivery in the country.
The addressing system should facilitate – - Unique location/address codes for each location that can be shared for easier navigation - Physical boards with location coordinates places in isolated areas across the country where internet connectivity is erratic or unavailable.
The addressing system should be rolled out in a phased manner – - Pre-roll out: Information campaign providing details on the addressing system, its benefits, providing a timeline for the proposed rollout to prepare the citizenry for the proposed rollout - Roll out: The addressing system should be rolled out in a phased manner – o Phase 1: Covering the island of St. Vincent o Phase 2: Covering the larger islands of the Grenadines – Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau, Mustique, Prune (Palm) Island, Petit Saint Vincent Island, and Union Island o Phase 3: Covering the rest of the country - Post-roll out: Regular updates/information around the addressing system, including any technological or legislative changes that impact the citizens A virtual+physical addressing system can significantly boost the digital economy as it will ease the linkage between the supplier and consumer, prompting investment into digital services and improving consumption.
There are overlaps between the proposed project under CARDTP - Electronic Single Window for Land and Property and the proposed addressing system that can be leveraged for faster and more effective rollout and management.

P a g e | 73 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Case Study India – Digital Addressing application Indore, a city in India, in partnership with a start-up has launched a digital addressing application called “Pataa” (translates to “Address” in English).

The app will allot a unique digital doorstep number for all properties, and it is free of cost.

The aim is to simplify navigation by converting long addresses into digital codes.
Dubai – Smart Addressing System Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) launched a smart geo-addressing system, Makani, that aims to facilitate residents in Dubai’s 14 districts to find their exact location.

The Makani system is accurate to a meter and the location coordinates can be shared for easier navigation.

The RTA has also fixed 10-digit coordinates on lampposts located in isolated areas of the city for better accuracy of their location in case there is no internet connection.
The smart address codes had been allocated to over 130,000 buildings in Dubai.

Digital Governance 6.

Establishing an Institutional Framework to Drive Future Digital Economy Development Rationale SVG requires a visionary agency that will foster cooperation among government entities on various digital transformation initiatives and envision and direct future initiatives towards making SVG an inclusive digital economy.
As the existing institutional setup does not have the capacity to plan and implement a digital economy development agenda, SVG requires a formal organizational structure, rules, and informal norms for service provision to successfully implement digital initiatives and sustainable development of SVG.
Recommendation Any proposed institutional framework for sustainable digital economy development should integrate coherence, coordination, avoid duplication of efforts, and be empowered to review progress in implementing sustainable development of a digital economy.

Based on the global best practices, the institutional structure in SVG should be collaborative, adaptive, lean, and synergetic.
Given the wide scope of the national digital economy development strategy, it is crucial that the digital economy mandate is delivered by all the ministries, departments, and agencies in their respective sectors, while they are guided and supported by a nodal agency.

The nodal agency, e.g., the ‘National Digital Economy Development Agency’ will support all the digital, data, and technology projects in the country 24*7.
Considering the scale of SVG, the formal organizational structure required to support the National Digital Economy Agenda should be simplistic, as shown in the figure below – P a g e | 74 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Figure 23: SVG’s National Digital Economy Development Agency Organizational Structure The National Digital Economy Development Agency will comprise of – Digital Advisory Board – The Digital Advisory Board will consist of high-ranking government officials, academicians, private sector experts, and advisors from donor agencies.
It will play an advisory role in supporting the implementation of the digital economy projects.

The Board will provide independent expert advice to the National Digital Economy Development Office, the implementing agencies, and the office of Prime Minister on the country's digital, data, and technology related projects and functions.
National Digital Economy Development Agency – The proposed NDEDA will be the executive body responsible for overseeing all the digital initiatives, strategies, data, and technical assistance in matters of digital economy development.

The NDEDA will function under the leadership of a Chief Digital Officer and Deputy Chief Digital Officer.
Its staff will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning & Information Technology, Statistical Office, the proposed Central Data Agency, and Personal Data Privacy and Security Regulatory Authority.

Implementing Agencies – The implementing agencies will play a vital role in materializing SVG's national digital development vision.
With the support of ITSD, NTRC, and public-private partnerships, GovSVG will be able to effectively implement the planned digital initiatives and support the sustainable development of SVG’s digital economy.

The leadership of the NDEDA will oversee the implementing agencies.

P a g e | 75 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) The NDEDA’s team will have representation from all the government's key arms, including Ministries in charge of energy, infrastructure, trade, industrialization, tourism, security, and education.

Its role is to provide oversight of digital projects, receive M&E reports from the respective project leads, and resolve conflicts and challenges.
NDEDA’s responsibilities include – - - - - - To lead government’s national digital economy development agenda To set the strategic direction for government on digital, data, and technology matters To set digital standards including open standards To lead capability development To ensure development and use of efficient, secure, and sustainable technology Case Study Singapore – Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) The SNDGO under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is responsible for planning and prioritizing key Smart Nation projects and driving the digital transformation of the government.
SNDGO is also responsible for building long-term capabilities for the public sector and promoting participation and adoption from the public and businesses to build a Smart Nation collectively.

The United Kingdom – Central Digital & Data Office (CDDO) and Digital Advisory Board The Central Digital & Data Office, part of Cabinet Office, leads the digital, data, and technology function for the government and set the strategic direction for government on the same.
The country also has a Digital Advisory Board that provides expert advice to the CDDO, Government Digital Service (GDS), and the leaders of the digital, data, and technology function across government.

The Board consists of independent experts who are skilled and experienced in the digital, data, and technology space.
Estonia – Republic of Estonia Information System Authority (RIA) and Government’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) The RIA is responsible for coordinating the development and administration of information systems.

It is also responsible for ensuring the interoperability of the state's information system and handling security incidents in Estonian computer networks.
Estonia has established the role of a government CIO who is responsible for overseeing the coordination of digital projects, including IoT across government while maintaining the independence and uniqueness of each department’s digital needs.

