How Azerbaijan uses artificial intelligence to provide services to vulnerable groups

Azerbaijan, nestled in the southern Caucuses region of Asia, is known for its picturesque geography and its multicultural history. 

What is less well known is the country’s considerable achievements in digital government services that have benefitted its citizens.  

In 2024, the country achieved a very high UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), placing it among the top-performing nations in digital government development in the world. 

Sharing more about the country’s strides in e-government services at GovInsider’s recent Festival of Innovation event, Azerbaijan’s Director of Citizens’ Reception Department, State Social Protection Fund, Ilyas Nabiyev, shared how the agency has been transformed to improve service delivery. 

Nabiyev, who works for Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population which runs the Social Protection Fund, noted that the fund’s primary goal was to improve service delivery for citizens, particularly focusing on vulnerable groups like the elderly, disabled, and low-income families. 

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Significant transformation 

The fund underwent a significant transformation in 2017, with the government shifting focus from a decentralised to a centralised approach. 

This resulted in the implementing a unified system with national standards. By doing this, said Nabiyev, the government eliminated regional inefficiencies and created a more consistent service model that leveraged artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and digital platforms.  

He noted that the digitalisation of the fund resulted in “remarkable improvements”, including 100 per cent digital processing of applications without the requirement of physical visits by the applicants, a 98 per cent increase in case resolution, and a 70 per cent decline in complaints.

“The system now proactively assigns benefits using integrated government databases, sending automated notifications to citizens and reducing bureaucratic barriers.  

“With the social portal receiving over 71 million visits and [with] 1.5 million registered users, the transformation represents a strategic shift towards a more citizen-centric, efficient, and transparent social protection approach that aims to be fast, fair, and future-ready,” Nabiyev added. 

Unintended benefits 

During his presentation he shared one of the unintended benefits resulting from the digitalisation of the social portal. 

Due to the implementation of a more transparent, efficient platform, the Social Protection Fund saw a dramatic 88 per cent decrease in court-related disputes, which signified a major improvement in the fund’s service delivery approach and customer satisfaction, Nabiyev said.  

He added that the reduction in court cases was achieved by creating a more proactive and responsive system that addressed citizens' needs more effectively.  

“Instead of citizens having to engage in legal battles, the new digital platform allowed for quicker resolution of issues, with automated processing and integrated government databases helping to resolve potential conflicts before they escalate to court proceedings.” 

This approach not only saved time and resources but also increased public trust in the social protection system, Nabiyev said. 

Next steps 

He noted that the next steps for Azerbaijan's Social Protection Fund were focused on two primary objectives.  

First, was to complete the nationwide rollout of the digitalised system, expanding the pilot phases to provide remote assistance to vulnerable families across the entire country.  

Nabiyev said this involved further refining the system so that it could identify and support families in need, regardless of their location or access to technology.  

Second, the agency planned to continue optimising its digital platform by finalising the implementation of a centralised and automated social assistance assignment process.  

This included further reducing processing times, enhancing data integration across government agencies, and continuously improving the social portal to maintain high user engagement.  

The ultimate goal was to create an increasingly proactive, accessible, and efficient system that can quickly and effectively support citizens, especially the most vulnerable populations, he said. 

An inclusive system 

"We've created a truly inclusive system," Nabiyev said adding that even those with disabilities can now access support without physical visits or phone calls. 

He added that the fund's transformation extended beyond technology.  

It has restructured its operations in line with international standards, shifting from administrative control mechanisms to a citizen-focused service model.  

This approach has prioritised social issues, introduced actuarial tools for fair benefit calculations, and accelerated digitalisation to improve efficiency and transparency, he said. 

Nabiyev noted that Azerbaijan's journey offers valuable lessons for other nations seeking to modernise their public services.  

By embracing digital platforms and putting citizens first, the country has built a social protection system that is fast, fair, and future-ready, he added. 

As governments worldwide grapple with the challenges of delivering effective social services in the digital age, Azerbaijan's State Social Protection Fund stands as a testament to the power of innovation and the potential of technology to transform public administration for the better, Nabiyev shared with the audience. 

GovInsider has previously reported how Azerbaijan’s DOST Digital Innovations Centre served as a focal point for the digital modernisation of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population. 

The report noted how, out of the Ministry’s 160 services, 91.5 per cent have been digitised, with 56 using a proactive mechanism that required no citizen input at all. 

You can find the full FOI recording of Nabiyev’s presentation here.