Digi/Gob platform will support government continuity in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), everis NTT Data, and Microsoft have joined forces to provide governments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with immediate digital solutions through the Digi/Gob platform, helping to ensure the continuity of administrative procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this partnership, everis NTT Data and Microsoft are providing governments a turn-key digital solution free-of-charge and sharing technical expertise, while the IDB works with governments on the ground to achieve rapid implementation.

Digi/Gob is an ad-hoc platform that can be rapidly customized to a country’s specific needs within 2-3 weeks to provide a digital government solution. It has been developed by everis in the Microsoft cloud as a means of enabling the electronic processing of public transactions and facilitating the continuity of operations during this drastic interruption of in-person interactions. A key aspect of this partnership is its use of the cloud to enhance effectiveness and accelerate digital transformation processes in the public sector.

According to a 2019 study published by the IDB, only 7% of public transactions in LAC can be entirely completed on-line. The social distancing measures adopted to address the pandemic have forced the closure of most government offices, thereby interrupting the delivery of public services to many citizens and companies. In this setting, Digi/Gob cloud services can enable digital transactions and eliminate physical interactions on the back- and front-end: citizens can request transactions through an on-line kiosk and civil servants can complete requested services from their homes. Thus, the Digi/Gob platform can help governments continue providing public services in the short term, while paving the way for a more ambitious agenda on public sector digital transformation in the long term.

As a cloud-hosted platform, Digi/Gob can be implemented in any country regardless of its level of digital infrastructure. A standard customization will allow governments to progressively incorporate as many public transactions as needed. Overall, Digi/Gob can be rapidly implemented and scaled to ensure government business continuity during this crisis and beyond. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of the critical role digital technologies play in our daily lives, while underscoring the essential nature of government services in times of crisis. This collaboration with everis NTT Data and Microsoft allows us to help our region’s governments serve citizens and businesses as they navigate the pandemic, while accelerating the digital transformation of our public institutions in the long-term,” said Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the IDB.

 “At Microsoft, we focus on providing secure cloud technology to deploy effective and viable solutions that ensure operational continuity for every sector. This partnership with the IDB and everis will help us enable one such solution for governments in Latin America, responding to a key need for the current situation and also contributing to the future digital transformation of government agencies and institutions,” said Cesar Cernuda, President of Microsoft Latin America and Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation.

“In the face of COVID-19, it is our hope that this partnership will empower governments to operate effectively and efficiently as they work to minimize the negative social and economic consequences of this health crisis,” said Juan Yáñez, CEO of everis, Americas region. “And in addition, we believe these efforts can lay the foundation for the sustained digital transformations of these governments, ultimately setting them up to provide more modern and comprehensive services in the long-term.”

The consulting and cloud service support provided will last seven months and subsequently countries will take full ownership and responsibility for the solution. Countries interested in participating can contact the IDB at gobiernodigital@iadb.org.