DMS in e-Governance

DMS in e-Governance

Out of the many sectors that document management finds application in, e-Governance continues to be the most critical. Good governance not only demands consistent and transparent application of laws and procedures, it mandates that the records that form the evidence for every transaction are readily available and accessible to all. Document Management for e-Governance is especially critical considering the following:

1. Government has the largest number of stakeholders as compared to any vertical – the constituency it serves. Underlying documents for every transaction need to be available to every constituent.
2. Government transactions must not only be above board but must be proven to be so. Good document management solutions make government processes transparent.
3. Accessibility of information - Considering the number and geographic spread of its constituents, electronic document management is the only way of making information accessible to all constituents simultaneously.
4. Costs – Government processes need to be efficient, lean and cost effective. An effective document management system drastically reduces costs of processing.
5. Right to information – Many countries have introduced legislation that enforce a citizen’s right to information. Timely release of documents and information in response to citizen requests requires an effective document management system.
6. Security – It is essential that access to classified documents that impact national security is regulated by appropriate security policies. An effective document management system minimizes possibilities of security breach.

DMS has to be customized to meet the above requirements and cater file movement across different departments of Government. The DMS should be able to cater following processes with respect to document filing system in government.
• Efficient tracking of Files and Documents
• Prevents files from being lost and misplaced
• Eases monitoring and tracking
• Automates office communication
• Provides for escalation procedures
• Incorporates audit trails at user, folder and document levels
• Improves inter and intra departmental communication and collaboration
• Reduces paperwork leading to enhancement in service delivery levels, and increases responsiveness and departmental productivity.