A Danish perspective: Challenges of strengthening e-governance

1. The 21st October 2009 A Danish perspective:Challenges of strengthening e-governance Adam Grønlykke Mollerup

2. Agenda • The Danish institutional setup - connected governance? • The Joint Public Strategy on e-government • Core initiatives • Achievements • Current and future challenges

3. The Government The institutional set up for e-government in Denmark The Cabinet Committee of Coordination The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs The Management Committee of LGDK The Management Committee of Danish Regions Prime Min. Off. Min. of Econo-mics Min. of Taxation Min. of Finance Min. of Econo-mics Min. of Interior Min. of Science The Joint Committee for Cross Government Cooperation (STS) Permanent secretaries from the ministry of Finance (chair), Economy, Taxation, Science, Health and Interior Managing Directors from the Danish Regions and Local Government Denmark Danish Regions Local Government Denmark Ministry of Finance:Centre for Administrative Efficiency and e-government 98 municipalities 5 regions The Digital Taskforce (Secretary for STS) National IT and Telecom Agency Agency for Govern- mental Management State (19 ministries)

4. Strategy for digitalization of the public sector 2007-2010 • A joint strategy – a result of the collaboration on e-Government between the Danish Government, the municipalities and the regions of Denmark. • Decided upon by the The Joint Committee for Cross Government Cooperation • (STS)

5. Present challenges – a point of reference for digitalization • Demographic challenges: more elderly people and a decrease in the work force. • Scarce resources in the public sector. • Greater expectations for solutions minded for specific users’ needs. • A need to integrate local development and innovation with hole-of-government efficiency and cross public sector interoperability. • The role of digitalization – increasingly more important since 2001: • Transferring ressources from administration to citizen-focused services. • Transforming public sector value, creating more value, new value areas, and higher efficiency. • From support to core for business development.

6. The Danish e-government project • A consensus style cooperation between central government, the municipalities and the regions using both legislation and politically binding agreements as tools of implementation. • “The E-government project” started in 2001 - 3 national e-government strategies have been launched. • The e-government project focuses on e-gov as an integrated part of modernization efforts. • The e-government project has a budget of 2,7 mill. € a year. The strategy has a budget of approx. 36 mill. € from 2007-2010. • A new strategy is to be developed for 2011 and forth.

8. Strategic priority area 1: Better digital service Aim: Making public service more readily accessible to citizens and businesses at the centre • Focused and targeted communication with citizens and businesses. • Instruments: One-stop-shops for citizens and business, ‘no touch’ solutions through reuse of data across the public sector, obligatory use of digital channels for allegeable groups. Status on core initiatives: • A personalised version of the citizen portal was launched in 2008. • Mandatory digital channels, economic support for students, 2009. • An agreement on a new digital signature agreed in 2009, launched 2010. • Text messages and a digital postbox for citizens and businesses will be launched in early 2010. • E-day3 will be launched in November 2010.

9. Strategic priority area 2: Increased efficiency Aim: digitalization supports and creates efficiency • Public authorities must work more systematically to realize the gains associated with digitalization projects. • Change management and organizational adaptation to e-government is central in ensuring this. Status on core initiatives • A new model for applying business cases to digital projects, 2007. Obligatory for all state institutions, spring 2008, advised for municipalities and regions. • Efficiency plans of state institutions must address how digitalisation can help increase efficiency, 2009.

10. Strategic priority area 3: Stronger, binding cooperation Aim: digitalization supports a coherent public sector • User centricity demands cooperation across organizational boundaries. • To avoid parallel development of similar solutions and achieve economies of scale, cross-government cooperation is needed. Status on core initiatives • Four digital domain boards have been established (health care, business affairs, social domain, buildings and supply). • A new business reference model for the public sector covering all public sector services has been launched. • An initiative on obligatory it-architectural demands has been initiated.

11. Achievements • A strong drive for e-government through the efficiency agenda. • A broad engagement in the joint public e-government project. • A sharpened awareness of the e-government challenges. • A user focus through more holistic, integrated and digitalized services. • An increasingly joint public thinking on digitalization projects. • The building blocks of a digital infrastructure with common components.

12. Current and future challenges • E-government impact on public sector modernisation. • A more systematic realisation of benefits. • A more comprehensive development and uptake of services. • A connected governance with strong leadership and broad involvement.

13. Thank you! For more information on the Danish e-government strategy and the specific Danish projects, see www.modernisering.dk. Questions or further comments? Contact at agm@fm.dk or + 45 33 95 19 68.