Summary: We are going on a short journey about the historical development of the e-Transformation process and Digital Transformation, which started in our country in the 1980s.
The need for e-Transformation in our country came to the fore in the 1980s and has become an indispensable element over time. The great information and technology-oriented transformation that took place in the world in the 1990s and 2000s also heavily affected Turkey. The first phase of the "e-Transformation Turkey" process was the "Turkey Informatics and Economic Modernization Project" developed in 1993. Critical steps taken by the Supreme Council of Science and Technology in 1997 regarding the formation of Turkey's science and technology policies;
- Preparation of the National Information Infrastructure Master Plan (TUENA),
- Establishment of the National Academic Network and Information Centre (ULAKBİM),
- Activating the Electronic Commerce Network,
It is in the form.
The "Public Net Technical Board", established in 1998, has an important place in the creation of the e-Government transition process and vision in line with e-Transformation Turkey studies. Our country was also significantly affected by the "e-Europe Action Plan" published by the EU in March 2000. Turkey's signing of the "e-Europe Project" at the EU Leaders Summit held in 2001 led to the beginning of the transition process to the information society called "e-Transformation Turkey".
In March 2003, the Information Society Department (BTD) was established within the State Planning Organization (DPT) in order to determine strategies regarding information and communication technology investments of public institutions and to coordinate the e-Transformation Turkey Project. It has been stated that the main goal of the e-Transformation Turkey Project is to provide better quality and faster public services to citizens and to create a state structure that has adopted the principle of having participatory, transparent, effective and simple business processes. In the same year, the "e-Transformation Turkey Project Short Term Action Plan" was put into practice.
Information Society Strategy and Action Plan (2006-2010) was prepared by SPO in 2005-2006. The main institutional structures that are expected to take part in Turkey's transformation process into an information society have been determined as the "e-Transformation Turkey Executive Board", "Transformation Leaders Board" and "e-Transformation Turkey Advisory Board".
Goals for the e-Transformation Türkiye Project;
- First of all, increasing internet usage,
- Transferring the services offered by all public institutions and organizations to the electronic environment,
- The creation of an e-Government Portal in order to facilitate the use of information and communication technologies.
In order to create an effective state structure that adopts these principles;
- Establishing the legal, administrative and technical infrastructure that will enable the most effective use of information and communication technologies in the provision of public services,
- Providing easy, fast and conveniently accessible and uninterrupted/continuous public service,
- Increasing service quality,
- Controlling stationery operations,
- Saving on expenses,
- Increasing citizens' trust in the state by ensuring transparency,
- It was deemed necessary to increase participation.
The most important stage of e-Government development is the establishment and execution of the e-Government Gateway. The duty and responsibility of establishing, operating and managing the e-Government Gateway, which will provide public services on a common platform, through a single door (portal) and citizens' safe and effective access to State services electronically, has been given to the Ministry of Transport on behalf of the Prime Ministry.
With the e-Government Gateway project being given to Turksat, the e-Government Gateway was opened in December 2008, thus providing services to citizens from a single point.
The e-Government Gateway, which is the user-facing face of e-Government services, and the infrastructure called Public Applications Centre, which mediates the sharing of public data and provides Public to Public Data Sharing (G2G), has also undertaken the role of being a node in inter-institutional data sharing.
During the historical development of e-Government, the main e-Government Projects that stand out and serve widely in Turkey are;
- Central Population Administration System (MERNİS),
- Land Registry and Cadastre Information System (TAKBİS),
- Identity Sharing System (KPS), Accounting Automation Project,
- Police Information Network (POLNET),
- Customs Administration Modernization Project (GİMOP),
- National Judicial Network Information System (UYAP),
- Tax Offices Automation Project (VEDOP),
- e-Tender (EKAP),
- It can be considered as an e-Consulate Project.
Before the transition to the Presidential Government system, the Ministry of Development, the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology and the Prime Ministry Administration Development Directorate had direct roles in the field of e-Government. This situation caused e-Transformation time to be prolonged, repeated investments to be made, and most importantly, coordination problems.
In this respect, with the transition to the Presidential Government System, in order to ensure coordination and establish an institutional and strong superstructure with a central coordination function, the studies on e-Government and cyber security, which were carried out separately in different institutions, were combined under the roof of the Presidency and the Presidential Digital Transformation Office was established in 2018. (CBDDO) was established. In this way, an agile governance mechanism has been implemented where coordination can be achieved from a strategic perspective.
Just as the existence of the right vision and strategy is important in implementing digital transformation, carrying out the process under the leadership of a leader in this field is also critical for the implementation of digital transformation.
In this context, within the scope of the Presidential Decree No. 48, which came into force after being published in the Official Gazette dated 2019, the duties and organizational structure of the Digital Transformation Office were detailed and the Head of the Digital Transformation Office was defined as the Public Digital Transformation Leader.
The Public Digital Transformation Leader is responsible for the preparation of digital transformation roadmaps, especially the creation and implementation processes of digital transformation strategies in the public sector, in order to increase the performance and efficiency of services of public institutions and to lead the digital transformation of the public.
As in other examples around the world, the fact that the Digital Transformation Office reports directly to the President is considered an opportunity for rapid progress and coordination.
CBDDO's areas of responsibility are;
- The aim set by our President is to lead the digital transformation of the public in accordance with the policies, to mediate the provision of Digital Turkey (e-government) services and to ensure coordination in these areas,
- To develop cooperation between the public, private sector, universities and non-governmental organizations in order to create a digital transformation ecosystem,
- Developing cyber security strategies for public institutions and critical infrastructures within the scope of the policies determined by the President,
- To contribute to the creation of the national cyber security ecosystem by increasing cooperation between the public, private sector and universities,
- To carry out studies on the establishment and operation of information security management systems in public institutions and organizations operating critical infrastructure,
- Developing strategies for the effective use of big data in the public sector, leading applications and ensuring coordination,
- To pioneer and coordinate artificial intelligence applications in the public sector,
- It is grouped under the headings of ensuring the development of local and national digital technologies by increasing their use in the public and raising awareness in this context.
The most important responsibility of the Office, which works in cooperation with all Ministries; Ensuring digitalization at every stage of public, private sector and social life.
In this direction, established within the Digital Transformation Office;
- Realizing a holistic transformation in the fields of people, business processes and technology in our country with the "Digital Transformation Coordination Department",
- Contributing to the development of national technologies and innovative solutions with the "Digital Technologies, Supply and Resource Management Department" in order to become a Turkey that produces technology, not just consuming it,
- Providing technical support to the planning and execution of information and communication technologies projects of public institutions and organizations with the "Digital Expertise, Monitoring and Evaluation Department",
- Preparing policies, strategies and action plans regarding cyber security with the "Cyber Security Department" and ensuring their effective implementation throughout the country,
- Realizing the transition from big data to value economy with the Department of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Applications,
- The "Department of International Relations" aims to develop projects aimed at increasing cooperation with international organizations and countries on issues that fall within the scope of CBDDO's mandate.
With the establishment of the Presidential Digital Transformation Office, Bureaucracy Reduction and Digital Turkey meetings are being held in order to ensure inter-institutional coordination. Relevant meetings were held under the coordination of CBDDO and chaired by our Vice President; It is held with the participation of our Deputy Ministers representing our 16 Ministries and representatives of our other invited institutions and organizations. In this way, the Digital Transformation process can be closely monitored at the highest level.
Mustafa Murat GENCEL
Business development specialist
e-Government and Information Society Directorate