The CIO leads and co- ordinates the digital state's development and reports to the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communication, and to the Prime Minister, through the e-Estonia Council.

7.
7.

Personal Data Privacy and Security Regulatory Authority /Ombudsman Rationale An oversight agency that ensures the various associated agencies are operating within the legislative and operative remit, individuals have recourse in case of issues and provides advice on any future updates and improvements to the system.

P a g e | 76 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Recommendation Set up an oversight body to ensure data protection and privacy regarding personal information, e.g., as part of ID systems to ensure the safety of individual rights (can also be a subset of general data protection and privacy protection authority).

The proposed supervisory or oversight committee can be a single government official, ombudsman, or multiple members.
However, the independence of such an authority is critical wherein independence is ensured by factors like composition, appointment method, level of oversight/power and timeframe for oversight functions, sufficient funding, and independence to make directive decisions without external interference.

While individuals will have legal recourse outside of the proposed authority, it can handle public complaints to direct the authority to rectify, delete/destroy inaccurate or illegally collected data.
Some of the tasks of the authority can include – - Monitoring and ensuring compliance with the broader data protection and privacy laws of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Monitoring of any new addition/development that may affect individual privacy - Authority to receive complaints and investigate cases of potential data and privacy violation and issue remedial measures - Promote awareness about individual rights and roles and responsibilities of various agencies - Providing inputs on further improvement of the ID systems and data processes - Providing inputs to the legislature and administrative requirements More importantly, the proposed authority can help significantly increase citizen confidence in safety and security in various digital transformation programs in turn the propensity to enroll and ensure regular updates of personal data.
Case Study Protection of Personal Information South Africa, 2013 The act established an Information Regulator, an independent body with a range of supervisory functions including public awareness, monitoring and enforcement of legal compliance, stakeholder consultations and mediations, handle individual complaints, conduct relevant research, issue codes of conduct and guidelines.
The body is accountable to the national assembly and the appointments are made by the President based on nominations from the national assembly.

National Privacy Commission, Philippines, the Data Privacy Act of 2012 Established the independent National Privacy Commission attached to the Dept.

of ICT.

It is a three-member commission appointed by the President for a three-year term with all three expected to be experts in the field of data privacy.
The commission is expected to monitor compliance with the data privacy law and investigate complaints.

Digital Skills P a g e | 77 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 8.
Capacity Building in ICT Sector Rationale SVG has a limited pool of trained ICT resources to support a nation-wide digital initiative and furthering a digital economy.

A long-term training program covering all levels has to be implemented to ensure the availability of trained resources through a scalable tried training program.
Recommendations Institute a tiered ICT training program that develops technology skills to support all levels of the digital transformation program and help in the broader development of SVG's IT and technology sector.

The tiered skill development program should focus on creating skills at multiple levels based on the scale (demand) and scope (complexity).
The proposed approach classifies digital skills into three levels – Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced (in increasing order of relevance, complexity, and importance for the ICT sector) – - Basic Skills: This is the first tier and primarily focuses on developing a basic skill pool of digitally trained resources who can become a part of the ICT sector or can be employed in other sectors with further training.
The training programs will focus on basic computer and productivity skills and develop a general understanding of digital technologies.

It would include introductory courses designed to provide a broad knowledge of the subject area.

The basic courses will help the target audience to build confidence before moving on to a higher-level course.

These courses are meant for students with minimal or no experience or even for ICT workers looking to change their area of interest.
- Intermediate Skills: This stage will form the mid-tier, focus on improving the employability of ICT graduates, and assist junior ICT resources to move up their careers by undertaking specific skill development training programs.

The segment can also be opened for non-ICT graduates depending on their proficiency assessment.

A key objective of this segment is to develop some of the most sought-after fundamental skills like programming languages, database management, testing, quality assurance, etc.
that form the basis of advanced digital skills.

These courses are meant for people with basic subject area knowledge and target ICT graduates and junior level ICT resources.

The intermediate courses are designed for students to upskill/reskill by forming a base needed to undertake advanced education or training.

- Advanced Skills: This segment will form the third tier of the SVG skills requirement and focus on developing specialized digital skills.
The programs should focus on offering intensive technical skills training to a relatively smaller audience with prior work experience in the ICT sector.

The participation base will mostly be the current ICT workforce looking at upskilling/reskilling.
Based on industry feedback and high demand in the domestic and global market, these training programs will focus on advanced specific digital skills within the digital technologies – AI/ML, Cloud, Cyber Security, Mobile Technologies, Data Analytics, GIS database management and design, GIS applications programming, remote sensing, project management, web mapping, etc.
Since these technologies are subject to fast changes, there will always be a need for upskilling/reskilling the ICT workforce to ensure the continual availability of trained resources to P a g e | 78 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) support the growing demand for these technologies.

These courses are meant primarily for people with prior professional experience.

9.
9.

Information Campaign to Increase Awareness of Government Transformation Programs Rationale Increase awareness of the government digital transformation programs and their advantages across various sections of society to increase participation and ally any concerns on security and privacy.
Recommendation As with any new program with national implications it is plausible that a segment albeit small may have opposition or hesitation to join the program for various reasons ranging from limited trust in terms of data privacy in the proposed system, limited understanding of the utility of the program, etc.
For example, while SVG has a legislation around digital signatures, it is still not considered official, that is, “If it is not on paper is it not official or does not hold any value.”46 As inclusivity is a key pillar for any national level digital program, rolling out a multi-channel information program that communicates the various facets of the numerous digital transformation initiatives can be significantly beneficial.
The information campaign should span all mediums (online, offline) and cover all segments of society (based on age, gender, income group, etc.).

