This document discusses supporting business registration reform through technology. It covers how ICT can contribute to more effective business registries, the World Bank Group's experience with registry automation projects, and considerations for implementing registry systems. The document provides an overview of the CIC's Task Manager's Toolkit, which provides guidance on requirements, infrastructure, components, and designing sustainable IT solutions for business registry systems. It also presents a model ICT roadmap for business registry projects.

1. Supporting Business Registration
Reform Through Technology
Guidance and Resources for Bank and IFC TTLs
Dobromir Christow
World Bank Group

2. Presentation Topics
1. How does ICT contribute to the effectiveness of Business
Registries and other reform?
2. WBG capabilities and experience in Registry Automation
3. Development path for registry automation
4. Overview of Task Managers Toolkit for Designing and
Implementing ICT Project Components
5. Where to source the technology
6. Legal and security considerations
7. Considerations in implementing registry systems
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3. How does ICT Contribute to the Effectiveness of
Business Registries and other reforms?
 Reduces the costs and time required to register a business, particularly for
entrepreneurs located away from the registry’s location;
 Decreases traffic in the Registry’s customer service area -- if they can see their
application status or name clearance online;
 Mitigates opportunities for corruption by disintermediating staff from direct client
contact – and reduces the need for “registry intermediaries” who increase the
costs to business
 Improves processing efficiency and minimizes costs to the government – also
increases management oversight of the registration workflow;
 Enables the business registry to provide information to credit information firms
and financial intermediaries – a central registry function;
 Provides government with an important tool for ensuring regulatory and tax
compliance, by linking company information with tax registry, customs, VAT,
licensing, etc.
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4. Overview of WBG Support to Business Registry
Automation
 Many company registries supported by Bank projects in late 1990’s and
early 2000’s, particularly in East and SE Europe (e.g., Serbia,
Macedonia)
 IFC interventions began in mid-2000’s and have taken several forms
 Direct support to client (Bangladesh, Tonga, Caribbean Islands)
 Support/supervision of client-managed efforts undertaken with funds from
other donors (e.g., Liberia, Rwanda)
 Support for PPP’s (Colombia)
 CIC Registry Automation Toolkit for TTL’s rolled out in 2010, and
updated in 2011; also addressed in BR Outsourcing publication
 Joint DB/CIC survey of ICT projects and In Practice Note completed in
2011
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5. Range of WBG Services to Support Registry
Automation
 Advice on legal, regulatory and process reforms
 Assessment of client ICT capacity and assistance in identifying
alternatives to address deficiencies (e.g., PPPs, eGovernment)
 Development of sustainable business model for the Registry
 Development of ICT strategy, from back office automation and records
digitization through to virtual OSS
 Identification of business and functionality requirements for registry
application and development of RFP; support for vendor supervision
and acceptance testing
 Assistance in identifying funding alternatives (e.g., IFC, WB lending
operations, ICF, other donors, eGovernment program)
 Capacity building for staff and management, including M&E systems
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6. Development Path for eRegistry
• Reform manual processes as well as governing laws and regulations in
Phase 1 order to streamline registration
• Introduce technology to automate back office operations, as a precursor
to moving online
Phase 2 • Digitize historical records
• Implement online registration and payment
Phase 3 • Integrate with other eGovernment applications
• Develop mechanisms for disseminating selected company information to
Phase 4 credit information agencies and financial intermediaries
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7. How business registration reform fits into the
larger eGovernment framework
Services to Citizens, Businesses, Government
e-Payments
}
Tax admin
Licensing
TWICT,
Collateral
Business
PREM,
Registry
logistics
registry
Trade
FPD/CIC/
e-
IFC AS
}
Standards and Enterprise Architecture (SOA)
Shared Infrastructure, Services / Interoperability
TWICT
e-Security
Strategy, Policies, Laws, Regulations, Institutions,
July 6, 2010 Knowledge for discussion
Issues World Bank Group
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8. CIC’s New Task Manager’s Toolkit
Developed for non-ICT World Bank Group staff and other
practitioners with a basic understanding of ICT in the
context of G2B ( Registry) software application.
