The Government is planning to upgrade technology in the Civil Service with the help of the private sector.

The Government has issued a request for information from companies to develop a “digital workplace environment“ on September 11 — nine days before government computer systems were hacked in a cyberattack.

The RFI requested information on “marketplace available resources, business models and technical solutions in order to assist in the determination of a preferred partner, solution and related services”.

It added: “A cloud-based platform, infrastructure and software as a service model is of particular interest or mixture that can gradually replace or interface to all Government’s existing applications and digital services through Application Programme Interfaces.

“We need a partner to help us both modernise our service catalogue and then develop a cloud operating model that can transform the organisation.

“This will encompass working with us at the strategic, financial and operational levels to refine Government’s multiple digital reform strategies into one combined operating plan to move forward with together.

“The Government is not looking at a short-term relationship to just purchase equipment or software but in establishing an ongoing partnership that could serve them for many years.

“Both parties would work together in building a digital workplace environment in Bermuda that could then be showcased to the world to the benefit of both parties.”

According to the RFI, the “essential function” of the planned central, interoperable system is to provide the public with a single communication platform for the exchange of data, which it claims will improve quality and speed of delivery of government services.

It said: “To this end, [the Department of Information and Digital Technology] have been charged with providing a solution to digitise the services provided by the 12 front-facing departments identified in Section 3.3.

“To achieve this, it is recognised that the back-end systems initially require the most work rather than the portal at the front end. The main initial focus for our chosen partner will be to work with us to come up with an acceptable strategy that partially meets both goals in the near term.

“The approach will establish interoperability between various IT systems within Government that in turn will support public services provided to citizens and businesses.”

The closing date for submissions is 4pm on October 9.