.
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND CIVIL AVIATION (MTCA)
The MTCA is divided into three sectors looking after land, marine and air related activities.
The three groups function separately from an information technology perspective, with
minimal overlap or communication.
The marine division is responsible for all aspects of vessel and vessel operator licensing.
Dhonis are licensed recording the builder, owner and engine serial number. Vessels are not
“type-approved.” There is no marine architect on staff. All operators of vessels that cross
the 1½-degree channel require special licenses, except captains of fishing boats who are
required to have a separate class of license (involving a three-month programme at the
Marine Training Centre). However the MTCA does not operate the Centre or have
substantial input into course curricular content for the licensing.
The office has personal computers (PCs) connected in a simple peer-to-peer network used for
file exchange, but few other local area network (LAN) facilities. They share email with the
land transport division. The belief was expressed that such communication is not necessary.
Of the small IT staff in the marine transport office, two are on extended training leave
overseas. The belief was expressed by staff that further automation was unnecessary.
The land division is responsible for licensing of motor vehicles and operators. Tracking of
drivers and their payments of fines is problematic, as is the recording of transfers of
ownership of both automobiles and vessels. Verification that a vehicle is free of liens
requires the involvement of several ministries and laborious manual record searching, often
requiring a minimum of one week. The land division has a pilot project in which applicants
can apply for a license at a server kiosk, apply online and take an operators’ test. These
servers will be installed in four locations, but will not be connected back to the Ministry. At
the present time the Ministry has a LAN supporting 15 workstations and two servers.
The air division is responsible for civil aviation. The division functions essentially
independently from the land and marine divisions. They have a LAN that includes
connection to the airport and dial-up Internet access. By the description provided, there
appears to be a modern functional IT environment that forms an integral part of the work
context.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 5
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE AND MARINE RESOURCES
(MFAMR)
The MFAMR is responsible for monitoring, control and surveillance relating to fish catches
and stock assessment. To this end, they log daily catch reports for fishing boats operating out
of Male’ and monthly catch reports for fishing boats based in the islands. Records are limited
to gross weight of fish caught without discrimination by species. The same group also
administers islands leased for agriculture. In many cases, the leaseholders harvest native
crops without farming in the traditional sense. Other islands have been cleared and are used
for crops such as papaya and watermelons. There has been little or no citrus crop production
in Maldives since these trees were decimated by rust disease several years ago. Reintroduction
of lemons and limes has been attempted but without success. The Ministry
gathers three classes of information covering agricultural in the islands: production forecasts,
crop surveys and market news. There is no sampling system to track information for
economic planning and coordination. The last comprehensive survey was conducted in 1995
and encompassed 60 islands. The MFAMR currently does not have a LAN, and indicated
that they saw no need to change the existing IT environment at this time. (See Chapter 5 for
a broader discussion of S&T issues in the MFAMR.)
MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (MPND)
The IT environment of MPND comprises approximately 80 computers networked together.
At almost one PC per staff member, this is one of the highest density installations. The
environment is self-contained except for two dial-up accesses for the atoll offices that are
used for file transfer.
The Ministry is responsible for the census, which is maintained on a local Paradox database.
They also have an involvement in the ADB-financed National Accounts Project, and are
nearing completion of a correspondence tracking system. Development of a human resources
data system is planned for 2001. Despite the Ministry’s role within the government, there is
no Geographic Information System. Most maps are obtained from Australia and the United
Kingdom. There are no nationally approved navigation charts. It was reported that not all
senior managers support the interconnection of the ministries for the purposes of information
exchange.
PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT (PRESIDENT’S OFFICE)
The Public Service Department was established in 1999 as part of a larger effort to reform
and modernize the public service. They have a human resources system that encompasses
approximately 20,000 civil servants (below the deputy director level) and 26,000 expatriates
working in the country. This system is to be expanded shortly with a new job-matching
Centre, coordinated with the labour ministry. The group is spread between two separate
buildings as some functions have expanded to space in the former Presidential Palace. They
are in the process of extending the existing LAN between the two sites. The technical
services team consists of one hardware technician and five software support staff.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 6
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRIES (MTI)
Among its functions, the MTI has regulatory responsibility for both trade (State Trading
Organization--STO) and electricity (State Electric Company--STELCO). The Ministry also
collects operational and financial data annually from each atoll and resort. Both STO and
STELCO have independent information technology configurations and are not interconnected
with the Ministry.
The Ministry would like to pursue the development of programs that would provide for
online application, forms and tracking of trade license applications. This would be based on
a dial in server. They would also like to acquire dedicated interconnections through which
they could exchange information with Customs and the Bank of Maldives. Unfortunately no
funds have been allocated for these projects. The Ministry sees its role as one of enhancing
the environment for technology transfer, including, among other things, encouraging industry
to adapt to technology-intensive activities. Overall, the MTI will work to make the economy
more technology-driven.
The MTI will strive to enhance its internal efficiency of administration and public service
through more effective use of IT resources. MTI was a major proponent for introducing the
Internet in Maldives and will maintain this progressive approach to new technologies in its
own operations. Greater availability of online registration and information access will be
combined with broader networking, including potential links to the Customs Service and
Inland Revenue. MTI also will encourage greater e-commerce through facilitation of ecommerce
infrastructures including secure authentication and payment procedures, digital
certification, and protection of consumer privacy.
Recognizing the regional and world competition in IT, MTI will push for rapid development
of in the legal, education and training, and communication areas to facilitate expanded IT
operations in Maldives. The goal shall be to create a “digital community” within Maldives
with high-speed connections provided at competitive rates. The MTI feels strongly that
Maldives can find a niche in the arena of the new economy and play an important role in IT
industries specifically and in S&T activities generally.
The current information technology environment of the MTI is based on a LAN supporting
two NT servers and approximately 48 workstations. Officially, the Ministry has an IT staff
of three; however, two of these are overseas for training and not expected to return for
between two to three years. The gap between MTI’s goals and its current resources must be
addressed soon.
CUSTOMS SERVICE (MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND TREASURY)
The Customs service is responsible for the collection of duties and taxes on imports and
exports and for monitoring all official ports of entry. Although its information infrastructure
is not large by international standards, it is one of the two most modern organizations visited
during the course of the S&T Master Plan project. Rather than go it alone, Customs has
adopted the standardized customs classification system (ASYCUDA++) from the United
Nations. The system has been supplemented, where necessary, with merchandise
classifications that are unique to the Maldives. The system uses Windows 98 client
workstations supported with a Windows NT application server. The network supports 20
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 7
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
clients in the headquarters building, and nine more in the passenger terminal and cargo office
at the airport. There is also a modem pool to permit heavy users to complete and submit
forms online. Until recently the Maldives did not have customs brokers. Customs has a trial
system at the airport in which four brokers submit forms online on behalf of their customers.
The system processes forms only as electronic funds transfers are not yet available in the
Maldives. Cashier positions however, are online. Apart from the ASYCUDA++ system, an
additional 20 workstations at the Customs Service are used for conventional office functions.
MALDIVES AIRPORT AUTHORITY (MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND CIVIL
AVIATION)
Currently, the Male’ International Airport on Hulhule is the sole point of entry for air
travelers arriving in and leaving from Maldives. The Maldives Airport Authority (MAA) is a
fully government-owned company that is responsible for operation of the airport. The MAA
also provides technical support to the regional domestic airports. The Male’ Airport was the
second of two sites visited that had a thoroughly modern and developed information
technology infrastructure.
