Local Business License Issuing System Implementation Guide

Section 1: Executive Summary

Overview of the Product

The computerized and automatic Business License Issuing system offered by eGov facilitates citizens who seek to apply for a business license within any Urban Local Body with a transparent, speedy, hassle-free and user-friendly procedure. Trade License (TL) is one of the components of a smart city that ensures a check on all the trade practices and increases the ease of conducting business within the state. Keeping in mind the benefits associated with the product offered, the proposed system is about to be implemented in 500+ ULBs across the country in 15 states. (For details on product features refer to Section 2)

Implementation Methodology for TL

For the offered product, the implementation process can be divided into seven major distinctive stages. Each stage has predefined entry and exit criteria, roles & responsibilities to assure objective monitoring and decision-making for the overall success of the engagement. The whole implementation lifecycle is typical of 38-42 weeks for the State, keeping in mind the entry and exit criteria defined at the beginning and end of each stage are met on time recommended.

Exhibit 1: Phases of Implementation.

Stage Zero is that of program setup and onboarding which is a pre-requisite for the initiative to kick-off and requires setup of the governance model, implementation Team and decision regarding other significant elements of the initiative like funding and procurement process.

Stage One - requires scoping of the initiative and decisions on the priorities for implementation by the State Implementation Team.

Stage Two - the State Team works on identifying and finding solutions to the significant gaps in the product offered with respect to the need of the State.

Stage Three - involves the Configuration and customization of the product offered. This involves working on various aspects of State-specific needs and incorporating them into the product offered.

Stage Four - is about doing a pilot launch in UAT and including all the necessary feedback on the product.

Stage Five - the roll-out of the product is done at the State level (Go Live) from a couple of ULBs to pan-state coverage in batches.

Stage Six - sustenance and ongoing improvements are worked upon while the product is already functioning in the State. (For details on the implementation plan refer to Section 3)

Critical Success Factors For Implementation

Implementation of the Trade License (TL) module requires meticulous planning and close coordination between various stakeholders at the centre and State levels. The success of the initiative is dependent upon many factors like strong Program governance, availability of trained resources, financial planning, targeted Implementation Team onboarding, focus on last-mile capacity building and ensuring necessary support to the Urban centre. Achievement of all these factors will provide the most effective and efficient roll-out and adoption of the Trade License System in the State.

Section 2: Product Overview

The purpose of this document is to give an overview of the Trade License System (TLS). The Trade License product provides a digital interface, allowing citizens to apply for the Trade License and subsequently make the payment online.

The Trade License product enables:

• Ease of doing business — Traders can apply for new licenses, renewals, amendments, and supplemental licenses

• Regulatory Tracking — Administrators can track and manage regulatory processes

• Shorter Timelines — It streamlines and automates the business licensing processes and help a business to be set up quickly

• Data-driven decision making — The application collates valuable information on the economic activity and employment opportunities in a ULB

The TL product features can be broadly classified as the following modules:

1. Registration, Login and Creation of User Profile

2. Applying for a Trade License

3. Trade License Issue

4. Modifications to a Trade License

5. Renewal of Trade License

6. Payments and Fee

7. Dashboards and Reports

8. General Features

Click here to view module capabilities and product functional specifications.

Section 3: Trade License (TL) Implementation Methodology

This section provides an overview of the methodology for State-wide implementation of TL. The Implementation of TL is distributed across seven distinct stages. Each stage has predefined entry & exit criteria and roles & responsibilities. This is to ensure objective monitoring and decision-making for the overall success of the program. Details of each stage are defined in this section.

Note: This document is specific for States that have more than 30 ULBs

TL implementation program is expected to be completed approximately between 38- 42 weeks with the resource deployment by the State and System Integrator (SI) Team (as defined below). However, it is critical that activities and exit criteria set for each stage are achieved to adhere to this timeline.

