Based on Cabinet Decision No. 418 of 25/07/1442 AH approving regulations of the Digital Government Authority (DGA), which stipulates that DGA is the competent authority for all issues relating to Digital Government and that it is the national reference in its affairs, and based on DGA’s competence to organize the work of the Digital Government and to ensure integration between all government agencies, and according to its competence and functions under Article 4 of the above-mentioned cabinet decision mandating the DGA to organize the Digital Government work, including by issuing regulation related to the DGA’s activity, setting plans, programs and indicators, regulating operations, processes and related projects, and following up on compliance
 

As such, DGA prepared and issued the "Digital Government Policy" on 29 September 2021 and prepared and issued the five policies derived therefrom which are consecutively as follows: "Governance and Compliance Policy", “Whole of Government Platforms Policy", "Digital Services Lifecycle Administration and Upskilling Policy", "Beneficiary Centricity Policy" and "Technology Policy“, all of which have been integrated into this document under one title “Digital Government Policies”. Their close interdependence and shared objectives are aimed at improving the regulatory environment of the Digital Government, accelerating and enabling Saudi Arabia’s sustainable digital transformation
 

This document includes all the policies issued by DGA, which are included in the Digital Government regulatory framework (Figure. 1), which is a regulatory tool, whereby the design and development of regulatory documents are strategically governed and implemented in accordance with eight main principles. 
 

Digital Government Policies outline the Digital Government directions, empower and accelerate the sustainable digital transformation of the government sector in the medium and long term, help government entities develop strategic plans aligned with the Digital Government's strategic directions, and enable the successful implementation of those designed plans, based on a set of focus areas within four main pillars (Figure 2), each of which covers a number of provisions in a coherent and integrated manner, as follows:
 

• Governance and Compliance Policy: Promotes governance of Digital Government fields conducted by government agencies and their compliance to Digital Government related regulations.
• Whole of Government Platforms Policy: Regulates the most important aspects and enablers of government digital platforms 
   
• Digital Services Lifecycle Administration and Upskilling policy: Addresses aspects related to the management of Digital Government services provided to beneficiaries through various digital channels and the development of digital skills.
   
• Beneficiary Centricity Policy: Regulates aspects related to improving beneficiary’s experience of Digital Government services, and enhancing participation and communication between government service providers and beneficiaries.
   
• Technology Policy: Covers the aspects related to the underlying pillars of technology and the technologies supporting the Digital Government business, to support the delivery of Digital Government services, internal operational work, cloud computing, data management, and innovation.

These policies outline the general orientations of the Digital Government, in order to enable achievement of the following objectives:
 

1. Accelerating and enabling the digital transformation of the government sector by enhancing its local capacity and effectiveness, and improving its responsiveness to meet needs and priorities of beneficiaries.
    
2. Governance of roles and responsibilities, including, but not limited to, Digital Government services, oversight of their design and development, procurement and licensing, and measurement of their performance and maturity.
    
3. Facilitating and accelerating interaction between government entities by providing government digital platforms for common services, contributing to provision of digital services in a unified manner, encouraging use of common infrastructure and applications, and increasing the level of data sharing between different government entities.
    
4. Supporting government agencies in managing and upgrading Digital Government services by setting up the foundations and general directions for the design of digital services and development of digital content, identifying top priority digital services and providing services through unified digital channels, as well as developing and building digital capabilities.
    
5. Supporting government entities in focusing on beneficiaries and understanding their needs, requirements and aspirations when designing Digital Government services.
    
6. Supporting government entities in making decisions related to building and developing technologies supportive of the Digital Government's work and investing in emerging technologies, thereby facilitating the delivery of Digital Government services, raising their quality and helping to reduce costs.
    
7. Contributing to improving the quality and utilization of data management as an important asset at the national level, thereby contributing to the guidance and support of Government agencies' decisions.
    
8. Improving Saudi Arabia’s ranking in international indicators and the United Nations E-Government Development Index, and aligning with international organizations' digital service assessment indicators and with the local standards issued by competent authorities.

These policies cover the pillars of Digital Government, including the governance of related fields, as well as the most important aspects related to government digital platforms, service management, digital skills development, and improved beneficiary experience, as well as aspects related to the fundamental pillars of technology along with the technologies supporting the government digital business, cloud computing, data management, and innovation.

Applying the Digital Government Policies for:

• Government entities.
• Private sector that acts as a developer or operator of Digital Government-related activities. 

6.1 Engagement

Engagement requires the participation of and collaboration with institutions from government, the private sector, civil society and benefi­ciaries so they can provide valuable inputs for digital government implementation:
 

1- Transparency: Government entities shall foster increased participation, which fosters public trust in government, and active citizen involvement ranging from basic consultation and information sharing to joint development and co-creation. Government entities shall also use digital technologies and innovation to support effective communication among participants.
 

