Make Department Smart, First

Context: The success of Smart Cities depends on making departments smart through digitization. 

Smart cities: Future of urbanisation

• Data driven cities: Smart cities depend on digital systems which enable the use of data, generated by people living and working in the city itself, to continuously improve how the city functions.
• Smart infrastructure: Which is capable of generating good data generated by default. 

Way forward: Take one step at a time – Towards smart departments

• Digitisation of process:
  • Behavioural change: Local government employees have to switch from pen and paper and records to digital tools and systems.
  • This shall not be a post-facto data entry exercise (Initially records are kept on paper then get digitized), which creates scope for errors and manipulation.
• Effective human resource management in transition: City leaders must use a combination of expectation-setting and incentives.
  • Leaders should apply phased targets for adoption of the new tools, and ensure adequate technical support and education for employees during the transition.
• Citizen centricity lever: Adoption of e-governance tools should not only be reduced to performance management exercise but it should be reflected in better experience and empowerment for citizens.

Conclusion:  Smart cities will emerge, from the organic collaboration between departments, employees, and citizens not from the top-down approach and departments are basic building blocks in converting a normal city to a smart city.