Information technology not only speeds up data exchange and workflow, but also has a positive impact on the environment. The use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the workplace also increases productivity, but most of it is not free.

In this article, the UNDP team shares its experience in using ICT during the Coronavirus pandemic in an eco-friendly and future perspective. The article is purely informative and does not seek to promote individual brands or companies.

The UNDP office in Bishkek has been successfully using information solutions for many years, but the need for them has increased dramatically after quarantine. In the conditions of self-isolation and work from home, it has become necessary to maintain a working regime, including office work. This is where ICT solutions such as Skype for Business, DocuSign, Microsoft Teams, MS OneDriver and Zoom have grown in importance.

These programs now replace physical meetings, conferences, trainings and events, completely transferring them to the electronic dimension. Office and project activities have also been converted to electronic format, which required time and human resources. However, after the process was set up, these solutions allowed for the conversion of work processes into an electronic format.

Green solutions for work and the environment

UNDP uses online programmes that enable conferences, trainings and meetings. Whereas participants used to gather in the same room, often passing through the city by car or public transport, increasing their "footprint", now all this is not the case. It is the same with international meetings and conferences. With the cancellation of air travel, all meetings are held online, and this too significantly reduces greenhouse emissions.  For example, for an economy class flight on the Bishkek - Stambul - Bishkek route, emissions are 1.03 metric tons of CO2e.

UNDP implements about 30 projects and works with a dozen local organizations - both public, private and non-governmental. This means that the organization has a large volume of written correspondence and document flow. A considerable amount of paper, electricity and toner is spent to print multi-page contracts, program and administrative and financial documents.

During the quarantine UNDP switched to electronic signatures via DocuSign service (similar services: SingX, Adobe Sign, Nitro Cloud, Hello Sign, Authentisign, eSignLive, and others). DocuSign - the online service, allowing to sign documents electronically. At use DocuSign completely there is no necessity for the printing of documents. Users who subscribe to the service can now work the same way as before, but only online, avoiding the cost of paper, printers, toner, reducing the impact on the environment and eliminating the need to physically sign documents. In pandemic mode, coronavirus is an additional incentive to convert business processes to electronic format.

"Nothing is free."

DocuSign costs money, as do many ICT services. An average organization in Kyrgyzstan can buy one DocuSign envelope (1 envelope contains several documents and several signature requests) for about $3 (the cost may be higher or lower depending on the plan chosen). At first glance it seems to be expensive. However, do you remember the cost of sending a document by courier or driving several people to collect all necessary signatures? Plus, the impact on the environment is growing and the amount of transport on the roads is increasing, which makes it difficult to traffic in the city. Add to that the difficulty of parking.

One of the key conditions for successful online work is high-speed Internet. And, if the problem in the city is not so acute, in the suburbs and new buildings, the Internet speed is low.

"Forced, but convenient."

Due to quarantine, we now more often have to resort to online services, because the work must continue. In addition to this, the above services are quite in line with modern requirements, presenting a wide range of functionality and convenience. Here our choice can be in using the most convenient services. In other words, the self-isolation mode can serve as a catalyst in the use of ICT technologies and jump-start digitalization in Kyrgyzstan and around the world.