2- Collaboration: Government entities shall work collaboratively with all groups active in the digital government ecosystem – namely, government, the private sector, and civil society organizations. The broad collaboration will help identify gaps and priorities in the provision of services and information thus propelling a more efficient allocation of resources – people, funding, and technology. Current gaps between supply (government) and demand (benefi­ciaries and other targeted institutions) will be minimized, resulting in increased benefi­ciary satisfaction with government services.
 

3- Data and privacy: Government entities shall align regulations related to data management, security, and privacy with existing legislation issued by the relevant government entities. Government entities shall also encourage benefi­ciaries’ participation to share data comprehensively while ensuring benefi­ciaries’ data protection and facilitating easy access to personal data. 
 

4- Information sharing: Government entities shall make available data that is classified as public information in accordance with existing regulations issued by relevant government entities. As a result, bene­ficiaries will be fully informed when accessing government services that offer engagement and participation mechanisms. Government entities shall also comply with policies and regulations protecting con­fidential information as per existing regulations issued by other relevant government entities. 
 

5- Innovative Government Culture: Government entities shall create a culture of information, data sharing, and collaboration, and promote interaction across institutions from different sectors – government, the private sector ,and civil society - to foster a more effective digital government and contribute to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.
 

6- Inclusion: Government entities shall adopt an inclusive approach to ensure information access by people with disabilities and from vulnerable communities so that they can engage with the government effectively.

6.2 Transformation

Transformation includes the enablers that drive the development of government – the main emphasis being on modernization, not technology. Transformation demands an integrated approach to institutional modernization – changes to managerial, organizational, technical, and business processes – that will drive high-quality digital government platforms and services.
 

1- Government Modernization: Government entities shall link their digital transformation and use of new technologies to broader government modernization processes in order to build enhanced capabilities and increase the availability and quality of both digital services and whole-of-government platforms.
 

2- Structural & Operational Models: Government shall take a comprehensive approach to transformation, not limited to technology. Government entities will align their existing business model to the priorities of the National Digital Government Strategy while updating required management skills, internal structures, and administration processes.
 

3- IT governance: Government entities shall strengthen internal governance of information technology in accordance with related standards while ensuring alignment with policies and standards issued by DGA, the latter already aligned with international bodies such as ISO.
 

4- Shared resources: Government entities shall give priority to shared resources and capabilities available on whole-of-government platforms. Government entities shall also identify and address the current challenges and gaps in skilled resources by engaging with relevant government entities.

6.3 Capacity

The pillars of engagement and transformation require access to an e-client digital government ecosystem, including the local private sector, that facilitates the much-needed change in government entities. Change and process management overall Capability, as well as technical expertise, is needed to strengthen an enabled government workforce and drive complex transformation processes. 
 

1- Bene­ficiaries’ Capability: Government entities shall increase benefi­ciaries’ (government entities) awareness and promote digital skills by conducting awareness workshops that will digitally empower benefi­ciaries to interact effectively and efficiently with the government, actively use participation platforms, and be part of decision-making processes.
 

2- Technical Capability: Government entities shall strengthen their technical capabilities to support the National Digital Government Strategy implementation, including understanding the impact of new technologies on government operations to adopt and encourage their use. Government entities shall build a capable and empowered technical workforce to ensure the successful adoption of digital transformation.
 

3- Workforce Digital Capability: Government entities shall develop the digital capabilities of all employees so that the entire workforce contributes to the transformation of the workplace needed for digital government. Government entities shall develop and adopt initiatives that aim at closing current digital skills gaps and thus meet labor market demand. 
 

4- Managerial Capability: Government entities shall enhance administrative and managerial capabilities to achieve an effective return on digital investments. Digital Government projects require high-quality project management for successful implementation.
 

5- Business Capability: Government entities shall enhance the business capabilities of staff through feasibility studies and business case development for digital initiatives, following regional and global best practices and experience.
 

6- Cross-cutting Capability: Government entities shall increase the efficiency and effectiveness of working across government and strengthen the capabilities required to respond collectively, especially in crisis times

6.4 Governance

 Governance contributes to the realization of all the principles mentioned above through, (1) overseeing and monitoring the adoption of the Digital Government Policy by DGA and other relevant government entities, as well as compliance with standards and procedures published by DGA; (2) encouraging collaboration across the digital government ecosystem; (3) ensuring continuous engagement and communication between government entities driving digital transformation; (4) ensuring policy coherence across government entities, and (5) justifying the costs of government digital services within the government sector.
 