The MAA formed the Information Technology Section in response to the Y2K crisis. A staff
of six was dedicated to this role. Prior to that, IT facilities had been provided as service
within the Technical Services office. In the past year, focused introduction of information
technology has led to a dramatic shift in the MAA’s corporate culture. The administration
building has been fully wired for 100Mbps Ethernet, with over 80 terminals supported by
three servers. Internet access and email accounts are universal. A human resources
application is in development, and is expected to become active in April 2001. A
procurement support application will be deployed later in 2001.
To further support these administrative initiatives, the Airport Authority is deploying a fibre
optic campus backbone network that will eventually interconnect the primary operations
buildings on the site. All cabling at the airport is installed, maintained and owned by the
Airport.
MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND TREASURY (MFT)
Surprisingly, the MFT appears to be one of the least advanced users of information
technology encountered during the study. One reason for this is that the Maldives financial
system dates from the 19th century, prior to the advent of double entry bookkeeping. Funds
are currently managed through the use of over 1600 separate accounts at the Maldives
Monetary Authority. The ADB is currently working on a project to transform the national
accounting system to one based on Westminster Accounting practices. The ministry did have
servers connected to a small network within a separate computer room. All desktop
machines however are stand-alone. There is no ministerial LAN, per se.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE)
The MOE also has the potential for greater use of information technology even though it does
have an office type LAN. Staff prefer face-to-face discussions to email. When needed,
machines are used as stand-alone devices for word processing or preparation of spreadsheets.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 8
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The MOE operates an intranet like dial-in facility that currently serves approximately 12
schools in Male’. It is used to disseminate statistics, announcements and circulars, and
journal articles for head masters. It is believed that there is a potential of 20,000 users for the
system; the primary deterrent is communication cost – both access and Internet fees are too
high.
At the present time there is no official curriculum for information technology instruction.
Nevertheless most schools have developed class material for at least grades 8 through 10,
based on general Government guidelines. Five out of six schools in Male’ have set up
dedicated computer laboratories, often provided and financed by private companies on a fee
basis. Concern was expressed that accreditation standards are urgently needed. It estimated
that there are many companies offering various computer courses of unknown quality. (See
Chapter 6 for more detail on IT issues in Education).
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL REGISTRATION (MINISTRY OF HOME
AFFAIRS, HOUSING AND ENVIRONMENT)
At the present time, the national identity cards are produced through an entirely manual
operation. Registration is required of all persons 15 years of age and older, but national
coverage has not yet been obtained and there is concern that the documents are easily forged.
The Department of National Registration recently awarded a contract for the automation of
the national ID card system. It is expected to be operational by the end of April 2001.
Initially, the information stored in the system will be used by the Ministry of Education, the
President’s office, and for elections and immigration and emigration records.
The plan is to bring the birth certificates under the jurisdiction of the same ministry, and to
link with Health and NSS to incorporate death records. For many reasons, primarily related
to the manual nature of the various record systems this has not always been done. Under the
new system, compilation of the information within the identity card process will begin with
the birth certificate.
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE (MOJ)
A key IT concern in the MOJ is the maintenance of case histories (archives). Presently this is
done through hard copy records that do not facilitate retrieval or review of earlier decisions
and judgments. It can offer a significant improvement in this area. The MOJ has placed a
priority on preparing IT resources to serve the needs of Maldives’ courts and its citizens.
The first phase of a LAN installation has been completed linking all of the Male’ courts and
providing a dial up link to Addu Atoll Court in Hithadhoo. A second major MOJ IT project
is development of the Justice Information Management System (JIMS). This work is being
supplemented by digitalization of internal court documents and use of scanned documents (in
Adobe-Acrobat format) to replace the current dependence on microfilm technology. Senior
MOJ support for IT efforts are strong and the IT staff is especially competent. However, the
MOJ, like most ministries, requires additional personnel and funds to fully implement its IT
objectives.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 9
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE ATOLLS
Time and transportation constraints during the course of the project limited field visitations to
selected islands in the Baa and Raa atolls. Despite this, similarities were such that the
observations can be reasonably extended to other islands within these atolls and to other
atolls. The use of information technology and communications in the atolls can be broken
into four broad classifications: government, education, business and personal. Each of these
areas can, in turn, be subdivided into two distinct components (1) the machines and
applications themselves, and (2) the communication infrastructure through which
applications are interconnected to achieve their ultimate purpose.
The atoll offices act as a common frontline field agent for many ministries. They collect a
wide range of license and other fees on behalf of various ministries and submit these through
the Ministry of Atolls Administration offices in Male’. The atoll offices prepare and submit
regular administration reports, fishery catch reports, and collect other data on behalf of the
government. A means of easy transmission of written information could significantly
streamline the operation of the atoll offices and provide more timely information to the
various ministries. In some cases, such as the collection of fines and fees, existing legislation
requires that all information be kept in a physical account book. Automation without
procedural amendments to facilitate the use of information technology would serve only to
increase the effective workload.
The atoll offices are provided with personal computers, which are generally used for word
processing, spreadsheets, and occasionally graphics. The machines are used as stand-alone
devices. Internet access is prohibitively expensive, and available only through dial-up
access. No ministries have yet deployed applications that would enable the atoll offices to
submit information online. In fact, current legislation often requires a written report, thus
limiting the gains from the use of the technology.
From an information perspective the individual atoll administrations operate in a degree of
isolation from the various ministries in Male’. The atoll office administers a broad range of
activities, acting as a local agent for the responsible ministry in each area. Among its
administration functions, the atoll office collects fees and fines, and monitors ongoing trade
and resource based industries. Status, findings and progress are reported monthly to the
Ministry of Atoll Administration in Male’. In many cases (such as the collection of fines and
fees), the Ministry provides a buffer between the Atoll office and other ministries and acts as
a single point of contact between the responsible ministries and the atolls.
An island office that was studied at length had a single telephone line equipped with phone
and fax. It had no computer of any type, although one is scheduled to be provided within a
few months. Neither the Katheeb nor office staff had received any training to use the
machine; however, the Katheeb had participated in a private computer-training program at his
own expense. The island offices fulfil a similar role to that of the atoll offices but on a
significantly reduced scale. Existing procedures do not combine reporting and business
activities through the atoll office. Rather the local Katheeb deals directly with (or through)
the Ministry of Atolls Administration for most day-to-day functions.
Better use of information technology, coupled with communication capability, would
improve the abilities of the atoll health clinics to gather and report health information. At the
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 10
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
present time communication resources are extremely limited. Elementary tele-medicine
could expand the ability of the clinics to deal with difficult cases and could reduce some of
the need to travel from island communities to atoll hospitals. Should hospital visits be
essential, the relaying of patient information could reduce duplication and save time. The
health clinic in Eydhafushi, for example, is staffed by two doctors and support staff. It is a
self-contained facility linked to Male’ by telephone and facsimile. The clinic only recently
received its first computer. Its usefulness has been limited to date, as the staff is still
acquiring the ability to use the computer effectively.