It should also be spread across the various stages of a digital transformation program, i.e., pre rollout, during rollout, and post rollout phase with special emphasis during the initial mass enrollment period.
- Pre-Rollout Phase: Information campaign providing details on the programs (especially the unique ID program), its benefits, dispelling concerns, and providing a timeline for the proposed roll out to prepare the citizenry for the proposed rollout - Roll-Out Phase: This segment of the information campaign should focus on encouraging participation by providing enrolment specific information (who, how, when, and where) - Post-Rollout Phase: Information around program updates and any changes (legislative, technological) that impact the transformation program Communication Medium - Written/ Visual Communication: Government websites, social media, print media, leaflets, brochures, etc.
- Oral Communication: Radio, community, and public programs The information campaign prior to the roll out should focus on community influencers and leaders informing the citizens about the benefits and eliciting their support for the rollout of the program.

It is important to ensure that the messaging across all mediums of communication should be clear and consistent to reduce the spread of misinformation.

46 Source: On-ground interview P a g e | 79 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 10.

Re-skilling the Public Sector Employees Rationale SVG needs to re-skill and train its government/public sector employees to keep them updated with the new digital technologies and enhance their overall work performance.
The public sector in SVG requires staff with the appropriate ICT and digital qualifications.

Recommendations Conduct various digital training programs to reskill the civil servants and other public sector employees to enable them to engage effectively in a digital environment, i.e., improve workforce capabilities and support national ICT/digital competitiveness.

The training sessions can be divided into different levels of complexity based on the level of digital engagement of the user.
In order to build ICT/digital workforce – - Develop different levels/types of training based on skill requirements – o Basic Digital/ICT skills: The training programs should focus on basic computer and productivity skills to develop general understanding of digital technologies.

It will include training on basic computer usage, using productivity tools, internal communication applications, video conferencing, etc.

This will form a foundation of basic digital knowledge and build employee confidence.
This is the most basic level and should be mandatory for all employees in administrative roles o Tool/Platform Focused Training: A segment of the public service pool based on their roles should be trained on the use of existing and new platforms/tools/applications that are developed and deployed specifically as part of government digital transformation initiatives.

For e.g., Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS), Tax System, etc.
The training should focus on enabling the user to use the application effectively, e.g., entering information, generating reports, flagging issues, etc.

o Troubleshooting: A selected set of employees should also be trained on basic troubleshooting, for e.g., hardware/software issues, applications/digital platform issues, or connectivity issues.
This will allow the government offices to be self-reliant and to resolve technical issues internally while dedicated teams can be brought in for complex problems - Develop a roster of training program around improving productivity, covering mandatory and optional courses for IT workforce, civil servants, and other government employees - Set up a civil servant training and skill improvement program responsible for advising, selecting rollout of training programs - Develop a relationship with TVET institutions and donor agencies like UNDP, UNICEF, etc.
on rolling out courses and training programs based on international standards - Certifications and accreditations should act as an incentive while reviewing the employee performance, in turn encouraging digital competitiveness among public servants P a g e | 80 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Case Study Ethiopia Ethiopian government developed a comprehensive staff training and certification program to enhance the ICT and digital skillsets of its government employees.
Rwanda The Government of Rwanda introduced a digital certification and accreditation program for its government employees aimed at bridging the basic digital skills gap and boost the value proposition of digital tools and services within the government.

Digital Platforms 11.

E-Healthcare Services Rationale Presently, patient health information is processed manually in hospitals nationwide, and citizens do not have access to telehealth services.
In the current scenario, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become critical to digitalize healthcare services.

Recommendation Develop a mHealth application to provide telehealth and in-person medical services.

The application should be accessible through a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and computer and ensure user health information is protected.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment should own and handle the application.
The application should facilitate the following services – - Telehealth services: Enable healthcare workers to diagnose and treat patients without the requirement for a physical/in-person visit from the patient - Online OPD appointment service - Patient information service - Generic/alternate drugs search & inquiry - Blood donation/availability inquiry - Doctor/caregiver registration service - Hospital Management Information Service: Real-time health information, including patient data, healthcare facility information, health publications/alerts/news, medical insurance, and any other related information - Disease & Epidemic Reporting & Monitoring Service - Notifications and guidance for citizens to educate them about preventive diseases - Access to information about nearest (location-based) hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, etc.
This initiative aims to give citizens remote access to medical services and make hospital visits easier and more efficient.

The application will help the Government to - P a g e | 81 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Provide reasonable medical assistance to all the citizens at reduced cost and reduced administrative burden - Make patient health information available to healthcare facilities and improve the accuracy of medical records by reducing the incidence of medical error - Develop better healthcare policies and provide healthcare facilities to the citizens - Provide accurate and timely health information to all the citizens - Provide periodic reports on the performance of health services, human resources, and infrastructure facilities available in SVG - Provide healthcare alerts/news/updates/emergencies to the citizens - Save time, improve transparency, and reduce the cost of healthcare operations - Fulfill the Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being for All The application will include the following features – For the patients – - Register online and provide personal information such as name, age, sex, email ID, mobile number, residence/district, etc.
Information about the nearest medical facility, services offered, doctors available, etc.
Information/Alerts about diseases and viruses spreading in the vicinity of their home Information on nutrition - Patient verification through Unique ID for registration and any other processes - Consent for data sharing - - - - Upload and access the data such as medical history, medications, vital signs, allergies, immunizations, reproductive health data, physical examination findings, diagnostic tests, radiological images, photos, prescriptions and billing and insurance information, on-going medications, emergency contacts, etc.
- Provision of multiple payment methods, including bank transfer, credit/debit cards, and digital payment - Provision to make online appointments for consultation, medical tests, etc.

- Provision to receive remote doctor consultations via videoconferencing, telephone, email, text/SMS, etc., and receive medical reports, prescriptions, and doctor notes via email, text/SMS, etc.
- Receive medication alerts and appointment reminders/alerts For the doctors – - Register online to provide professional information such as name, age, sex, email ID, mobile number, the healthcare facility doctor is working at, location, education, designation, etc.

