DIGITAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES

FOR WELFARE AREAS

Digitisation and fiscal sustainability in the health sector

4th Meeting of the Joint Network on

Fiscal Sustainability of Health Systems 17 February 2015, OECD, Paris, France

Barbara-Chiara Ubaldi, Digital Government Project Manager

Public Sector Reform Division

Public Governance and Territorial

Development Directorate

OECD

• New challenges for governments

• OECD Digital Welfare Project

• Questions for the future

Roadmap

What has changed for governments?

• Capacity to understand and tackle complex issues

• Public services tailored to individual needs and aligned with national priorities

• Open and engaging public sectors

• Innovative and cost-effective approaches to public service delivery

New expectations of governments?

• Beyond consultation and FoI to openness, engagement, co-creation

• From government as service provider to enabler and convener

• From service delivery to new forms of collaborative governance, innovation and joined-up administrations

• From government-centred, to user-centred to people-driven e-government.

Evolving role of digital government

OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies: Bringing Governments Closer to Citizens and Businesses

Engage citizens and open government to maintain public trust

Improve governance for better

collaboration and results

Strengthen capabilities to ensure

return on ICT investments

www.oecd.org/gov/public-innovation/recommendation-on-digital-government-strategies.htm

• Integration of digital government in public sector reform strategies

– Conceiving technology to help shape policy outcomes, and not just support internal processes

– Supporting new and more innovative ways of working

• A new (digital) public governance context and x-border services

– Government as a platform

– Explicit responsibility to support ecosystems to create value, integrate services and engage users

– Recognised need for standards

• From process-centred to data-driven public sectors

– Improved use of evidence and open data

– Use of data analytics to better anticipate, target and respond

How can effective digital government strategies help?

Digitisation – information and communications technologies and public services The elements of digital transformation

Information and Communication Technologies Digitisation

(greater use of digital technologies to

improve cross government activities and

data /information management)

E-Government

(use by governments of digital

technologies, particularly the Internet,

to achieve better government)

Digital Government

(Digital technologies and user

preferences integrated in the design and

receipt of services and broad public

sector reform – integral part of

governments’ modernisation strategies

to create public value)

Change path

From a focus on: efficiency and

productivity

Through a focus on: efficiency and

productivity in delivering tailored services

to individuals

To a focus on: governance, (openness,

transparency, engagement with and trust

in government), as well as efficiency and

productivity

Public Services Administrative Services

(internal core functions of government,

and internal activities in agencies that

indirectly support service delivery)

improve internal processes of

government

improve internal processes

supporting service delivery of direct

personal services, to improve

services

innovative changes in internal

processes

innovation in service delivery, at the

margin

transforming internal processes

transforming service design and

delivery

Direct Personal Services

(government services provided to

address the personal well-being of

citizens and support public policy

outcomes)

From Government-centred – users

passive recipients of services Through User / Citizen-centred – users

participate in service delivery processes

To People-driven – users voice their

demands and needs, contribute to

shaping the agenda and services’

content and delivery

individual databases and information

systems

standalone service delivery

standardised services

Integration of IT systems and

databases

Collaboration

24x7 online services

data sharing and data/ information

crowdsourcing /data analytics

joined-up administrations – ICT

platforms for sharing information,

services and enhancing

collaboration

innovative services tailored to

individual needs /ubiquitous services

(“m-government”)

Digital Welfare A subset of direct personal services, based on Nordic countries’ use of ‘welfare’; digital transformation of education, healthcare and social care and protection services.

Digital transformation

Focus of available examples

Digitising public welfare

Digital Welfare Technologies Project: Analytical Framework

Overarching themes Digital Welfare Tech

New governance models: Areas:

• Service Delivery Healthcare

• Public Engagement Education

• Empowerment Social care and

• Inclusive growth protection

Relations local/central Multi-stakeholder engagement

Governance framework for implementation

Administrative service

Digitising the whole of government

Strategy

Services

Data Public data, open public data, data registries

Welfare service

area

Welfare service

area

Welfare service

area

Administrative service

Coherent digitisation of the welfare areas

Government and local rep.

Welfare sectors (ministries, regions and local gov)

Government driven – key user operated

Key owners of joint data and users

Common enablers and services

Strategy for transformation through the use of ICT

Main expected benefits

Efficiency

Effectiveness

Good

Governance

Digital public

welfare service

Openness,

transparency,

accountability,

autonomy

Empowerment,

evidence,

demand mgt,

personalisation

Reliability,

participation,

citizens’ driven,

public value

Changing boundaries of the

core of the public sector

Users Increased involvement af users or relatives in order

to optimise value of services and exploit gains

of co-production and auto-management

Partnerships

Innovative use of joint incentives in public and private communities in welfare service delivery

The political mandate Sharper priorities of tasks

and service levels

Suppliers Rethinking of sourcing

strategy and core competencies

Changing core competencies of the public sector

Policy making process boundaries

Service delivery process boundaries

Digital transformation of public welfare services: Main trends

• Combining data deluge with digital technology

• Governance frameworks: co-ordination, collaboration, partnerships

• Fiscal and budgetary policy setting the context

• Specific funding arrangements

• Business cases to prioritize investments and ensure full implementation

• Productivity and efficiency gains

• A public value chain approach: user engagement

A checklist for decision makers

Project approach

• Clarify the governance framework

• Have a clear long-term vision

• Lead implementation with the right team

• Experiment through pilots or ‘beta-tests’

• Develop a solid Business Case

Involvement of users, public servants and sector professionals

• Identify and engage with key testimonials from users’ groups

• Involve civil servants right from the start

• Actively engage sector professionals from the field

• Engage all levels of government

A checklist for decision makers cont’d

Communication

• Establish communication networks

• Share experience and knowledge

Review and evaluation

• Use available data to identify evidence in support of better welfare policies

• Document project implementation

• Adopt a clear evaluation framework inclusive of impact indicators

Questions to address for future work • Where are the most important challenges and perspectives – political and

economic – in the area of digital education; digital healthcare; and digital social care and social protection?

• What are the preconditions and enablers to using technology to achieve improved efficiency and effectiveness of public sector welfare services?

• How do we create the case for a user- and value-focused (vs programme) approach to public welfare service delivery? Can this strengthen productivity and value creation?

• What mechanisms (e.g. joint strategies, budgeting, committees) can best support governments in aligning the digitization efforts across welfare areas?

• How can the OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies be operationally helpful to advance digital transformation of the large public welfare service areas?

• What relevant experiences across OECD countries can help understanding the role of digital technologies in transforming healthcare?

Thank you!

For more information:

www.oecd/gov/egov

barbara.ubaldi@oecd.org