The Ministry of IT and Telecom’s ambitious E-Office system, designed to transition federal ministries and divisions to a paperless workflow, is reportedly doing more harm than good. Developed by the National Information Technology Board (NITB), the system is riddled with technical flaws that disrupt daily operations and force civil servants to rely on traditional paperwork.
System Failures and Challenges
Despite orders from the Prime Minister to digitize workflows, the E-Office system has become a bottleneck for government operations. Key issues include:
- Capacity and Hosting Issues: The system cannot handle simultaneous logins from more than 100 officers. If 25% of users log in at once, the system automatically logs them out within two minutes.
- Frequent Downtime: Prolonged system downtimes lasting several hours severely disrupt daily operations and workflows.
- Limited Access: Many sub-departments within ministries lack access to the system altogether, leading to an incomplete adoption of the digital framework.
Impact on Performance and Operations
Officers report significant challenges in evaluating their professional performance due to the system’s inefficiencies. In many cases, they have reverted to manual paperwork to maintain operational continuity. This reliance on traditional methods undermines the very purpose of the E-Office initiative.
NITB’s Response
Surprisingly, Babar Bhatti, CEO of NITB, stated he was unaware of any technical issues with the E-Office system. This disconnect between NITB leadership and ground realities has further fueled frustration among government officers.
The Path Forward
To realize the vision of a paperless government, immediate steps are necessary to address the technical shortcomings of the E-Office system. Enhancing system capacity, improving reliability, and ensuring universal access across all departments are critical to achieving a seamless digital transition.
