Kanan Akparov

Mr., DOST Digital Innovations Center

The aim of the DOST Digital Innovations Center is accelerating the digitalization of social services of Azerbaijan, improving existing electronic services, as well as managing all IT services of the social field from a single center.

The Center has already successfully digitized over 150 social services, spearheaded over 100 in-house projects, and initiated the "Mechanism of the proactive people-centred assignment of social benefits" project, benefiting over 9 million citizens. Additionally, it thwarted over 3 million cyber-attacks on its systems.

The Center primarily comprises departments related to IT direction, including Infrastructure, Programming, Security, Project Management, Data Analytics, and Helpdesk. 

Supernova Award Category: 
Future of Work: Employee Experience
The Problem: 

The system was developed to address the following challenges facing the labor market in Azerbaijan:
•    Lack of transparency: The labor market was opaque, with limited information available about job openings, salaries, and working conditions. This made it difficult for employers and employees to make informed decisions about their employment needs.
•    Inefficiencies in employment processes: The employment process was time-consuming and inefficient, with many manual steps and paperwork. This made it difficult for employers to find qualified candidates and for job seekers to find suitable jobs.
•    Limited access to reliable job information: Job seekers often had difficulty finding reliable information about job openings. They had to rely on word-of-mouth, job postings on social media, and informal networks to find jobs. This made it difficult for job seekers to find suitable jobs and for employers to reach a wider pool of candidates. 

    The Solution: 

    The “Unified Labour & Employment Subsystem” (EMAS) is an electronic platform that serves as a central hub for employers, employees, job seekers, and the unemployed in the regulation of labor relations and the provision of employment opportunities. EMAS facilitates the organization of human resources and ensures transparency in this field by integrating the country's employment platform, employment map, and register of employed persons into a single electronic platform. By consolidating these resources, EMAS streamlines the processes of job searching, employee hiring, and employment regulation, making it easier for both employers and employees to navigate the labor market.

    The Results: 

    The implementation process of the EMAS in Azerbaijan followed a systematic approach, encompassing planning, development, testing, integration, and user training. This comprehensive process ensured the successful integration of EMAS into the labor market and aimed to maximize its impact on various stakeholders.

    After the implementation of EMAS, the landscape of the labor market underwent a significant transformation. The platform centralized all aspects of labor relations, providing a streamlined and efficient solution for employers, employees, and job seekers. Employers gained access to a real-time database of qualified candidates, simplifying the recruitment process and ensuring compliance with labor laws. Employees were empowered to manage their labor contracts and access information about their employment activities easily. Job seekers benefited from a dynamic database of real-time job vacancies and personalized job searching capabilities, eliminating the need for traditional methods like word-of-mouth or social media.

    It is the first digital platform in Azerbaijan to integrate all aspects of labor relations, including job searching, recruitment, contract management, and personnel records. This provides a one-stop shop for both employers and employees, making it easier and more efficient for them to manage their labor needs;

    Metrics: 

    Currently, the platform has a user base of 2,765,297 people and has registered 314,611 individuals with the “search for job” status who trust the system for their employment needs. Impressively, the platform has also attracted 10,207 employers from both the government and private sectors within a relatively brief period. Within just one year of its launch, EMAS has facilitated the employment of an astounding 77,397 individuals. The system has facilitated the creation of over 175,451 vacancies.

    According to preliminary calculations, after the replacement of paper contracts with digital contracts, we were able to save 23 thousand of trees. Signing of digital contracts requires 15 minutes, while the preparation and signing processes of manual contracts could take up to 3 days. Through the integration the Ministry can exchange data with the relevant institutions within a couple of minutes, while the same process before were taking over 15 days, sometimes month. Notably, in this domain only for the last year over 3 hundred million requests were processed through the integration channel with state and private entities. E-references can be generated and downloaded instantly without the time loss of citizens. Citizens get services in a centralized manner. To make it brief, time and cost savings, along with the indirect contribution to the eco-environment. 

    The Technology: 

    Integration with systems and platforms of 17 institutions was arranged.
    This integration process is facilitated through the utilization of Digital Bridge, which is a centralized system for data exchange across the country. 
    In addition, the Digital login system, which functions as a unified entry point, is used. The Digital login offers multiple authentication methods, including E-Signature, Face recognition based Biometric signature, and USB Token. 

    Disruptive Factor: 

    The implementation of EMAS faced challenges related to data accuracy and completeness, as well as the need for extensive coordination with over 15 government institutions for data integration. Despite these hurdles, EMAS successfully disrupted the traditional labor market ecosystem by centralizing all aspects of labor relations into a single digital platform, challenging the status quo of fragmented and inefficient employment processes. Its innovative features, including real-time job vacancy updates and personalized job searching capabilities, set EMAS apart from other solutions in the space, providing a one-stop solution for both employers and job seekers. This internal disruption within the labor market transformed the way stakeholders interacted and operated, paving the way for greater transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity.

    Shining Moment: 

    Recently, UN South-South Galaxy platform presented the EMAS as one of the best solutions in reaching SDG’s goals: https://my.southsouth-galaxy.org/en/solutions/detail/unified-labour-empl... Also, the system was selected twice as the Champion Project in the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2023 and 2024. Several experience sharing meetings with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Serbia, Romania, and several other countries aimed to learn this system.

    About DOST Digital Innovations Center

    The goal of the DOST Digital Innovations Center is accelerating the digitalization of social services of Azerbaijan, improving existing electronic services, as well as managing all IT services of the social field from a single center. The Center has already successfully digitized over 150 social services and spearheaded over 100 in-house projects.