- Secured access to patient records – medical records, basic personal information, allergies, medicine intake, emergency contact, etc.
- Access to medical insurance information for payment and administrative work - Access to general publications, news, and updates from the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment - Provide e-prescription, e-discharge summary, and diagnostics e-reports - Provide remote consultations to patients and share prescriptions, medical reports, etc., to patients via videoconferencing, telephone, email, text/SMS, etc.
For the nurses/administrative staff – - Register online to provide professional information such as name, age, sex, email ID, mobile number, the healthcare facility currently working at, location, education, designation, etc.

P a g e | 82 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Secured access to patient records – medical records, basic personal information, allergies, medicine intake, emergency contact, etc.
- Access to medical insurance information for payment and administrative work - Access to general publications, news, and updates from the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment - Provide e-prescription, e-discharge summary, and diagnostics e-reports via email, upload on the application, SMS/text, etc.
For the Policymakers – - Good quality and real-time data regarding the health of citizens in SVG - Access to data to support planning, management, and decision-making, such as grading the performance of facilities, and planning strategic health interventions at various levels – village, district, state, or national level, etc.

P a g e | 83 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Case Study India – Health Information Management System (HIMS) Delhi government in India has launched an advanced cloud based HIMS to build a modern and digital public healthcare system in Delhi.

The government has launched various other initiatives including online registration, redesigning of OPDs, digitization of hospital departments (Pharmacy, Radiology, Labs, etc.
), and set up of a centralized call center for patient information and assistance.

The aim of the HIMS is to improve patient experience, enhance transparency and efficiency of healthcare delivery, and enable data and fact-based decision making.

Maldives – Electronic Health Records (EHR) Maldives’ EHR system has resulted in improved collaboration among healthcare professionals and thereby better patient outcomes.
The EHR had contributed towards minimizing paperwork and making quality time for better patient care.

The government has established an EHR which has the capacity to collaborate with the national health information network while providing access to every patient in the Maldives.

Tunisia – Yezzi!

Tunisia launched a mHealth program, “Yezzi!”, that means “Enough!”, to help the citizens quit tobacco and shisha.
Senegal The mHealth program aims at teaching diagnosed diabetics how to manage the disease during Ramadan, the time of year when Muslims fast, which can pose difficulties for people managing their insulin levels The United Kingdom The UK has partnered with the National Health Service (NHS) and others to support a program for hypertension, “What’s Your Heart Age?” which provides an interactive tool to measure your overall heart health.
India – mHealth applications There are multiple mHealth applications operating in India that provide doctor consultation and related services online as well as offline.

These include Practo, DocsApp, 1mg, Netmeds, Lybrate, and Medlife, etc.

These applications have over a million downloads.

The mHealth application provide doctor consultation through chat, audio, and video calls and allows users to book offline doctor consultations.

12.
12.

E-Agriculture Services Rationale Need for a digital platform that provides farmers agriculture information and advisory services.

Recommendation Develop a mobile application to provide e-agriculture services, information, and advisory to the farmers in SVG.

The objective of this initiative is to support the farmers by providing them with relevant information on weather, market, various farm operations, outbreak of pest and disease incidence, and their control measures.
It should also offer solutions to address farming issues faced P a g e | 84 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) by farmers.
The agriculture information and advisory services should be delivered through telecentres, web-based portals, and mobile applications.

Farmers who do not have access to digital devices could visit the nearest telecentre and receive the necessary advice/information.

Develop digital agriculture/e-agriculture services that can support efficient and productive farming capabilities among farmers, helping the rural population build more resilience to withstand both economic and nutritional challenges.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, will have timely, reliable, and accurate production and marketing information for the agricultural sector.
The portal will provide the following services – - Leverage the information generated from the National Agriculture Marketing Information System (NAMIS) - 24*7 farmers query helpline - Crop-based information system - Real-time market price for produce - Agriculture/Livestock permit issuance service - Locational weather forecast-based advisory - Seeds/fertilizers/pesticides services: A specialized application should be provided that will help farmers detect and treat pests promptly, based on the analysis of photos taken by conventional smartphones - Provide soil health card services 13.
E-Education Services Rationale Need for a flexible and easily accessible self-paced online training program to provide broader access to training and skill development programs.

Recommendation In order to promote access to digital technologies, digital literacy, and the development of transferrable skills amongst the citizens of SVG, the GovSVG needs to invest/develop the following initiatives/solutions – 1.
Online education platform: Develop an e-education platform that will provide access to open and distance learning opportunities and enable capacity building for teachers and education administrators, as well as provide equitable access to quality literacy, lifelong learning, and skills programs for children, youth, and adults.

The Ministry of Education should help curate educational content based on the area of interest for students, skills in demand in the market, etc.
The platform will host two types of education – Synchronous classes: Real-time teaching and learning opportunities that will happen collaboratively and at the same time with a group of online learners or even individually, and a teacher, e.g., online teaching through video/audio conference facilities Asynchronous education: Anytime, anywhere learning but not in real-time, e.g., podcasts, watching pre-recorded sessions, etc.

P a g e | 85 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) The platform will provide the following education services – - Digital resources for use in the classroom - Access to textbooks and education lessons - Dashboards for progress and assessment: The platform should capture and showcase the progress of students/users in the courses they’ve enrolled in, test results, achievements, skills, etc.
- Communities for collaboration and discussions: The platform should allow the students/users to work in collaboration through online/live discussions on the discussion forum to help each other to solve problems or generally discuss topics of common interest - Courses for teachers to enable continuous learning: The platform should host multiple teacher training programs on digital/ICT skills essential for teachers and also host general teaching programs to enhance teaching skills.
The teachers will also have access to all the other learning resources to enhance their knowledge in areas of interest.
Teachers can improve their qualifications and enhance the experiences of their students by leveraging engaging education content uploaded on the platform - Announcements, notifications, and circulars: The platform should allow the Ministry of Education to manage and monitor student data, including student ID, student personal information, class enrolment, performance, and co-curriculum activities 2.
Digital Library: To build a digital library that will act as a virtual repository of learning resources such as textbooks, video lectures, and audio through a web-based platform and a mobile application through a single window, available 24*7.