Provides a general overview of best practice principles for
implementing sustainable IT solutions,
technical and business requirements,
underlying technology infrastructure
important ICT components & major consideration for solution design
– Technology Platform
– Security
– Service Delivery Model
Objective is to produce a Project Plan and TOR
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9. MODEL REGISTRY SYSTEM ICT ROADMAP
MODULE 1: REGISTRY REFORM DIAGNOSTIC AND
ASSESSMENT
Initial ICT Use ICT Capacity
Legal Review Institutional Assessment
Readiness Questionnaire Part 1:
Analysis
Assessment High Level
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
MODULE 2: BUSINESS FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS Current
Collateral Bus. Licensing ICT
BR Checklist Registry
Checklist Checklist ASSESSMENT Landscape
Application
ICT Capacity Assessment MODULE 3: DETAILED ICT CAPACITY READINESS
Questionnaire Part 2: Detailed Desired System
Level ASSESSMENT Report
MODULE 4: REGISTRY APPLICATION AND ICT GAP Recom-
ANALYSIS mendations
Report
MODULE 5: REGISTRY FEASIBILITY STUDY FS Report/Business
Plan
MODULE 6:DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION TOR
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10. Considerations for TTLs Managing Registry
Automation Projects
 There is now a range of package and semi-package solutions available,
depending on client needs and sophistication
 Locally developed solutions are also an option, as long as client and
developer are exposed to international best practice
 Software costs are now more reasonable, but overall program costs can
still run up to US$ 2 million in a mid-sized country, including legal and
process reforms, back office automation, digitization of records and
deployment of interactive web interface over time.
 CIC Toolkit can support:
 Assessment of client ICT capacity
 Identification of information and functionality requirements
 Development of RFP and vendor supervision
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11. Importance of Sustainability
 Maintaining an online business registry is expensive, so TTLs need to
have a strategy which assures continued operation after WBG exit
 TTL should help client develop sustainable business model for the
Registry, which should address:
 Ongoing technical management of the web site, through support from
eGovernment program or a PPP, if necessary
 Potential revenue sources from selling company information products
 Cost efficiencies and revenue enhancement through consolidation of
registries, preferably within a self-funding agency (e.g., Macedonia, Serbia)
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12. Key Considerations in Project Implementation
1. Complete BR legal and regulatory reforms first – also address e-
transaction legal framework if possible
2. Critically assess client ICT capacity, both staff and infrastructure –
look for support alternatives if necessary
3. Fully document the business and functionality requirements in
the RFP: Ambiguity = increased vendor cost proposals
4. Identify and build data linkages with other government agencies –
to simply overall business entry process and improve regulatory
oversight
5. Leverage technology platform to realize new revenue streams –
both through information sales and registry consolidation
6. Address change management and communication in the
implementation plan – to bring all the stakeholders on board
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13. Legal and Security Issues to Address in Moving
Online
 Choosing the nature and scope of data to be made public;
 Defining the degree of privacy and treatment of non-public information
retained by the registry;
 Ensuring the legal validity of electronic documents and electronic
signatures;
 Enabling online payments of registry charges;
 Ensuring the e-Registry’s data integrity and safeguarding the database;
 Protecting the e-Registry from cyber-crime; and
 Ensuring the legal interoperability of the e-Registry with other
government databases
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14. ICT Toolkit and Support Team
 ICT Tookit ( Checklist, Reference Guide and Model TORs) at ICT team
space:
http://ifcsp.ifc.org/icas/ICT/default.aspx
Also new ICT knowledge sharing space on on iCollaborate
https://ifcicollaborate.ifc.org/community/technology_enabled_investment_c
limate_reform
 In Practice Note on Registry Automation
https://ifcicollaborate.ifc.org/community/technology_enable_investment_cli
mate_reform
 Investment Climate GP ICT Team:
John Wille – jwille@worldbank.org
Numa de Magalhaes -- Ndemagalhaes@worldbank.org
Markus Kimani – mkimani@ifc.org
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