1- Adherence to Policies and Standards: Government entities shall comply with policies and standards issued by DGA, the technical standards on digital transformation models, and digital government regulations issued by other government entities. DGA will monitor and report compliance, as will provide advisory services to raise the level of compliance across government.
 

2- Designing Policies: Government entities shall work closely with DGA in the development of digital government policies, regulations, and principles. The DGA will also support gap identi­fication and their closing.
 

3- Taking Responsibility: Government entities shall be responsible for the proper and effective implementation of digital government, including full compliance with policies and standards by any of the service providers contracted to furnish digital government services.
 

4- Multi-stakeholder Dynamics: Government entities shall engage external parties such as businesses, civil society, and citizens in executing the initiatives and overall strategic direction of the National Digital Government Strategy.
 

5- Digital Government Products: Government entities shall adhere to the standards envisaged for digital government products and work directly with DGA to oversee their implementation in cooperation with the relevant authorities.
 

6-  Provisioning of Services: Government entities’ service providers (developers and service operators) shall adhere with the Framework and all relevant decisions issued by DGA.

7.1 Policy Scope 

Governance of all areas related to digital government conducted by government agencies, and the extent of their compliance with regulations related to digital government. The policy covers the following areas:

• Oversight.
• Privacy.
• Funding.
• Licensing and Accreditation.
• Procurement.

7.2 Policy Statement 

7.2.1 Oversight 

Overseeing the work of the digital government in terms of setting the necessary policies and standards, measuring performance, the maturity of digital government services, and the extent of compliance with the regulations issued by the authority, through:
 

• 7.2.1.1 Coordinating with digital government authority to develop their execution plans related to the Digital Government Strategy and periodically reporting progress against these plans as specified by the digital government authority. 
   
• 7.2.1.2 Regularly providing updates on updating their digital services to ensure accurate digital service maturity assessment. 
   
• 7.2.1.3 Developing and implementing a plan to increase the internal usage of digital government products and services, and measure the usage rate against the plan.
   
• 7.2.1.4 Develop and implement a plan to increase the rate of use of electronic transactions when interacting with other government agencies, and measure the rate of use against the plan that has been developed.

7.2.2 Privacy

It includes protecting and confidentiality of the data of individual beneficiaries and preserving their rights, and government entities must work to achieve this through:
 

• 7.2.2.1 Commitment to all national legislation and regulations level requirements and adherence to their privacy-related regulations, as the relevant government entity stipulated.
   
• 7.2.2.2 Publishing the privacy policy on their website to inform the public about the procedures in place to manage users’ data.
   
• 7.2.2.3 Developing regulations for actions to be taken in case of a security incident or personal data breach. 

7.2.3 Funding 

It includes everything related to the return on investment for digital government business by government agencies, through:
 

• 7.2.3.1 Complying with the digital investment standards issued by the digital government authority, including revenue generated from intellectual property, infrastructure, and services.

7.2.4 Licensing and accreditation 

It includes everything related to the issuance of licenses and accreditations by government agencies to developers and operators of digital government business from the private sector, and achieving this through:
 

• 7.2.4.1 Seeking assistance from licensed developers and operators when assigned to provide digital government services.
   
• 7.2.4.2 Complying with digital trust regulations issued by the digital government authority.

7.2.5 Procurement

It includes everything related to the supply of products related to the business of the digital government, including services, solutions, systems, etc., provided by the private sector to government agencies, and this is achieved through:
 

• 7.2.5.1 Complying with the government Tenders and Procurement regulations issued by the Ministry of Finance.
   
• 7.2.5.2 Commitment to framework agreements (for ICT products) issued by the Ministry of Finance and relevant authorities.

8.1 Policy Scope 

This policy covers key aspects related to Whole of Government Platforms and its key enablers, which includes, but not limited to, the following:
 

8.2 Policy Statement

8.2.1 Government entities shall comply with regulations issued by the digital government authority through:
 

• 8.2.1.1 Make efforts to align its platforms with the strategic directions of digital government, digital government policies, the Digital Government Framework and the regulations emanating from it, and all regulations issued by the Authority in this regard.
   
• 8.2.1.2 Complying with all regulations issued by the digital government authority regarding the registration, development, and updating of their digital platforms based on functional requirements to build and operate the platform. 

8.2.2 Government entities shall improve the user experience of their digital services through:
 

• 8.2.2.1 Ensuring that their Platforms are accessible and inclusive of all beneficiary segments.
   
• 8.2.2.2 Promoting the integration with other government entities to support provisioning of their digital services.
   
• 8.2.2.3 Offering a unified and seamless user experience through their Platforms.

8.2.3 Government entities shall adopt various technologies to develop their Platforms through:
 

• 8.2.3.1 Refraining from being bound by specific technologies or channels and providing access to their digital services through various channels.
   