The court personnel interviewed in the atoll capital expressed a strong desire for access to
case histories and current case information to aid its effectiveness in dealing with its primary
scope of civil and religious issues. Liaison with Male’ is by telephone, fax and hard copy.
While most cases are handled locally, the need was expressed for much easier exchange of
timely information between the court and the Ministry of Justice. It was reported that the
Ministry is currently “alpha testing” an information system tracking current cases and
providing an historical archive.
Of the three schools visited, all were eager to expand computer education and increase
student exposure and experience. The Baa Atoll Community School was well equipped with
a computer lab and active courses. Island schools visited were serving similarly aged pupils,
but were much more limited in access to equipment. In general the Ministry had provided
each with a single computer but no course material was available. In each case, parents had
donated additional computers to the local school. One school had adapted them for shared
uses: teachers for lesson preparation and students for direct learning. One school had
prepared course material covering basic exposure to elementary programming for grades 8, 9
and 10. Another school had hosted a Male’ company to provide an intensive 45-day training
course, with costs borne by the students. The company supplied all materials, including 15
workstations. Eighty people (children and adults) from the village of 800 took part.
The atoll or island office tends to be the focus for any Government function that does not
maintain a dedicated office on the island. By their nature, these types of activities could be
aided greatly through better communications and the use if information technology. A
typical example is importation of goods. Shipments are frequently large or bulky, and transshipment
through Male’ is both costly and slow. Some shippers report first to Male’, then
proceed directly to the destination island for off-loading, accompanied by a customs officer
and a National Security Service (NSS) officer. Improved communication including the
provision of online access to customs and NSS could greatly simplify such procedures.
Aside from the need for official communications, there is the desire of the people to have
better access to telephone and the Internet. Officially, access is available wherever there is
telephone service. However, few homes have access to telephone service even if they can
afford it. Pay telephones are few and appeared to be in almost constant use. Where the
telephone company, Dhiraagu, has an operations Centre (normally placed in the atoll capital),
many have been equipped with a workstation providing Internet access. It is understood that
there will be a trial of a flat fee for use of these installations. Nevertheless, one access point
for a community of a few thousand people can effectively support little more than email,
regardless of pricing. Student research or small business use would not be practical.
Furthermore, Internet access rates are prohibitively expensive. If Dhiraagu insists on
metering line usage, then Internet access should be considered a basic system feature (like
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 11
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
dialling a phone number) with no extra change. This would place Maldivian access rates on
a par with ‘pay as you go’ rates in most of the world. Still expensive when compared to
income, but affordable enough to permit more widespread use.
Overall it was found that improved access for exchanging information with different
ministries was a pervasive requirement. Error! Reference source not found. provides a
snapshot of the needs identified in one atoll capital. A more detailed investigation would
almost certainly identify others. It is extremely important to note that only a small number of
cases involve a ministry official in the atoll requiring information from the same ministry in
Male’. Most requirements cross ministerial boundaries. This type of communication
requirement is a strong argument for the development of a common Government Network of
the Maldives.
It was not possible to inspect NSS facilities in the atoll; however, it is understood that
fulfillment of NSS communication needs is also limited essentially to telephone dial-up and
high-frequency radio. Access to a common government network should be attractive for
unsecured traffic, especially if it lowers overall communication costs. However, by active
participation in the development and adoption of appropriate standards, the operational and
technical characteristics of a communications facility should be suitable for all but the most
sensitive intelligence traffic. Such an approach would have the additional benefit of
increasing security for the traffic of all ministries.
In the next two sections, the needs for a National Computer Centre and for the Government
Intranet are presented. These same activities will be presented in Part III of the Master Plan
as part of the set of Programme alternatives to be considered for implementation.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 12
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Table 1 – Summary of Potential Government Information Requirements in the Atoll
Ministry or Function Information/Communication Requirement
Justice • Access to case histories from same and other atolls
• Access to criminal records
Transportation • Vessel license renewals
• Land vehicle license renewal
• Renewal of other licenses and collection of fees.
Customs • Local clearance of goods. To avoid trans shipment, ships often pick up customs
officer and NSS officer in Male, then clear shipment at the atoll destination.
• Poor communication cited as impediment to use of Gan for Int’l flights
NSS • Access to criminal case files and histories
• Secure transfer as required
Health • Coordination of health data gathering and reporting
• Tele medicine from atoll to Male’
• Tele medicine from island clinic to atoll clinic
Fishing • Monthly catch reports to be returned to ministry
• Collection and monitoring of fines levied for not maintaining minimum number of
days at sea.
Education • Access to internet for instructional purposes and course materials
Atoll Administration • Submission of regular administration reports
• Financial reporting for collection of fees and fines
• File transfer
• Email
Environmental • Weather monitoring and reporting
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
In general, discussions with representatives of various ministries revealed vast differences in
the level of information technology development and use. The most advanced were
organizations with a specific and well-defined concrete purpose, and that adapted programs
and/or practices from relevant international organizations. The Customs Service and the
Airport Authority fell into this category. A second intermediate group had deployed basic
office automation tools in a networked environment. Email and file sharing were apparent,
along with some mission-oriented development. In general, those in this classification had
had some earlier development that had been spurred on by Y2K fears. The third group made
minimal use of information technology. Inhibitory factors here seemed to be fundamental
incompatibilities of Ministry functions with modern business practices, or a corporate culture
that seemed reluctant to adapt.
Many in senior positions have a reluctance to use information technology directly.
Workstations are clearly on display but are seldom used. This leads to several related
operational problems. Information is essentially second-hand, filtered by subordinates. This
may mislead executive decisions as information and actions taken in response to information
are delayed, with a negative impact on the organization as a whole. Poor understanding of
the nature and power of information technology leads to the promulgation of inefficiencies
through ineffective policies and procedures.
IT staff are frequently poorly or inappropriately trained for their roles. Advanced
postgraduate education is often used as a reward or employee perquisite. While this may be
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 13
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
personally rewarding and beneficial to the individual, it can have a strongly disruptive effect
on the development of IT within the organization. IT initiatives seem to be suppressed both
while the individuals being trained are away, and in the months prior to their departure. IT
staff can be loosely divided into two job-based classifications - support and development. It
was observed that, for the most part, ministries tended to blend these functions to the
detriment of both.
Support personnel do not necessarily need university training, but they do require intimate
knowledge of their IT environment, how it works, how to implement fundamental changes,
how to tune it for performance and how to fix it quickly in the event of failure. This
knowledge is generally available through industrial training programs that are too often
viewed less favourably than the more lengthy formal academic education programmes. The
high level of commonality among the ministries in hardware, operating systems and basis
applications could readily be leveraged to bring industry training to the Maldives.
Application development often suffers because the underlying traditional processes and
“ministerial cultures” are fundamentally inconsistent with the nature of information
technology. The Ministry of Finance, for example, will likely be forced to replace its present
accounting procedures with modern Westminster-based concepts in order to achieve any
effective use of information technology. Elsewhere in the world, process redesign is a
fundamental element of IT deployment.
Ministries are eager to gather and archive relevant information, but its recovery and use are
much less developed. There is a strong reluctance to rely on another ministry’s efforts. For
example, the national identification card is not used by either the Health or Transport
ministries. This leads to duplication and errors in the combined Government operations. In a
similar vein, ministries are distrustful of information provided by others. For example, trade
license fees are determined from re-analysis of raw Custom’s data rather than specialized
reports that could be prepared by the Customs Service at less cost.
