Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1251774
15 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 27 MAY 2020 COMMERCIAL and the public," Mr Cassar re- calls. "By 2010, we'd already start- ed improving on eApps requir- ing Periti to submit and access documentation electronically – thereby facilitating digital processing of planning and de- velopment applications. With- out investment in ICT and data security systems, as well as the years of groundwork, we wouldn't have been able to adapt to working during this pandemic so seamlessly." "When the coronavirus hit, we already had the technology required for some employees to work remotely and for appli- cations to be processed digital- ly," explains Ms Dobreva, who heads the IT unit, "but now the scale is very different. "Mid-March was a crazy time for us. On Thursday, 12 March, we had only 150 remote work- ers – and that's when Malta realised it had a crisis on its hands. By the following Mon- day, we'd distributed new lap- tops, bought a new server and relevant software licences, and successfully set up another 230 employees to work from home." "This was an incredible story of teamwork," adds Ing. Fer- rito. "It was our in-house ICT team's initiative – they came up with the solution, mostly using tools already available to us, and rolled it out in days. If it weren't for their knowledge, skills and forethought, we wouldn't have managed. The transition has been a time of learning, adjustment and trou- bleshooting as employees get accustomed to new routines and tech equipment." Then came the Authority's decision for Planning Board sessions to go digital rather than be stalled. From the public's perspective, this has been transformative. Rather than meeting in per- son to decide on development applications, the Boards now meet online – and the public can also join the online confer- ence. In so doing, the Authori- ty has maintained accessibility to the Boards, thereby ensuring transparency around delibera- tions and decisions boosting its accessibility. According to Mr Cassar, "This would have been impos- sible were it not for the Au- thority's insistence on having our systems programmed by an in-house development team, rather than being externally sourced." "We often get asked about the tangible benefits of investing in IT," continues Ms Dobreva, "because it's sometimes seen as the funnelling of money into an insurance that you're not us- ing; but, ultimately, it will save you. At the Authority, we wer- en't prepared because we knew Covid-19 was coming; we were prepared because we invested in a sector that strengthens the core of our business." "It was our robust team of in-house programmers and hardware support experts that enabled us to act so quickly," reiterates Ing. Ferrito. "Be- cause of this, for the most part, the Authority's work hasn't been disrupted, and we're wit- nessing encouraging and pro- gressive change. "Without Periti, applicants and our employees driving to the Authority and getting stuck in traffic, everyone is saving that precious resource: time. And that's without even men- tioning the positive environ- mental impact. The system is of course not without its prob- lems, like occasional techni- cal issues, but the alternative of our work grinding to a halt wasn't an option." The pandemic is proving to be a tipping point for the digi- tal transformation of the work- place. The question is, will the drive to 'go digital' be shelved once the emergency subsides? While it is still early days for the Au- thority to declare what the new 'business as usual' will look like, Ing. Ferrito asserts that there are lessons to be carried forward. "During this pandemic, the Authority has successfully con- tinued its primary business, but working entirely remotely in the long term is unsustain- able. However, we've received an overwhelmingly positive re- sponse to our online Board ses- sions – particularly from Periti. So, personally, I see no reason why we can't develop a hybrid system. "At the Authority, our tech vision since 2007 has been to adopt the latest technolo- gy to increase efficiency and give a better service to our cli- ents. Now, through our online boards and e-systems, we're also becoming increasingly accessible to all stakeholders. Most importantly, though, our ICT investments make us more transparent to the public – and this will definitely continue," he concludes. It was our robust team of in-house programmers and hardware support experts that enabled us to act so quickly. Because of this, for the most part, the Authority's work hasn't been disrupted, and we're witnessing encouraging and progressive change.