• 8.2.3.2 Leveraging on technologies that enable digital service design, exchange and integration with other government entities according to the Platforms architecture and functional requirements.
   
• 8.2.3.3 Availing required tools and capabilities to study the usage of current Platforms and provide value-added services.

8.2.4 Government entities shall maintain the level of continuity and improvement of the Platforms business process through:
 

• 8.2.4.1 Promoting the use of their Platforms across different stakeholders from government or private sector.
   
• 8.2.4.2 Providing the required support and needed documentations to improve business operations and service delivery.
   
• 8.2.4.3 Allocating needed tools and resources to continuously monitor, maintain and update the Platforms.
   
• 8.2.4.4 Establishing a mechanism to continuously audit and monitor Platforms functionalities and use cases.
   
• 8.2.4.5 Tracking, measuring and reporting the usage of the Platforms usage, and ensuring that the Platforms development plans are aligned with regulations issued by the digital government authority.
   
• 8.2.4.6 Developing and implementing an incentivization program to promote Platforms adoption.
   
• 8.2.4.7 Setting an overview and a detailed plan to follow to achieve the goals set for the Platforms, and measure progress against that plan.

8.2.5 Government entities shall direct their efforts to increase the satisfaction of beneficiaries when using their digital Platforms through:
 

• 8.2.5.1 Developing and implementing a plan to increase beneficiary satisfaction, meet their needs, and work in their best interest by adopting transparency, accountability and confidentiality when offering services through their Platforms.
   
• 8.2.5.2 Assigning teams to provide customer care and help desk support to beneficiaries and government entities who subscribe to the Platforms.
   
• 8.2.5.3 Elevating the value delivered to beneficiaries through their Platforms, improving the Platforms usability for Subscribers, reducing costs and avoiding duplication of efforts in alignment with the relevant standards issued by the digital government authority.

8.2.6 Government entities shall maintain the level of operations and maintenance of their Platforms through:
 

• 8.2.6.1 Preparing and implementing a comprehensive change management plan to address organizational problems that may arise during development and operation of the platform. The government agency shall adopt a collaborative and joint approach with other government agencies and their private sector partners to ensure ease and smoothness of development, implementation and operations, depending on platform's functional characteristics and services.
   
• 8.2.6.2 Adopting a comprehensive approach to monitor usage data and extract conclusions and insights thereof in alignment with DGA regulations.
   

8.2.7 Government entities shall promote innovation through:
 

• 8.2.7.1 Involving stakeholders from private sector and other government entities to encourage co-creation and collaborative innovation in designing new services and business models.
   
• 8.2.7.2 Promoting Platforms usage in all sectors and business areas, in alignment with regulations issued by the digital government authority and relevant authorities.

8.2.8 Government entities or private sector companies who develop or operate Platforms shall improve services provided through:
 

• 8.2.8.1 Adopting Identity Authentication Management Service, such as (NAFATH) for digital services that require the characteristics or functions of a digital identity.
   
• 8.2.8.2 Adopting electronic payment gateways such as (SADAD) for government digital services or electronic payments.
   
• 8.2.8.3 Adopting services provided by the government authority responsible for digital trust services or one of the licensed digital trust service providers, unless the digital government authority excludes it from this.
   
• 8.2.8.4 Connecting to the Government Secure Network (GSN) to link the government integration channel for digital government services that require secure exchange of data or information.
   
• 8.2.8.5 Adopting the digital marketplace platform (once launched) when developing its platforms, and purchasing services and technical solutions through it.

8.2.9 Government entities shall adopt cloud solutions for their digital platforms through:
 

• 8.2.9.1 Adopting G-Cloud instead of traditional solutions, in alignment with regulations issued by relevant authorities, including, but not limited to, the "Cloud First Policy" issued by MCIT, and the "Cloud Computing Regulatory Framework" issued by CST.
  .

9.1 Policy Scope

The policy covers the different aspects related to managing and administrating government digital services provided to beneficiaries through the different digital channels, in addition to the aspects related to digital skills development.
 

Compliance with this policy by government entities ensures the provision of efficient government digital services that fulfill beneficiaries' needs and meet their expectations as it sets the directions and general provisions for:

• Digital Service Design.
• Digital Content Development.
• Digital skills Development.
• Top priority digital services identification.
• Digital Services provisioning through omni-channel (mobile phones and smart devices).

9.2 Policy Statement

9.2.1 Digital Service Design

Includes all aspects related to government digital service design at all stages, for the service to be clear, simple, consistent, flexible, and proactive, as much as possible, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 9.2.1.1 Adopting a strategy to design government digital services that is aligned with the digital government strategic directions, the Digital Government Policy, and all relevant regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority.
   