The number of qualified personnel in virtually all ministries and departments was either
minimal to maintain the current status, or in some cases the likely cause of poor IT facilities.
Sending key personnel for extended periods of education overseas aggravates the immediate
staffing situation. It appeared that once this period of education was complete, reassignment
was somewhat arbitrary, with little regard as to where the individual could make the greatest
contribution. Also, pay levels are inconsistent with those available in the private sector. It is
likely that under these circumstances the government will continue to suffer from the
untimely departure of many of the best trained people.
Finally, there is little understanding of information technology and how it can be applied at
senior levels within Government. While all senior personnel have a PC, few use them
effectively. This tends to be extended throughout the use of information technology. Many
strive to acquire the technology without understanding that possession of technology does not
equate to its effective use. Government does not seem to track the acquisition and use of
information technology resources. An annual reporting of IT expenditures, personnel,
workstations and servers, network equipment and software by various classes would be an
invaluable planning tool for Government.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 14
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
At the present time there is no central coordination for information technology policies,
standards and practices. This is one of the key roles that could be fulfilled by the proposed
National Computer Centre (NCC). In addition to policies affecting the “mechanics” of
information technology, this should:
• Determine IT policies needed to ensure effective and efficient exploitation of IT use
in the private and public sectors such as financial services, media and publishing,
tourism and leisure services, retail, wholesale distribution and e-commerce;
• Suggest policies to correspond to new IT requirements (especially on trade policies,
privacy of personal data protection against illegal and harmful contents, etc.); and
• Develop policies concerning intellectual property and software use.
Communication costs and the existing regulatory environment are huge disincentives to the
expanded use of information technology, especially for wide area application such as
electronic commerce. There is clearly a conflict of interest between the regulatory authority
and Dhiraagu. The current situation leads to decisions that are not always in the best interest
of Maldivian consumers. Three options would seem to offer viable solutions: (1) open
competition, (2) Dhiraagu as an independent regulated monopoly, or (3) the restructuring of
Dhiraagu into a purely Government operation under the MCST.
Dhiraagu operates a backbone network providing telephone service to each atoll along the
length of the country. The network, however, was designed specifically for voice and will
require upgrading to be used for high-speed data. It is understood that most sites can be
retrofitted without extensive costs or service disruption.
The development of a Government network offers an opportunity to create community telecentres
at selected locations throughout the nation. These would provide a common point of
access through which people could take advantage of the various Government online
services, and query databases for research purposes. Most such sites may be situated in atoll
or island offices.
THE NATIONAL COMPUTER CENTRE
The concept of a National Computer Centre has existed within Government for a number of
years. It originated within the Ministry of Planning and National Development when that
ministry operated the only data Centre in Government. The responsibility for instituting a
National Computer Centre was transferred to the Ministry of Communication, Science and
Technology when it was formed as part of a major Government restructuring in 1998. In the
early days of IT, when all information technology revolved around mainframes and mini
computers, the NCC was likely seen as operating a physical computer Centre. However, with
changing technologies this is no longer feasible, nor desirable.
As the earlier discussion has indicated, a surprising variation exists in both the use of and
reliance on information technology. A more valuable role for the National Computer Centre
would be to reduce these variations. This would be achieved as a collaborative effort under a
common leadership. That is, the NCC should facilitate an environment through which the
stronger organizations can assist those that are less developed from an IT perspective.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 15
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The NCC is seen as fulfilling a dual role. First, it would serve as a coordinating body for the
development of information technology standards and guidelines. It must first determine
where standards and guidelines would be most effective in the development and use of
information technology within Government, then develop a suitable plan for adopting,
modifying or creating appropriate standards. Second, it would be responsible for the
development and administration of the Government Network of Maldives (GNM), discussed
below. The GNM is envisaged as a common government network that is designed to
facilitate communication among ministries as well as to provide common services as a
government Intranet with the goal of containing cost and increasing decision making
effectiveness through the provision of accurate and timely data.
Names and Designations. The name “National Computer Centre” is really an anachronistic
misnomer relating more to its origin than its future. In other jurisdictions, the functions
foreseen for the NCC are carried out by an organization called the Information Technology
Ministry or similar name. With virtually universal acceptance, however, the head of such an
organization is known as the Chief Information Officer (CIO). Within government
structures, the CIO position is usually equivalent to a deputy minister.
NCC Mission Statement. The National Computer Centre should cooperate and coordinate
with appropriate bodies and agencies of government and the private sector, to ensure that
information technology policies, strategies and programs are consistent with national
development priorities and requirements. The mission statement of the NCC can be
summarized as follows.
• Promulgate policies, programs and projects that will set the overall strategy and
direction to fully harness and exploit IT for economic and social development,
especially in addressing the needs of the less advantaged sectors of the society;
• Carry out, in cooperation with industry and other Government agencies, focused
policy and technological reviews, studies, as well as research and development
(R&D) projects, to accelerate the development of the local IT and allied
industries;
• Facilitate the development and implementation of a Government information
systems plan to accelerate the application of electronic governance in the country
for greater productivity, wider public access to information and faster delivery of
basic services;
• Develop and promulgate minimum standards and benchmarks for computerization
and other IT-related activities in Government.
• Review (and possibly approve) proposed information systems plans of national
government agencies, Government-owned and controlled corporations, and
Government financial institutions.
• Provide IT consultancy and other related services to other government agencies,
institutions, including Government-owned and controlled corporations and local
Government units;
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 16
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• Conduct a periodic information systems survey to foster a well coordinated and
integrated development, Implementation and management of computer-based
information systems and networks in government;
• Assist, as requested, Government ministries and agencies concerned in the review
and design of IT education and training curricula to ensure a globally competitive
human resource base for the sustainability of the country's knowledge-based
industries
• Develop and implement a continuing national IT promotion program to improve
wider public awareness and understanding of the national plan and vision;
programs, projects and activities; and
• Perform such other functions as may be needed or required.
A key role of the NCC is to guide the adoption of information technology standards within
Government. Specifically, the NCC should focus on four strategic directions for government
standardization:
• Open Systems Interconnection;
• Electronic Services,
• Portability of Applications; and,
• Enterprise-wide Open Systems
The following discussion will attempt to clarify the nature of needed government standards,
why they are needed, and what the NCC’s responsibility in this area will be.
What is meant by a government standard? An NCC Information and Technology Standard
is a standard that has been approved by the NCC following a consensus process that involves
establishment, review and balloting and that is open to all ministries. The NCC would not
arbitrarily impose information and technology standards on other ministries. Rather it would
provide guidance and final approval of standards. The criteria for approval of standards is
usually such that:
• Implementation of the standard will result in a significant benefit to the
government by permitting open procurement, compatibility and optimization in its
information and technology investment; or
• The standard represents a strategic direction that is in line with Government
policies and objectives, and international trends.
IT standards cover a wide number of areas ranging from simple data format specifications
(such as time, date and currency codes) to complex protocols for the exchange of information
between systems of different vendors. Government standards work must be prioritized to
emphasize the key areas that support approved strategic directions (such as doing more with
less), the government agenda (such as cutting costs) or specific technical or policy
requirements (such as protecting information). The NCC should focus on achieving and
supporting an Open Systems Environment through standards for systems inter-working,
information management, application portability, and IT security.
