Baku: A new initiative led by the Digital Development Council, chaired by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, marks a significant shift in Azerbaijan's digital governance strategy. Samir Orujov, an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at ADA University, highlights this as a transformative step towards integrating and streamlining the country's digital services.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Orujov emphasized that the current model, where individual agencies developed separate platforms, had become inefficient. The lack of interconnection between systems increased burdens on citizens and led to redundant costs for the state. The Council's new approach aims to transition from an agency-centric model to a citizen-focused, data-driven system, ensuring a consistent and effective digital transformation at the highest levels of state governance.
Orujov outlined three key changes expected from consolidating digital services on the mygov and mygov Business platforms. Firstly, the number of entry points will be reduced, allowing citizens and businesses access to services through a single digital identity. Secondly, the "once-only" principle will be introduced, eliminating redundant information requests by enabling inter-agency data exchange. Thirdly, some services will be provided proactively, without requiring citizen applications.
The initiative also aims to standardize data collection methodologies, eliminating inconsistencies in state statistics and providing a more reliable basis for policymaking and regulatory oversight.
Orujov acknowledged the risks of centralization, emphasizing the need for a professional approach to manage these through measurable indicators. Key risks include cybersecurity vulnerabilities, the potential for data loss or distortion during the transition from legacy systems, and challenges due to uneven digital literacy. To mitigate these, the project will incorporate data minimization and access logging from the design stage, establish formal quality criteria for data migration, and enhance digital literacy programs while maintaining alternative service channels.
Orujov concluded that the project is expected to reduce service delivery times, increase the proportion of proactively delivered services, improve user satisfaction, and enhance Azerbaijan's standing in international rankings.