• 9.2.1.2 Ensuring that all government digital services design procedures are adaptable to the new technologies and to rapid change in technologies, and focus on satisfying users’ needs from these services.
   
• 9.2.1.3 Providing the required attention to the privacy of beneficiaries by adhering to the requirements related to data privacy issued by The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) before designing the digital services (privacy by design and privacy by default).
   
• 9.2.1.4 Adopt Complying with the cybersecurity requirements issued by the National Cybersecurity Authority in all of the digital government service design and development.
   
• 9.2.1.5 Developing quality assurance procedures and taking them into consideration when designing and developing the digital government services.
   
• 9.2.1.6 Publishing and linking all government digital services to the Unified National Platform (MY.GOV.SA) to provide a seamless, satisfactory, and integrated experience in accordance with the Royal Decree no. (11904) dated 05/03/1437 H.
   
• 9.2.1.7 Providing beneficiaries with specialized digital channels to provide feedback and comments on the digital services. Government entities shall continuously analyze feedbacks and identify improvement opportunities to address these comments periodically.
   
• 9.2.1.8 Providing beneficiaries with the ability to access and update their personal and registration data - as possible - through the government entity platform, and in accordance with the requirements of the Personal Data Protection Regulation.
   
• 9.2.1.9 Designing proactive notifications specific to the beneficiary, that ease access to the service, whenever applicable.
   
• 9.2.1.10 Applying the "Once-only principle” that enables government entities to share beneficiary data across government through one unified integration channel such as the Government Service Bus (GSB), and relying on a unified data file, in order to ensure that the beneficiary enter his data only once.
   
• 9.2.1.11 Defining the government digital services accurately and identifying its linkage to the government entity’s internal services and procedures and defining the Service Level Agreements (SLA) to ensure service continuity and availability.
   
• 9.2.1.12 Providing the government digital services in an integrated and collaborative way with other government entities and identifying opportunities to develop and design digital services that match beneficiary needs and requirements and according to the Whole of Government Platform Policy

9.2.2 Digital Content Development

Includes all aspects related to providing the content of government digital services and its related data and making it available to beneficiaries anytime and anywhere through the different digital channels, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 9.2.2.1 Including all mandatory content for the government digital services based on the Digital Government Authority requirements, and as specified in the Unified National Platform (MY.GOV.SA).
   
• 9.2.2.2 Designing the digital services using the metadata standards.
   
• 9.2.2.3 Conducting regular and periodic reviews to make sure all data published for the digital services are accurate and updated.
   
• 9.2.2.4 Providing the digital services content in Arabic and English and other languages based on target beneficiary segments and use multiple media tools to ensure that all beneficiaries have a similar experience without compromising the quality of the content.
   
• 9.2.2.5 Providing a content that is complying with accessibility requirements for people with disabilities, and set all designs and images used in the digital content to comply with the international World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) standards. 

9.2.3 Digital Services provisioning through omni-channel (mobile phones and smart devices):

Includes all aspects related to providing government digital services through mobile phones and smart devices, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 9.2.3.1 Designing government digital services that are compatible with mobile phones and smart devices; and focus on providing the services that beneficiaries use most frequently.
   
• 9.2.3.2 Developing smart devices applications according to the specification released by the operating system providers, such as, Android and iOS.
   
• 9.2.3.3 Ensuring that touch-based gestures follow commonly used patterns provided by the operating system provider.
   
• 9.2.3.4 Assessing the government digital services based on its compatibility with mobile phones and smart devices.
   
• 9.2.3.5 Developing and improving the government digital services that are assessed as not suitable for mobile phones and smart devices and advising beneficiaries accordingly.
   
• 9.2.3.6 Identifying and building government digital services that are uniquely suited to be provided through mobile phones and smart devices (e.g., where geo-location is a key factor in service provision).

9.2.4 Digital skills Development

Includes all aspects related to developing the digital skills, qualifications, and managing the talents in the local workforce, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 9.2.4.1 Developing annual plans to build digital skills and capabilities for the government entity.
   
• 9.2.4.2 Developing annual plans to procure the required technologies and knowledge assets for the workforce participating in the design, the development and the operation of the government digital services, and set a plan to provide the required resources and talents (recruitment, training, and outsourcing).
   
• 9.2.4.3 Ensuring that the workforce that is responsible for designing, developing, and operating the government digital services have the required digital skills and experience.
   
• 9.2.4.4 Providing the tools and the technical and administrative support for the workforce in charge of digital services design and development; to ensure effectiveness and productivity.

9.2.5 Top priority digital services identification

Includes all aspects related to identification of top priority digital services, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 9.2.5.1 Identifying top priority services in accordance with the methodology mentioned in the UNDESA EGDI report. 
   