This consensus based standards development and adoption strategy would follow a three-step
review and approval process:
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 17
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• Standards and guidance documents would be reviewed by designated working
groups of experts from participating ministries who determine the implementation
and applicability criteria - how, when and under what conditions the standard is to
be used.
• The standards are then submitted to a ballot process in which all ministries are
invited to participate.
• Following approval and resolution of any comments, the standards are
promulgated as NCC Information and Technology Standards and distributed on
paper, diskettes, electronic bulletin boards and on CD ROM to ministries and the
private sector.
Why are government standards needed? Inter-operability, portability of applications and
wide connectivity of systems are essential in a world that increasingly operates electronically.
Standards are essential to ensure that ministries are able to interact effectively with each
other, government agencies, the private sector, and other organizations at the national and
international level. Standards thus play a significant role in protecting a government’s IT
investment in technology and in preserving government electronic information. The NCC
standards program should serve two functions. First, provide an internal coordinating role to
promote the adoption of common standards and to harmonize ministerial policies. Second,
fulfill an advocacy role with respect to user needs in the marketplace.
The future direction is toward a global information infrastructure (GII). All governments
have an important role to play in interoperability of the GII by being an advocate for the
importance and advantages of interoperability; participating in private sector led standards
processes; and using open international standards and specifications in a common framework
for government procurements. International consideration is essential because some treaties
and international trade agreements impose a requirement to use international standards in
procurement.
The NCC Information and Technology Standards activities should parallel those of other
administrations (including the US, UK, Sweden, and the EU) in defining the standards to be
used for procurement and systems development. This encompasses five different aspects:
• Evaluation and direction setting: The NCC would coordinate the development of
user focused standards that are harmonized with industry and other countries
• Policy implementation and review: It would develop standards policies and assess
the effectiveness of these policies
• Co-ordination: It would harmonize ministry positions with (national and)
international standards bodies;
• Promotion and liaison: The NCC would ensure effective promulgation and
understanding of standards and related policies; and finally,
• Partnerships and alliances: It would collaborate both with other ministries and
the private sector to optimize resource utilization by sharing common
development, research and technical initiatives.
This will require working closely with the various ministries to determine their priorities and
find where standards are most needed; developing mutually beneficial cooperative
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 18
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
agreements or initiatives; and using the collective power of the ministries to achieve the
common overall objectives.
As noted previously, it is important to base this effort on a consensus standards process. It is
this process that is the core service of the NCC, and not the development of standards per se.
The government standards process demands not only consensus of the ministries, but also
consensus at the international levels. It is not in the best interests of any country to impose
unique government requirements.
The approach that has proven successful in other countries is to work within a national
standards system and to harmonize government requirements with national requirements;
then to work in international standards committees to have national requirements met in
internationally agreed standards; and lastly, to close the loop by endorsing international
standards as national standards. The NCC should encourage ministries to be the prime
movers in determining how, when and under what conditions such standards will be used
within the government. Where necessary the NCC would take a leadership role in key
technical or management areas as needed to produce the desired results.
Given the shortage of resources and the growing demands of the IT environment in Maldives,
the standards program should rely on developing partnerships, and leveraging available
expertise in each of the technical areas. For the most part, Government does not develop
standards. Suitable standards that exist within the private sector, at the national or
international level, or even in other administrations, would be reviewed and, where
appropriate, adopted.
Direct efforts can be supplemented by adopting the investment in standards development that
has been made by others. For example, Government, through the NCC, might establish a
formal memorandum of agreement with the US National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) to obtain full access to the work of the US Federal Information
Processing Standards program. It could also establish liaison arrangements with other
national governments and the European Union to formally gain access to technical material
such as standards, guidance documents and best practice documents. Such documentation
could represent a very significant value and cost saving to the government.
What are the NCC responsibilities? The role of the NCC is to recommend and guide the
development and deployment of the information technology infrastructure within
Government through consensus with the various ministries rather than imposition of
regulations. Once this has been decided, the next step is to lay out the scope of the overall
work to be undertaken and, from that, determine what resources will be required and where
they will be obtained. The scope of this process is limited to a general synopsis of the
activities involved. It is strongly recommended however, that all resources needed to
develop and maintain the information technology standards environment be ENTIRELY
funded by Government without outside aid in ANY form. Total independence of external
funding is the only way to ensure that the end result will be appropriately administered and
maintained.
Table 2 provides a breakdown of the main areas in which the NCC should provide guidance
for the use of information technology within the government. Within each of these general
classifications, the table provides a representative sampling of the kinds of standards,
specifications and guidelines that will be needed. From the breadth of the required standards
base it is clear that this cannot be done in isolation. Not only is interoperability with the rest
of the world an important consideration, but the level of effort that would be required makes
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 19
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
an independent approach impractical. Table 2 also illustrates the consensus nature that is
essential for the successful integration and use of information technologies. For example, the
Ministry of National Registration under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Housing and
Environment is instituting a national identification number system to provide a universal
identifier for each citizen. Few other ministries have adopted this identification as their
common baseline for the provision of services to the public. Apart from immigration and
emigration, most agencies have, or are planning to, implement an independent citizen
identification reference. The role of the NCC here would be to document the nature of the
national identification number and establish criteria for its use.
One possible approach to the planning and development of both information technology and
the Government Network of Maldives (GNM) is illustrated in Figure 2. Overall direction
and guidance falls to a Chief Information Officer (CIO). He is responsible for the
establishment of the standards and guidelines and governing the development and operation
of information technology within Government.
Architecture &
Standards Group
Chief
Information Officer
Advisory Committee
Standards Working
Groups
Communications
Infrastructure Director
Information Technology
Director
Communications
Standards Group
Communications
Architecture Group
Figure 2 – National Computer Centre High Level Organization
The CIO is responsible for high-level development and planning of the information
architecture. The CIO is responsible for the establishment of standards and guidelines within
the government. This role encompasses communications architecture and standards.
Communications Architecture The Communications Architecture Group is headed by
a communications infrastructure director. The group is responsible
for the design and specification of the communication
infrastructure that will provide the foundation for the GNM.
Communication Standards The Communication Standards Group is headed by an
information technology director. The group is responsible for the
development of the standards environment for communications
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 20
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
within the government. Responsibilities should include
representation of Maldives on international standards bodies.
The Information Technology division, also headed by a director, is responsible for
Information Technology related Architecture and Standards.
IT Architecture & Standards The IT Architecture & Standards group will be
responsible for developing a common data processing and
application development philosophy for Government. While
international agreements or “recommendations” drive the
communications sector, the data processing sector is largely driven
by private industry. The role of this group is to develop a suite of
IT guidelines and recommendations that will provide a common
framework for IT development in the government.
Work between the communications and IT divisions is coordinated by an Advisory
Committee that is also responsible for striking standards committees and other working
groups as needed to build and maintain the standards framework for the government.
Advisory Committee The Advisory Committee will provide an ongoing
integrated assessment of communications and data processing
within the government. It is the group that will provide the overall
vision for IT development. It will also identify areas where
common government requirements can be addressed more
effectively through common systems. The Advisory Committee
comprises a small staff core, supplemented by specialized expertise
that is seconded from within the government or contracted from
private industry.
