Developer | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
Implementation | Information Society Technologies Single Member SA |
Budget | €3,790,000.00 (plus 24% VAT) |
What is the object of the project “Transformation of Consular Services Procedures”?
The object of the project is to transform the procedures of the Consular Services with the aim of combating bureaucracy with alternative ways of handling requests, that do not require the physical presence of citizens. The redesign of the procedures will be based on the virtual assistant service, which, using artificial intelligence, will enable the service of the citizens on the important issues that concern them.
The object of the act mainly concerns the following eight administrative procedures:
- issuing a certificate of permanent residence abroad
- registers of births, marriages and deaths,
- the issuance or renewal of a passport, namely the conditions for issuing a passport, the cost, the time of issuance, the method of receipt and the actions to be taken by the citizen in the event of passport theft,
- conscription issues such as enlistment, deferment, exemption, reduced service, recognition of military service, redemption of military service,
- power of attorney,
- issuance of birth certificates, civil status certificates, identification documents, relocation certificates, permanent residence abroad certificates, conversion of a driving license, hospitalization certifications, exact copies, documents for the transfer of a pet to Greece,
- tax issues such as instructions for paying taxes, how to avoid double taxation, access to myTaxisNet, appointment of a tax representative,
- other matters (instructions regarding restrictions on travel due to Covid-19, issuance of entry visa, acquisition of Greek citizenship)
What is the aim of the Project?
The project aims to improve the services provided by the Consular Authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the citizens, through the redesign of the existing procedures. The aim is to provide a high level of service without the need for their physical presence at the Consular Authorities, whenever possible.
The redesigned procedures will be completed with the electronic submission of documents and supporting documents, as well as electronic payments.
Citizens will be able to ask questions to every Consular Authority through multiple digital channels in written physical language through multiple communication channels, will receive information and replies, will be able to attach the relevant documents for each process and complete their work by submitting the relevant documents to the Consular Authorities.
What does the implementation of the Project involve?
The redesigned procedures will be implemented in all 126 Consular Authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 85 different countries.
In the context of the homogenization of procedures, the transformed processes will be a common reference platform for Consular Authorities in all countries, irrespective of the languages and particularities of each country’s legislation. The digital services will support the specificities of each country’s legislation in relation to the functional areas of the project, including the various transnational agreements, as well as the specificities of each Consular Authority in terms of its type, the scope of the services provided and its particularities in daily operation.
The virtual assistant will support 19 different languages.
For each country, Greek and English will be supported, while the total of the different combinations of languages and countries supported will be 221.
The new processes will support direct and 24-hour communication between the citizens and the Consular Authorities, as follows:
- Answers to the queries submitted by the interested citizens to the consular officers of the Authorities.
- Instructions for handling queries-requests.
- Digitization of the application submission process (electronic filing).
- Determining the date and time of receipt of requested documents in cases where identification documents are required.
- Electronic payment of the consular fees for the administrative acts of the Authorities by citizens.
Furthermore, the redesigned processes are expected to be interconnected with:
A) The existing and planned digital information-service platforms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as: myCONSULlive, Greek Immigrant Registry, Emergency Information System for Greek Citizens Abroad-MASGA, Hub for Economy and Extroversion Matters, www.agora.mfa.gr, Special information and public diplomacy platform
B) Existing and planned digital information-service platforms outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as: Civil Registry, Conscription Service, Passport Directorate, Police on Line, Independent Criminal Records Department, e-efka, Special Electoral Roll Abroad, Digital Transactions between Citizens/Business with the Public Sector (Digital Service Center gov.gr).
All the services of the project will be provided by the Contractor at the premises of the Central Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Greece and the digital services will be provided at the facilities of the government cloud (G-Cloud) in Greece.
What necessities does it cover?
The Act is expected to complement the main functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning its obligations, such as
a) to assist Greek citizens abroad,
(b) to provide them with a high level of services; and
(c) to take all appropriate measures to protect, secure and communicate with them for as long as they are outside the Greek territory.
What are the expected benefits?
The provision of services to Greeks living abroad is considered lacking. The problems are largely due to the way the consular authorities are organized and run. In particular, the processing of basic Consular Services requires time, effort and cost, both for the citizen and the Consular Authority. The project will solve the above problems and change the image of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards the citizens, as well as towards the expatriate Greeks.
The redesigned service processes for Greek residents and other traders with the Consular Authorities will meet the basic criteria for classifying the procedures as “simplified” which are user-friendliness, economy, necessity, efficiency and effectiveness, quality, applicability and transparency, through the use of the virtual assistant and the interconnection with related digital platforms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other public bodies.
With the implementation of the Act, the following will be achieved:
- Speed in informing citizens and handling transactions, by the Consular Authorities.
- Reduction of operating costs.
- Improvement of the image projected towards the trader (expatriate Greeks and citizens of other countries that perform transactions with the Consular Authorities).
- Possibility of online data acquisition by the Central Offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Ensuring accurate and up-to-date information.
- Improvement of the quality of the services provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to citizens, businesses and other involved bodies.
- Strengthening the citizens’ and businesses’ trust in the state and the public administration
How is it funded?
The Project is funded by the Operational Program “PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM”, within the framework of the NSRF, by the ESF and by National Resources.