According to a recent study, Estonia has one of the most effective civil services in the world, and we at Nortal are proud to have played an important part in achieving this. For years, Nortal has exported the key know-how in this field to other countries.
The Institute for Government, a leading think tank working to make government more effective, recently published their first ever International Civil Service Effectiveness (InCiSE) Index. Estonia is ranked 7th overall on the Index, but the small Baltic nation rises to top position when scores are adjusted for GDP per capita. The country ranks top in digital services and the tax administration indicator.
“I’m very proud that Nortal has played an important part in creating one of the most effective civil services in the world,” says Rein Lang, Head of Policy and Legislative Advisory at Nortal. “It makes me even prouder to know that we have exported some of that knowledge and experience to other countries and helped them be better, too.”
Nortal has helped to create one of the most effective civil services in the world.
Many of the various e-services and solutions that have been successfully created and implemented in Estonia can be successfully exported to contribute to building a seamless society in other countries. Nortal has a long history of assisting European countries in the field of e-governance and providing better services. At the moment, Nortal is helping countries in the Middle East and Africa to take the big steps needed for a successful e-transformation.
One of the examples of how investing in technology enables wider and more comfortable access to public services is Oman. Following the launch and implementation of the Nortal-built Invest Easy portal, a single point of access for entrepreneurs that require government e-services, Oman made an unprecedented leap in the Ease of Doing Business Ranking in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2017 report, jumping 127 places in the category Starting a Business.
The Invest Easy portal was a major government project aiming to transform the way businesses operate in Oman by spearheading the first true e-government initiative in the country. Thanks to Invest Easy, company registration now takes less than three minutes in Oman.
Nortal is assisting countries globally in taking the big steps needed for a successful e-transformation
“All the work we’ve done in Estonia during the past 25 years has given us a significant advantage in administration efficiency,” Lang explains. “Estonians do everything online, from voting to filing taxes. They trust the system because it’s safe and transparent, and it has saved money and cut the risk of corruption.”
The Index was published this summer and is the first of its kind, covering 31 countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Australasia.
“This Index can help governments around the world, including the UK, successfully negotiate the immense challenges they face by allowing civil service leaders to identify other countries from whom they can learn,” enthuses Julian McCrae, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government. “Our aim is to encourage collaboration in vital areas such as the adoption of digital technology, and providing a transparent account to the public of how countries are doing.”
Nortal has done several projects to facilitate a more effective civil service globally. Read more about how we built a system that lead into Estonia having one of the lowest administration cost ratios for managing structural and investment funds compared to other EU member states here.
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Rein Lang, Head of Policy and Legislative Consulting at Nortal, has more than 30 years of experience in legislation and policy making. He has held several ministerial positions in Estonia, including minister of justice and minister of cultural affairs. He has advised governments on strategy and change management on different continents and is more than happy to discuss details if you want to get in touch via email.
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