Gov’t readies to launch tech platform to interconnect agencies
The Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Services office (PRITS) is getting ready to launch an interoperability platform that will allow the synchronization of citizen data for accessibility of documents, in an attempt to reduce government bureaucracy.
“The Government of Puerto Rico is the custodian of citizen data; therefore, it’s the citizen who must know all the details of what the government does,” said Enrique A. Völckers-Nin, the government’s designated chief executive of innovation and information.
“It’s extremely important to achieve the interconnection of government entities to achieve total transparency in the reporting of data to the citizen,” he said.
The first eight agencies that will be part of this pilot integration progam will be the Departments of State, Treasury, Labor, and Transportation and Public Works, in addition to the State Insurance Fund, the Administration for the Support of Minors, the Police Bureau and the General Services Administration.
During the meeting, in which Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, along with his public policy team and the assistant secretary for State Affairs, Carlos Yamin, participated, cybersecurity issues, government data strategies, project management, as well as the status of the Citizen Information Portal and the Online Access Electronic Identity System were discussed.
The insertion of PRITS in projects that support government agencies was also discussed: among these, the Health Department and the vaccination process, the Office of Administration and Transformation of Human Resources with employee time and attendance system, and Department of Transportation and Public Works’s digital Drivers Services platform, the virtual learning exam and online services.
During the visit, the governor was also able to learn about the PRITS facilities, as well as the personnel and recruitment needs faced by the agency, which is in the hiring process.
“Currently we receive between 300 and 400 requests for technical support, as well as proposal evaluation, which shows the need to increase the workforce according to the requirements by of the government agencies,” Völckers-Nin said.