Seven Stages of Implementation For Trade License

Stage 0 - Program Setup/Onboarding

This is a set of initial critical activities undertaken on receiving a letter of Enrolment or MOU from the State. Successful completion of these activities assures that the program is started with crucial personnel, System Integrator (SI) Teams, and funds.

Stage 0 - Program Setup/ On-Boarding
Duration	4-6 weeks
Entry Criteria	Acceptance Letter/MoU by State
Exit Criteria	Finalise Trade License Program Vision Finalise funding for the program Define State-specific procurement process Trade License Cell appointment (*). Consisting of: Domain expert Nodal officer (EO/ Commissioner/ Senior Official) Program Head System Integrator (SI) Team sign-up/onboarding

*Details of TL cells are mentioned in section 4 of this handbook

System Integrator (SI) Sign-up:

• System Integrator and state will agree on program scope, program timelines, and budgeting & resourcing.

Stage 1 - Program Kick-Off

This stage envisages the in-person interaction of crucial State officials and implementation System Integrator (SI) Teams to kick-start the program. This stage may require multiple interactions/meetings with different interest groups. The principal objective of these interactions is to identify scope and planning strategies for phasing/ rollout, create an active collaboration & Governance approach and agree on a high-level timeline for the engagement.

Duration	4-6 weeks
Entry Criteria	Program setup (Stage 0) is complete SI Team signed-up
Key Activities	Project kick-off meeting and consultation from stakeholders Identify & agree on high-level scope and exclusions Identify pilot ULBs (using criteria such as business penetration, revenue generated from previous TL systems etc.) Product Walkthroughs Define Project Steering Committee structure and Project Governance process Define phases of Rollout/ Deployment Agreement on Deployment Priorities and high-level delivery timelines Identify and study all TL process Definition of TL as per the municipal governance of the State State wise conceptualization of trade categories Citizen services/channels around it Integration with other Departmental processes (*) Finalise Program Success Metrics for Rollout, Adoption and Governance adhering to the vision of the program Internal Capacity Building, program logistics at State and ULBs, as per the current scenario Collection of baseline data to measure end line target for the product (revenue generated, total properties in ULBs etc.) Circulation of baseline data collection templates to the state/SI Team
Exit Criteria	Publish the program charter Implementation plan agreement with priority features and broad timelines Program Governance Model Program Success Metrics Capacity Building TL Cell formation and appointment (#) Data preparation/collection kick-off from Pilot ULBs Cloud Infrastructure procured Project Office Space allocated Program Branding (name, logo, tagline etc.)

*Exploration is required to understand the Inter and Intra Departmental Jurisdictions of Local Governments with respect to Trade License.

#Details of TL cell is mentioned in section 4 of this handbook

State Baseline Data: A Baseline Template is provided to collect certain vital information like no. of transactions, revenue collected in the last FYs, collection mode, budget data, etc. This data must be collected pre-rollout

Stage 2 - Solution Design

During the Solution design stage, key State officials and members, who are subject matter experts, are expected to share State acts and policies and help interpret the same for the System Integrator (SI) Team. This stage baselines the State-specific product features in the Product Configuration report.

Duration	4-6 weeks
Entry Criteria	Program Charter TL cell appointment
Key Activities	Standardisation of all TL processes Initiate policy change if needed, based on the Processes defined Define criteria for success Conduct Product familiarisation workshop Initiate collection of master data from pilot ULBs Finalise data migration/collection/sync-up approach as per requirement Finalise data validation approach Capacity Building for making state team aware about basic usage of tools like MS Office, mails etc. Dashboard design finalisation for Program Tracking
Exit Criteria	State Sign Off and Publishing of the TL processes, data template/workflows Finalisation of Roll-out plan (in different phases) Product Configuration Report Sign Off Solution agreement for required State- specific product customisations Program tracking mechanism finalization and sign off by the state Initial reporting structure Dashboard KPIs Sign-off on data approach (Data collection/migration/correction/ sync-up/validation) Detailed project plan

Pilot ULBs Specific Product Data Configuration: Master data is required from the Product Perspective for going live. For e.g.: Boundary Data, List of Employees etc. A Master Data Template will be provided for the collection of this particular data type.

