The Ministry of Works and Human Settlement (MoWHS) and UNDP are working on a new, cloud-based Construction Management System (CMS) for Bhutan. The Construction Association of Bhutan, UNDP Seoul Policy Center and Seoul Metropolitan Government are supporting this initiative.

The CMS will help enhance transparency and efficiency of services in the construction industry. The system is being modelled on South Korea’s successful Clean Construction System (CCS), which was shared by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in partnership with UNDP Seoul Policy Centre, to curb corruption.

CCS has helped address systemic challenges, such as limited information disclosure, inefficient management of the construction sector and unclear construction administration. In 2013, two years after its launch, the system bagged UN Public Service Award, a prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service.

Bhutan’s new, cloud-based CMS seeks to do what CCS did in South Korea. Complex and lengthy processes and lack of accountability are some of the challenges confronting the country’s construction industry. The existing CMS has not been able to adequately address these challenges. Therefore, the new system is timely and is expected to transform the construction industry by enhancing access to information, transparency, and accountability. It is also expected to bolster engagement with the youth.

UNDP’s support to the development of the CCS-inspired system is part of our digitilization work in Bhutan, which includes support to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in developing Bhutan Vaccine System, an innovative digital vaccine system that ensured swift rollout of COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. 

In addition, UNDP worked with MoH to introduce iCTGs, a mobile device that allows remote monitoring of fetal heart rate and uterine contraction of pregnant women. The devices are helping detect high-risk pregnancies for timely referral and care in remote parts of Bhutan where access to gynecological and obstetric services remain a challenge. In 2022, 6417 pregnant women, which is 40 percent of the total pregnancies, benefitted, ensuring every childbirth is safe.

UNDP also supported the simplification of the application process for Citizenship Identity (CID) Card, which resulted in reduction of turnaround time by 40%.