المملكة: Launching the Digital Excellence Program… strict standards and certificates for government agencies

The Digital Government The “Digital Excellence Program” is an advanced strategic milestone that aims to crown the maturity of the digital experience in the Kingdom, and move government agencies from the stage of building regulatory frameworks to institutionalizing excellence as a sustainable approach, ensuring raising the efficiency of institutional performance and improving the quality of digital services in line with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

This launch comes as a culmination of a cumulative path that began in 2021, when the focus was then on the governance of the institutional structure to unify concepts and reduce overlaps, which It contributed to building a solid foundation for digital business management.

The year 2023 witnessed greater maturity in the experience by enhancing integration in measurement processes, as the government movement moved from merely regulating practices to unifying monitoring mechanisms and linking digital performance to frameworks that support decision-making.

The year 2024 represented a pivotal turning point with the launch of the second version of the National Enterprise Architecture “NORA 2”, which expanded the scope of work to include Digital business managementwith high flexibility, preparing the environment for the transition to the new program.

The current program embodies a qualitative shift from focusing on theoretical methodologies to adopting a comprehensive applied national framework, concerned with development, measurement and continuous improvement according to precise and implementable standards on the ground.

This movement is based on four main pillars: strategy, technology, operations, and resources, all of which work within an interconnected system that links planning with implementation and supports the sustainability of digital transformation.

The program is not satisfied with the role of a “watchdog,” but rather provides an integrated system of enablers that includes technical evaluation models and guidance guides, giving government agencies the ability to discover strengths and opportunities for improvement to build a development road map.

The Authority has developed a system for granting “digital certificates of excellence” according to levels. Certified and renewable, to create a competitive environment that motivates entities to continuously develop their digital performance and not be satisfied with the minimum requirements.

The program works within an integrated life cycle that begins with updating methodologies and passes through self-evaluation and verification, all the way to announcing the results and submitting improvement plans, which ensures high transparency in offering and follow-up.

Through this program, the Authority aims to unify evaluation standards nationally, raise the readiness of government institutions to deal with rapid technical changes, and build national cadres capable of leading The digital landscapeprofessionally.