Going Green: Digital Signatures a new solution at the RSCE

28 Jan 2020

Going Green: Digital Signatures a new solution at the RSCE

Atukunda.J.Kahara

The world temperature is rising day after day affecting us and to ensure we continue to live on a healthy planet, one thing is sure, we must all ‘be part of the solution not part of the pollution’. The greening initiative at the RSCE contributes to achieving that goal and has evolved into several initiatives many of which aim at implementing paperless digital transactions.

“The RSCE is transitioning from physical documents to electronic transactions and documents management system. More and more organisations have come to a realisation that paper is an expensive, inefficient and environmentally unfriendly way to manage processes and information.”  Said Mr. Paulin Djomo, the Chief RSCE

Last year, the paperless initiative was actioned in the Vendors Service Line, and for all correspondences within and outside the Centre. Memorandum, Fax and routing slip management are currently only processed and signed online. The paperless solution has also been launched in the Onboarding and Separation Service Line with the online on-boarding of all new recruits and movement/transfer of staff being processed and signed online. This initiative will not only help in cutting costs and energy but also increase efficiency and save time. It is also directly linked to the Centre’s records management system.  

“In developing the digital signature project, all necessary concerns pertaining to security and compliance issues as well as working with candidates to guide them how to use this new system have been addressed.  The process is very easy for the candidates and the releasing officer because the document can be signed anywhere, anytime using a computer or cell phone and one does not require any account to be able to sign a document.” said Mr. Anis Siddique, the Onboarding and Separation Service Line Manager

The offer and administrative documents for all new recruits, transfer and movements of existing staff can be signed using three different options: All parties involved in the process can simply type their name to sign the document, or sign on a blank piece of paper, take a picture of their signature and upload it in the system. If the person signing the document is using a touch screen (telephone, tablet or computer), they can also sign using their finger on the touch screen.

This online paperless process will save managers, recruitment case officers, certifying officers as well as candidates the time and hassle of printing and scanning documents several times over. It will therefore assist the RSCE to achieve part of its greening goals.

The RSCE is continually improving the services provided to clients and is currently innovating to extend this electronic document handling service to cover other service line transactions.