Challenges Facing the Deployment of IT in Saudi Arabia - Literature review Example

?The Challenges Facing the Deployment and Use of ICT for the Development of Public Sector in Saudi Arabia IT Introduction Information Communication Technology (ICT) has greatly improved over the years, thanks to constant research in the field. Information technology encompasses the acquisition, processing, storage and retrieval of data by use of computer devices. Throughout the world, IT is being applied to a greater level by the day. One country that really needs to adopt IT in its public sector for greater efficiency is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The rapid economic growth being experienced in the country has largely been as a result of the oil that is exported to other parts of the world. As a growing economy, the country needs to not only develop its infrastructure, but also improve its service delivery to the people (Benington, 2000). Information technology is an aspect of development that is sweeping across many developing countries today, and Saudi Arabia has definitely not been left behind. The implementation of IT plans has greatly helped the country improve the way its citizens get access to public services (Al-zharani, 2009). Using IT Resources The Saudi Communications Commission is the one regulates the deployments and use of IT resources in the country. Among the commission’s responsibilities include: ensuring that the communications services provided are well advanced, regulating the telecommunications sector, creating an environment for fair competition among different players in the telecommunications field and securing the rights of the public to have access to information networks at prices they can afford. In short, this commission is responsible for how the country makes use of its existing structures to deploy and implement IT for the greater good and development of the Saudi public sector (Khan, 2011). Although the country has made some tremendous achievement in creating an information society, there remains a lot to be done so as to ensure that the IT infrastructures are as efficient as possible so as to serve as many people as possible. This means that the government has to consider some of the challenges that hinder the deployment and use of IT for the development of the Saudi public sector including government agencies and come up with ways to ensure that all people enjoy the full benefits of a networked society (Khosrowpour, 2000). Knowledge Workers and the Knowledge Society Knowledge workers include the valued individuals who earn a living by developing and applying knowledge in specific areas of study. On the other hand, the knowledge society is a society that values knowledge as the primary resource used in production as opposed to labour and capital. Knowledge workers exist in a wide range of fields in Saudi Arabia. With their vast knowledge in their specific areas of interest, the knowledge workers are able to define problems and come up with solutions that affect society, strategies and help in decision making. The making of knowledge workers normally is influenced by the establishment of information technology of the places in which they are based. In Saudi Arabia, the making of more knowledge workers has been influenced by the establishment of e-learning and the availability of ICT resources. The deployment and use of IT for the development of the public sector requires the development of more knowledge workers so as to ensure that they are well equipped to deal with the IT tools at their disposal. Though the government through its e-government efforts is trying to ensure that most areas in the public sector are well equipped with IT technology, there are a number of challenges it experiences (Benington, 2000). One of the challenges that the country faces in terms of knowledge worker development in the area of IT proficiency is the lack of technical skills. Very few of the employees working in the public sector have the proper knowledge to carry out some of the duties that would involve complex information technology expertise (Oxford Business Group, 2010). The Saudi Arabian government needs to harness its youthful population to move towards an information society. Change in the Use of ICT in Saudi Arabia Over the past few years, the government of Saudi Arabia has realised the importance of information and communication technology and the vital role it plays in the socio-economic development of different sectors of the country. It is for this reason that the Saudi government has taken upon itself to promote the use of IT resources in order to remain relevant in this information era. There are various national policies and strategies that the government has formulated to ensure that it promotes ICT as effectively as possible while introducing changes in the way it conducts its functions (Khan, 2011). The government has also put measures in place to ensure that the provision of internet is liberalized. This has been done to enhance internet access by as many members of the general public as possible. As of 2003, there were over 15,800 internet hosts and 1.5 internet users in the country. The ICT provisions that the government has set out do not require the Saudi public to pay for the registration of their ‘.sa’ domain names. However, tight control characterises the IT sector in the country since government has the power to close down or limit access for websites that it considers offensive. The government is also trying to ensure that PC dissemination is widespread in the country. As of 2004, there were over 2.25 million people who owned their own PCs. The household personal computer project was initiated and this helped even