Standards Working Groups Standards Working Groups will be created as needed to
develop or recommend adoption of communications and data
processing standards and guidelines. Committees will be formed
by seconding expertise as needed from other ministries and
industry. A committee will be formed to deal with a specific issue
or requirement, then disbanded once the task is complete.
Standards and guidelines affecting information technology in its
many manifestations can be divided into three broad areas:
Communications and Information Management; Security; and,
Access to Information and Privacy. Table 2 provides a summary of
the typical types of standards and guidelines that will be required
within each area. Many may already exist; some will be prepared
by other organizations, and some by the NCC. This is intended to
show the context into which information and technology standards
must fit. Error! Reference source not found.3 provides a more
detailed list of IT specific standards and guidelines that must be
developed or adopted. Many of these can be adopted or adapted
from existing sources. A few will have to be developed from
scratch.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 21
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Table 2 - A Framework for Information Technology Related Standards and
Guidelines
Communications and Information Technology
• Communications and Publishing
• Information Technology Guideline
• Guideline for Management of IT Projects
• Management of Information Technology
• Information Technology Standards
• Data Interchange and Media Series
• Databases and Documents Series
• Operating Systems Services and Utilities Series
• Programming Languages and Software Engineering Series
• Quality Assurance Standards Series
• User Environment Standards Series
• Network Services Application and Management Series
• Government Information Holdings
• Other Information Management Publications
• Primer on Databases for Managers
• Database Guidelines for Managers
Related Areas
Access to Information and Privacy
• Access to Information
• Guideline for Access to Government Information
• Guideline for Access to Personal Information
• Privacy and Data Protection
• Collection, Retention and Disposal of Personal Information
• Employee Privacy Code
• Delegation of Authority
Security
• Primary Security Issues
• Security Policy
• Information Technology Security Standard
• Personnel Security Standard
• Physical Security Standard
• Security and Contingency Management Standard
• Security and Contracting Management Standard
• Security Organization and Administration Standard
• Other Security Issues
• Certification Policy and Practice Framework
• Confidentiality and Privacy Manual
• Manager’s Security Policy Handbook
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 22
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Table 3 – Requirement Details for Information Technology Standards and
Guidelines
Data Interchange and Media (DIAM)
• National Identification Number and Application
• Business Identification Number and Application
• Coded Character Set for Information Interchange
• Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries
• Codes for the Representation of Currencies & Funds
• Representation of Dates and Times
• Bar Coding
• Micrographic Standards
• Electronic Data Interchange
• Electronic Imaging Standards
• Smart Card Technologies
Databases and Documents (DBD)
• Database Language SQL
• Standard Generalized Mark-up Language (SGML)
Operating Systems, Services and Utilities (OSSU)
• Application Portability
• Application Program Interface
Programming Languages and Software Engineering (PLSE)
• Acceptable languages & applicable specs
• Software Life-Cycle Processes
• Evaluation and Selection of Computer-Aided Software Engineering
(CASE) Tools
Quality Assurance (QA)
• Software product evaluation
• QA in development
• QA in Final testing and inspection
• QA in production
User Environment (UE)
• Keyboard and presentation standards
• English/Dhivehi (Thaana) requirements
Network Services, Application and Management (NSAM)
• Government Open Systems Specification
• Message Handling
• Naming and Addressing
• Information Technology Security Standard
• Cabling Standards
•
DEVELOPING A COMMON GOVERNMENT IT STANDARDS FRAMEWORK
The fundamental premise of the government information infrastructure should be a family of
interconnected facilities and services, each implemented to meet specific ministerial needs,
yet working together as a single environment. The successful development of this
infrastructure will depend on a solid and consistent framework of underlying standards and
guidelines. Changing technologies and techniques in the future will require an ongoing
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 23
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
review and revision of this standards framework. The CIO’s office would be responsible for
developing the initial baseline standards framework, then adjusting this as needed in the
future. The key objectives are to:
• Increase the effectiveness and economy in acquiring and administering IT
resources by promoting compatibility and inter-changeability of equipment
applications and data.
• Establish a common process for developing, approving and implementing
standards throughout the government;
• Reduce the duplication of effort and related costs; and,
• Coordinate information in national and international standards organizations and
development.
While references to standards and guidelines are frequently used interchangeably, there is a
clear difference between the two. Standards, when adopted are mandatory requirements.
That is, all ministries must comply, and demonstrate the success or level of compliance in
annual reporting. Guidelines, on the other hand, are recommendations. Ministries are free to
chose alternatives, but must justify their choices in annual reporting and bear responsibility
for these choices. Great care must be taken not to over-regulate. Standards and guidelines
should be applied only if there is a clear operational or management advantage in doing so.
- Requirement
- Identification &
- Initialization
- Standards &
- Guideline
- Development
- Approval Implementation
- Maintenance
Figure 3 - Standards/Guidelines Development Process
The development of the initial IT environment, and the adoption of new information
technology standards and guidelines should involve a five-stage process: initialization,
development, approval, implementation, and maintenance. The following paragraphs provide
a brief description of each step.
Initiation Standards should be developed or adopted only when they can be seen
to offer a clear benefit to government operations. The objective is to provide a
framework where beneficial, while not limiting initiative or originality.
Wherever possible, existing national, international or industry standards
should be adopted or endorsed as ‘government standards’. Independent
standards should be created only when there is a specific need.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 24
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Development Standards would be developed by working groups convened for that
specific task. The working group would assess the requirement, assess the
applicability of existing or ongoing work of other standards bodies, and if
needed, develop new standards. The working group would be comprised of
experts drawn from government ministries and where appropriate, private
industry. Working groups are established for a specific task, and disbanded
when the development is complete.
The development process should follow an iterative approach similar to that
used by other standards bodies. Draft versions would be circulated to voting
institutions for review. Objections and recommendations would serve as the
basis for the next draft. After consensus has been reached, the proposed
standard would be submitted to the CIO for formal approval.
Approval Before CIO approval, the Advisory Committee on Information
Management reviews the validity of the development process and comments
on the impact of the standard and proposed implementation schedule.
Implementation After the standard and implementation plan have been approved, the
CIO undertakes its implementation. Ministries and other affected institutions
would prepare timetables for compliance with the standard, and report
progress towards compliance in ministerial Information Management plans.
Compliance plans and progress may be audited at the discretion of the CIO.
Maintenance Changing technologies and other factors may affect the applicability or
relevance of approved standards. Each standard must be reviewed at least
once every 5 years. When change is required, the process would be similar to
that for a new standard.
Several ministries have already begun developing the communication and information
technology environment needed to support administration and program delivery. Some are
just beginning, while still others have little of the needed expertise. A key goal of the CIO
must be to share expertise to level this playing field. The IT environment within each
ministry will evolve independently, yet each ministry will accept the GNM in accordance
with the ministry’s needs for specific services, capacities and quality of service.
The following paragraphs provide a general overview of an infrastructure architecture that,
over the long term, likely will be adopted within the individual ministries. It would divide
the information processing environment into seven functional groups as illustrated in Figure
4, interconnected by communication environments that are appropriate to the group-to-group
communication needs.
