Implementation of e - Officein

Collectorate, North 24 ParganasWest Bengal

Presented by: Randhir Kumar, IASon 24/7/2014 at UPAAM, Lucknow

02-04-20122

Challenges faced in the Collectorate before advent of eOffice

Lack of transparency & accountability

Manual system vulnerable to corrupt practices

Delay in the decision making process due to multiple

levels of physical file movement

No automated system for tracking

papers/Files/Cases

Loss of Papers/files

Difficulty in Record Management

Limited information sharing

Inaccessibility of Files during absence of an

Officer/Staff

No means to measure citizen service delivery

District Administration was seeking an electronic solution to

Digitize legacy files.Process files electronicallyTrack & Monitor DAKAccelerate Decision Making processEstablish a Central repository of common documentsProvide efficient citizen service deliveryEngage, empower and measure human resourcesStreamline the Non-Plan expenditure (space, consumables &

non-consumables)

4

Genesis of the Project

02-04-20124

Based on the Central Secretariat Manual of eOffice procedures of DAR&PG

Strategic control of the application and data as per the NeGP guidelines

Role Based Access Mechanism

Electronic File Processing System

Central Repository of Documents with Managed Access

Single Employee Directory

Management Information System

eOffice suite of NIC, was best suited

for the Collectorate

eOffice at a glance

. . . platform for efficient, effective and transparent inter and intra departmental transactions and processes.

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Unified File Management System (eFile)

Knowledge Management System (KMS)

Collaboration and Messaging Services (CAMS)

* Personnel Information and Management System (PIMS)

* Leave Automation System (eLeave)

*Under Implementation

* Tour AutomationSystem (eTour)

• Prominent features

Dashboard view with alerts for different categories of Files and Receipts lying with self and subordinates.

Email Diarisation

Generation of Acknowledgement for received letters

Follow up – Setting reminders on files and receipts

Powerful Global Search on metadata and content

Added security with Digital Signatures

Email and SMS alerts on important files

Instant Messaging for notifications

eFile Features

eFile Dashboard

eFile Process

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First receiver Scans

Store in Hard Drive

Scan directly to eOffice

application

Browse & upload

Enter Meta Data

System Creates sequential Diary Number for each receipt

Create a new efile Attach to current efile

Send e Receipt to Section, in case of CRU as first receiver

Open efile and start Noting, create draft/edit draft/approve draft/issue draft, referencing to drafts & correspondence sections within

e-file

Digital Sign and send efile to next user

System Creates a efile Number

Enter Meta Data

e-file moves through the Channel of Submission on

the system

eFile Process

Receipt Diarisation: Scanning, uploading & metadata entry of Inward Letter

Receipt Forwarding

Receipt Sent items: Tracking Sent receipts

File Creation: Creation of new eFiles

Receipt Attachment : Attachment of Inward letters now termed as Receipts to the relevant files

File Work Area : Noting, Correspondence, Draft, References, Linked files,

Movements, Details, Digital Signatures, Sending, Closing etc.

File Forwarding

File Sent items : List of forwarded files for easy tracking

File Movement History

Search : Quick and Easy retrieval of Receipts, Files and Dispatched letters

Search : Quick & Easy retrieval of Receipts, Files & Dispatched letters

MIS Reports

Knowledge Management System…………… centralized knowledge bank for information sharing, retrieving and archiving

Central Repository : Organized storage of documents in KMS

Knowledge Repository : List of recently shared documents

Before eOffice vs After eOffice

ONLINE ACCESS QUICK SEARCH DISASTER RECOVERY

SMS/EMAIL ALERTS CENTRAL REPOSITORY WORKFLOW

ARCHIVAL DISTRIBUTION SECURITY

VERSION CONTROL

WORKFLOW SECURITY

SEARCH

CENTRAL REPOSITORY

ADMINISTRATION SECTION Forms

Rules

VS

LESS EFFICIENT MULTIPLE COPIES MORE TIME

STORAGE SPACE INCREASED COSTS

MANUAL SEARCH

26

Implementation Approach

Composition of a Project Management team

Carrying out Administrative Reforms and Innovations

Establishing ICT infrastructure

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Implementation Plan

Phases Phase Name Activities

Phase 0 Base work for Implementation Data CollectionDSC Creation & ConfigurationInstallation and Configuration of Servers & Application

Phase 1 Pre- Implementation Planning Preparation of Roadmap for ImplementationStudy of the working style Study of File Naming ConventionFinalization of folder structure for KMSStandardization of File NamingInfrastructure Gap AnalysisProcurement of Hardware

Phase 2 Capacity Building Training DesignTraining and Assessment

Phase 3 Transition Government Process Re-engineeringMigration of existing data

Phase 4 Going LIVE eOffice is fully functionalSupport extended by the team at Collectorate

Setting up of Network-Cum-Data Centre [NDC-N24P] in the Collectorate

4 High End serversSAN StorageBackup through LTORemote backup (NDC and WBNIC-DC)Disaster Recovery

Network

Campus wide LANIntegrated Network Backbone – North 24 Parganas (INB-N24P), 1000 nodes in 20 buildings

spread in an area of 2.1 sq. kmWAN [NICNET & Internet Gateway]Primary [BSNL 34 Mbps MLLN]Secondary Failover [Railtel 34 Mbps MLLN]

Hardware206 Thin clients and 340 Desktops for users4 High level Scanners25 Middle level Scanners20 Small Scanners

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Establishing ICT Infrastructure for eOffice Implementation

The success and efficiency of an e-Governance project depends critically on the quality and extent of thenetwork and its availability in an organization.