The content will be accessible through member registration on the platform, free of charge.

The content will be available in two languages – English and Vincentian Creole.

The digital library will be accessible through mobile phones, laptops, desktops, and tablets.
Learning resources will also be provided for hearing and visually impaired students to make it inclusive.

The digital library will allow users to search for the desired resources through multiple filters by author name, subject, type of resource, language, etc., to save users’ time and effort.
The digital library should have the following functions – Easy accessibility to the learning resources - - Advanced search and retrieval - - Integration with other digital learning platforms Support multimedia content 3.

Digital curriculum review and update: Schools and universities should incorporate basic digital education as part of their study courses, that is, have a digital curriculum in place.
Additionally, to stay up-to date with the rapidly evolving digital technologies, the digital curriculum should be reviewed and updated regularly.

Digital curriculum includes a set of digital content/resources, including video, documents, interactive media, etc., that aligns with digital teaching and learning.

Such digital curriculums will help build a citizenry comfortable with the use of digital technologies that is vital to build and run a digital economy.
Following are some initiatives that will act as enabler for digital curriculum development – - Assessment of the gaps in the current digital curriculum in schools, universities, and TVET institutions and update of the same - On an annual basis, track and monitor the demand for digital skillsets in various government and private institutions and use it for designing and updating its ICT/Digital P a g e | 86 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - teacher training curriculum.
Annual update of IT/digital curriculum is required to keep pace with the fast-changing technologies Introduction of IT/digital exchange programs and internships at school as well as university levels.

This can be done in partnership with government or private universities outside SVG or with the support of a donor agency 4.
Teacher training programs: Develop a comprehensive ICT/digital teacher training program for teachers in schools, universities, and vocational institutes through the following steps – - Current state assessment of the ICT/digital teacher training programs in SVG, i.e., curriculum, policies, standards, etc.

- Development of an ICT/digital Teacher Education Curriculum Framework to improve the ICT/digital learning theory quality of teacher education.
The framework will include the following – o Vision and importance of the ICT/digital skilled workforce o o Principles and values o Techer qualification, competencies, and standards o Alignment of teacher training curriculum with the school, universities, and vocation institute ICT/digital curriculum o Courses and subjects and cross-curriculum priorities and themes o Teaching approaches and strategy o Assessment policy and practice in-line with policy on assessment of ICT/digital learning 5.
Provision of ICT devices: To allow better adoption of technologies by students, students should be given access to computers, laptops, or tablets in classrooms to replace the physical notebooks.

This will allow the students to become comfortable with the use of computers for teaching and learning activities beyond the computer labs.
In addition to providing these devices, ensuring the maintenance of these laptops or PCs on a regular basis is equally important Benefits – - Facilitate inclusive learning for the differently abled and underserviced communities - Access to education 24*7 and from anywhere - Support the current education programs - Ability to introduce and regularly update new technologies and digital skills courses - Generate and store teachers and students’ data through registration - Use Unique ID to register on the platform to authenticate and verify the identity P a g e | 87 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Case Study Nigeria – E-learning tool kit Nigeria’s West American Education Council’s (WAEC) e-learning tool kit aims to equip the students for better performance in future examinations by analyzing students’ performances on previous exams to detect the weaknesses and proffer a solution for all stakeholders concerned with Senior Secondary School Examinations.
The platform offers multiple resources for all WAEC approved subjects (Civil and Mechanical, Math and Applied Science, Sciences, Languages, Business, and Social Sciences) that will help students understand the standards required for success in respective examinations.

India – DIKSHA portal India introduced the Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA), a national teacher portal, in 2017.
The portal was developed based on the principles of open architecture, open access, open licensing diversity, choice, and autonomy.

It is 100% free to use by the teachers and students.

India – National Digital Library India launched the National Digital Library of India in 2006 as part of its national mission on education through ICT.

It is a virtual repository of learning resources ranging from primary to post-graduate levels.
It is developed by Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and offers over 60 types of learning resources including books, thesis, articles, etc.

and various subject domains including science and technology, language, humanities, etc.
Ethiopia Ethiopia conducted assessment of the current IT curricula in schools, universities, and other institutions and developed – - A strategy should ensure ICT educational programs in schools, colleges, and institutional (e.g., vocational training institutes), to be in line with best practices - A roadmap for the implementation of the ICT education strategy Bhutan In 2014, Bhutan introduced ICT masterplan for education to leverage ICT/digital as a tool to equip teachers, educators, and students with the competencies and wide range of readily available ICT/digital resources.
14.

Developing a Disaster and Safety Information System Rationale Given the vulnerability of SVG to natural disasters and climate change, an integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, and communication will help the citizens and government authorities to take timely action to reduce disaster risks in advance.
An integrated disaster and safety information system will allow the GovSVG to mitigate the impact of climate change and natural disasters and promote government business continuity in the event of natural or other disasters.

P a g e | 88 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Recommendation To build an integrated Disaster and Safety Information System to support cross-government communication and collaboration for a rapid inter-agency response.

The system will handle all phases of a disaster – prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, in an integrated manner.
The system can be based on meteorological data analysis algorithms and messaging services provided by the Meteorological Service, SVG.

The system can send timely alerts, important information, and guidance to the citizens living in the danger zone as well as the concerned disaster managers and authorized officials.

The system should be able to provide multiple hazards warnings and alerts that may occur alone or simultaneously.
The system should employ a host of communication methods for the timely reception of data from the sensors as well as for the dissemination of alerts to avoid single point failures.

