IT Reforms in Local Governments for the Realization of a Digital Society
IT Reforms in Local Governments for the Realization of a Digital Society
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In this article, I would like to share with you some of the initiatives and trends toward the realization of digitalization in government, where the use of IT is lagging behind.
In the response to the new coronavirus infection, there have been various issues such as insufficient utilization of cross-sectional data among regions and organizations.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has recommended that national and local government systems be unified/standardized for the digitization of local administration.
In the Digital Reform Bill approved by the Cabinet on March 9, the government proposes to mandate the unification of business system specifications by FY2025 in order to accelerate the digitization of public administration by promoting the unification of local government systems and the use of My Number.
(See: Standardization of Municipal Information Systems|from Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
Click here for table of contents
1. Standardization of Local Government Information Systems
2. My Number System, the Foundation for the Digitization of Public Administration
3. Use of My Number to be Expanded to School Education in FY2023
4. Linking My Number to e-Learning Systems
5. Summary
Standardization of Local Government Information Systems
In the response to the new coronavirus, various issues regarding digitization were revealed, including delays in digitization and lack of human resources at national and local governments, administrative inefficiencies resulting from inadequate system coordination, cumbersome procedures, and delays in delivery of benefits.
The development of ICT in recent years, as represented by the Internet, has been remarkable, and while many digitalization platforms for efficient organizational management and convenient and safe service provision through the use of IT have already been implemented in the private sector, they are still far from sufficient in local governments.
For more information on ICT, please refer to this article.
The Importance of Digitization in Local Governments
In an aging society with a declining birthrate, people must concentrate on tasks that only people can do, and actively digitize those areas that can be digitized.
The use of digital technology will lead to the creation of a system that facilitates the implementation of "management and analysis of information collection and effective actions with a high level of evidence," which local governments have been weak at in the past.
The promotion of digitalization is expected to have the effect of increasing the management awareness and monetization mindset of local governments.
However, it is also true that the degree of utilization of digital technology varies markedly among many municipalities.
The concept of "Digital Transformation (DX)" is now attracting attention.
Companies are expected to break away from existing businesses and create new value by utilizing new digital technologies.
The promotion of the digitization of all socioeconomic activities by the public is not merely the introduction of new technologies, but the transformation of systems, policies, and the way organizations are organized, etc., in line with the new technologies.
For more information on digital transformation (DX), please refer to this article.
Government Initiatives for Digitalization
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has proposed that local governments be obliged to adopt core information systems within a transition period as a way to accelerate the unification and standardization of local government business systems, and to set a target date and create an environment in which local governments can begin preparing for the transition.
According to a survey conducted by the Information and Communication Research Institute in 2016, the implementation rate of ICT utilization projects exceeded 601 TP2T in the fields of "education, disaster prevention, and crime prevention," while the rate was only about 201 TP2T in the fields of infrastructure, industrial promotion, and employment.
▼Survey and research on the current status of ICT utilization in the region (2017)
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications|From ICT Utilization by Sector
About the My Number System, which is the foundation for the digitization of public administration
In his policy speech at the 203rd session of the Diet (extraordinary session) on October 26, 2020, Prime Minister Kan advocated the promotion of digitization of national and local government administration by breaking down the stove-piping between ministries and agencies and local governments.
In addition, he proposed that the My Number Card be distributed to almost all citizens within two and a half years, that the integration of the health insurance card and the My Number Card begin in March 2021, and that the digitalization of driver's licenses be promoted.
Purpose of the My Number System
The My Number System aims to "realize a fair and just society," "improve convenience for citizens," and "enhance administrative efficiency" by utilizing the number as a common social infrastructure.
The My Number system will be introduced based on the four number-related laws enacted and promulgated in May 2013, including the Law Concerning the Use of the Number to Identify Specific Individuals in Administrative Procedures (hereinafter referred to as "Number Law").
Use of My Number will be expanded to school education in FY2023.
The My Number system is being promoted at the initiative of the government, and recently, its use in the field of education is being considered.
In the education field, it is planned to link learner IDs, which are necessary for the utilization of learning histories that are the focus of the GIGA school concept, to My Number and make them available to families and schools that wish to use them starting in FY2023.
What is the GIGA School Concept?
GIGA School is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology that aims to realize "education tailored to the individuality of each child.