Stage 3 - Configuration & Customisation

This stage consists of a series of developments in accordance with the detailed project plan to ensure the smooth functioning of the customised product. Master Data Collection & Environment Setup will be achieved in this phase. Further monitoring and maintenance strategies are put in place.

Duration	6-8 weeks
Entry Criteria	Product Configuration Report has been Signed Off by the state Sign-off on data approach (Data collection/migration/correction/ sync-up/validation) State Sign Off and Publishing of the TL processes, data template/workflows Detailed Project Plan
Key Activities	Setting up development environments Development/customisation of reports and dashboards Development/Integration of portal Third-Party Integrations (Payment gateway, Handheld/pos device) Updation of user manuals and other key documents Preparation & execution of Test Cases Setup monitoring, support & maintenance processes, tools and dashboards TL Legacy data collection from Pilot ULBs as per the data agreement signoff by the state Capacity Building for making state team aware about basic usage of tools like MS Office, mails etc. Identify ULB level nodal officers for day to day support Migration and verification of Pilot ULB data as per the data agreement signoff by the state
Exit Criteria	Configured/Customized product that is ready for UAT Set up of Monitoring, support & maintenance of Dashboards finalization of Initial Reporting and Dashboard KPIs Identification of participants for UAT session

Stage 4 - UAT & Go Live

During this stage, a demonstration of the product followed by a hands-on session is conducted for the ULB officials. Necessary training of ULB officials and resources required for UAT is conducted and identified respectively. The establishment of the State Support Team and required processes are initiated in this stage.

Duration	2-3 weeks
Entry Criteria	Configured/Customized product ready for UAT Pilot ULB Officials associated with TL are available for UAT & Training
Key Activities	UAT Environment Setup Issues/bug identification and resolution Regression UAT and Sign off from Pilot ULBs/ State Setting up the Production environment Setting up Support Centre & processes (Help Desk) Training (Users, trainer) master trainers identified from ground for simultaneous training Training the Support Resources Marketing & promotion activities Go Live & launch event Setup of review and monitoring cadence/team Usage/review/Dashboard/Field Visits
Exit Criteria	UAT Sign-off & Go Live for Pilot ULBs Setup of review and monitoring cadence

Note: The Nodal Officer is responsible for identifying the ULB officials who are associated with the TL process on the ground and will be working with the technological Product in the respective ULBs

Stage 5 – Rollout

On successful Go-Live in the Pilot ULBs, and further fine-tuning to stabilize the product, the solution will be rolled out to the rest of the ULBs in phases. Guidance and support from the State Team will be required to create the rollout plans and ensure the necessary infrastructure for training and deployment is available at each ULB.

Note: The rollout phase needs to be detailed for iterative activities of onboarding ULBs in batches.

Duration	5-6 weeks
Entry Criteria	A pilot has been successful in the State there are less than 3 open critical incidents (issues) with respect to product, implementation and data
Key Activities	ULB configurations phase wise as per the Project Plan Verification and migration of ULB data phase wise as per the Data Agreement Sign Off provided by the State Establishment of bug ticketing tool for resolving ground level issues by the state team Training the Users at the district level Pan State Roll Out - Phase wise Stabilise product
Exit Criteria	State-wide Rollout in batches: Adoption tracking & Review Cadence operational Help Desk Effectiveness assured Critical Bugs fixed Program Success Metrics Tracking Kick-started

Note: Only once all the stages are complete in one batch of the rollout of around 30 ULBs, the next batch begin. There are multiple phases of rollout. The second batch begins after the first batch has successfully fulfilled all the criteria of the Rollout Phase. A typical timeline for the closure of rollout in each batch is 5-6 weeks (in a batch of 30 ULBs)

Stage 6 – Sustenance and Ongoing Improvement

The final stage consists of strategies to ensure the sustenance of the product in the State. Systems are put in place to ensure the continuous tracking of data and provisions are made to improve the product if new data suggest.