• 9.2.5.2 Identifying additional top priority services based on the digital transformation strategic directions of the government entity.
   
• 9.2.5.3 Identifying strategic and operational targets to increase the usage rates of each of the top priority digital services.
   
• 9.2.5.4 Measuring usage rates of the top priority digital services and reporting it to the Digital Government Authority according to what the DGA sees suitable.

10.1 Policy Scope

This policy covers all aspects related to improving the beneficiary's experience of digital government services and enhancing participation and communication between government agencies as service providers and beneficiaries.
 

Compliance with this policy by government entities will guarantee focus on the beneficiaries needs and understanding of their needs, requirements and aspirations when designing digital government services, by setting general principles and provisions for the below areas (Detailed in Figure 2):

• Establish beneficiary centricity practice.
• Enhance beneficiary experience.
• Promote participation and adopt a beneficiary centricity culture.

10.2 Statement of Policy

10.2.1 Establish beneficiary centricity practice

Includes all aspects related to establishing the beneficiary centricity practice to ensure maximum benefit from the government digital services, and their adoption by the beneficiaries, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 10.2.1.1 Developing and adopting beneficiary centricity related policies such as “Access to information and government digital services” policy and “Electronic participation” policy and publishing them on the channels used by the government entity to provide digital services while ensuring they are inclusive and clearly presented.
   
• 10.2.1.2 Developing a strategy for digital services provision that accounts for the concept of beneficiary centricity, and develop the required plans, programs and mechanisms to implement the strategy and ensure follow up on implementation.
   
• 10.2.1.3 Identifying top priority digital services that meet beneficiary needs and requirements, in accordance with the “Lifecycle Administration and Upskilling” policy.
   
• 10.2.1.4 Ensuring that the government digital services are reliable, and easy to recognize and access, in a clear and consistent manner.
   
• 10.2.1.5 Ensuring equal access to information and government digital services for all beneficiary segments including people living in remote areas, all age groups, and people with disabilities.
   
• 10.2.1.6 Offering multiple channels to provide government services in order to meet the needs of beneficiaries who don’t have access to digital channels.
   
• 10.2.1.7 Benefiting from the Whole of Government Platforms to collect and share common users data between government entities securely, and in accordance with the Personal Data Protection regulation and the Whole of Government Platforms Policy.

10.2.2 Enhance beneficiary experience

Includes all aspects related to improving the beneficiary experience when interacting with the government entity through digital channels and using the government digital services available on these channels, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 10.2.2.1 Developing a holistic approach to design the beneficiary experience taking into consideration the beneficiary requirements, needs, behaviors and aspirations, and build an information architecture for the content, design and plan the navigation within the website, and apply the principles of visual design, balance, contrast, emphasis, and hierarchy.
   
• 10.2.2.2 Adopting the required mechanisms to implement the outcomes of beneficiary experience studies, during the different stages of preparation, identification of beneficiary needs, analysis, design, develop, test, implement, and impact assessment.
   
• 10.2.2.3 Implementing the minimum Accessibility and Usability Standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) across all government websites and platforms
   
• 10.2.2.4 Providing all necessary means to ensure accessibility of people with disabilities to the government digital services.
   
• 10.2.2.5 Interacting with the beneficiary through the appropriate digital channels and at the times preferred by the beneficiary.

10.2.3 Promote participation and adopt a beneficiary centricity culture

Includes all aspects related to promoting the participation of beneficiaries, and enhancing communication with them, and following up on the adoption rates of the digital government services, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Digital Government Authority and the relevant government agencies. Government entities should work to achieve this by:
 

• 10.2.3.1 Incentivizing beneficiaries to utilize government digital services.
   
• 10.2.3.2 Listening to beneficiaries’ voice and continuously encourage their participation in all stages of digital government service design.
   
• 10.2.3.3 Ensuring responsiveness to beneficiary requirements and needs within a defined timeframe through the appropriate direct channels and publishing the results on their official channels.
   
• 10.2.3.4 Promoting beneficiary centricity culture within the entity by ensuring active participation of beneficiaries through consultations, information exchange and co-creation.
   
• 10.2.3.5 Developing performance indicators to measure the level of adoption of beneficiary centricity practice and develop the user experience within the government entity.
   
• 10.2.3.6 Adopting impact assessment frameworks to assess the impact of adopting the beneficiary centricity practice and developing the user experience.

11.1 Policy Scope 

This policy covers aspects related to the main technology pillars supporting the Digital Government activities including the Government Digital Services and internal operations, Cloud Computing, Data Management, and Innovation.
 

