In 2023, the Youth for Governance (Y4G) program engaged 30 students in a project centered around the Traffic Management Authority (TMO), also known as Nefaa, which handles traffic-related matters. The Vehicle Registration Office (VRO) within Nefaa was the primary focus due to its high citizen interaction rate and recent corruption scandals. To address this, the Minister of Interior assigned 30 ISF officers to oversee TMO’s operations, signaling a commitment to combat corruption and reform public administrations.
The Y4G interns identified several challenges facing TMO. Staff numbers had dwindled significantly, and multiple service interruptions, caused by events like the COVID-19 pandemic and investigations, exacerbated problems. Despite its apparent administrative and financial autonomy, TMO still had limited decision-making power, subject to multiple authorities. Additionally, TMO lacked the capacity to establish an “investment system” to fund its operations independently.
These resource constraints led to outdated procedures, disorganization, outdated technology, and inefficiencies. Citizens faced long wait times, frequent bribery, and limited information about formalities. Recognizing the extent of the issues at VRO, the interns launched quick initiatives, including organizing archives, digitizing files, automating workflows, and creating online portals for appointment booking, driving schools, and car dealerships. A chatbot was developed to assist citizens with common inquiries. Satisfaction surveys showed a significant improvement in citizen perception and service satisfaction.
Interns conducted benchmarking to identify global best practices for vehicle registration processes. They also made long-term recommendations, including filling staff vacancies, enhancing employee skills, exploring revenue-generating opportunities, completing digitization, and creating a digital archive for old files.
In summary, the Y4G program addressed the challenges faced by TMO’s VRO, implementing quick improvements and providing long-term recommendations to enhance efficiency, transparency, and service quality in Lebanon’s vehicle registration process.
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