The core data repositories of the ministry reside at the Centre, and are serviced by the highest
speed communication facilities and servers. Application servers form a second functional
group with high-speed access to data repositories, and communication facilities providing
medium to high-speed interconnection among group servers as needed by the specific
applications. Analysis and reporting servers form a third group, These have high speed
access to data repositories and are interconnected by facilities and services that are
appropriate to the communication needs of the users and applications running on other
servers. The security servers constitute the fourth function class. These servers regulate the
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 25
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
flow of traffic, provide authentication services, authorization services, and encryption as
appropriate. Depending on the security level required, encryption services may be distributed
so that information content is encrypted before entering the user LAN environment.
The fifth group encompasses development activities. This group would generally be
equipped with a range of communications capabilities needed to develop and test applications
in a realistic environment simulation. It would generally be a highly dynamic server cluster,
capable of generating high loads and changing configuration as applications are developed,
tested or revised. In general the development group should have restricted access to the data
repository, with read only privileges. Depending on testing requirements, access to the data
repository would generally be controlled by the security group.
Local users, or “headquarters users,” form a sixth group that constitutes the workstations
commonly associated with the network. They have access to the server by means of a local
area network with performance geared to the needs of the specific users. For example, most
users will receive satisfactory performance when served by a conventional 10Mbps Ethernet
LAN, either switched or shared. Intensive users could be served with 100Mbps or gigabit
LAN services as appropriate to their needs. The headquarters group may actually be a
number of physically separate groups, with separate LANs, and possibly in separate
buildings.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 26
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Data Warehouse
(100mbps min)
Database/Backup
etc
Applications LAN
(100Mbps)
Analysis/
Reporting LAN
(10Mbps)
Security
(100Mbps)
Male' 'HQ' LAN
Segments
(10Mbps)
Development
Support LAN
(10 &100Mbps)
GNM
Typically based on
Frame Relay
Workstations (56kbps - E1)
Print Servers Application Servers
Firewall
Authentication
PkI etc
Development
Servers Atoll Offices
Figure 4 - Overall Communication Concepts within a Large Ministry
The mission of the CIO is to provide overall development planning and direction for the
Government information infrastructure. This should begin with the creation of a common
framework of IT policies, standards and guidelines. This should be achieved by drawing on,
and assigning specific components to ministries where appropriate expertise already exists.
It would include participation in the development of international and industry standards
through participation in international standards bodies. Based on this framework, and the
deployed service infrastructure, the CIO must undertake an ongoing planning program to
ensure that the Government infrastructure will maintain its reliability and efficiency as
technologies change.
The development of the Government information infrastructure will have far-reaching effects
on Government as a whole and on individual ministries. It will bring improved efficiency in
program delivery, and more reliable, accessible and accurate information. In turn, these will
bring a requirement for new skills, and will have a fundamental effect on the overall working
culture within the government. The development plan must address each of the affected
areas, identify potential risks, and determine a path that will avoid or resolve problem areas.
The work would be conducted as a series of independent, yet coordinated studies – in essence
“black box” studies with their own inputs and outputs. Those studies that affect the
fundamental concept and philosophy of the Government infrastructure should be conducted
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 27
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
internally. Others relating to technical and non-policy issues could be contracted out to
consultants. In either case, Government must ensure that the individuals involved have
appropriate expertise and experience.
The development process, as illustrated in Figure 5, is divided into four high level phases:
situation analysis, preliminary design, detailed design and implementation. Each comprises
several component tasks and projects with specific inputs and objectives. As part of the
planning process, each of these high-level phases will, in turn, be divided into component
phases, and these subdivided into separate projects and their component tasks. A brief
overview is provided in the following paragraphs.
- Communications
- Situation Analysis
- Standards
- Coordination &
- Liaison
- Applications
- Situation Analysis
- Preliminary
- Departmental
- IT Plan
- Detailed Design
- and Implementation
- Planning
- Detailed Design
- and Implementation
- Planning
- HR Impact
- Study
- Implementation
- Sub-projects
- Figure 5 - High Level Network Implementation Plan
- Phase 1 – Situation Analysis
Phase 1 provides an overall situation analysis that defines the baseline for development. It
will require several independent studies to be undertaken, covering applications,
communications and standards.
Communications This study will conduct an assessment of the existing communication
environment within Government including both LANs and wide area
networks. It can be assumed that the existing facilities support current
needs. The objective of this study is to provide a base line reference for
the deployment of new applications. The study should produce a
community of interest or similar traffic model, along with an associated
cost model.
The final study will enable Government to determine cost impacts as new
services and applications are added, and the networks are expanded to
support new points of service. An outside consultant would likely carry
out the communications study.
Applications An application study would catalogue the infrastructure needs of
existing applications. It must determine the net cost and operational
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 28
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
impact of new applications as they are developed. This study will not
determine which applications are needed or should be developed. Rather,
it starts with the assumption that each application has already been
subjected to a separate and independent ministerial cost/benefit/risk
scrutiny.
The study would identify those applications that are common to all
government ministries, and assess whether centralization could bring
savings or improved service levels to Government operations.
Assessments of the component applications for each application would be
done by the most appropriate ministerial representatives or private
resources
Standards The objective of the standards study is to develop an overall standards
and guidelines framework for Government’s IT environment. It will
define a timeframe within which legacy systems will be modified to
conform to overall government criteria. The standards study will
determine how ministries would adopt the governments recommended
guidelines, and determine a project framework for conformance.
Standards will encompass a broad range of IT areas from communications
to databases to operating systems. The work should be carried out inhouse
in close coordination with the ministries. This function will retain
an ongoing presence. Its influence and direction will be not only at this
stage, but will be ongoing in areas such as determining minimum LAN
performance standards, workstation hardware/software standards, security
issues, and all other areas where common approaches and minimums must
be established and maintained.
Phase 2 – Preliminary Design
Phase 2 of the development will encompass two interdependent areas: a human resources
impact assessment and the preliminary design of the information infrastructure. The final
result will be a pair of studies that form the basis for final decisions concerning the nature
and deployment of the ministerial information infrastructure.
Preliminary Design The preliminary design will provide a concept to Government of the
information infrastructure. It will present and classify options, and, in
concert with the human resources element, recommend an overall
architecture. It will provide the first level definition and recommendations
for a wide range of options and decisions. These will include the nature
and general architecture of ministerial LANs and wide area network. It
must recommend the basic services that will be needed to supporting the
operating environment, including directory services, security, access,
backup, and the whole range of services that will be common to the
ministry as a whole. It must also include the related support services and
systems such as help desk and mechanisms to support moves, adds and
changes.
This major undertaking will provide sufficient detail for final cost analysis,
as well as peer review that will choose among the options presented and
establish priorities. This work should be allocated to an outside
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 29
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
contractor. The contractor can provide the needed cross-section of skills,
since not all may yet reside within a given ministry. It should be expected
that recommendations arising from this work might be controversial.
Acceptance, and cooperation, throughout the ministry may be improved if
the more contentious recommendations come from outside.
Human Resources A human resources study must be conducted to determine the overall
impact of IT changes on ministry resources. Personnel with appropriate
skills and experience will be required for application support,
communication design, operation and maintenance, help desk and related
functions. Many of these needs currently exist within the ministry. More
importantly will be the impact of planned applications on the nature of the
ministry. Skills will be made obsolete, new skills will be needed.