The Technology policy identify the main technology pillars that government entities should use to support the delivery of digital government services, operations, data management, and innovation in the field of emerging technologies as it sets the directions and general provisions for:

• Innovation.
• Cloud Computing.
• Data Management and Governance.
• Core Technologies.
• Emerging Technologies.
• Operations and Resilience. 

11.2 Policy Statement 

11.2.1 Innovation

Includes aspects related to encouraging government entities to adopt and promote innovation in delivering technology solutions to operate the digital government activities, in alignment with regulations issued by the DGA and the relevant government entities. Government entities should aim to achieve that through:
 

• 11.2.1.1 Prioritizing innovative solutions when developing their Digital Strategy and considering it when choosing technologies related to the digital government activities to enable the government entity achieving flexibility in meeting beneficiaries' needs and priorities.
   
• 11.2.1.2 Promoting a corporate culture that stimulates innovation and encourages employees to initiate, participate, and interact.
   
• 11.2.1.3 Promoting an innovative working environment by ensuring flexibility of legislation and regulations and allocating the necessary human and technical resources required to activate innovation in line with the needs of the government entity.
   
• 11.2.1.4 Activating an approach for innovation to use technologies related to the digital government activities – where possible - , which includes developing methodologies and processes for innovation, to promote integrity and consistency of the Government Digital Services, provide beneficiaries with a seamless experience and achieve the optimal utilization of its available resources.
   
• 11.2.1.5 Building local and international partnerships with universities, research institutions, private companies, and civil society to support and stimulate innovation in the development and usage of technologies related to digital government activities.
   
• 11.2.1.6 Adopting proofs-of-concept, prototypes, and flexible sandbox environment – where possible - in line with the DGA's regulatory directions and governing entities, to provide a safe testing environment for technologies related to digital government activities.
   
• 11.2.1.7 Developing the guiding documents, best practices and success stories that promotes innovation in the field of business process optimization and digital government service provisioning in alignment with the DGA. All content shall be published on DGA E-Services Portal RAQMI in both Arabic and English languages.
   
• 11.2.1.8 Adopting a comprehensive methodology to measure the impact of adopting an innovation approach by analyzing innovation inputs and outputs

11.2.2 Core Technologies

Includes aspects related to designing the technical infrastructure related digital government activities to achieve a better quality of government digital services, enhance beneficiaries' experience, and achieve the optimal utilization of available resources, in accordance with regulations issued by the DGA and the relevant government entities. Government entities should aim to achieve that through:

• 11.2.2.1 Developing a strategy for information technology and digital transformation for the government entity that is aligned with the strategic directions of the digital government and supports the implementation of the government entity' business strategy.
   
• 11.2.2.2 Ensuring compliance of the technologies related to digital government activities with all legislative and regulatory requirements and regulations related to its development, data management and governance, transactions and cyber security as issued by the relevant government entities.
   
• 11.2.2.3 Adopting a comprehensive framework to develop technologies related to digital government activities and utilize the Capability Maturity Model Integration, for example: CMMI.
   
• 11.2.2.4 Documenting the results of all development lifecycle stages for the technologies related to digital government activities and keep it as a reference for continuous improvement.
   
• 11.2.2.5 Developing technologies related to digital government activities in a flexible manner that allows alignment with future directions of the digital government.
   
• 11.2.2.6 Adopting open-source software practices as part of the government entity's policies, and digital transformation strategy – where possible - to ensure expenditure efficiency when investing in technologies related to government activities in alignment with the OSS Adoption Strategy published by the DGA.
   
• 11.2.2.7 Managing the technologies related to government activities as a government resource and making them available as shared services that can be reused – where possible - by other government entities.
   
• 11.2.2.8 Working collaboratively with other government entities to achieve integration between digital government activities to align with beneficiaries' needs and expectations and in line with regulations issued by the DGA and does not contradict with regulations issued by the relevant Government Agencies.
   
• 11.2.2.9. Working collaboratively with the DGA to develop an Information Technology resource map at the level of government entities.
   
• 11.2.2.10 Managing technologies related to digital government activities as distinct and valued assets to the government.

11.2.3 Cloud Computing

Includes aspects related to making IT investments into co-location infrastructure, cloud hosting, and cloud software to increase economies of scale, increase productivity, increase Digital Government Services agility, scalability and stability, in accordance with regulations issued by the DGA and the relevant government entities Government entities should aim to achieve that through:

• 11.2.3.1 Prioritizing cloud over on-premises infrastructure to enable innovation and digitization of government services.
   
• 11.2.3.2 Developing a strategy for Data Center consolidation to community cloud Data Centers or migrating to public cloud.
   
• 11.2.3.3 Implementing cloud fast tracks for the Government Digital Services Portfolio, in order to reduce the single-use, custom-built Government Digital Services, foster its re-use and develop a sustainable strategy to modernize the Government Digital Services.
   
