While working with governments over the past decades, we encountered some key challenges government executives face when trying to execute their vision successfully and in time. Governments know what needs to be done but how can they translate their vision into manageable initiatives? How can they create funding in a responsible way? How can they get initiatives up and running correctly and how can they monitor the process to mitigate any issues?
To help answer these questions, we have developed the SmartGovernments approach to offer a solution for universal challenges of government and semi-governmental agencies in the region when executing government priorities. The cloud-based SmartGovernments platform supports this approach and is available online to governments.
SmartGovernments provides four tools that help government officials through the whole process of initiating, implementing, and monitoring their vision to results:
- to translate government vision into concrete and achievable government initiatives (SmartVision)
- to initiate projects effectively (SmartStart)
- to offer a single-view issue-escalating and progress-tracking dashboard for government initiatives (SmartDashboard) and for economic development (SmartEconomy)
SmartVision: From vision to government program
For most administrators, it’s clear what needs to be done. The biggest challenge, however, is to translate vision into concrete plans. This is where SmartVision comes in: the first tool built for ministers to support them in compiling their government program. GPS-like guidance helps officials overcome their overwhelming workload by supporting them in formulating their goals, priorities, and expected impact. Combining best practices from the region with their own vision.
With SmartVision, policy choices can be justified. The financial impact, risks, challenges, and assumptions are all registered in SmartVision, so that an overview of policy choices can be shared with stakeholders.
How it works
We kick off the process with a mind mapping session facilitated by BearingPoint in which we classify all possible initiatives that fit within your policy agenda. Furthermore, BearingPoint shares best practices as experienced in other Caribbean countries. The results of the mind mapping session are translated to SmartVision, in order to:
- Register and categorize policy initiatives;
- Set priorities;
- Set targets;
- Estimate the financial impact of initiatives on government budgets;
- Recap initiatives;
- Recap risks and challenges;
- Delve into the regional best practices library;
- Prepare presentations to show concrete initiatives that follow from the SmartVision process;
- Transfer initiatives into the SmartStart tool, so your initiatives can be turned into projects;
- Transfer initiatives into the SmartDashboard tool where you can monitor the progress.
SmartStart: From government program to projects
In our small-scale communities, it is usually a challenge to bridge the expertise gaps to start complex projects. SmartStart facilitates this initiating process. With SmartStart, government officials have the tool to execute the government program efficiently. SmartStart supports the whole cycle of starting up projects, from creating a business case and obtaining stakeholder’s buy-in to tendering and contracting. The tool is easy-to-use and contains an extended library of best practices and interactive templates.
How it works
SmartStart gives GPS-like guidance, so officials do not get overwhelmed in the start-up phase of the project. Work towards measurable, achievable results and have the proof of your work at your fingertips.
SmartStart helps officials:
- Define targets and goals;
- Prepare a detailed business case including return on investment;
- Identify and select potential suppliers;
- Select an appropriate procurement process;
- Prepare for a tender if necessary: built-in knowledge helps you decide on the type of tender, write your RFI, TOR or RFP;
- Document the project process for accountability and learning points.
SmartDashboard: Monitoring progress and escalating issues
Oftentimes strategic initiatives fail to reach the desired results because the progress of their execution is not closely monitored and issues that hamper the progress are not being resolved in time or at the appropriate level.
SmartDashboard helps ministers and government officials to track the progress of the implementation of the Government program and guide the strategic initiatives toward their ultimate goals. SmartDashboard provides a platform to monitor and report the progress of the strategic initiatives and to effectively manage related emerging issues.
Cross-ministerial collaboration to achieve strategic goals
Aimed at the top executive level, online insight is provided to identify and tackle interfering obstacles in an early stage. SmartDashboard facilitates collaboration between ministries on interrelated projects, contributing to faster decision-making. With SmartDashboard the approach to Government program implementation can be fundamentally improved as it ensures collective engagement to achieve strategic goals for the country.
How it works
SmartDashboard is a cloud-based application that facilitates online performance insight and periodical evaluation of projects. The dashboard provides initiative/project status and insight in identified project issues and obstacles.
SmartDashboard provides the top-level interface to the executive level and is fed by the program managers with direct responsibility for the execution of the stipulated projects.
SmartDashboard allows you to:
- Register and organize all your policy initiatives (or automatically feed them from SmartVision or SmartStart);
- Register planning, targets, and milestones for each initiative;
- Report on progress towards targets and milestones through interactive dashboards;
- Register and resolve issues that obstruct initiatives;
- Carry out progress control on the monthly reporting.
SmartEconomy: Economic boost by monitoring progress of large investment projects
Economic growth is one of the main goals of every government. Large investments, whether by the public sector or by private investors, are indispensable for economic growth. But investment projects often stagnate because issues are not escalated efficiently and timely to the appropriate decision-makers.
SmartEconomy gives insight into the progress of all large investment projects and the issues that are being encountered that need to be resolved at the top executive level, be it a permit that needs to be granted or a stakeholder issue that needs ministerial intervention.
Aimed at the top executive level, online insight is provided to identify and tackle interfering obstacles in an early stage. SmartEconomy facilitates collaboration between ministries, semi-government organizations, and private companies on interrelated projects, contributing to faster decision-making. With SmartEconomy the approach to investment projects can be fundamentally improved as it ensures collective engagement to achieve economic growth for the country.
How it works
SmartEconomy is a cloud-based application that facilitates online performance insight and periodical evaluation of investment projects. The dashboard provides project status and insight in identified project issues and obstacles to all parties involved.
SmartEconomy provides the top-level interface to the executive level and is fed by the project managers with direct responsibility for the execution of the investment projects.
SmartEconomy allows you to:
- Register all selected investment projects from the public and private sector (or automatically feed them from SmartVision or SmartStart);
- Register budgets and report on budget spending and forecasts;
- Report on project progress;
- Monitor the progress of projects and budget spending through interactive dashboards;
- Register, track and resolve issues that obstruct project progress;
- Carry out progress control on the resolution of the issues.
More information
The SmartGovernments platform consists of four tools: SmartVision, SmartStart, SmartDashboard, and SmartEconomy. It will help ministers, executives, policy advisors, and project managers of ministries and government agencies with their priorities during different stages.
Are you interested in taking advantage of the SmartGovernments platform? Contact us for more information and to request access to the online portal.
Take a look at this short video for a quick overview of the SmartGovernments approach.