EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The National e-Government Policy Framework on which this Strategy is based is designed 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, this Strategy and Plan of Action are fashioned to give life to the policy framework for eGovernment. 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 and entrenched unproductive behaviours is 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. Specifically, the National e-Government Policy identifies the following seven strategic themes that are to guide the sector over the next three to five years: 1. Public Sector Infrastructure Development: Building out a world-class Government Wide-Area Network (GWAN) for the Belize public sector using common and shared platforms that enable delivery of robust, seamless, user-friendly, end-to-end E-Government and ICT services internally and to external clients. 2. Creative Regulatory Reform: Designing and implementing pioneering policy and regulatory approaches to ICT adoption and usage in the public service that allow e-Government to flourish in a secure environment. 3. Targeted Human Capacity Development: Shaping public sector frameworks for training, education and career-long learning that bridge significant existing deficiencies in individual and overall human capacity. 4. Improved Government Efficiency: Enhancing public sector responsiveness and the diffusion and use of ICT by upgrading existing delivery channels, creating new channels for delivery, designing compelling new content and services, changing the culture of bureaucracy and developing appropriate governance models. 5. Effective Cross-Functional Collaboration: Developing programmes and initiatives to build capacity for e-Government-related research and innovation, dissolve existing unproductive silos, improve collaboration, increase knowledge exchange, and support the sharing of experiences across Government. 4