PwC helps Bahamas govt position itself as digital leader in the Caribbean

E-Cabinet platform launch marks a key milestone in govt’s digital transformation journey

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Digital transformation continues to be PwC’s core focus to help organizations adopt the technology needed to work smarter and more efficiently to better serve customers. With the launch this month of the government’s new Bahamas Electronic Cabinet Management Information System (BECMIS), also referred to as the E-Cabinet digital platform, PwC Bahamas helped the government position itself as a digital leader in the Caribbean. The firm was commissioned to develop an innovative, online workflow-based system to improve the business operations of the Cabinet and create a fast, secure and robust internal system to manage Cabinet procedures.

The E-Cabinet platform was customized to facilitate the needs of the Cabinet office and to introduce a more efficient and secure way of automating the Cabinet approval process. It is a collaborative tool that was designed to streamline the flow of information and communication between the Cabinet office and other stakeholders and is accessible 24/7 and 365 days of the year. The platform includes advanced security features, which adhere to the industry’s highest quality standards. Strict security measures were tested to ensure data protection. Only authorized users are able to access the system and communicate with each other in real time.

Other features include real-time tracking of Cabinet memoranda and documents, user access to the system, increased transparency for information sharing, time-saving by advancing the approval process, elimination of the use of paper and reduction in carbon footprint.

Kevin Cambridge, advisory partner, PwC Bahamas, said: “With the implementation of a new digital system, change management and the human element are key indicators for success. The technical installation of this process was critical, but we were committed to ensuring our stakeholders were engaged throughout the process. Connecting the human element with the technological capabilities of a robust platform was vital to successfully digitizing the operations.”

The development of the project was broken down into four modules: Cabinet memorandum, Cabinet agenda, meeting management and conclusion and distribution. Those modules all worked in an agile manner to get user acceptance testing at all levels.

PwC’s team included Cambridge and Burnadene Falconer, PwC Bahamas; Adrian Tait and Rahul Jain, PwC Jamaica; and technical specialists from PwC India.

Cambridge said: “We implemented the necessary upskilling and user acceptance training (UAT) and facilitated the training for Cabinet office, permanent secretaries, ministry officers and Cabinet ministers. We also conducted reviews by the ministers and key stakeholders to allow them to receive signoffs at every stage of the project.”

The system allows Cabinet ministers to review and comment on memoranda prior to Cabinet meetings. It fosters a more structured document repository for quick retrieval and reference of the documents; it reduces the time it takes to go through memoranda; and it eliminates time constraints to getting approvals. Users can also receive notifications and reminders for action items.

Prince Rahming, territory leader, PwC Bahamas, commented: “What COVID-19 has taught us is that digital transformation is a key driver for growth. PwC Bahamas has been at the forefront of digital transformation in the country. For the past year, we have created a digital footprint for our firm. We relied on our digital tools to help our clients navigate through the pandemic. We hosted a free webinar series, ‘Accelerate Your Digital Future’, to assist clients and the wider business community with the development of their overall digital strategy and to bring more awareness to available PwC tools. In December, we opened digital wallet accounts for all of our employees.

“With the launch of the E-Cabinet system, PwC Bahamas’ positioning in the market has advanced. We recognize that a digital society is an advanced society that creates a means to stay competitive. We applaud the government for their commitment to digital transformation and increasing efficiency.”

In the coming months, mobile accessibility will be added to the E-Cabinet platform to afford users the convenience of accessing the tool from the palm of their hands.