Duration	Ongoing process
Entry Criteria	Rollout Phase 1(First set of ULBs where rollout will happen after Pilot)
Key Ongoing Activities	Adoption Review Meetings as per the vision defined for the program. Meetings are chaired by the Program Head Need to be conducted weekly TL Cell Focuses on Using data for: tracking field issues and performance data to identify improvements identify additional Integrations around TL to make processes more robust towards enhancing TL revenues (e.g. Upstream and downstream Processes) Plans of ongoing Sustenance in Place with respect to: Funding IT support Process Effectiveness and Improvements

Section 4: Roles and Responsibilities - TL Cell, eGov Team & System Integrator (SI)Team

This section outlines the activities involved in each stage of the implementation along with the responsibility and accountability of critical stakeholders - State, eGov Team and System Integrator Team onboard.

TL Cell: TL Cell is the government-appointed body chaired by the Principal Secretary/Secretary, Urban Development Department with members from Urban Development Department etc.

Resource requirements for the TL cell required to be formed by the State

Resource Name	No. Of Resources
Project Head	1
Domain Expert	2
District Nodal Officer	1 per district
MIS Expert	4

Note:

• Designations mentioned above are as per designations already driving TLs implementation at the State level.

• The description of each designation is explained below.

• These are the preferred figures. In the case of Domain Expert, 2 people are subject to the availability

Description of resource persons:

• Project Head: Is the Head of the TL Cell who will drive the project from the State’s Side

• Domain Expert: A person who is well aware of the on-ground scenario, well versed with the act, GOs passed, Prevalent Business processes, Deviations from the acts, TL Rates/ slabs applicable

• Nodal officer (EO/Commissioner/ Senior Official): the project coordinator in each district to drive the project centrally. Monitor usage post Go Live- point of escalation for Implementation Team, Seasoned and worked in Multiple ULBs on various modules and has a good understanding of TL, Facilitates and Tracks data collection Post Go Live, Monitors and facilitates the adoption of the application. point of contact for eGov, SI and at the HQ level.

• MIS Expert: Day-to-day tracking of the data specific to ULBs, data entry, reporting and review to senior officials

eGOv Team: eGov Team is the technical partner of the project which will provide all necessary support to the State concerning the implementation, Program Designing etc.

System Integrator (SI)Team: SI Team will be responsible for consulting, program management and the implementation of products in the ULBs in close collaboration with the TL cell, technical partner (eGov) and various other stakeholders.

Guidelines to read the tables below:

Execute - One who owns the accountability to complete the activity

Consult - One who may initiate, guide and in the process, handhold the execution of the activity

Stage 0 - Program Setup/ On-Boarding
Task/Activity	eGov	State Leadership
Appoint of TL Cell	Consult	Execute
Finalise funding for the program	Consult	Execute
Define state -specific procurement process	Consult	Execute
System Integrator(SI) Team sign-up/onboarding	Consult	Execute
Finalise Trade License Program Vision	Consult	Execute

Note: Stage 0 is where the TL cell and SI team is formed, hence there are only two entities playing a role which are that of eGov and the state leadership. Once the TL cell and SI team are finalised, their role begins in the following stages.

Stage 1 - Program kick-off
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
Identify & agree on scope and exclusions	Consult	Consult	Execute
Identify pilot ULBs		Execute	Consult
Project Kickoff - Implementation Methodology Presentation	Consult	Consult	Execute
Product Walkthroughs	Consult		Execute
Define Project Steering Committee structure and Project Governance process	Consult	Consult	Execute
Define phases of deployment/ rollout		Consult	Execute
Agreement on Deployment Priorities and high-level delivery timelines		Consult	Execute
Identify and study all TL process		Consult	Execute
Finalize Program Success Metrics for Adoption and Governance adhering to the vision of the program	Consult	Consult	Execute
Stage 1 - Program kick-off
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
Internal Capacity Building, program logistics at State and ULBs, as per the current scenario		Execute	Consult
Collection of baseline data to measure end line target for the product (Revenue generated, total properties in ULBs etc.)	Consult	Execute	Consult
Circulation of baseline data collection templates to the state/SI Team		Execute	Consult

