Advancing digital societies in Asia Pacific: a whole-of-government approach

The 2020s will be pivotal for Asia Pacific countries in the digital society journey. During this decade, the growing emphasis on intelligent connectivity means that digital technologies will play an even more crucial role in enhancing societies and economies. This period also coincides with the Covid-19 pandemic, which will in part be defined by the accelerated shift to digital platforms for work and social activities, and the realisation of the fourth industrial revolution (also known as Industry 4.0) as people, businesses and governments seek to curb the transmission of Covid-19 and hasten economic recovery.

In this context, the need to advance the digital society in a more coordinated way has never been more important. This report highlights the use of a whole-of-government approach (WGA) to accelerate progress on the digital society journey and better coordinate the development and implementation of digital transformation initiatives across the public sector, complemented by private sector investment and innovation.

The GSMA conducted an extensive survey of government agencies, mobile operators and other digital ecosystem players across the region to understand the role of WGA in advancing digital societies in Asia Pacific, especially in the implementation of Industry 4.0. The survey also helps to determine the underlying principles of WGA and how it can best be employed to advance digital societies in Asia Pacific. In the absence of empirical data on this topic, the results of our survey provide valuable on-the-ground evidence of the current status of WGA implementation, as well as insights into the challenges of implementing WGA and practical recommendations going forwards, from both government and industry perspectives.