5. Effective Cross-Functional Collaboration: Developing programmes and initiatives to build capacity for EGovernment-related research and innovation, dissolve existing unproductive silos, improve collaboration, increase knowledge exchange, and support the sharing of experiences across Government. 6. Enhanced National Security: Applying ICT frameworks uniformly across all national security-related public service entities in ways that remove existing silos, promote close collaboration, encourage active exchange of information, and contribute to a national sense that law and order is being appropriately maintained. 7. Quality Social Services: Transforming the way Government engages with key clients and stakeholders such that they are placed at the centre of national development through the efficient sharing of information and the fast, seamless, secure, cost-effective delivery of Government services via modern ICT platforms. These seven strategic themes around which the E-Government Policy is designed are intended to move Belize along the path to an Integrative System of E-Government and to create the environment necessary for the public service of Belize to eliminate existing bureaucratic silos. This, in turn, is expected to build a collaborative working environment where the public and private sectors and citizens connect in productive partnerships enabled by the transformative power of information and communication technologies (ICT). Yet, these frameworks will deliver value to the Government and people of Belize only if there is a new approach in the way the public sector currently functions, including Cabinet as a body, the Caucus of CEOs, individual Ministries, departments, and statutory corporations. To this end, the Strategy and Plan of Action are fashioned to give life to the policy framework for E-Government. Together, they constitute the roadmap required to manage change, monitor results and hold individuals accountable. Without this roadmap and the accompanying political will to implement agreed policy decisions, the power of culture, unproductive behaviours and inefficiency processes and systems are likely to overshadow technology’s ability to bring about positive transformation. As such, this document articulates concrete initiatives to move Belize forward, including modernising Government’s ICT frameworks and infrastructure; upgrading the digital skills of public servants; improving the way Government conducts its business; upgrading the national security apparatus; enhancing delivery and diffusion of education and health care; managing change in a digital environment; and guiding evolution of legislative and regulatory models that support robust E-Government, innovation, and entrepreneurship. 4. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK These seven strategic themes are intended to move Belize along the path to an Integrative System of EGovernment by addressing the gaps and fundamental deficiencies identified earlier. Such a model links local systems, systems with similar functionality, and systems across Government agencies horizontally (internally) and vertically (externally) such that more seamless communication, collaboration and exchange of information are possible. In this vein, key initiatives under each of the seven themes include ICT-related training for public servants, and a Government network designed to consolidate core public service IT infrastructure. Once that IT infrastructure has been integrated, Government will use it to deliver several appealing e-services designed to allow it to meet 10