Turks and Caicos Islands Government Awarded the 2024 Transformative Solution Award

PRESS RELEASE

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF

DIGITISATION AND E-GOVERNMENT

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Wednesday, 18 October 2024: The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCIG) was honoured with the 2024 Transformative Solution Award during the Hyland Innovation Awards programme at Community LIVE 2024, held from 22 –26 September. Hyland, the leading global provider of intelligent content solutions, announced the winners of its annual Innovation Awards at the Community LIVE user event.

The Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) was facing several challenges with existing data and IT systems, including:

• Inefficient Manual Processes: Reliance on manual, paper-based processes in various departments led to slow processing times, high error rates, and a lack of transparency.
• Long Wait Times: Citizens experienced long wait times for services such as business licenses, citizenship applications, and accessing public records.
• Data Fragmentation and Security Concerns: Important records were fragmented across departments with limited accessibility and inadequate security measures.
• Record Vulnerability: Physical documents were susceptible to damage, loss, and theft, posing a risk to the integrity and availability of crucial records.
• Limited Public Access: Many government services were not accessible online, requiring citizens to visit government offices in person.
• Resource Constraints: Outdated IT infrastructure hindered the government’s ability to provide high-quality public services.

Using the Hyland Solution to address these challenges, the TCIG, in partnership with Patterson Pope (P2), implemented the Hyland OnBase platform. This allowed the government to develop a digital deployment platform to manage content and processes digitally and automated departmental workflows – streamlining operations or business license applications, immigration services and more. Other key components included:

• Electronic Forms and Approvals: Facilitated a seamless transition from paper-based to digital operations.
• Real-Time Reporting and Dashboards: Enabled data-driven decision-making.
• Secure Access and Audit Trails: Enhanced security measures to protect sensitive information.
• Onsite Document Scanning: Digitised 1,000,000 citizenship and naturalisation records, with ongoing scanning of 1,000,000 land registry records.

The implementation of the Hyland OnBase solution resulted in several transformative outcomes for the TCIG, including:

• Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Reduced processing times for various government services.
• Enhanced Accessibility and Convenience: Majority of services are now accessible online, reducing the need for in-person visits.
• Improved Data Management and Security: Centralised digital repository and enhanced security protocols.
• Reduced Record Vulnerability: Digitised records are protected against natural disasters and other threats.
• Cost Savings and Resource Optimisation: Significant cost savings by reducing reliance on physical documents.
• Positive Public Impact: Improved citizen experience and greater trust in government services.
• Support for Future Growth: Flexible and scalable platform supports ongoing innovation and improvement efforts.

These transformative changes have positioned the TCIG as a leader in e-governance within the region, showcasing a commitment to modernisation and excellence in public service delivery.