more people to own computers at low prices. In addition to this initiative, the government also launched a free internet project that was instrumental in the dissemination of knowledge and information to the general public (Al-zharani, 2009). Distance Learning Distance learning involves the use of technology and teaching methods to accomplish students’ education in unconventional training settings and without the physical presence of the students. In other words, students are often separated by distance or time or both as they acquire knowledge through distance learning. In Saudi Arabia, distance learning is a recent establishment and mainly involves the use of graphics, text, video and audio digital technologies. Distance learning is however steadily gaining preference with time with a number of students preferring to take their diplomas, first degrees and master degrees under such settings. The application of distance learning in the country is steadily gaining preference as students demand more flexibility considering their interest and specific needs. Some of the major factors that have to be considered when establishing an e-learning system include technology, ethics, interface design, evaluation, institutions, resource support, management and pedagogical factors. IT Resources In keeping with its plans to ensure that Saudi transforms into an information society, the government has rolled out initiatives aimed at equipping schools with computers. This is seen as a capacity building effort that is meant to ensure that young people in the country have basic computer skills when they graduate from school. In 2004, the government initiated the National Occupational Skill Standards and Curriculum Development Project whose main aim is to improve the technical qualifications of professional Saudis so that they can carry out their duties more effectively. The national colleges and universities have also upgraded their IT courses to offer ICT knowledge that is relevant to the needs of the Saudi society (Boar, 2003). The various educational programs offered in IT institutions are meant to offer capacity building that will enable the IT professionals in the country to keep abreast with the developments that are occurring at the national and international level (Al-zharani, 2009). This enables the general pubic to be technically well equipped to access important developmental services that they may need. Saudi Arabia e-Government Project According to Al-shehry (2009, 14), e-government “represents a fundamental change in the whole public sector structure, culture and values”. In other words, e-government is a tool that different government agencies can utilize to enhance the way they conduct their businesses. The Saudi e-government initiative started in 2003 after the King signed the Supreme Royal Decree that required the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to develop a system that could be used by the government to offer its services electronically. The main objective for setting up the e-government program was to improve the productivity and effectiveness of the public sector. Another objective was to provide individuals and business customers services that were better and friendly. The provisions of timely and accurate information as well as an increase in return on investment were the other objectives. The adoption of e-government has helped simplify and make efficient the communication process amongst government agencies. This has also seen a reduction in the cost of inter-agency communication. A reduction in cost is not the only benefit for government agencies. There has also been a marked improvement in the provision of services to individual and groups in the general public (Al-shehry, 2009). With the introduction of an electronic system, people have spent less time getting access to important services. They can also access some of these services on a 24 hour basis (Khan, 2011). This has meant that those people who could find easy access to government services can now do so without too much difficulty. Before the implementation of the e-government system, people from the rural areas had to walk long distances if they wanted to get any services from government. Now it is possible for them to access these services from the comfort of their homes, all they need is secure and first internet connectivity (Boar, 2003). Critiques have argued that the usage of electronic government services is at a very low level. They claim that businesses are more likely to gain from the systems than individual citizens whom the government is supposed to be serving. The process has cost the government a lot of money, yet it has been able to reach as many people as initially envisioned (Khosrowpour, 2000). Employees Development and Employee Training As Saudi Arabia rolled out its IT implementation plan, it did not consider that there was a shortage of professionals in the IT sector. The lack of qualified staff has been a major challenge in the implementation and dissemination of the e-government project. To increase efficiency in the implementation process, the government has to establish training programs for employees and source the services of specialized IT specialists (Khan, 2011). Due to strict laws and regulations in the country’s governance, the level of internet usage across the Saudi Arabia has been very low. This has been an impediment in the government’s efforts of trying to make its services available to the public using electronic means. Although there are more people who access the services now than before, there are many more that can be reached only if the level of internet usage was higher (Boar, 2003). This means that the government still has a long way to