- Cognigate Advisory Team
- Aug 28
- 3 min read
Introduction: Why ITSM Matters for Public Services
Across MENA, governments are investing heavily in digital transformation — but while front-end portals and apps get most of the attention, the backbone of public service delivery is often overlooked: IT Service Management (ITSM).
Without efficient ITSM, citizen portals crash, government employees face delays, and services lose trust. Gartner projects that by 2026, 60% of government agencies will prioritize ITSM automation as part of their digital modernization programs (Gartner).
The ITSM Challenge in Government
Manual Processes: Many ministries still rely on spreadsheets and email for issue tracking.
Siloed Support Functions: IT, HR, facilities, and citizen services often operate independently.
Slow Resolution Times: Employees and citizens experience delays in critical services.
Limited Visibility: Leaders lack dashboards to monitor service performance.
PwC emphasizes:
“Governments that fail to modernize IT service management risk undermining the very trust they aim to build through digital transformation.”
Why Automating ITSM Is a Public Sector Priority
Faster Service Delivery
Automated workflows reduce resolution times for citizen and employee requests.
Consistency and Transparency
Automation ensures services are delivered according to policy, with traceability.
Proactive Problem Management
AI and analytics can identify recurring issues, preventing outages before they happen.
Employee Productivity
Government employees spend less time on manual processes, focusing instead on serving citizens.
McKinsey’s research shows:
“Organizations that automate IT workflows see up to 40% faster resolution times and 30% cost savings.”
Regional Context: ITSM in MENA Governments
UAE: Ministries are embedding ITSM automation into smart government platforms to guarantee service reliability.
Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030 emphasizes digital government maturity, with ITSM automation included in multiple giga-projects.
Egypt: Agencies are modernizing IT operations to support large-scale e-government rollouts (tax, education, health).
Morocco & Jordan: Governments are piloting ITSM automation to improve employee productivity and reduce service backlogs.
Deloitte notes:
“Automation in government IT is no longer optional — it is critical for resilience, security, and trust.”
Cognigate’s Perspective: ITSM as an HX Enabler
For Cognigate, ITSM automation is not about technology efficiency alone — it is about human experience:
Citizens expect services that “just work.”
Government employees deserve tools that empower, not frustrate.
Leaders need visibility into service performance to maintain trust.
“Every government digital service depends on invisible ITSM. Automating it is not back-office work — it’s frontline trust-building.” — Cognigate
Enablers of Automated ITSM
AI-Powered Service Desks: Chatbots that handle routine requests while escalating complex issues to humans.
Cross-Functional Automation: Connecting IT, HR, and facilities workflows into a single platform.
Dashboards and Analytics: Real-time visibility into service health, SLAs, and citizen satisfaction.
Integration with Government Systems: Ensuring ITSM connects with ERP, CRM, and citizen portals.
Forrester emphasizes:
“Governments that automate ITSM reduce friction, accelerate adoption, and increase satisfaction across all stakeholder groups.”
Conclusion: ITSM as the Foundation of Digital Trust
Governments across MENA are racing to deliver smarter, faster, more sustainable services. But without robust ITSM automation, digital platforms remain fragile.
The future of public sector ITSM is:
Automated, to reduce delays and errors.
Integrated, to connect IT, HR, facilities, and citizen workflows.
Human-Centric, ensuring services are reliable, transparent, and trustworthy.
At Cognigate, we believe automating ITSM is one of the most powerful — and overlooked — ways governments can deliver on their promises of trust and efficiency in the digital era.