Benefits – - Prevent or minimize harm to people and assets ahead of forthcoming hazards/disasters - Government business continuity and data/information protection - Provide warnings against the initial impact of disasters as well as the second and third-order effects.
E.g., soil liquefaction following an earthquake or a landslide Case Study India – MAUSAM app India launched MAUSAM, a mobile application of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) that aims to provide access to observed weather, forecasts, radar images and be proactively warned of impending weather events.
Japan – The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction Japan introduced the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 that recognizes the benefits of multi-hazard early warnings systems and enshrines them in one of its seven global targets: “Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030”.
The Framework states “in order to reduce disaster risk, there is a need to address existing challenges and prepare for future ones by focusing on monitoring, assessing and understanding disaster risk and sharing such information and on how it is created, strengthening disaster risk governance and coordination across relevant institutions and sectors and the full and meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders at appropriate levels”.

15.
15.

National Level Digital Training Portal Rationale Need for a flexible, easily accessible self-paced online digital skills training program to provide broader access to training and digital skill development programs to all the citizens of SVG.

Recommendation P a g e | 89 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Develop a robust online skill development program across key industry segments and skill requirements.

Developing the capacity to deliver training programs remotely through an online/virtual medium will help improve access to training facilities/programs and help update the programs regularly based on the changing market needs.
Considering the current global situation, the provision of virtual or virtual plus classroom training has become critical.

Providing online training programs is also not only more cost-effective but also offers much more flexibility to scale.

Once established, the training programs across various levels can be delivered through the online platform or a combination of online and classroom training programs.
The proposed platform should be developed and rolled out with extensive collaboration across various key elements including: - Content Partners – Public/Private companies that can develop and curate content (both online - and in-person as required) based on industry requirements at regular intervals International Certification Partners – Partnerships on global certification for training and certification for intentionally recognized certification programs - Physical Infrastructure – Partnerships with public/private entities on the usage of physical infrastructure for training purposes e.g., classrooms, computer labs e.g., vocational training locations in semi-urban areas and universities, and private training labs in urban areas.
Such an approach will help lower capital investments and improve the usage of existing infrastructure - Accreditation and Quality Assurance Partners – Partnerships with national certifications bodies to certify various programs under the digital skills development program.

Such accreditation will not only confirm the qualified training but also add confidence to the usefulness of the program at both trainee and employee levels.

16.
16.

E-Tourism Platform Rationale SVG has the potential to enhance the tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP.

Presently the hotel and restaurant business contribute only 3.2% of the GDP and it is the highest contributor in the tourism sector.

There is scope for other tourism sectors to contribute more to the SVG’s economy.
Recommendation Consider developing an online portal accessible to service providers, tourists/customers, and the citizens of SVG to book hotels, restaurants, site visits, travel packages online.

The platform will integrate all the offline travel agencies and service providers under one portal and make them accessible through a common portal.
The platform should provide the following services – - Online, 24*7 services: The platform will allow the tourists to check availability, prices, and make online bookings/reservations or amendments in the reservations from the comfort of their homes through laptops, mobiles phones, PC, or tablets - Licensed and certified service providers: GovSVG should introduce a program to provide certificates and licenses to the service providers in the tourism sector and create an official digital database of the same.
This will allow the tourists to access a list of government approved/verified service providers including cab facilities, hotels and house-stays, restaurants, travel agencies, boat booking, air tickets, forex facilities, etc.

P a g e | 90 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) - Provide e-hailing services: Access to book and connect with local drivers as well as book public transport facilities through the platform to easily travel across the country - Digital payment: Provide users the ability to choose from multiple payment methods, including cash, credit/debit cards, digital methods, bank transfers, etc., to book their travel, including hotel reservations, transport tickets, site seeing, etc.
- Digital marketing: Access to information about tourism in SVG to promote nature-based tourism, adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and the wellness market.
Investing in tourism marketing for SVG through social media to spread awareness about SVG as a tourist place - Access to real-time weather information and weather forecast - Active notifications: Notifications about the upcoming events in the country, including carnivals, holiday events, cultural events, etc., will provide information to the tourists to plan their visits accordingly - Security: The security and safety of tourists as well as the tourist service providers, is essential for the promotion of SVG tourism in the world.
The development of a formal list of service providers and the ability to make transactions and bookings through an official government platform gives a sense of security to both the people coming to the country as well as the service providers in the tourism sector - Feedback and complaint redressal mechanism: The platform should also offer users an option to provide feedback, suggestions, or complaints related to their travel or the use of the platform itself.
This will help the government to improve the platform as per the needs/requirements of the users and provide help to the users to solve their issues/grievances Benefits – - Rise in competition among the service providers, thereby improving in quality of services - Growth enhancement of the tourism sector - Ensure the security and safety of tourists as well as the service providers - Ensure tourists make their travel bookings through a formal channel 17.
Integrate Digital to Blue Economy Opportunities Rationale Blue economy is at the center of the SVG’s socio-economic development that can lead to poverty reduction, job creation, and economic growth, through the sustainable and integrated use of marine resources, while preserving the health of marine ecosystems.

Digitizing the blue economy sector of SVG can fully tap the potential of SVG’s blue economy and help the country achieve SDG 14 (Life below water).
Recommendations Digital technologies, including cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and machine learning are facilitating the sustainable growth of aquaculture production.

Intelligent application of digital technology and meaningful processing of data already guide systems and humans in making feeding and farming decisions.

Technology and data can also allow further development of efficient production methods-in terms of resource use, capital, and sustainability.
Some of the recommendations to enhance SVG’s blue economy include – - Invest in an IoT-based platform for real-time tracking and monitoring of fishing vessels, monitoring fish farmers working in the port or offshore, early warning and alerts through SMS, P a g e | 91 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) two-way emergency messaging, and improved connectivity in rural and remote areas.
The platform will allow fishermen to have access to market data, real-time messaging, real-time locations, live navigation, real-time alerts about weather conditions, early warnings, marine traffic, and the ability to connect with the onshore teams anytime, warnings about boat/vessel machinery like fuel level, etc.

