Evaluation and Growth Strategy for Etimad Portal

Assessment of Ministry of Finance's digital transformation strategy and Etimad portal's value

Assume your group has been tapped by the Ministry of Finance to evaluate Etimad’s business model, assess it impact on both the public and private sectors, particularly the financial industry ecosystem, and develop its strategic plan and alliances for the next five years.

Given the focus of Vision 2030 on e-government and the national strategy for digital transformation, assess the Ministry of Finance’s digital transformation strategy, particularly its flagship platform, Etimad portal. What value, if any, has Etimad created for the Ministry of Finance and for other government ministries, agencies, and departments?

To address this question, students have to develop a comprehensive understanding of the operating system of the Ministry of Finance and the vital and central role the ministry plays in the entire public sector, such as different ministries, government agencies, and departments. Students need to have a clear understanding of the ministry’s digital transformation strategy. As well, they need to develop a clear and detailed picture of how Etimad platform operates and how it interacts with other system applications used by the Ministry of Finance and other government bodies. This may require research, reading, conducting a field study, interviews, and observations to connect the dots and arrive at a complete picture of the impact of Etimad platform on the way the public sector operates.

Evaluate the business model of Etimad platform taking into account the vital role that the Ministry of Finance plays in the Saudi economy, particularly the financial system given its direct link to both the public and private sectors. This exercise should examine the visibility of Etimad’s
business model, the work that has been done, how it can be improved, the future opportunities,and challenges for Etimad.  

To evaluate the business model of Etimad platform, students should develop a comprehensive understanding of how the operating model of the Ministry of Finance works, particularly its financial system. This includes, but not limited to the entire national budget cycle from budget preparation, analysis, approval, communication, and subsequent budget monitoring and control. As well, students need to have a full understanding of the other functions and services that have been integrated into Etimad platform. Studying functions, services, and business processes incorporated into Etimad applications across government agencies and departments will allow students to assess all forces and factors that may influence Etimad business model including internal and external players. The result of this analysis and its interpretation should allow students to evaluate the business model of Etimad platform and determine the opportunities and challenge that the future holds for Etimad portal.

Having studied the business model of Etimad platform along with the data warehouse created by the Ministry of Finance, determine the key performance indicators (KPIs) that the ministry should focus on to help guide and gauge an Etimad’s success. As well, what are the strategic partnerships and alliances that the ministry should seek to enhance and extend the impact of Etimad on the Saudi financial industry ecosystem. 

To formulate a well-thought out answer to this question, students should have a clear understanding of the scope and depth of Etimad platform, how it operates and services and functions that are performed though it. As well, students need to understand the strategic objectives of Etimad and how they can be quantified and measured. Students should examine data that are currently accumulated in the data warehouse created by the Ministry of Finance to see whether they are sufficient to meet their requirements for developing effective key performance measures for Etimad platform. To support their proposal, students should conduct in-depth research about other public or private organizations in the Saudi market that the Ministry of Finance may consider as strategic partners or alliances to expand and broaden Etimad’s impact and sphere of influence. This study should include the viability, advantages, and disadvantages of such strategic partnerships and alliances.

Taking into account what you have learned in formulating your responses to the preceding three questions, develop a growth strategy and roadmap that will guide Etimad platform for the next five years.

To develop a comprehensive answer to this question, students should leverage the knowledge they gained from the study, research, assessment, and analysis they conducted in the previous three questions. Anchoring on this cumulative knowledge, students should be in the position to assist the Ministry of Finance in devising a strategic plan and roadmap to guide Etimad portal for the next five years. This includes, but not limited to identifying new opportunities, introducing new digital initiatives that will be integrated into the Etimad applications, and adding new services and functions to the platform. As well, this may include a better utilization of the existing resources, redesigning some of the current processes, developing new programs/applications, forming new strategic alliances, and even restructuring the entire platform if it is necessary.