Strengthening Digital Governance in MENA

Insights into Shiraka Training: Digitalisation of Governments 2024

How can digitalisation improve governance and service delivery in an era of rapid change? Governments, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), are faced with rapid urbanisation, population growth, while grappling with challenges of transparency, cybersecurity, and citizen engagement. Amid this societal and technological shift, strengthening digital governance through digital transformation in the public sector becomes essential in fostering sustainable growth and in improving service delivery and citizen engagement.

By adopting digital governance frameworks, governments can enhance decision-making, streamline public services, and build trust with citizens. Moreover, digitalisation offers a unique opportunity to make services more citizen-centric by enabling real-time feedback mechanisms, personalised digital interactions, and more efficient access to government resources, ensuring that public services are more responsive to the actual needs of the people.

The urgency for transformation took centre stage during the Shiraka Digitalisation of Governments training in 2024 organized by The Hague Academy for Local Governance and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with RVO. The training equipped MENA-based civil servants with the knowledge and tools to enhance transparency, strengthen decision-making, and improve public service delivery in their respective countries.

The two-part training brought together 21 civil servants from eight MENA countries in Amman, Jordan, and The Hague, Netherlands:

First, Participants visited the Jordanian National Cyber Security Center and the Jordan Open-Source Society Association, engaging in debates on critical issues such as balancing government data collection with citizen privacy rights. These discussions tackled ethical dilemmas surrounding transparency and digital governance.

Second, the training in the Netherlands delved deeper into digital security, interoperability, and service delivery. Study visits to the Living Lab in Scheveningen and ICTU demonstrated how Dutch municipalities utilise data to improve citizen services. Participants explored practical questions regarding how to evaluate digital initiatives, enable citizen participation, and adapt systems to local needs.

Implementing digital strategies

A key element of the training was the Back Home Action Plan (BHAP), where participants identified digitalisation challenges in their institutions. These plans outlined SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely) objectives for targeted initiatives, including:

• Enhancinge transparency in Moroccan public administration

• Capacity-building workshops in Kurdistan,

• Improving departmental coordination in the Greater Amman Municipality.

Collaboration and knowledge exchange

The training concluded with a networking reception in The Hague, where participants exchanged insights with peers, experts, and Dutch officials. Many highlighted the value of cross-regional collaboration in tackling shared governance challenges. As a Moroccan IT Engineer stated, having ‘’different participants from different backgrounds’’ is what truly sets the Shiraka trainings apart.

By equipping MENA civil servants with practical skills and fostering collaboration, the Shiraka Digitalisation of Governments training exemplifies how localised solutions can address global challengess. The Hague Academy looks forward to welcoming a new cohort in 2025.

Are you interested in deepening your understanding of the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation and are interested in strengthening digital governance? Learn more about our course on Digital Transformation in the Public Sector here.