Harnessing the Digital Transformation of Public Services
CEEP Opinion “Harnessing the Digital Transformation of Public Services”, adopted by CEEP General Assembly on 16 May 2016
Executive summary
It is essential that policy-makers adopt a broad concept of industry and recognise the importance of public services, beyond e-government, to ensure a successful digital transformation of the European economy in which all players in the digital value chain are empowered to innovate and diffuse the benefits of their investment the whole society.
Public services have to deliver services to all citizens. An inclusive digital transformation requires the right policy responses to deepen the penetration of digital infrastructure in rural areas and increase the digital skills of more segments of the population. Furthermore, policy choices should leave flexibility and be technologically neutral, allowing public services’ providers to find cost-effective solutions to adapt services to citizens’ needs.
Increasing transparency, trust and security in the digital economy is a core concern to public services providers which have a strong expertise in dealing with sensitive data and securing essential infrastructure. The elaboration of clear and effective guidance following the approval of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requires the inclusion of all stakeholders in the discussions. Furthermore, public services’ providers are committed to contributing to the discussions on data ownership and liability.
The future of public services lies in horizontal integration. Important synergies between infrastructures could be created within one organisation and beyond, for instance in the context of smart cities. It is essential to develop effective ICT standards which enable interoperability between different domains, in strong partnership with end-users.
Managing the impacts of the digital revolution on the workforce will be a major challenge for public services. It will require retraining and attracting employees and management able to master the digital world. Hence it is essential that initiatives such as the Grand coalition for jobs take a holistic approach including all sectors.
Public services’ employers will have to deal with the impacts of the digital transformation on the labour market. In order to create a fair digital economy for enterprises of all sizes and sectors and for workers, the European Commission needs to work hand in hand with the social partners to assess the impacts of digitalisation on the labour market.
