Messaging system created in cooperation with Estonia to improve communication between Armenian state and its citizens

Armenia has set a goal to digitise all public services provided by the state by 2030. A major prerequisite for its successful implementation is creating a unified, secure and reliable information exchange system through which government agencies can deliver official electronic notifications to citizens and businesses. 

Although existing channels (e.g., SMS messages) suit non-sensitive exchanges between the state and citizens, Armenia increasingly needs a secure, reliable system that lets state institutions transmit official information to citizens and businesses. 

"The Armenian Information Systems Agency turned to Estonia for cooperation because of our long-term practical experience. In Estonia, we have managed to create a capability where the state can quickly, purposefully and reliably inform citizens and provide them with digital services," said Andres Ääremaa, ESTDEV’s head of e-Governance and Cybersecurity. 

Currently, various public sector institutions in Armenia use separate SMS and email solutions to send notifications. Citizens’ contact details are collected and managed by numerous individual institutions, which means that the current system cannot transmit messages that contain potentially sensitive data or that require a legally valid proof of delivery. Citizens are also not able to select a preferred channel through which to exchange information with state institutions.  

Foundation for usable prototype developed with Estonian support  

The project first confirmed stakeholders’ needs, prepared the system architecture and requirements, and then created a prototype. One of the most important aspects of the solution is that there is a clear, verifiable record that a notification has been sent. This makes it possible to later establish when and how an official notification was delivered.  

ADM Interactive CEO Riho Pihelpuu explained that the design of the new system was created in a way that different service providers could eventually build user interfaces and services tailored to citizens on top of it. 

“In Estonia, we are more accustomed to the government already having such a kind of underlying layer in place, whereas in Armenia, the necessary digital ecosystem is still taking shape. Banks, mobile operators and other potential messaging partners are not all connected to the central solution yet. Therefore, the system had to be designed in a way that would also work in the future, as new stakeholders and channels are gradually added,” Pihelpuu said. 

The messaging system will become one of the key pillars of Armenia’s digital ecosystem as all government agencies will need to use this service to communicate with citizens. Pihelpuu added that while arriving at the right solution required extensive discussions and comparisons of different options, this close collaboration ultimately helped the parties reach a shared understanding of what kind of system Armenia actually needs. 

"Despite the fact that the Armenian context, needs and level of digital government are different from ours, the successful implementation of the project further demonstrates the high level and skills of Estonian experts. We are able to help develop important solutions in other contexts and different circumstances," said Arturas Matšenas, ESTDEV’s project manager for e-Governance. 

The Information Systems Agency of Armenia can now start to test the solution and ultimately fit it into their digital ecosystem.