'eLocal Government Project' for better local governance

The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and hSenid Joint Venture comprising hSenid Business Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd., Respere Lanka Pvt. Ltd. and WSO2 Inc. embarked on a software development of the eLocal Government (eLG) project recently.

The project aims at making the service by Local Government authorities people-friendly, effective and efficient through the use of ICT.

From left: ICTA Re-engineering Government Program Director, Wasantha Deshapriya, Lanka Government Information Infrastructure (Pvt) Ltd. Chairman and ICTA Board Member, Ravi Senanayake, ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura, hShenid CEO Dinesh B. Saparamadu, WSO2 Founder, Chairman and CEO Dr. Sanjiva Weerawarna, Respere Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. CEO Pradeepa Dharmenda, hSenid Business Solutions Director and General Manager, Sampath Jayasundara and ICTA Re-engineering Government Senior Project Manager, Thusha Mukunthan.

The launch took place at ICTA with ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura and representatives of the three companies constituting hSenid Joint Venture signing the contract.

Four-fold service

The services they are expected to perform consist of four types of primary healthcare, public thoroughfare and community development and public utility services.

Under primary healthcare Local Authorities (LAA) act as the public health authority, manage solid waste, maintain the drainage system, rationalise latrines and accommodations; Under healthcare the LAA also provide conservancy and scavenging services, prevent insanitary buildings and nuisances.

The public thoroughfare service is divided into maintenance and repair, service in connection with buildings along thoroughfare, action against damage to thoroughfare and utilisation of thoroughfare for special purposes and community development

The Local Government Authorities (LAA) will handle preservation and development of the environment and revenue management.

The 'eLG project' has been proposed to address these problems.

It envisages developing and implementing ICT based solutions which can be freely deployed at all LAA to meet their generic requirements. These requirements include increasing the efficiency and effectiveness in governance, assuring citizen-friendly delivery of services by improving social accountability and transparency, enhancement of social inclusiveness and access to opportunities. Among other such ICT based solutions are the strengthening of the revenue base of the LGA, encouragement of participatory good governance and improved management in socio-economic development orientations.

GPR System Study

To support this objective ICTA has completed a Government Process Re-Engineering (GPR) and System Study and prioritised five critical processes.

The software being developed is expected to run at the pilot sites- Negombo Municipal Council, Homagama Pradeshiya Sabha and Seethawaka Urban Council during the second quarter of 2013.