E.g., Skylo’s direct-to-device satellite services provide 100% coverage when Wi-Fi and cellular networks are unavailable.
The platform can be accessed on smartphones and desktops via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, allowing fishermen to access life-saving two-way SOS communications and connect anytime, anyplace with fleet operators and their families Invest in efficient data collection and management systems to achieve reliable and timely data related to fisheries, aquaculture, and the marine ecosystem.

Reliable data is key for sound policy and decision-making.
Data on employment numbers, gender concerns, health impacts, catch measurements, etc., will help SVG strengthen its fisheries and aquaculture management, form new policies for advancement of the country’s blue ecosystem.

GovSVG can introduce electronic reporting through which fishermen can enter data into applications on any smart device including computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.
and can also share the information with appropriate the management agencies - - Establish electronic monitoring systems that use cameras on-board to capture the entire fishing activity.

The camera captures the activity with sensors detecting motions, GPS for time and location data, and the catch itself.
The video can be stored and reviewed by analysts to extract any desired information - Conduct regular online training workshops/programs for the fishermen, employees at the fisheries management agencies, etc.

on “Blue Economy” covering topics such as opportunities, risks, new technologies, licenses, international standards, trade, use of e-commerce, new innovations in fishing technology, awareness about fish size restrictions, etc.
- Encourage use of e-commerce and social media platforms to expand the current markets for SVG’s marine products Case Study India – Skylo partnership India’s National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives partnered with Skylo to access its IoT-based solutions for marine fishing and aquaculture sectors to monitor oxygen and pH levels of water in ponds across States.

Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship 18.


Developing Innovation Hubs and Incubation Centers Rationale SVG has insufficient support services, such as incubation centers and co-working spaces for start- ups, to increase innovation and entrepreneurship spirit in the country.

Recommendations Develop a multi-use physical infrastructure to support the development of the innovation ecosystem to support smaller digital enterprises and startups in the country.

P a g e | 92 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Establish innovation hubs and incubation centers to support domestic SMEs and startups by providing technical facilities, resource-based support, mentorships, funding support, partnerships and networking, co-working spaces, and lab facilities.
It will also enable international service providers and domestic entrepreneurs to quickly enter the market, deliver digital solutions and services on a pilot basis, and assess the local business environment against their business objectives before deciding on expanding their operations in the country.

The availability of an incubation space can become an added incentive for prospective investors to gain easy access to quality infrastructure and other business support services.
This facility can be offered for free or at a minimal rental to domestic SMEs for a predefined time.

The facilities can also be used as training locations to roll out various training programs and other industry-related initiatives, e.g., hackathons, events, conferences, etc.

For domestic SMEs and start-ups, incubators can assist in operationalizing at a small scale without committing to upfront capital investments.
It can play a crucial role in transitioning to larger sustainable operations by providing the required launchpad, administrative, legislative support, and other related business assistance services to help firms establish their business operations.
The innovation hubs and incubation centers will aim to – - Promote innovation activities in SVG - Provide funding support - Provide lab facilities - Advise and evaluate the innovative solutions/services - Advise and assist in Intellectual Property (IP) rights Figure 24: Sample Digital Incubation Space P a g e | 93 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) 19.

Government Innovation Fund Program Rationale SVG’s start-up ecosystem is still nacent.

Entrepreneurial activity not only creates employment opportunities but also leads to the introduction of innovative, cost-effective, efficient, and localized solutions, self-reliance, as well as revenue generation.
SVG requires a dedicated fund to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and to develop a thriving ecosystem for startups and entrepreneurs.

Recommendations Develop a dedicated innovation fund to support the tech-SMEs and start-ups and increase the innovation and entrepreneurship spirit in SVG.

This will lead to the delivery of cutting-edge and innovative digital applications/solutions and services for the benefit of the citizens, businesses, as well as government.
The innovation fund program will be implemented through the following steps – - Identify and implement various innovation support mechanisms including direct and indirect funding.

Direct funding in the form of monetary support / seed funding which would be allocated to selected projects and indirect funding in the form of logistical and mentoring support, e.g., facility, training, ICT equipment, etc.
- Establish partnerships with organizations to provide further support in terms of funding, e.g., angel investors, venture capitalists, etc., and training, e.g., universities, TVET institutes, interest groups, etc.
- Develop an intensive evaluation process to select the start-ups and SMEs for fund allocation - Provide financial rebates for patent and trademark filing fees to startups to encourage innovation and creativity in startups The government should also facilitate easy and hassle-free bank loans to new tech start-ups after evaluating their business idea and financial viability Case Study Rwanda – Innovation Fund The Rwanda Innovation Fund was established to focus on funding tech-enabled SMEs and develop the country’s entrepreneurial/innovation ecosystem capacity.
20.

Digital Training Programs for SMEs Rationale SVG is working towards digitizing its entire economy.

It is vital to make SMEs move towards a digital way of doing business by integrating digital solutions and services in their day-to-day business activities, e.g., digital payment systems, digital marketing, social media, etc.

Therefore, actions are needed to help SMEs access digital skills within their ecosystems and close the digital skills gap.

Recommendations P a g e | 94 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) To develop and organize digital training programs for all the SMEs and start-ups in SVG to support their digital transformation.
Due to size and resource constraints, many small firms in SVG lag in digitizing their business processes which are essential to achieve the overall goal of building a digital economy.

