In its continuous drive to innovate and find new and more efficient ways of working, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has developed a system that enables its officers to put up and process submissions electronically.

These submissions are papers raised to obtain management’s decisions on a wide variety of issues, such as policy matters, official trips, etc.

Previously, these were submitted by circulating physical files. However, the circulating process was slow and prone to delays. Although email could be used for this purpose, it is not the ideal channel for clearing submissions as it is difficult for officers to track email submissions when they are cleared and to ensure that all email replies/threads received are archived.

New, effective system
MFA’s e-Submission System, which was developed based on the Lotus Notes system, was fully implemented in the MFA Headquarters in September 2002. This new system allows officers to put up and process electronic submissions in a systematic manner that captures the spirit of “traditional” paper/file submissions.

This is how the system works: The officer who creates the e-submission defines the various clearing levels as well as the approving officer. The submission is automatically forwarded to each officer in turn. An automatic email alert is sent to prompt the relevant officer when the submission is forwarded for his action.

After reading the contents of the submission, the officer may append his remarks directly into the submission and forward it to the officer in the next clearing level. If for some reason the officer is unable to act on the submission within 72 working hours, the system automatically forwards it to the next clearing level to prevent unnecessary delay.

Finally, when the approving officer appends his comments and closes the submission, the one who created the submission as well as the officers in all the clearing levels are informed by email alerts. The system allows everyone to view the final decision/results at the same time. The closed submission, together with all comments and attachments, is then automatically stored in MFA’s document management system.

The system also enables officers to easily keep track of all their submissions in real time. They can track the officer who is currently “holding” the submission and whether it is still pending or has been closed.

Faster results
Now the overall submission process is faster and more efficient. Decision-making is also easier now as decisions made by management can be obtained and disseminated among relevant parties within a shorter period of time. This in turn allows officers to take appropriate follow-up action more quickly. Officers also have more time to focus on other areas of their work and are hence more productive.

Sharing the innovation
The system has been presented to the Committee of Permanent Secretaries as well as 10 ministries and two government agencies. At least four ministries are exploring how the system may be configured for their own use.