The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) launched the first of its kind User Experience (UX) Guidelines (Research and Design), which helps UX employees, user interface designers and others to use the best global tools and practices for a customer oriented research and design.

The guidelines launch took place during a virtual workshop on “Key smart government enablers” held by TRA in the presence of more than 150 experts and interested parties from the UAE federal entities.

At the beginning of the workshop, TRA thanked all federal entities for their great efforts in 2019 and the marked improvement in the results compared to previous years in achieving the of indicators standards of smart government enablers.

In addition to the launch of the guidelines, the workshop reviewed the most important developments in the indicators of smart government enablers such as the launch of a new evaluation pillar for remote work, which measures the readiness of federal entities, their services and digital transformation employees for remote work system. Additionally, the workshop highlighted the launch of a special pillar to assess the quality of digital services via the smart application, the launch of standards for crises management, others related to service digital signature, and the extent to which entities develop their services using the UX methodology, facilitating and simplifying services and designing proactive services.

On this workshop, H.E. Salem Al Housani, Acting Deputy Director General for Information and eGovernment Sector and Leader of the Online Service Index Executive Team, said: “We are living an important stage that forced an actual application of the strategies and plans that the UAE government followed in line with the directives of the wise leadership regarding enabling and enhancing the smart government in the country. The UAE has been able to deal decisively and effectively with the requirements of the stage, and to maintain the progress of work and production in all sectors, as well as continuing to provide the best services around the clock, adding to the many successes the UAE has achieved in the field of smart government, digital transformation and sustainable development”

Al Housani indicated that this workshop is part of enabling smart government and developing smart government enablers indicators in line with the requirements of the current stage. He added: "The workshop discussed new topics that were added to the indicators of smart government enablers, such as remote work and readiness of the entity, Business continuity, digital signature, service simplification, and proactive services, as well as the standards added to the indicators of the seven smart government enablers, the most important challenges and how to overcome them.”

The launch of the UX Guideline aims to provide the federal government employees with an integrated guide that focuses on the user during the design of the user interface. It also provides standards and guidelines that achieve greater benefit to the users and increase customer happiness.

The UAE has been ranked first in Government Electronic and Mobile Services (GEMS) maturity index, according to a report issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), first in broadband subscriptions and mobile phone coverage, first regionally in switching to IPv6, and first in the Arab region and the fourth globally in launching 5G.