Moscow learns to dispense with paper

The Electronic Moscow Program is aimed at making city life more comfortable through implementation of information technologies.

After local electronic systems were first implemented in Moscow, a need arose for more coordinated operation of various city systems. Thus 2003 saw the Electronic Moscow Program implemented. Its improvement was to promote the operation of a multitude of city services — from the Ambulance Service to the police, which is important for every city resident.

Another area where the Electronic Moscow Program has succeeded is creation of a system ensuring smooth operation of all the city authorities’ systems. Creation of electronic databases, operation of various communication systems and launch of Internet portals provide an extensive time resource for officers at prefectures and municipal councils.

Priority is given to the projects that are of importance to the city residents as well as to those enabling the capital’s administration to work with the highest efficiency. For example, if an electronic database is used by most of the city services, it will be given priority in development. Thus the City Informatization Office created a portal which collects all official information. The basic principle of such a system is open access to documentation and a minimized need for hard copy versions.

What follows is the description of a few successfully running projects under the Electronic Moscow Program. In 2004, a “one window” system was launched which allowed people to obtain the required certificates and documents at a single place. At present, this “one window” service issues 165 types of documents. But what is to be done to reduce the period people have to wait for a document to be issued and minimize document preparation costs? To make a document issue process comfortable for both parties, an information system was created to identify the most wanted certificates and documents. The system revealed 16 favorite types of documents which were then entered in the electronic database. The designers of the electronic system sought to minimize the time people have to spend on contacting the authorities for issue of documents. Now that this task is fulfilled, a new effort should be made to completely exclude officials from document issue and decision-making processes.

In 2007, three community service centers were opened in Moscow, which you can approach for any matter concerning the operation of city infrastructures. Such centers are to be opened in each of Moscow districts.

The capital features an extensive infrastructure comprising about 4,000 educational institutions, some 800 medical institutions and a wealth of other facilities. Their interaction was ensured by a centralized data storage system and an information security system which could accept a digital signature.

Back in 2001—2002, video surveillance cameras were installed at house entrances and a centralized order monitoring system was introduced. However, this system proved inefficient and costly and was not failure-free. This gave rise to the idea of creating a video archive and providing each district with its own surveillance center.

One of the city’s most useful innovations was introduced for the Ambulance Service. Before the new system was implemented an operator of the Ambulance Center, as he dispatched an ambulance in response to a call, could not locate the ambulance crew. Sometimes, even though an ambulance turned out to be close to the place from which a call had been received, another ambulance from a remote point was used and thus the precious time was lost. Now that an ambulance crew control system has been introduced, its eight operators can locate any ambulance at any time.

Utilities meters are installed in apartments of residents willing to control their expenses. Information is gathered by a special automatic sensor.

Electronic systems have helped reduce the volume of documents required by the city police and the time for obtaining necessary information.

About 850,000 migrants arrive in Moscow annually. A migrant control system will issue foreign guest cards containing information about the place of temporary registration, work permit and health examination.

City residents receive information via a system of various city portals. A children’s portal was launched  intended both for kids and parents. Also available now is a portal for handicapped people , which helps expand a circle of contacts. Furthermore, there is Moscow’s international portal and a new social portal is in the making.

Electronic information is growing increasingly important in the modern society and new terms are becoming commonplace. Some words such as “e-citizen”, “e-business” and “e-government”, where “e” means “electronic”, are already used in world practice. Efforts to create electronic governments in developed countries, primarily in the USA and the UK, are undertaken in the context of greater openness and accountability to people. An electronic system enables people to make their own judgment as to efficiency of public institutions rather than rely only on statements of their executives or superiors or on the media.

There is such a notion as the “online government”. The world “online government” project within a more global project “Electronic Europe” which involved more than 20 countries was implemented before 1998. European countries, too, have experience in creating electronic administrative systems.