Main roles and responsibilities

Last updated: November 2011

National eGovernment

Policy/Strategy

Ministry of Development

The Ministry of Development, among other competencies, is responsible for “preparing Information Society Policies’ objectives and strategies”. The Ministry of Development is the responsible government institution for preparing public investment programmes and for allocating funds to projects of the central administration institutions. The Ministry of Development is also responsible for drafting guidelines on assessment and evaluation of public ICT projects made mandatory for all supervised activities.

e-Transformation Turkey Executive Committee

The e-Transformation Turkey Executive Committee consists of the Minister of Development, the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, the Minister of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications, the Minister of Education, the Undersecretary of Prime Ministry, the Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior, the Undersecretary of Ministry of Finance, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Development and the Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister. Representatives from a number of government agencies and NGOs also participate in the Committee’s meetings, to be held four times a year. The Committee is the highest level policy and decision-making, assessment and steering body in the information society Strategy implementation process.

Information Society Department, Ministry of Development

After the launch of the 'e-Transformation Turkey' project, responsibility for policy formulation was delegated to the Information society Department within the Ministry of Development in February 2003.

Coordination

Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications

The Department of Communications within the Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications is tasked with the coordination and supervision of the objectives and strategies of the relevant public authorities, in the field of eGovernment. The duty to ensure the coordination of services related to eGovernment is bestowed to the Ministry by Statutory Decree No. 655.

Ministry of Development

The Ministry of Development is responsible for ensuring coordination between public institutions and private sector organisations in the fields of eGovernment and ICT.

Council of Transformation Leaders

The Council of Transformation Leaders, established in April 2007, includes a group of selected 'eTransformation leaders' (the heads of the strategic planning departments of relevant public agencies), assigned to steer and coordinate eTransformation efforts at the policy level in each of the respective agencies. The main task of the Council is to coordinate principles and standards to ensure inter-agency cooperation in the process of transformation of the information society.

e-Transformation Turkey Executive Committee

Besides its role in policy-making, decision-making, assessment and steering, the Committee holds the responsibility for the general coordination of the e-Transformation Turkey Project.

TURKSAT Inc.

TURKSAT Inc., a publicly owned international satellite and cable operator which is managed under private law, is responsible for establishing and operating the eGovernment Gateway that requires coordination at technical level.

Implementation

Council of Transformation Leaders

The Council of Transformation Leaders, besides its crucial role in coordination, is also responsible for implementing the process of transformation towards the information society. In fact, the Council is the main actor in the implementation process.

Ministry of Development

The Ministry of Development is responsible for directing the implementation of the 'e-Transformation' project in general.

Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications

The Ministry of Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communications is responsible for the implementation of eGovernment within public agencies.

Individual Government Agencies

Even though Turkey's national approach to eGovernment can be characterised as centralised, eGovernment applications are carried out by government agencies and local governments.

Support

e-Transformation Turkey Advisory Board

The Advisory Council has been reshaped with the involvement of high level participants from NGO’s, universities and the private sector organisations. Board’s role is defined as ensuring effective participation and support of all segments of the society in the process of transition to information society, benefiting from their knowledge and experience, thus establishing the necessary solidarity and cooperation environment.

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK)

TÜBİTAK (Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu) is the leading public agency for management, funding and conduct of research in Turkey. The Council reports to the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology. The Council is also involved in a series of further actions related to eGovernment and the information society which are specified in Information Society Strategy Action Plan (2006-2010), namely: the national information systems security program, the public Internet sites standardisation; and the deployment and installation of a Public Secure Network.

TURKSAT Inc.

Turksat builds and develops Turkey’s eGovernment gateway that provides citizens, enterprises and government agencies with a single point of access to eGovernment services. Turksat has also been assigned with the responsibility of the deployment and installation of a Public Secure Network that will connect various government agencies within a secure communication gateway.

Audit/Assurance

Turkish Court of Accounts

The Turkish Court of Accounts is responsible for auditing the revenues, expenditures and property of government offices operated under the general and annexed budgets on behalf of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

Data Protection

Public Certificate Centre

The Public Certificate Centre is responsible for the provision of electronic certificate services to all public institutions.

Regional & Local eGovernment

Policy/Strategy

Local Administrations

Local governments are independent administrative units with their own legal personality. Each administration decides on its policy priorities, strategies and their implementation. Accordingly they have not been assigned a specific role in eGovernment in Turkey, due to the centralised nature of this approach. However, a new department has been foreseen and established at the Ministry of Interior for the coordination of local eGovernment issues in the IS strategy, thus bridging local priorities with those of the strategy. The Action Plan annexed to the strategy furthermore involves actions aimed at developing and promoting local eGovernment.