3. Inter-Ministerial Council The Inter-Ministerial Council (IMC) on ICT will be the highest approving and decision-making committee that oversees and drives the suite of major and enterprise-wide ICT projects and e-Services, under the National ICT Agenda. The IMC will also provide the strategic direction towards realizing the National ICT and E-Government vision. It will constitute Ministers of Government particularly with responsibility for ICT, Finance and National Planning. 4. True North Group The True North Group will comprise the Chairs of the various expert working groups and will be led by the Head of CITO and the E-Government Champion. This group will provide support to CITO in order to ensure more effective alignment, co-ordination, integration, consistency, security, interoperability and cost effectiveness across Government for ICT related projects and initiatives. The key areas of support will also include the deployment of e-services, development of enterprise wide operations (HR, payroll, eprocurement), strategic and advisory services, institutionalisation of public private partnerships, establishment training and awareness programmes and ICT capacity building within Government. 5. Head of CITO (E-Government Champion) One of the critical factors responsible for the slow uptake and implementation of E-Government in many countries is the lack of a government champion who has the right skills, knowledge, attitude and leadership qualities, to take responsibility and ownership for the implementation and roll out of government strategies for improving quality of services to the citizens and businesses. In recognition of this the Government of Belize will identify an E-Government Champion with the mandate of executing on the E-Government Policy, Strategy and Plan of Action. This position will also head the Central Information Technology Department, a unit being proposed for oversight of the E-Government agenda. The E-Government Champion will take leadership role in such areas as: 1. Implementing of Government’s ICT related infrastructural development projects; 2. Developing consensus on a common set of minimum quality and interoperability standards for all of Government; 3. Engaging academics and industry professionals on market needs for government and ICT sector capacity development; 4. Overseeing e-service product development and delivery through the various delivery channels; 5. Facilitating linkages to department systems to engender greater systems integration and interoperability; 6. Conducting assessments of all major Government Agencies to identify areas of functional commonality which are also ready for increased automation; 7. Developing the National Communications Plan that aligns with the National E-Government Policy, Strategy and Plan of Action; 8. Assuring value for money for Government by providing single deployment/multiple use, enterprise infrastructure. 25