Background

Following an official request by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for support in creating a Digital Transformation Framework (hereafter Framework), the United Nations Development System (UNDS) supported the development of a Framework that will inform a national digitalization strategy to promote and enhance digital transformation in agriculture, disaster risk and resilience, education, cultural and creative industries, government and the delivery of public services, financial services, health, tourism, and leisure sectors.

The UNDS supported the digital transformation framework initiative using a phased approach. Phase 1 focused on the Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA), and included a desk review, a digital transformation workshop with a stakeholder survey, a public outreach campaign with a public survey, data analysis, a draft report and final report. Phase 2 was an interagency effort that focused on four critical outputs: the digital assessments, project concepts/proposals, a draft roadmap, and a final roadmap.

The Framework initiative was guided by the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Gaston Browne and the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology, through its Minister, Hon. Melford Nicholas and its Digital Transformation Focal Point and supported with technical expertise and resources from several UN agencies including the UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, ITU, PAHO and the Resident Coordinator Office (RCO). The Prime Minister’s vision is to “transform the digital landscape of Antigua and Barbuda [with aspirations] to create a smart island in Barbuda”.