• 11.2.3.4 Utilizing a comprehensive framework to migrate the increasingly standardized Government Digital Services to cloud with a mix of re-hosting, rebuilding, revising or replacement techniques.
   
• 11.2.3.5 Ensuring compliance of Data Center and cloud-related activities with all legislative and regulatory requirements and regulations related to standards, procurement, data classification, as issued by the relevant government entities.
   
• 11.2.3.6 Managing co-location infrastructure, hosting, and cloud software and making them available as community cloud or migrating them to public cloud.

11.2.4 Emerging Technologies:

Include aspects related to developing and investing in emerging technologies as part of the technologies related to government activities to provide enhanced digital services to beneficiaries and achieve optimal use of the available resources, in accordance with regulations issued by the DGA and the relevant government entities. Government entities should aim to achieve that through:
 

• 11.2.4.1 Ensuring compliance of the emerging technologies related to digital government activities with all legislative and regulatory requirements and regulations related to its development, data management and governance, transactions and cyber security as issued by the relevant government entities.
   
• 11.2.4.2 Developing and implementing – where possible- emerging technologies related to digital government activities in a flexible manner that allows alignment with future directions of the digital government.
   
• 11.2.4.3 Utilizing the emerging technology products and solutions available in the market – where possible- such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of things, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Robotic Process Automation, and Augmented Reality, to create, develop and implement digital government activities with the aim of maximizing the expected value, Improving beneficiaries' experience from digital government services, Improving the operational performance of the digital government activities which will result in promoting expenditure efficiency and Avoiding duplication.
   
• 11.2.4.4 Adopting a comprehensive methodology to measure the impact of emerging technologies on digital government activities.

11.2.5 Data Management and Governance

It includes all aspects related to the management and governance of data that arise from and benefit from technologies that support digital government in accordance with the regulations issued by the Authority and adherence to the national data governance policies issued by the National Data Management Office. Government entities must work to achieve this through:
 

• 11.2.5.1 Developing a strategy for data management and data governance to efficiently and effectively manage the data lifecycle and achieve the expected value.
   
• 11.2.5.2 Modelling the data structure of the government entity and developing the data directory as a reference to identify the source and owner of the data
  .
• 11.2.5.3 Classifying the data of the government entity and developing guides on ways to deal with each classification, in accordance with the regulations issued by the relevant government entities.
   
• 11.2.5.4 Promoting data sharing and data exchange with other government entities to facilitate the implementation of digital government activities.
   
• 11.2.5.5 Ensuring free access to data and public information related to digital government entities, in accordance with the regulations issued by the relevant government entities.
   
• 11.2.5.6 Publishing open and shared data and making it available to the public through the Saudi Open Data Portal and the digital platforms available by the government entity.
   
• 11.2.5.7 Adopting a comprehensive approach to data storage, preservation, and monitoring of its quality, uses, and analysis.

11.2.6 Operations and Resilience

Includes aspects related to ensuring the continuity and availability of technologies related to digital government activities and its ability to adapt, in accordance with regulations issued by the DGA and the relevant government entities. Government entities should aim to achieve that through:
 

• 11.2.6.1 Identifying and evaluating risks that may affect business continuity and determining the likelihood of its occurrence and the expected impact.
   
• 11.2.6.2 Defining and implementing a business continuity strategy based on the identified risks and identifying precautions and fallback strategies in the event of disruption of the technologies related to digital government activities and preparing the needed reports.
   
• 11.2.6.3 Developing a strategy to deal with natural disasters and cybersecurity risks associated with technologies related to digital government activities, including responses and mitigation plans.
   
• 11.2.6.4 Defining the technical (non-functional) requirements of the technologies related to digital government activities, including for example: availability, response rates, compatibility, security, scalability, data integrity, capacity, and local content.
   
• 11.2.6.5 Adopting the Information Technology Services Management (ITSM) approach and providing technical support to all users of technologies related to digital government activities including government entity employees and beneficiaries.
   
• 11.2.6.6 Choosing digital service tools and technologies that create higher value in a cost-effective way when planning to invest in technologies related to digital government activities.
   
• 11.2.6.7 Developing a comprehensive change management plan for the technologies related to digital government activities and implementing it to support government entities in assessing the extent to which it meets business needs and measuring its impact.
   
• 11.2.6.8 Allocating technology resources and efforts to leverage interoperable open standards to ensure its development and deployment agility.
   
• 11.2.6.9 Conducting regular internal audits on the technologies related to digital government activities as defined by the government entity and in line with the Digital Government strategic directions.
   
• 11.2.6.10 Envisioning and executing a comprehensive approach to handle legacy technologies currently and in the future.