Human services goes digital

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has launched its Beneficiary Registry and Document Management System (BRDMS), aimed at digitising and streamlining the delivery of social services.

The digital platform will support the administration of key services such as old age pensions, public assistance, and permanent disability support, moving the ministry away from manual processes to a more data-driven, technology-enabled system.

Funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) at a cost of US$1.22 million and developed by Synergy International Systems Inc., the BRDMS is designed to bring greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability to the ministry’s operations.

Speaking at the launch, held at the ministry’s head office, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, highlighted the transformative impact of the initiative.

“We have, as we say, taken the bull by the horns and confronted what we wanted to do by incorporating not only ICT [Information Communication Technology], but also AI [Artificial Intelligence]. Using newer technologies like geospatial technologies, looking at how we can also use things like crowd voicing, but creating a radical revolutionary transformational system that will now manage our information. We’re working on an offline application because we’re looking at the terrain of Guyana to make sure that wherever someone is, their information could be transmitted to a central server and then that application process commences. Coming shortly after this will be persons who experience family violence, persons who are survivors of trafficking, and persons who are utilising our child protection systems and our WIIN programme training,” she explained.

Lead Specialist within the Social Protection and Labour Markets Division at IDB, Luis Tejerina, pointed to the significance of the collaboration, noting that it marks a very important step.

Similar sentiments were also echoed by Resident Representative at IDB, Lorena Solorzano, who said that it is a significant achievement, not only for Guyana, but the Caribbean region.

The system is expected to digitize over 50 social services, enhance application tracking, reduce processing times, and allow for simultaneous application processing, increasing the Ministry’s capacity from handling 21 applications at a time to 800.

To support the transition, more than 300 computers and 50 printers were distributed to regional offices nationwide.

Over 130,000 beneficiary records are being migrated to the new platform, which will allow real-time monitoring, improve evaluation of services, and strengthen policy-making through accurate and accessible data.

The project began in 2020 as part of a COVID-19 response initiative and evolved into a broader digital transformation effort.

The partnership between the Government of Guyana, IDB, and Synergy is a global collaboration, positioning Guyana as a regional leader in digital social service delivery.

Minister Persaud explains how the system works