Since the 1st of March the electronic Mulberry system for document-circulation operates in all the RA Regional Administrations. From now on, all the internal and external correspondences are to be done electronically. The installation of the following electronic system of document-circulation is a nuance for the Regional Administrations. This is why on the 26th-27th of February the FOICA, together with the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration organized a workgroup discussion in Aghveran, with the topic of “Ensuring Publicity in the State Government System”.
The meeting aimed at foreseeing the issues that could arise while using the Mulberry system and to prevent them. This system gives an opportunity to ensure an online watch over the course of the applications sent by citizens to the state governing bodies. It is also an opportunity to receive an immediate response from the official, who is proceeding the application and to receive the answers to the applications online, without visiting the state body. Through the Mulberry electronic document-circulating system citizens can easily keep track of their applications – at the time of registration citizens are given a receipt with security numbers. So, at any time citizens can watch the course of their application due to the information needed for the online tracking of the application process and the “Keep Track of Your Application” sections in the official websites of state departments.
Staffs of Regional Administrations ensure that the Mulberry system has dramatically eased their work. However, citizens have difficulties accepting the new system. Particularly, when a receipt is given to the applying citizens, they ask in astonishment what they should do with those numbers. Thus, it is necessary to teach the population in regions to the new system of document-circulation.
“The implementation of new technologies promotes the freedom of information. When the information was paper-based, its access was harder. Now the installation of the Mulberry system has promoted the freedom of information”, stated the head of the department of “Info technologies, Databases and Communication” of the RA Ministry of Territorial Administration Suren Koshetsyan.
It is worth mentioning, that in 2009 the FOICA gratuitously presented each of the 3 RA Regional Administrations (Armavir, Tavush and Gegharkunik) with 2 computers in order to operate the Mulberry system. It has also organized a special training for the staffs of the Regional Administrations, in order to introduce the skills of using the system.
The event was realized by the financial support of the USAID Armenia, in the frames of the “Access to Information for Community Involvement” USAID funded project.