Irrespective of the size of the firms, firms should equip their employees with digital tools and skills across sectors.
The training programs will be implemented through the following steps: Due to size and resource constraints, many small firms are more dependent on their ecosystem and networks to access the relevant skills - Partner with higher education institutions, private firms, and technology practitioners/digital experts to develop practical and innovative digital learning for SMEs taking the needs of SMEs into consideration - Organize training programs for SMEs and start-ups to enable transformation of their business models to be digital, thereby more productive, sustainable, and resilient.
The training programs should allow the SMEs to integrate the use of digital tools in their everyday business activities, e.g., online data storage, online payments, digital marketing, use of social media, etc.

- Set up a mechanism to measure the impact of skills training programs by assessing the digital adoption in SMEs.
This will allow the initiative to continually improve and learn what is working and what needs improvement - Organize awareness campaigns for SMEs to make them aware about the need for digital skills and how they can proactively utilize the existing ecosystem and networks to up-skill/re-skill.

SMEs should also be made aware of the government's new digital solutions or services, e.g., digital payment system, ERMS, online leave application system, etc.

P a g e | 95 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Recommendation Role Out Timeline *To be updated* Table 9: Recommendation Rollout Timeline Commented [A4]: Not clear!

P a g e | 96 © All rights reserved.


DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5 Priority Levels FundamentalFlagshipSectoral Agriculture, FisheriesTourismHealthcareEducationPublic SectorICT SectorNational DigitalEconomy Development Strategy Mid-Term ReviewNationalDigital Economy Development Strategy Review and Planning Beyond Recommendation XPersonal Data Privacy and Security Regulatory Authority Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) PlatformElectronic Single Window for Land and Property transactions Tax System DevelopmentGovernment Payment PlatformDigital Infrastructure StrengtheningCybersecurity and Data protectionDigitizedNational Insurance Management SystemInformation Campaign to Increase Awareness of Government Transformation ProgramsComprehensive Data Protection and Privacy Unique Digital ID and SIngle Sign-OnPlatformImprove broadbandConnectivityStrengthen Cybercrime and Cybersecurity LegislationE-Healthcare E-Agriculture E-Education Re-skilling the Public Sector EmployeesGovernment Innovation Fund Digital OnlineEducation Digital CurriculumReview and TeacherTraining Provisionof ICT Integrate Digital DevelopeInnovation Hubs and Incubation Digital Training Programsfor SMEsCapacityBuilding in the ICT SectorNational Level Digital Training PortalDeveloping a Disaster and Safety Information SystemE-TourismEstablishing a Network of Physical Common Service Centers (CSC)Institutional Framework to Drive Future Digital Economy DevelopmentImplementing a Virtual+Physical Addressing System CARDTP initiativesDigital Transformation RecommendationsMid-term and Final Review NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) END Commented [A5]: The strategy needs some body and should be broken down into the different sectors as that is not explicit.
Additionally, the strategy should come with a full road map inclusive of timelines, projections, estimated costs, levels of priorities.

Furthermore, a broad ecosystem showing the interactions amongst the different initiatives need to be highlighted.

It is evident that we are pushing towards a digital economy but the structure to maintain these systems within Government is missing.

How should ITSD be structured to facilitate and sustain a digital economy?
The digital strategy should highlight the intrinsic and the external impacts given part of this is to enhance the doing business with government.

With the implementation of the proposed initiatives where would SVG stack up against the region, where would we see that competitive edge?

P a g e | 97 © All rights reserved.

DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) Appendix Glossary S.No.
Acronym Full Form AI ARPU AS Artificial Intelligence Average Revenue Per User Asynchronous Network ASYCUDA Automatic System for Customs Data BHIM CARCIP CARDTP CDDO CERT CO-WIN CSC DPG DPI DPSM DR DT EGDI E-GRIP EHR EU eVIN FAST FDI FMIS G2B G2C G2E G2G GDP GDPR GIS GovSVG GovTech GWAN HCI HMIS HMS Bharat Interface for Money Caribbean Communications Infrastructure Program Caribbean Digital Transformation Project Central Digital & Data Office Computer Emergency Response Teams COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network Common Service Centers Digital Public Good Digital Public Infrastructure Division of Public Sector Modernization Disaster Recovery Digital Transformation E-Government Development Index Electronic Government for Regional Integration Project Electronic Health Records European Union (EU) electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network Fast and Secure Transfers Foreign Direct Investment Financial Management Information System Government-to-Business Government-to-Citizen Government-to-Employees Government-to-Government Gross Domestic Product General Data Protection Regulation Geographic Information Systems Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Government Technology Government Wide Area Network Human Capital Index Hospital Management Information System Hospital Management System P a g e | 98 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.
Strictly no reproduction till finalized NATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (SVG) ICT IDB IMF IoT ITR ITSD LAC M&E MDAs NDEDA NIS NPR NTRC PIPEDA PIU PPP QoS RIA RIF RURA SDGs SIDS SIGTAS SMEs SNDGO SPID SVG TAMIS TII Trident TVET TWG UAE UCS UPI VAT WAEC WoG Information, Communication, and Technology Inter-American Development Bank International Monetary Fund Internet of Things Income Tax Return Information Technology Services Division Latin American and the Caribbean Monitoring & Evaluation Government Ministry, Departments or Agencies National Digital Economy Development Agency National Insurance Services National Population Register National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act Project Implementation Unit Public Private Partnership Quality of Service Republic of Estonia Information System Authority Rwanda Innovation Fund Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority Sustainable Development Goals Small Island Developing States Standard Integrated Tax Administration System Small and Medium Enterprises Smart Nation and Digital Government Office Public Digital Identity System Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Tax Administration Management Information System Telecommunication Infrastructure Index Trusted Identity Technical and Vocational Education and Training Technical Working Groups United Arab Emirates Unified Communications System Unified Payments Interface Value Added Tax Nigeria’s West American Education Council Whole-of-Government P a g e | 99 © All rights reserved.
DRAFT VERSION The contents of this document are intended for the internal use of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the World Bank Group.

Strictly no reproduction till finalized