Stage 2 - Solution Design
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
Standardisation of all TL processes		Consult	Execute
Define criteria for success		Execute	Consult
Initiate policy change, if needed based on Processes defined	Consult	Execute	Consult
Conduct Product familiarisation workshop		Consult	Execute
Initiate collection of master data from pilot ULBs		Consult	Execute
Finalise data migration/collection/sync-up approach		Consult	Execute
Finalise data validation approach		Execute	Consult
Capacity Building for making state team aware about basic usage of tools like MS Office, mails etc.		Execute	Consult
Dashboard design finalisation for Program Tracking		Execute	Consult

Stage 3 – Configuration & Customization
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
Setting up development environments		Consult	Execute
Development/customisation of reports and dashboards		Consult	Execute
Development/Integration of portal		Consult	Execute
Third-Party Integrations (Payment gateway, Handheld/pos device)		Consult	Execute
Updation of user manuals and other key documents		Consult	Execute
Preparation & execution of Test Cases		Consult	Execute
Setup monitoring, support & maintenance processes, tools and dashboards		Consult	Execute
TL legacy data collection from Pilot ULBs (at least)		Consult	Execute
Capacity Building for making state team aware about basic usage of tools like MS Office, mails etc.		Execute	Consult
Verification and Migration of Pilot ULB data		Consult	Execute
Identification of participants for UAT session		Execute	Consult

Stage 4 – UAT & Go Live
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
UAT Environment Setup	Consult	Consult	Execute
Issues/bug identification and resolution		Consult	Execute
Regression UAT and sign off from Pilot ULBs/ State		Execute	Consult
Setting up the Production environment		Consult	Execute
Setting up Support Centre & processes (Help Desk)		Execute	Consult
Training user		Execute	Consult
Training Trainer		Consult	Execute
Stage 4 – UAT & Go Live
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
Training the Support Resources		Consult	Execute
Marketing & promotion activities		Execute	Consult
Go Live & launch event	Consult	Execute	Execute
Setup of review and monitoring cadence/team		Execute	Consult

Stage 5: Rollout
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
ULB configurations phase wise as per the Project Plan		Consult	Execute
Verification and Migration of ULB data phase wise as per the Data Agreement Sign Off provided by the State		Execute	Consult
Establishment of bug ticketing tool for resolving ground level issues by the state team		Consult	Execute
Training the Users at the district level		Execute	Consult
Pan State Roll Out – Phase wise	Consult	Execute	Execute
Stabilise product		Consult	Execute

Stage 6- Sustenance and Ongoing Improvement
Task/Activity	eGov	TL Cell	SI Team
Adoption Review Meetings as per the vision defined for the program	Consult	Execute	Consult
TL Cell Focuses on Using data for: tracking field issues and performance data to identify improvements identify additional Integrations around TL to make processes more robust towards enhancing TL revenues (e.g Upstream and downstream Processes)		Execute	Consult
Plans of ongoing Sustenance in Place with respect to: Funding IT support (infra, helpdesk, ongoing enhancements) Process Effectiveness and Improvements	Consult	Execute	Consult

