The importance of guiding principles and foundations; a perspective in view of technological advances and innovation

At the beginning and onset of any revolutionary drive, be it technological or scientific, we tend to get lost behind what we could achieve at the cost of that which works and has stood the test of time. This is true in the realm of good governance, principles, and foundations.

“Digital technology allows us a much larger scope to tell stories that were pretty much the grounds of the literary media” - George Lucas

Taking the above analogy, we can grasp a simple truth and reality which we see everywhere in 2021. Technology is an enabling and enhancing tool in many aspects. This translates in all the aspects of work life today. As we are passing through a Pandemic unlike any we’ve seen for over a century, it is through technology that we can make forecasts and data trends, ensure business continuity through remote working practices and so on. Under the microscope and through initiatives like the Work Modernization Programme; MITA has facilitated and sped up a digital transformation across Government, as many ministries and entities were forced to work remotely due to health and safety reasons. The Post Pandemic and present work landscapes are ushering a digital transformation which has inherently been fast tracked, reshaping many practices and industries. Among these, we have the increment of online business - which is now more prominent than before, automation, and education to mention a few.

While all this is welcome, we need to establish, as has happened in the past, those elements that should survive and those to be discarded. In an increased flowing and flexible landscape, the benefits of on-demand and speed come at the forefront, but so do procedural shortfalls and weakness that could and will rationally disrupt business. This becomes very much pertinent to MITA’s role in terms of ICT services to government going forward, as well as all departments within MITA. From accounting and billing practices to data protection, licensing and cybersecurity, the paradigm shift has large implications across the board. With the ratification and legislative requirements at European level for e-invoicing, we find ourselves asking if the previous checks and balances should apply. As per the quote above, technology is an enabling tool, not a practice in and of itself. Applied diligently, it augments processes and reaps benefits, misused it amplifies shoddy practices and creates bigger problems. Similarly, with more and more facades of both business and government embracing digital transformation, threats of cyberattacks become more of a reality, requiring both MITA and Government to invest not only in infrastructure, but in training and enhancing procedures for, preempting, identifying, and mitigating such threats. This should be done by retaining due diligent processes and coupling them with new workflows and tools that can have a compounded beneficial effect.

The conclusion here is to look optimistically at all the benefits and opportunities that a new digital landscape could mean in terms of efficiency and benefits down the line, however with an eye on tried and tested principles and best practices that should not be axed in light of progress, but rather weighed as a fundamental basis, reinforced and enhanced where possible for sustainable progress for all parties present and future in this dynamic and new digital age.