Digitization of the administration: I did not say that it will be easy

Germany is the use of digital public services on place 21 of the 28 EU member States. As the digitization of the member countries, measured DESI-Index of the EU, interact in hardly any other European country authorities and citizens as little online as it is in Germany.

Bastian Benrath

editor in the economy.

F. A. Z. Twitter

Why is advancing the digitalization of the administration, only so slowly? “By far the biggest Problem is to change the attitude of the government employees,” says Diego Piacentini. The 58-Year-old has won on the digitization of government in Europe an Insider’s look from an unusual perspective: After almost 30 years as a Tech Manager, among other things, as European head of Apple, later, from Amazon, he had three years ago, “poach”, and began to work for the Italian government: the digitization of the administration.

“The Problem is not with the staff always solvable,” he says openly. There is just in the public service of the people, would, above all, their Pension and any changes wanted. “But the governments that create it, to solve it, will be successful than you are.” You have to get to the point of also consider administrative work as a “Business”: “citizens should be seen as a customer.”

The state as a App

to achieve this, he has built in Italy, first of all, a Team of Tech experts from the economy, before he came with you to the digitalization of the administration. His Team has brought the App “io” (Italian for “I”) on the way, with the citizens of your Smartphone from a number of authorities errands should be able to – insurance billing to auto-login. Starting in March of this year, the first test runs with her, begin, first, with some authorities and selected citizens.

Proudly told Piacentini, the city of Milan issued in December of 2017, more than half of their documents and notices in digital form. By the end of this year it should be 80 percent. As the second city of Turin, a hit the same way and follows the example.

piece work

The reference to individual cities shows Piacentinis functioning: One must piece for piece of work, he says. The digitization of the administration was a snow ball system. Over time, the image of the authorities, working in digital, something like an elitist circle. “Club of the righteous administrations” called Piacentini. This showed the authorities that are digitalization critical that digital brings better results with less effort. The experiences from Italy had made him optimistic, he says. There is a “critical mass” of authorities which have recognised the importance of digitization.