Presented at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University webinar “Digital Humanities in the MENA Region” 2 December 2020

1. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF
MIDDLE EASTADMINISTRATIONS
by Dr. Fotis Fitsilis, Scientific Service, Hellenic Parliament
2 November 2020
HBKU webinar “Digital Humanities in the MENA Region”

2. Structure
◦ Motivation
◦ Approach
◦ Methods and tools
◦ Challenges
◦ Conclusion

3. Motivation
◦ Middle East actual birthplace of bureaucracy
◦ Dominant institution of governance*
◦ Disruption through technology & algorithms
◦ Digital transformation of established bureaucratic systems
 How?
 Sustainability?
* Farazmand, 1999

4. Approach
◦ Adjustment of internal processes
◦ Production of legal documents
◦ Linked open data formats
◦ Leap towards web 3.0 & the semantic web
◦ Balance between domestic & international expertise
◦ Involve dynamic domestic stakeholders
◦ Data first, platform agnostic, machine consumable
◦ Mobile integration

5. Methods
◦ Regime of legal informatics
◦ Development of ontological models
◦ Legal document templates and data schemes
◦ Use of standards: XML, RDF, OWL,+ Akoma Ntoso*
◦ Workflow management systems
◦ Web based, collaborative & secure authoring tools
◦ AI-enhanced textual analytics
& Tools
*+

6. Challenges
◦ Open data production:
 Work intensive
 Additional pressure on administrations
◦ Scarce resources
◦ Resistance to change
◦ Inappropriate organizational structures
◦ Non-standardized tools and methods
 Bureaucracies confronted with tough decisions

7. CONCLUSIONS
… and outlook
◦ Two basic options
1. Natural evolution
2. Aggressive (disruptive) approach
◦ A thing for the Qatari NPRP – Cluster?
◦ Pilot program for selected public entities
◦ Re-education of public administrators
◦ Vision:
‘An ecosystem of linked open governance
data and services’

8. Thank you!
fitsilisf@parliament.gr
https://fitsilis.gr