It is a five-year plan to provide each student receiving compulsory education with a personal computer and a high-speed network environment.
In addition, an "e-learning system" will be introduced to support the work of teachers and staff, with the aim of reforming their work styles.
This plan, launched in December 2019, is an effort to realize effective learning in the new era through the improvement and utilization of the ICT environment.
The importance of this initiative is becoming increasingly important in the wake of the recent Corona disaster, and educational institutions are also undergoing IT reforms.
Information Linkage in the My Number System
Information linkage under the My Number System is a system that allows residents to omit documents (copies of residence certificates, taxation certificates, etc.) submitted to administrative agencies for various procedures by exchanging personal information between different administrative agencies, etc. using a dedicated information provision network system.
The government plans to verify the linkage between the my number card and the learner ID of the educational support tool (LMS) introduced by each school starting in FY2010 with the target year of 2023.
Regarding operation in school education
Many people change the organization they belong to over time throughout their lives, from elementary school to university, study abroad, employment, and so on.
However, since each individual's learning history and achievements exist separately, it takes an enormous amount of time and effort to compile records of what they actually "learned" and "worked on" there.
If data can be accumulated not only on school learning history but also on work performance, it will be useful for a wide range of purposes, such as improving treatment within the company or changing jobs, and will motivate working people to continue learning.
If a learner ID can be identified by personal identification using a personal number card, it will be possible to update one's learning history on a daily basis anytime and anywhere, and to easily carry it with one when needed.
In fact, this kind of initiative was mentioned at the Keidanren EdTech Strategy Study Group in March 2020, where the necessity of "building and utilizing a system for recording learning history" and the usefulness of "data linkage using learner IDs" were discussed.
Regarding learner IDs, the current situation is that private companies issue IDs for each of their services and products. As a result, it is a time-consuming operation that requires reviewing data linkage due to class changes, etc.
Therefore, by establishing a mechanism that allows single sign-on with a single ID (assuming the OAuth mechanism is in place) and linking with IDs issued by private companies, it will be possible to use learning products provided by private companies.
Furthermore, if the IDs can be extended to include the accumulation of learning logs, it will be possible to construct a mechanism to record learning histories and to compare and analyze the collected data. One idea would be to use the student's personal ID number as the ID for this purpose.
Source: Learning in the Society 5.0 Era Using EdTech|from Japan Business Federation
Reference: March 2020, Learning in the Society 5.0 Era Utilizing EdTech (main text)
Reference: March 2020 Learning in the Society 5.0 Era Utilizing EdTech (Summary)
Linking My Number to e-Learning Systems
As more concrete consideration is given to the use of linking a learner ID to a My Number card, e-learning systems (LMS) will also need to be operated more flexibly. Currently, various e-Learning systems are used by different organizations.
learningBOX is an LMS (Learning Management System) that can be easily set up even by first-time users
learningBOX, Tatsuno Information System's LMS, is designed not from the developer's perspective, but from the user's perspective.
learningBOX is an e-learning system that anyone can use easily. It is a learning management system with all the functions required for an e-learning system, including "creation of teaching materials, creation of questions and tests, and grading and grade management.
▼learningBOX's external linkage functions are explained in detail here.
Benefits and Expectations of e-Learning Systems
Once an e-Learning system is in place to continuously accumulate individual learning histories, it will be useful for analysis and forecasting.
Schools can use the learning data of enrolled students to measure the effectiveness of education, and companies can analyze the relationship between personnel evaluations at the hiring stage and after employment, and between internal training and performance.
Conclusion
In this article, we have introduced trends in the digitization of government administration toward the realization of digitalization of local governments.
The My Number system is being promoted at the initiative of the government, and recently it is also being considered for use in the education sector.
One of the requirements for e-learning systems to be adopted by many organizations in the future is "whether or not it is a flexible LMS that can be externally linked.
In the turbulent post-Corona era, the emphasis is on the ability to utilize diverse human resources with different ideas and abilities within an organization, and organizations that can shift from conventional homogenized learning to "individually optimized learning" will survive.
The mission of e-learning systems also lies in this point, and it is a sobering thought every day.
We are working hard to develop highly flexible e-learning systems that meet the needs of our customers.
We plan to continue developing more convenient features in the future!
If you are considering implementing an e-learning system, we hope you will consider our learningBOX as well.