RGD’s digital journey gathers momentum

SINCE ASSUMING his role as chief executive officer (CEO) for the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) in February 2020, Charlton McFarlane has been on a mission to make the agency ‘digitally bold’.

He said that shortly after taking up the post, “The COVID-19 pandemic came and I realised that unless we transition to digital services and take a digital approach to service provision, we are going to be in trouble.”

Being the quick thinker that he is, McFarlane went to his team and told them that he had a vision for the agency, a vision that can be captured in two words – ‘digitally bold’ – he said.

The team, being curious, questioned what he meant by it and he responded by saying that “every single thing that we do, internally and externally, if it can be done electronically, let’s do it”.

Under his guidance and supervision, the RGD team worked assiduously, and in less than four years, they were able to increase the number of services that are offered online by 130 per cent.

“When you offer service online, what you’re doing is increasing accessibility and reducing transaction costs, because somebody who can do something from the comfort of their home is going to save the gas/taxi fare that they would spend to visit one of our locations,” McFarlane said.

“Also, when we put things online, it means that persons who reside overseas can access these services from where they are,” he added.

The CEO said that by making the RGD services accessible online, they were able to address a major issue faced by persons living in the diaspora who wanted to do business with the agency.

“These persons needed to conduct business with us [and because they are not in Jamaica], they had to ask family members here in Jamaica for assistance and when they do, they require money to assist,” he shared.

In addition to making its services accessible online, the RGD has also taken steps to improve the turnaround time for the processing of documents.

This has led to the establishment of a “same-day service and a next-day service, and persons are really loving this type of efficiency that we have been able to realise”, the CEO said.

Since the start of the 2023-2024 period, the agency has been able to successfully add three new products to its online platform, including the application for birth certificates and a ‘search’ feature.

EASIER TO SEARCH

This search feature, according to McFarlane, “makes it easier for persons to go online and do a search”, noting that “if a person’s record is already in our electronic database, then they will get back the results in real time”.

Citing one of the major benefits of making its services available online, he pointed out that it has also provided a 24-hour accessibility network for its customers.

“The 24-hour accessibility feature is just a natural feature of any online service that you have. If you think about it, in the case where someone wants to apply for a birth certificate, for example, and the only option is to come in and apply at the RGD office, they would have to come during a specified set of hours when the RGD is physically open, but when it’s online you can get up at 2 a.m. and make your application,” he explained.

Since this digital transformation journey began, McFarlane said that positive responses have been received from both its staff and customers.

“With the improvement of these services, I think the staff is happy, because we have happier customers and more convenient services. This means that our staff will have an easier time interacting with the customer and function more efficiently,” he said.

McFarlane added that all the customer wants is convenience, and once “we are able to increase how conveniently we are able to reach them, they will be happy, and I believe that is what we have done”.

He highlighted that a general concern shared by customers is the need for the agency to deliver documents that have been applied for online.

“You have the online option where you can apply, pay and upload your supporting documents, but then you have to come in to pick them up; therefore, the service isn’t really end-to-end. However, when you put in that mix now, the delivery of services, then you have an end-to-end solution, which means that you can actually conduct business from start to finish without ever coming down to the RGD,” McFarlane said.

PERFECT ALIGNMENT

Linking this digital transformation to the country’s goal for Vision 2030, the CEO said that the modernisation of its services is aligned perfectly to add technological revolution from a digital standpoint.

“The RGD is transitioning and strategically becoming a digital agency, and this fits perfectly within the vision for a developed Jamaica. The world is [becoming more] digital, and RGD is also moving to become more digital,” he said.

McFarlane highlights, too, that “as we improve, our aim is not to leave anybody behind”.

“We do recognise that we have customers who may be a bit more vulnerable to this digital transformation and this online explosion of services, so while we are taking steps to make our services accessible online, we are not forsaking our more traditional avenues through which to get services,” he said.

“As we scan the marketplace, in terms of where our customers are, we have to pivot to reach them; which means we are still obligated, and we still take seriously our obligation to reach our customers who may not be able to navigate the digital space with us. We are not leaving them behind, but at the same time we are continuing to move forward,” he said.

Along with the transformative steps being taken to improve its services, the agency continues to foster inclusivity and is currently working to produce Braille certificates for persons who are visually impaired.

“The journey hasn’t finished and, in fact, if you ask me, we’re just getting started,” McFarlane said.

JIS