The e-Governance Academy, an Estonian non-profit foundation that assists public sector institutions worldwide in digital transformation, has established a subsidiary in Jamaica.
The subsidiary, the e-Governance Academy for the Caribbean, will support digital development in the Caribbean region.
Hannes Astok, the CEO of the e-Governance Academy, said the small countries of the Caribbean were “very interested” in the development of e-governance and the Estonian experience in this field.
“So far, we have cooperated with 11 countries, and they all see Estonia’s digital development as an example for them,” Astok said in a statement. “Given the size of these countries, this is understandable. With the support of our subsidiary, we strengthen our presence in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and make Estonia’s experience and knowledge more accessible to other countries. Operating in the same economic space also simplifies communication with the governments and organisations in that region.”
He added that the main challenges for the Caribbean and Central America were the lack of an organisation leading the development of e-governance, inadequate digitalisation of data, the lack of electronic identity, and poor private sector involvement. “This is where the experience of the Estonian state as well as companies can be of support in creating the basis for the further development of public services.”
Advising the Jamaican government
The e-Governance Academy already shares Estonia’s digital governance experience to the Jamaican government and some organisations in Cuba. It also advises the Dominica government on creating an e-governance strategy. In the past, the academy has advised Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
With 2.9 million people, Jamaica is the third-most populous Anglophone country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. The country has a global influence that belies its small size; it was the birthplace of the Rastafari religion, reggae music and it is internationally prominent in sports, most notably cricket, sprinting and athletics.
Founded in 2002, the Tallinn-based e-Governance Academy is a non-profit think tank and consultancy organisation that creates and transfers knowledge and best practices in digital transformation.
Cover: The e-Governance Academy’s workshop on the digital transformation strategy in Dominica. Photo by the e-Governance Academy.
