1. Visit of the Regional School of Public
Administration (ReSPA) to the OECD
Paris, 3-4 February 2014
DIGITISATION OF THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
Arthur Mickoleit (E-government policy analyst)
& Adam Mollerup (E-government policy analyst)
OECD

2. Underlying challenge 1:
re-gaining citizens’ confidence
2
Source: OECD Social and Welfare statistics (Gallup World Poll)

3. Underlying challenge 2:
creating economic opportunities
3
Source: World Bank, 2013: Slow road to recovery. South East Europe regular economic report ; no. 5, December.

4. Underlying challenge 3:
fixing public finances
4
Source: World Bank, 2013: Slow road to recovery. South East Europe regular economic report ; no. 5, December.

5. OECD data, analysis and guidance to assist
governments in these areas

6. New expectations – new opportunities?
Digital technologies as equaliser
New expectations
Digital opportunities
Show capacity to tackle complex
policy issues
“Smart” government,
mobile government, data mining,
integrated digital policies
Join up public administration
processes and interfaces
Interoperability, horizontal
enablers, standards & integrated
one-stop-shops, cloud computing
Tailor and align public services
Open data, User engagement,
social media

7. Institutions:
competencies, responsibilities, leadersh
ip
Often diffuse competencies for
• Digital service delivery
• Government IT systems
• Open government data
• Capacities development
• National information society strategy
Coordination, sometimes even integration
• France in 2012 merged under the Prime Minister:
– DGME (public service innovation, digital government services)
– CIO (Government IT systems)
– Etalab (open government data)
• Tunisia, Egypt: missing synergies between public administration IT
and wider economy IT

8. Human resources and capacities
Pertinent issue: how to attract, retain and develop ITskilled civil servants?
Context: Public sector employment reforms. Need for
transparency, but also for flexibility.
Creative solutions that can start now.
• Partnerships with domestic IT sector: Code for
America, …for Germany
• Fast-track IT recruiting: Government Digital
Services (UK)
• Apprenticeships: Australia, Austria, UK

9. Digital government performance:
Linking investments to returns
ICT spending is up to 2% of central government budgets.
But is procurement flexible enough in the public administration?
%
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
ICT-related capital, operations and human resources expenditures. 2011 or latest available year
Note: Data from an OECD survey on government ICT expenditures.
For detailed methodological notes see OECD (2013), Government at a Glance 2013, OECD, Paris (forthcoming).

10. Integrated public service delivery:
What does it take to succeed?
One stop shop (web, phone, walk-in)
• Identity : e-ID & authentication
• Selection of adequate solution
& mode of delivery
• Alignment : interoperable processes,
functions & data
• Governance : horizontal & vertical
• Context & capability assessment
• Insight : user preferences & needs
The service
interface
is just the
tip of the
iceberg.

11. In summary
OECD work on digital governance
– Data collection and analysis,
• e.g. digital government spending and performance
– Exchanges with peers and experts,
• e.g. OECD E-Leaders meetings
– Cross-country thematic reports,
• e.g. mobile government, social media
– In-depth country reviews
• e.g. Spain: “paperless administration”, Poland: open government
data, Kazakhstan: e-government to spur business development
– Policy guidance
• e.g. draft principles on digital government strategies

12. Questions for discussion
Do these issues echo your concerns, what do you
do about them, how to do you measure impacts?
• Coordination of priorities and policies across
institutions
• Digital skills in the public administration
• IT procurement and contracting rules
• Service delivery channels, interoperability and
uptake issues