Section 5: Overall Program Assumptions

Areas	Assumptions
Infrastructure	The actual Infra will be provided based on the questionnaire inputs received from the state The state will take care of providing necessary project infrastructure and office facilities during the program for all on-site project Team members, which will be confirmed during the initiation phase. This includes workspace, office equipment (e.g., telephone with STD, fax machine, photocopy machine, etc.), stationery, PC/workstation, project LAN and internet access, etc. The state will provide the necessary administrative support staff to carry out day-to-day project administration tasks, e.g., meeting rooms, Videoconferencing, etc. The state should provide a Project Office and at least one conference room with speakerphone throughout the Project Duration.
Project Scope	Any new requirements received from State during the implementation phase will be handled through a change management process
State Team	The state will nominate a reasonably sized multifunctional Team from various departments of the State to be responsible for the implementation. The state Team would be required for information, validation, and execution through the implementation cycle and the Team members should be reasonably empowered to take decisions. Any delay in the decision-making process and the non-availability of the State Team may have an impact on the schedule. The participants from State are expected to have a thorough understanding of the State’s internal processes. The state will engage internal and external stakeholders required for this engagement and ensure their availability whenever needed.
Documentation	The Tech Implementation Partner will ensure provision of the following: User education and training documentation delivery as per the default product documentation of the identified product versions. Product manuals are expected to be shared with the State as part of the user manual. All documentation in English and the language requirement of the state.
Training	Training to the end-users will be driven by the state Team. The state will be responsible for providing the necessary infrastructure required for the Training, which includes the following readiness. Training Rooms (Parallel Training Sessions) with Projector, White Board, Markers, Internet Connection, sufficient seating capacity, Desktop/Laptop for each participant and availability of Network for Trainees to connect to the server.
Implementation	The scope of the implementation will be limited to the services mentioned in Section 2. eGoc Team will have an identified SPOC for handling the first level of communication with the client unless discussed and agreed. eGov Team will not be involved in defining the test cases or executing the test cases. Necessary signoff would be provided by the state upon completion of the defined milestones.

Glossary

Vision: Defining the time frame to go live, the time frame to scale it pan state, the value proposition of the programme for the state and year-on-year financial targets and adoption targets

Project Plan: A detailed plan of Program schedule/timelines, implementation phases, team structure and ongoing support and maintenance is required.

System Integrator: The Entity/Company collates all the subsystems required for the project and integrates them to achieve the program objective

Program Charter: Outline of implementation plan agreement with priority applications and broad timelines, program governance model, program success metrics and capacity building.

Acceptance Letter/MOU: Formal Acceptance/Sign Off of the Client State with a clear mandate of the Program

Program Success Metrics: Defining the parameters (which are measurable) prior to the program, on which the success of the program is to be measured on the completion of the program

Project steering committee: The key body within the governance structure is responsible for the business issues associated with the project that are essential in ensuring the delivery of the project outputs and the attainment of project outcomes.

Project governance: Set of policies, regulations, functions, processes, procedures and responsibilities that define the establishment, management and control of projects, programmes and portfolios.

Scoping: List of activities measured against the time taken to complete them in accordance with the project goals

Baseline data: Set of information that serves as a foundation to compare other data acquired afterwards

Project Kick-off meeting: Meeting with the project team and the client of the project. This meeting would follow the definition of the base elements for the project and other project planning activities

Fitment Study: GAP Study of the Existing/Required Field Process Vs Product

Data migration: Existing Records of the functional activities need to be moved into the Database of the newly released Application

Data collection: Required data for the roll-out of the applications, which needs to be collected from the existing functional process

Data validation approach: This approach enables the sanctity of the Data with built-in validation by the Design

Data synchronization: The process of establishing consistency among data from a source to a target data storage and vice versa and the continuous harmonization of the data over time.

Pilot Implementation: Any new process is tested out as a pilot in one or two instances before pan implementation

Pilot ULB: The ULBs selected for the pilot implementation are called pilot ULBs.

Roll out: On successful clearance of the Pilot, the Process/Application/Services are implemented across all Offices/ULBs

Deployment: Deployment defines the complete package of Software components set up in a particular environment

Customization: Details of changes to be made in the Product to comply with the needed field process

Configuration: Defining existing content such as Options and Variables based on the requirements on the ground

Product walkthrough: Explaining to the users step-by-step through a set of actions that they need to take to achieve a specific outcome