Retraining and ongoing education will become ever more important as
manual traditions are slowly superceded. The focus of this study is to
assess the impact on the present environment, to identify strengths and
weaknesses among existing personnel, and identify how to acquire needed
skills through training or recruitment.
Phase 3 – Detailed Design and Implementation
The third phase is the detailed design and planning. During this phase, the preliminary
design recommendations will be resolved and finalized. The work breakdown provided by
the preceding studies must then be translated into sub-project specifications that can be
tendered, and statements of work for those elements to be conducted in-house. The
supporting organizational structure and job descriptions must then be developed within this
phase, and contracts awarded for procurement of essential systems.
A critical component of the final review is to establish priorities among recommendations
arising from the preliminary design and human resources impact study. Priorities and
schedules must also be established for the deployment of applications and services. The
project team must also identify recommended elements that will not be undertaken as part of
the initial deployment. Finally, all of these must be integrated to provide a seamless
transition (in so far as possible) from the existing environment to the new operational
concepts. This would include a combined plan for the release of new applications, the
introduction of new software and similar introductions that will change administration or
mission delivery characteristics.
Figure 5 illustrates the detailed design and implementation planning resulting in a family of
sub-projects that can be contracted out for implementation. In most cases, these subprojects
will have been designed and specified by completely independent application and operations
groups. The planning input will not remove existing controls from these projects. Rather, it
will provide an implementation schedule and framework, and receive feedback to resolve
unforeseen operational issues as they arise. The objective is to ensure that individual
applications can be deployed smoothly, and that needed facilities are in place for their use.
Feedback to the program from the application implementation subprojects would flow
through the planning group, which provided the initial contribution for standards and liaison
under Phase 1. It is envisaged that this group would be, or become, the standards body
within the ministry, and work closely with overall telecommunications policy development.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 30
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE GOVERNMENT NETWORK OF THE MALDIVES
The concept of a common government network has been under active consideration for some
time. In early 1999, a project document was prepared for the Ministry of Communication,
Science and Technology to lay the foundation for the development of a common data
communication network to be known as the Government Network of Maldives (GNM). It is
not within the scope of this current program to update and expand on this work; however, a
number of observations are appropriate.
14. The study surveyed the extent of information technology penetration within Government
organizations. It summarized the existing networks and technologies along with the major
uses of information technologies and tailored applications within the government. As part of
the current program several of these ministries and agencies were interviewed. In summary,
the previous work was extremely optimistic. With few exceptions, the penetration and
effective use of information technology is far below the level that was purportedly observed
in early 1999, almost two years ago.
Several ministries were found to be operating local area networks. Some of these were peerto-
peer networks used for file sharing. Many provided basic services such as email, but the
organizations actually made minimal use of such facilities. In some cases the “network” was
confined to a few machines in a single room with no connection to any other workstation in
the facility.
Certain ministries have established the foundations of modern workplace information
technology environment that are noticeably more advanced. The common thread seems to be
that there had been previous use of information technology and the fear of Y2K problems had
spurred independent learning, modernization and expansion. In a few cases, the information
technology environment was found to be comparable to other facilities in any other part of
the world. The impetus for these organizations seemed to have been active involvement with
external regulatory bodies (Airport Authority) or use of internationally standardized
applications that were then tailored to better fit unique Maldivian needs (Customs).
The Government Network of the Maldives will be a facility designed to support
communications through virtual private networks within ministries, communications to
support the exchange of information between ministries, and to provide a secure gateway
between Government and the Internet. The network would comprise two separate
components: a metropolitan network serving ministry offices located within Male’, and, a
wide area regional network extending from Male’ to serve the atoll capitals and eventually
island administration offices.
The metropolitan component of the network will be a high-speed facility whose performance
can grow in controllable steps to accommodate the changing demands of the each ministry.
This will be an essential feature to maintain costs during the initial years of network
operation. Few ministries currently have a developed information technology infrastructure.
Both the physical infrastructure and applications must be developed before a ministry will be
in a position to use the GNM for more than email or Internet access. In many cases these
technological changes must be matched by changes in corporate culture. This latter
requirement may prove to be more difficult to achieve.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 31
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIO N, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The wide area network will follow once the metropolitan network has been established and
major applications are in place and fully operational. If funds permit, the wide area network
could be deployed in parallel with the metropolitan network. It is likely however, that the use
of the network at this stage would be for email and Internet access.
The foundational system will be a metropolitan network serving ministry offices in Male’.
Other documents have recommended the development of a network based on gigabit Ethernet
technology, however this approach is NOT recommended. If fact it would be unwise for the
MCST to become involved in the day-to-day operation of the network without a significant
infusion of experienced personnel to the Ministry. It is essential that the network operates
with the availability and performance normally expected of a carrier operation. Anything
less will erode confidence and ultimately delay information technology development
throughout the government.
Elsewhere, networks of this size and projected scope are frequently implemented using frame
relay. This is a mature technology that can provide adequate capacity for ministerial needs,
coupled with quality of service metrics and controls. Unlike an Ethernet environment, it
essentially provides a virtual private line network that inherently supports virtual private
networks. Thus if desired, the GNM could be designed to provide the largest ministries with
their own virtual private network (even country wide if needed), while permitting the
operation of a common intranet to serve overall Government needs. The main drawback is
that Dhiraagu controls access to key sites in the atolls, but does not presently offer frame
relay. The most likely reason for this is lack of demand resulting from low IT use throughout
the country. The first step in the development of the GNM must be to strike an appropriate
and mutually beneficial arrangement with Dhiraagu.
The physical architecture of the GNM should be a based on a fibre optic star topology, using
the Telecommunications building as the initial distribution site. The Telecommunications
building is centrally located and already configured for telecommunications use. It has ready
access to Male’s existing communication duct network beneath the street. Use of the duct
system would facilitate cable installation while minimizing construction cost.
The detailed design of the network would determine an initial community of interest (COI)
and assess how the COI will evolve over the short and medium terms as the different
ministries progress with their individual IT development plans. This sequencing would them
be blended with priorities of national importance to establish a construction community of
interest. The network construction would be staged, extending network links to ministry
offices in various buildings based on a hierarchy of communication need.
The expansion of the GNM to the atolls would be carried out progressively. The GNM link
to any given atoll capital would be designed to serve the needs of the atoll office. As
resources permit, access capacity could be made available to the atoll school to provide
Internet access for instructional purposes. Deployment of the GNM atoll extensions would
likely comprise one of three types of facilities as dictated by communication needs. At the
basic level, the atoll office would have a dial connection to the GNM in Male’ for email, file
exchange and access to applications. All communications would use secure 56-bit encryption
and be protected by an appropriate password facility. The supporting server in Male’ must
provide sufficient storage capability to hold the anticipated traffic for a minimum of 48 hours
without information loss. Each user in the atoll office would be provided with an individual
IT is not conterminous with the S&T applications that concern this Master Plan. Many S&T
applications (e.g. science education, health procedures, transport innovations) are
functionally separate from IT. However, IT is the most pervasive of the current S&T
initiatives and, in the aforementioned areas such as education, health, and transport (and in
most others), IT will have a critical role to play. In Maldives, IT utilization has evolved
relatively slowly and inconsistently. A critical role for Government and the private sector
generally, and for the MCST specifically, is to facilitate a more effective IT environment as a
foundation for broader S&T development.
