Belize provides citizens access to government software services through convenient, free, and user-friendly online portals that make accessing government software services much simpler. This is a fantastic way of improving service delivery from the government.
However, the government must prioritize improving service quality. Studies of traditional business environments have demonstrated how service quality attributes such as ease of interaction, fulfillment, security, and privacy influence customer-perceived value.
Delivery of Government Software services
Belize is taking steps to use technology and software to improve the delivery of government services to citizens, strengthen governance and transparency, enable civil society initiatives to establish social innovation projects, support economic diversification efforts, and strengthen public institutions’ effectiveness and resilience.
Belize’s service sector is an integral component of economic development and job creation, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), which account for most software services exports. SME services exports range from banking, insurance, and transport; to consultancy; telecom services, and construction to name but a few sectors – making up a substantial share of foreign exchange earnings for Belize as a country.
The Government of Belize is dedicated to strengthening its socio-economic position through agricultural advancement, in response to declining trade preferences for traditional products. They have formed a task force of both public and private sectors with the purpose of identifying emerging opportunities in this sector and furthering them with promotion, marketing, and further development activities.
Belize is a developing nation and has not achieved its goal of eliminating poverty in its population. While progress has been made, more needs to be done in this regard in order to enhance the livelihoods of its people. The government of Belize is working toward this end by improving accessibility of software services, fostering good governance and transparency, and offering adequate support to vulnerable groups while simultaneously creating strong partnerships with private enterprise and civil society.
At present, over 100 registered private companies exist in Belize, including banks, airlines, and hotels. Many of these are engaged in international trade with offices abroad established for this purpose. Furthermore, the private sector has become an essential ally in developing Belize’s tourism industry.
Belize’s government is taking steps towards greater openness, creating its first Open Government Action Plan with assistance from The Trust for the Americas and DIA experts. The action plan serves as a framework for implementing openness, participation, and accountability principles into Belizean governance.
Enhancing Transparency
Belize government is making use of software and technology to increase transparency, which has improved their financial performance and reduced poverty levels in their nation. They are also working towards strengthening governance structures and increasing citizen participation; their aim being to foster an ecosystem for social innovation where citizens collaborate with public sector solutions for local challenges.
An example is the e-government initiative which enables citizens to track their tax refunds online and has dramatically improved tax collection, accountability, and submission of complaints about tax fraud.
To increase e-government effectiveness, government agencies must offer citizens high-quality software services with perceived value, which will increase citizen satisfaction and loyalty towards e-government services. Unfortunately, creating such an efficient model takes considerable time and energy.
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy operating on the Westminster system, wherein the monarch is represented by a Governor General; his primary executive organ is the cabinet led by a prime minister containing members of parliament and other political figures; it’s this body responsible for budget-drafting and other policies; part of Belize’s National Assembly that comprises two chambers: House of Representatives and Senate.
Belize’s judiciary is making strides toward education and outreach to its community. To that end, they are implementing modern civil and criminal procedure – with gender-sensitive protocols implemented into both processes – conducting training on social media use, human trafficking and refugeeism as well as offering outreach programs such as Court and You. Furthermore, they participate in Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening Project’s Public Engagement Consultancy Services as part of Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening Project.
Central Information Technology Office (CITO) recently implemented the Smart Stream Information System in order to assist its managers, administrators, and support workers in performing their daily tasks more effectively and efficiently. Through convenience sampling, 32 questionnaires were distributed among staff members of CITO.
Engaging Citizens
Belize’s government is working hard to engage citizens through software and technology, using software as one method. Engaging with citizens through these tools can improve public services, foster an improved citizen experience, and enable greater transparency; however, engagement must be carefully balanced with potential risks; the exact balance depends on several factors including local context and citizen engagement strategies; it is therefore imperative that governments recognize and support any motivations behind citizen engagement as well as create conducive conditions to ensure its success.
Belize City residents have experienced incredible transformation since access to high-speed internet became widely available. Not only is this service making educational materials available to their citizens, but businesses have found ways to expand customer bases and lower expenses as a result.
E-government can play an essential role in supporting the Belizean economy’s long-term health by encouraging citizen participation in policymaking, increasing accountability of government officials and making better use of data. E-government also facilitates more client-centric government, improved service delivery, and revenue growth.
My Ideal City, a platform allowing individuals to submit suggestions for improving a city, was recently introduced in Bogota and has so far attracted 10,000 suggestions from users. The platform supports various initiatives related to crime fighting, urban planning, and environmental protection as well as connecting citizens through traditional media channels.
Citizen Science GIS, an organization that engages youth in geospatial technology, uses ArcGIS Online GeoInquiry lessons, drones to capture imagery of natural environments, and virtual reality to display those images. Participants also learn to analyze and interpret imagery through an augmented reality sandbox as well as Collector for ArcGIS on tablets.
Belize is home to the Western Hemisphere’s longest barrier reef, an impressive display of biodiversity that serves as an important ecosystem for local fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities. However, threats such as climate change and excessive fishing threaten its sustainability, prompting Open Reef to partner with local community members in using drones to monitor it and its islands.
Cost
The cost of E-Government Software Services varies considerably based on the software selected and the level of customization desired, along with the business model used to manage it. Implementation and maintenance expenses also must be factored in; in low-income countries this can be considerable.
E-procurement systems in these countries may reduce rent-seeking and corruption while increasing competition among bidders, thus increasing quality of works and software services provided to the public at reduced overall expenditures and driving economic growth. Unfortunately, they may also create additional bureaucracy while decreasing incentives for public officials.
Additionally, implementation of such systems often necessitates staff relocation and modifications to working procedures – this can incur additional costs and delay; further diminishing its benefits and decreasing chances of successful adoption.
Considerations should also be given to the long-term benefits of e-procurement rather than just short-term gains, including reduced procurement prices, enhanced efficiency, better customer service and increased transparency. Such benefits could contribute to less corruption, improved government management and revenue growth.
Belize’s experience shows how e-government has helped reduce processing times for citizen requests, made it easier to access government software services information, reduced fraudulent transactions, and made reporting of unauthorized activity easier for its citizens.
As one of the main challenges for governments in developing countries is to overcome resistance from vested interests that often link directly with political connections, one of the main hurdles they face in adopting e-procurement technology for procurement purposes may be lack of awareness as to its benefits, including greater transparency and accountability.
To address this problem, the Belizean government has embarked on an e-government and transparency promotion campaign. Furthermore, they partnered with a private company to provide them with software designed specifically to support government departments.
