Good Practices and Innovations in Public Governance 2003-2011

Good Practices and InnovATIONS in Public Governance
The Solution
To overcome the limitations of conventional mechanisms for academic administration,
enrolment management and course delivery, and to ease the frustrations of students,
staff and faculty, King Saud University devised “Edugate”, a Web-based electronic
portal system. Through this system, the university has succeeded in converting
hundreds of thousands of documents to an accessible electronic format; after only
two years, it has been able to dispense with the old record-keeping methods entirely.
Edugate has also helped expand the reach of the university to other communities
nationwide and abroad. As of December 2009, the student body totaled 80,000, inclusive
of online course registrants. The university has catered to existing demand by
widening access to services and opportunities for education. It has also promoted
further demand by adding new academic fields to the curriculum, providing additional
administrative services, and offering easy, real-time access to data that was not
previously available. The university now maintains efficient communication with all
members of the faculty and staff via e-mail and SMS mobile. Students can access
their accounts online, allowing them to monitor their academic standing as well as
plan and modify their course registrations. The benefits of Edugate thus extend to
every segment of the university community. By decongesting its administrative systems
and by utilizing modern technologies, the university has empowered its staff
and faculty to achieve higher standards of service delivery.
The initiative was originally proposed by the Office of the Dean of Admissions and
Registration. It became an institution-wide effort to address the concerns of those
inside the university as well as outside stakeholders. The initiative evolved over
time and was to some extent shaped by changing social and technological developments.
A group of university officials provided expertise and oversight for the project
as it progressed through the following developmental stages: strategic planning,
action planning for implementation and follow-up, operations management,
and training and evaluation. A critical role was played by specialists in database
and information security management, information technology, and all of the related
academic disciplines.
Replicability and Sustainability
This highly successful initiative represents a model for all universities. Widespread
access to educational services is an important civic right, and providing services efficiently
and conveniently is in the best interests of students, staff and faculty. To
ensure the initiative’s sustainability, the government must continuing allocating adequate
financial and technical resources. Technical support is an absolute requirement
to help the university and its related communities use the new technology and
troubleshoot problems.
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