About the Book

The Standardized ICT Technical Handbook for Provincial and Local Government Offices (2026) is a landmark technical operational manual produced by the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers (OCMCM), Provincial and Local Governance Strengthening Programme (PLGSP), Gandaki Province, Pokhara, Nepal. Designed as a practical "how-to" guide ("के गर्ने, कसरी गर्ने"), the book equips Information and Communication Technology (ICT) officials, local authorities, and procurement officers with concrete workflows, standard operating procedures, standardized templates, and laminated Quick Reference Cards (QRCs) for daily public-sector IT management.

Primary Objectives

• Standardize and Systematize Operations: Transition government ICT management from ad-hoc administrative practices to uniform, international best practices across provincial and municipal entities.
• Ensure Regulatory & Anti-Corruption Compliance: Ensure alignment with Nepal's statutory frameworks—including the Public Procurement Act (PPA 2063), Individual Privacy Act (2075), Electronic Transactions Act (ETA 2063), GEA 2.0, and IT Norms 2082—to eliminate legal risks, procurement irregularities, and audit issues.
• Accelerate Digital Transformation: Operationalize citizen-centric, inclusive, and secure digital service delivery under Digital Nepal Framework 2.0 (DNF 2.0).

Short Breakdown of Included Modules

• Module 1: Foundational Concepts: Outlines the 7-stage ICT service delivery lifecycle, key distinctions (Digitization vs. Digital Transformation, IMS vs. MIS, e-Governance vs. Digital Governance), inclusive citizen-centered design (WCAG 2.1 AA), Digital One-Stop Service Delivery (OSSD), E-Governance Maturity indexing, data protection principles, and National AI Policy 2025 readiness.
• Module 2: International Standards and Best Practices: Translates five global technical frameworks—ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (Information Security), ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018 (IT Service Management), COBIT 2019 (IT Governance), ITIL 4 (Service Value System), and CMMI V2.0 (Process Maturity)—into practical, self-assessment checklists for government use.
• Module 3: National Legal and Policy Framework: Comprehensive legal reference (FAQs and Instrument Cards) covering 22 regulatory instruments, including cyber laws, data residency rules, mandatory open bidding/QCBS requirements, and proactive disclosure under the Right to Information Act.
• Module 4: ICT Operations, Security, and Business Continuity: Provides daily operational SOPs, IT Steering Committee governance structures, Incident and Change Management processes, server/physical security, backup routines, cyber incident response (VAPT), and staff handover protocols.
• Module 5: Procurement and Vendor Management: A step-by-step guide to anti-corruption ICT procurement—featuring Technical Concept Notes (TCN), brand-neutral Technical Specifications, IT Norms 2082 cost estimation models, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and red-flag checklists.
• Module 6: System Development and Maintenance: Governs the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), mandatory GEA 2.0 technical artifacts, secure source code ownership, DevOps/QA testing, API governance, and go-live VAPT coordination.
• Module 7: Service Coordination and System Management: A strategic operational manual for coordinating with national bodies (DoIT, IDMC/GIDC, NCSC, OCC), integrating Nagarik App/NID, and executing the annual provincial ICT coordination calendar.
• Module 8: Annexes and Reference Materials: Master tool cross-references, laminated printable A5 Quick Reference Cards (QRCs), a Nepali-English ICT technical glossary, and official acronym registers.