THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING "ASAN SERVİCE" CENTERS IN THE FORMATION OF E-GOVERNMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

ЗНАЧЕНИЕ СОЗДАНИЯ ЦЕНТРОВ «СЛУЖБА АСАН» В ФОРМИРОВАНИИ ЭЛЕКТРОННОГО ПРАВИТЕЛЬСТВА В АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКЕ

Сулейманов Мураз Иса

докторант кафедры политологии и социологии, Бакинский Государственный Университет, Азербайджан, г. Баку

Abstract. E-government has a specific importance in the implementation of public administration in the third millennium, which is considered a new era of governance. The article notes that the use of information and communication technologies in governance has necessitated the formation of e-government. One of the main goals of each state is to ensure the efficiency, efficiency and transparency of public services provided to citizens. Since the beginning of 2000, a number of steps have been taken in the Republic of Azerbaijan towards the implementation of e-government. One of the thoughtful and successful steps towards the implementation of e-government was the establishment of the “State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan” by the Order of the Head of State of the Republic of Azerbaijan. “ASAN service” centers were established in the country in order to improve the services provided to citizens by state institutions, and the provision of services in these centers is based on the principles of transparency, courtesy, responsibility and efficiency. As a result of the establishment of the centers, citizens were provided with all services from one center on the “one-stop” principle. These centers, which are a national government project, provide daily services to citizens in person, by phone, mobile, and other forms. A number of cooperation processes have been carried out to use this project in international practice and implement it in other countries. Overall, the establishment of such centers has greatly facilitated the work of citizens and increased citizen satisfaction.

Аннотация. Электронное правительство имеет особое значение для осуществления государственного управления в третьем тысячелетии, которое считается новой эрой управления. В статье отмечается, что использование информационно-коммуникационных технологий в государственном управлении обусловило необходимость формирования электронного правительства. Одной из главных целей каждого государства является обеспечение эффективности, результативности и прозрачности государственных услуг, предоставляемых гражданам. С начала 2000 года в Азербайджанской Республике был предпринят ряд шагов по внедрению электронного правительства. Одним из продуманных и успешных шагов по внедрению электронного правительства стало создание Указом Главы государства Азербайджанской Республики «Государственного агентства по оказанию услуг гражданам и социальным инновациям при Президенте Азербайджанской Республики». В целях улучшения услуг, предоставляемых гражданам государственными органами, в стране созданы центры «служба АСАН», а предоставление услуг в этих центрах основывается на принципах прозрачности, вежливости, ответственности и эффективности. В результате создания центров граждане получили возможность пользоваться всеми услугами по принципу «одного окна». Эти центры, являющиеся национальным правительственным проектом, оказывают гражданам ежедневные услуги лично, по телефону, мобильной связи и другими способами. Проведен ряд кооперационных процессов по использованию данного проекта в международной практике и его внедрению в других странах. В целом создание подобных центров значительно упростило работу граждан и повысило их удовлетворенность.

Keywords: governance; e-government; ASAN service; e-service; citizen satisfaction.

Ключевые слова: управление; электронное правительство; служба ASAN; электронная услуга; удовлетворенность граждан.

In the digitalized world, the use of ICT plays an important role in the implementation of public administration. E-government is of great importance in the effective organization and management of the activities of every democratic state. Thus, in modern times, the increasing demands of citizens from the government have necessitated a transition to a new stage in the quality and form of public services provided by the government. E-government reflects the improvement of service quality, the release of workload, the elimination of distance dependence, information accessibility and high control over the transparent activities of institutions [9, p. 230].

The establishment of e-government in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the provision of new quality services to citizens began after the restoration of state independence, more precisely, in the early 2000s. The application of e-government in Azerbaijan is based on international experience and successful e-government projects are being implemented. On the initiative of the head of state Ilham Aliyev, the national model “ASAN service” was created and services were provided to citizens from a single center [10, p. 136].

Based on the Decree No. 685 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated July 13, 2012, the “State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan” and “ASAN service” centers under its jurisdiction were established [3]. These centers provide services to government agencies in a unified and coordinated manner. The main objectives of establishing the centers, which operate on the principles of transparency, accountability, and efficiency were as follows:

• ensuring transparency and combating corruption;
• increasing trust in government institutions;
• widespread use of e-services;
• reducing additional time loss and expenses for citizens;
• increasing professionalism;
• compliance with ethical conduct rules in the provision of services;
• increasing efficiency [12].

Currently, the total number of these centers in the country is 28, 7 of which operate in Baku, that is, in the center, and the others in the regions [12]. “ASAN service” centers provide services to citizens indirectly, directly, by telephone and on mobile. A unique type of activity of the centers is self-service. Thus, there are computers open to the Internet for citizens in the centers, and they can use all e-services through these computers.

The centers operate the “ASAN Volunteer School”, designed especially for students and young people. Here, it is possible to get acquainted with the work environment in practice, work as a volunteer and obtain future job opportunities. The centers also have call centers so that citizens can quickly apply for the services provided without having to go to the service centers.

In total, over eighty million applications were registered during the twelve years of operation of the centers, with the most frequently requested service areas being the issuance of identity cards and certificates [12]. Applications for notary activities and the issuance of universal passports also accounted for the majority.

The activities of “ASAN service” centers have been evaluated at the world level. Also, cooperation is being carried out in other countries to share the experiences of this project. Cooperation with the United Nations has been carried out in order to promote this project in other countries. Thus, according to the “Contribution Agreement” concluded between the UN and the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, it is envisaged to apply innovations and develop potential in the relevant field in order to provide public services within the framework of the “ASAN service” model in the UN member states.

The government has held numerous meetings and negotiations on the implementation of the national project in other countries and the implementation of cooperation. We can cite Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkey as examples of these countries. It should be noted that the areas of cooperation for the implementation of the processes under the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Afghanistan in 2016 were discussed. Possible cooperation opportunities were discussed with the relevant government agencies of Turkey and Pakistan.

The model, which has been successfully implemented in Azerbaijan, has been awarded a number of local and international awards during its existence. Among them, the official website of “ASAN service” “www.asan.gov.az” was awarded first place twice in the “NETTY-2013” ​​and “NETTY-2018” awards.In 2015, “ASAN service” was awarded the UN award at an international forum held in Colombia. The State Agency was also awarded an international certificate according to the ISO 9001:2008 standard [12]. Also, “ASAN service” was evaluated and won in an international competition by the British Occupational Safety and Health Council.

As can be seen, in a short period of time, “ASAN service”, the national brand of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has gained international interest due to the transparency and efficiency of its activities. Providing services to citizens from one center based on the “one-stop shop” principle has not only greatly simplified their work, but also made the activities of state institutions more transparent. Thus, civil servant-citizen relations have moved to a qualitatively new level. The successful implementation of this project has increased trust in state institutions in the country and improved the quality of service.

Consequently, the role of “ASAN service” centers in the formation of e-government in the Republic of Azerbaijan   the importance of creationIt has a specific character and plays a special role in the provision of public services. In general, the activities and future prospects of “ASAN service” centers in the implementation of e-government can be assessed as follows:

• By providing public services from a single center, additional costs and time for citizens have been saved;
• The transparent operation of the system has increased citizen trust in the government and improved the quality of service;
• The centers have been provided with activities in several areas to make public services accessible to everyone;
• The digitization of available services and the organization of a self-service model in centers have supported the development of e-government;
• The citizen-oriented activities of the centers, based on regular surveys and analysis of the results obtained, and taking into account the demands of citizens have ensured the effectiveness of the organization's activities.