• Government Process Re-engineering

– Revising the extant systems and reengineering the existing processes to increase efficiency and cut down delays and superfluous steps

• Extensive interaction and communication to buy-in support from stakeholders

– Conducting workshops and brainstorming session with the staff

– Regular interaction to develop a sense of ownership among the employees

• Setting up a Central Digitization and Migration Centre

– Scanning of all active physical files and old records

– File Migration

• Setting up a Training & Handholding Centre for eOffice

• Establishing a Knowledge Repository of documents

– All documents organized in a structured directory

– Role based access given to employees for information sharing and retrieval

• Publishing Notices & Circulars through portal

• Specially designed capacity building programme for all the eOffice users

– The training was designed with elective modules to cater to employees with varied skill sets.

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Administrative Reforms & Innovations

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Benefits of Innovation

• Cost Savings

• Resource Savings

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Benefits of Innovation

Increased Efficiency

Faster file processing

Central Document Repository

Enhanced Monitoring and Evaluation

Systematic Management through Institutions

Robust ICT Backbone

Improved office environment

•

•

• Every document which enters the departments gets accounted for

• eOffice has infused transparency in all transactions

• Delay caused by the physical carrying of files from one desk to another got eliminated

• Paper processing time has gone down by 2-3 days per file

• Decision making is not getting delayed due to the absence of any officer

• Sections have become cleaner and free from bulky physical files

• Management Information System for monitoring

• Efficient citizen service delivery by sections such as MGNREGA, SSM, etc.

• Responding to RTI queries became very easy as information retrieval became faster

• Data Security: Zero loss of papers and files post the implementation of project

• Dynamic Inventory of all documents and Files in the electronic system

• Officers are no longer carrying files back home to complete pending work

• Flexi work timings as now files are available in electronic space 24*7

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Objectives fulfilled

SL.No.

Key Performance Indicators

Before Implementation After Implementation

01 Time taken in DAK to reach thesection after receiving

A minimum of 3 days Same day (By the Evening)

02 Time taken in putting the DAK toconcerned file

At least one Hour Within a Minute

03 Searching of Paper/File Need to go to every section where it has been sent forstatus checking

From System can be seen online

04 Dependency Person Dependent Person Independent

05 Loss of Paper/File Very Frequent Does not happen, as it is stored digitally

06 RTI Compliance Was Difficult Information is being provided within days of application

07 Supervision & Monitoring Was very cumbersome and person dependent Online MIS can be generated and work pendency at eachlevel can be ascertained immediately

08 Knowledge Management Used to be done in the form of Guard File, which wasproperty of that particular department

Is being done in the form of KMS which is an organizationwide knowledge Sharing System

09 Beneficiary Feedback Earlier, when the beneficiary used to come for checkingthe status of the file, either paper used to be lost or fileused to be unavailable at that date. And, beneficiaryused to go unsatisfied

Now, once entered into the system, no paper or file canbe lost. Again, beneficiary can be given feedback byanyone and on urgent matter it can be disposed by higherofficials even when lower level employees are on leave orsitting on the file

10 Round the Clock Office By the Office time Now, it is available 24x7 on 365 days. In future, one can gofor Flexi Office or Mobile Office

11 Process Simplification Was Cumbersome Process Re-engineering was done and all unnecessaryslack has been removed and only critical activity remainsthe part of the system

12 Working Environment Was Dusty and Files littered everywhere Clean and Hygienic environment

Outcome & Impact after implementation of eOffice

Lessons Learnt from the achievement

Project Leader Successful projects require an empowered leader with a dedicated team who canconceptualize and implement e-Governance projects with the help of officials at all levelsand technological solution providers

Holistic Approach Being a complex eGovernance project having various critical components a holisticapproach is needed during implementation. Adequate time and resources need to bedevoted in conceptualization, implementation and maintenance of the project.

ePreparedness ePreparedness of the organization must be kept in mind while planning for the project andfixing time frames.

Participation Active involvement of staff and capacity building is necessary for success of the project.Changing the mindset of the government employee who are used to work only in themanual mode. This is a big task and needs patience and careful planning. Workshops,seminars and training programmes are required to be organised to spread awarenessamong the employees at all levels. Government servants need to be motivated to adaptand work in ICT environment.

ICT Infrastructure There should be end to end computerization.

Sharing of Leason Important lessons can be drawn from the experience of other organization in similarprojects.

Security & Privacy Two major concerns in the IT implementation should be addressed on urgent basis - thesecurity and privacy.

Confidence Steps must be initiated to generate confidence among the individuals and organization.

• Technology and Security measures

– Based on Open Source Technology– No license fee involved– System is enabled over https – User Authentication through Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) – Digital Signatures used for Authentication and Signing– Built in encryption mechanism to ensure data security

• Training and Support Model

– Fully ICT equipped Training Centre– Dedicated eOffice Helpdesk at 233 (033-25846233)– Regular capability building programmes by experienced resources– Dedicated support from NIC

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Sustainability of the Project

• Innovative project management process

• Quick Deployment to any other organization with minimum data customization

• Simplified processes and generic SOPs easy for adoption by other agencies

• Innovative use of technology to bring reforms in Administration and Bureaucracy

• Customized and elective Employee Capacity Building Program

• One of its kind of projects which acts as a epicenter for internal organizational reforms

• Model successfully adopted by Collectorate: South 24 Parganas in West Bengal and District Sindhudurg, Jalna, Nandurbar in Maharashtra

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Replication of Best Practices

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Project Cost

Randhir.ias@gov.in