UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People has been exploring different ways to promote digital transformation and is currently working closely with partners on conceptualizing ‘Digital Palestine’. The idea is to bring together the various efforts and expertise of the government, private sector, civil society, and citizens – together with development partners and investors towards a digital transformation that benefits all parts of society. It would integrate all sectors, and not only focus on the technological aspects of digitalization, but also the behavioural changes that accompany such a transition, amongst all stakeholders.

As a foundation for the design of ‘Digital Palestine’, UNDP has commissioned and conducted four assessments. The Estonia e-Governance Academy (eGA) was commissioned by UNDP to conduct a Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) which assesses the maturity of the Palestinian public sector in 12 e-government domains, and proposes recommendations based on world-wide best practices.

The Rapid Integrated Assessment (RIA) was conducted by UNDP to evaluate the alignment of digital targets within the State of Palestine’s National Policy Agenda 2017-2022 and 17 sector strategies with relevant SDGs and proposes recommendations to advance on each of the SDGs.

Moreover, UNDP’s Accelerator and Bottleneck Assessment identifies obstacles to the implementation of digital interventions and proposes solutions.

Key findings from all three reports can be found in the Digital Landscape Assessment (DLA). Additionally, a report on ‘Digital Government in the State of Palestine: Strategies and Recommendations’ was prepared for UNDP by Muath Ibaid - Master Graduate of Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government.