Digital Transformation as Sustainable Development pathway in Mauritius

August 6, 2019

Meeting with the Ministry of Technology, Communication and Innovation of Mauritius (from the left): Rishi Jugmohunsing (Vice Permanent Secretary, MTCI), Marit Lani (eGA), Devika Iyer (UNDP), Mylavadee Mudaliar (Permanent Secretary, MTCI), Minerva Novero (UNDP), Renooka Beejan (UNDP Mauritius). ©eGA

UNDP and Estonian President launched the Estonia- UNDP cooperation on digital transformation during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in September 2018 as a sustainable development pathway. A global cooperation project to share best practices of digital transformation through more than 170 UNDPs country offices. Mauritius was considered as a pilot given the country has already developed an SDG roadmap and can be served as model for the rest of the region, and for other SIDS with intent to propel itself in the global economy through smart approaches.  This new digital transformation tool also aims to help the Government and other stakeholders to have a better understanding of the national digital capacities and gap, as well as to layout an inclusive roadmap to support SDG’s achievement. In this vein, Mauritius hosted an Estonia-UNDP’s team for a one-week ground mission with government and stakeholders from 22th to 26th of July.

The Estonia-UNDP cooperation’s team had several consultations with partners in government to discuss analysis and findings, identify potential errors and gaps, deepen understanding of specific plans or strategies, determine exact status of the Mauritian digital landscape. This approach will help the government and stakeholders to understand better national digital capacities and gaps as they relate to achievement of the SDGs. It will also help identify bottlenecks that impede digital transformation, to propose solutions to address these bottlenecks, and to lay out a roadmap not only for applying ICTs in specific SDG efforts, but for transforming the country’s digital landscape overall to advance its sustainable development priorities.

The overall output of the exercise will be a Digital Transformation Diagnostic Report based on the analysis described above and that can be used towards the development of a digital transformation roadmap under the leadership of the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Communication (MTCI).

The whole exercise is supported by UNDP Mauritius, the MTCI and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade under the Estonia-UNDP cooperation, which will include the direct engagement of Estonia’s e-Governance Academy, eGA.