Integrated Smart Processes Key to Effective Agency Digitization

Speaking at the "Smart Government and Artificial Intelligence in the Administrative System" conference, The Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Mohammad Mohsen Sadr, who also serves as the Head of the Information Technology Organization of Iran (ITO), highlighted the Seventh Development Plan's mandate for government agencies to automate 20% of their services annually. He stated, "Before services are offered intelligently, the agencies themselves must undergo structural and operational intelligence. Specific plans must be developed and implemented in this direction."

According to the ITO public relations office, Dr. Sadr emphasized that the primary goal of intelligent automation is to facilitate public access to services. "Intelligent automation means implementing processes with minimal or no human intervention. We must plan to implement a portion of the agencies' processes intelligently each year," he said.

Dr. Sadr identified data and its processing as crucial to the development of emerging technologies. "Although our country has a high capacity in terms of specialized human resources in the field of artificial intelligence, processing infrastructure and access to reliable data pose serious challenges to the development of this field," he cautioned.

The head of the ITO also emphasized the optimal use of data, asserting, "Data is a national asset and should be used to generate wealth, not just stored. AI specialists should have access to this data." He further highlighted the ITO's efforts in data exchange between agencies, stating, "The National Information Exchange Center, utilizing GSB and PGSB platforms, has connected many agencies, but their adherence to legal obligations in this area is crucial."

Addressing cybersecurity concerns, Dr. Sadr referenced a provision in the Seventh Development Plan, stating, "Cybersecurity for non-infrastructure agencies is the responsibility of the Information Technology Organization of Iran, the security of critical infrastructure is the responsibility of the Passive Defense Organization, and the security of infrastructure areas is the responsibility of the Strategic Management Center of AFFA."

The Deputy Minister criticized the creation of independent processing centers by some agencies, emphasizing that the Ministry of Communications opposes the duplication of infrastructure, a principle supported by existing law. He stated that any agency intending to operate in the processing domain must obtain the necessary permits from the Ministry.

Dr. Sadr also announced the development of a comprehensive plan by the Ministry of Communications and the ITO to expand processing and artificial intelligence infrastructure, emphasizing the need to avoid duplication of efforts and strengthen coordination among agencies.

In closing, Dr. Sadr stressed the importance of synergy in achieving a smart government, urging agencies to refrain from requiring paper documents in administrative processes. He confirmed that the ITO has launched a serious initiative to achieve this goal.