go in creating awareness about the benefits of its e-government services. It should encourage the people of Saudi Arabia to engage more in information technology activities so that they may also get to enjoy the e-services in the public sector. Like many of its Arab neighbours, Saudi Arabia faces the challenge of having a huge part of its population that is not very well equipped to carry out IT functions. This means that even if the government is ready to offer its services electronically, very few people would have access to the services. The lack of awareness about It services has played a major role in keeping the public from accessing important services (Saddiq, 2010). It is also quite difficult for the government to carry out any developmental activities using IT in communities that do not have the skills to access these developments. The people of Saudi Arabia need to be made aware of the benefits that they are likely to enjoy if they embrace technology in their daily lives. Agents Development The lack of professionalism in government agencies that use electronic means to offer services is also another big challenge. People tend to shun those public institutions where they are not respected or given quality services as they deserve. Language is also a great challenge to the use of IT for public development. Saudi Arabia relies on Arabic for its formal and informal communication. However, in most cases, information technology dissemination is done in English, a language that is rarely used or understood in the country (Wing, 2005). The challenges that the government of Saudi Arabia is facing in regard to IT implementation can be solved. However, to be able to come up with clear and tenable solutions will require the full support from the political and non-political spheres of government (Dawes and Pardo, 2002). There is need for more support for a knowledge based society as this will make it easier for people to use and enjoy IT facilities around them (Boar, 2003). To counter this challenge, the government and other IT stakeholders need to assume an all inclusive approach that will ensure that people get to know about the opportunities that come with ICT (Al-zharani, 2009). This approach should ensure that the environment is conducive for IT development and deployment. For this to happen there has to be some form of political leadership, innovation, regulatory openness and availability of access. The stakeholders, including the government need to be ready to support and capitalise on IT for the development of the public sector (Holden, Norris and Fletcher, 2003). This is to say that not only should they create a well financed IT structure in the country, they should also involve everyone in making IT relevant and useful to the general public. Conclusion As the government moves towards the implementation of an e-system of offering public services to its people, it also needs to appreciate that a lot needs to be done to stream the process so that people can easily access services from anywhere in the country. The government also needs to ensure that there are adequate resources that will ensure that the IT infrastructure is well utilized in both the public and private sectors. If each one of the different government agencies takes steps to ensure that all technical requirements are met in the implementation of information technology systems, then government practices and services are likely to be more efficient. To achieve this, the government has to consider using a user centred approach in the implementation of its IT plans. This will enable the people involved in the implementation and dissemination process to understand what the public requires, and they will therefore design projects to meet all these needs. By creating sharing of information and getting the necessary feedback from the public will enable the government to design and implement a highly effective IT plan for the benefit of the whole country. Reference List Al-Shehry, A.M. 2009. Transformation towards e-Government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Technical and Organizational Perspectives. Accessed 28 June, 2011: https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/handle/2086/2418?show=full Al-zharani, S. 2009. An Empirical Investigation of the Information Technology Implementation in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Information and Systems Management. Vol. 1(1) pp.37-45 Benington, J. 2000. The Modernization and Improvement of Government and Public Services, Public Money and Management, vol 1, pp. 3 -8 Boar, B. 2003. The Art of Strategic Planning for Information Technology. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Dawes, S. And Pardo, T. 2002. Building Collaborative Digital Government Systems, Systematic Constraints and Effective Practices. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Holden, S.H., Norris, D. And Fletcher, P. 2003. Electronic Government at the Local Level: Progress to Date and Future Issues. Product Productivity and Management Review, Vol. 26(3), pp. 1-20. Khan, G.A. 2011. Saudis Training for Networked Society. Accessed 28, June 2011: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article462838.ece Khosrowpour, M. 2000. Managing Social and Economic Change with Information Technology. Harrisburg, PA: Idea Group Publishing. Oxford Business Group. 2010. The Report: Saudi Arabia. London: Oxford Business Group. Saddiq, B. 2010. E-Government in Saudi Arabia: Critical Factors in the Diffusion of E-Government in Saudi Arabia. Chicago: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. Wing, L. 2005. Barriers to e-Government Integration. Journal of Enterprise Information Management. Vol. 18(5), pp. 511-530. Read More