The state’s digital transformation from an environment of bureaucracy, organisational problems and overregulation to a modern and functional environment that can adapt to the most rapid technological and socio-economic developments and shows its respect to citizens and businesses by simplifying procedures and by exempting them from administrative burdens, is a key commitment of the Ministry of Digital Governance.
A commitment which started to be implemented by the first day of its establishment, having as its main executive arm the Information Society S.A. (I.S.), which contributes decisively to the implementation of the national strategy for the digital transformation of the entire Greek public administration, economy and society. The I.S. already has complex ICT projects in progress, 150 contracts with a budget of around €2 billion, ensuring a better and safer public administration, boosting entrepreneurship, maximising citizen service, more transparency and a better functioning state.
In the context of the implementation of the digital strategy, major and important steps forward have already been taken. Important steps were further accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still outstanding issues and needs to be addressed or improved.
The country is facing a great opportunity, but also a challenge, as beyond the traditional financial instruments, such as the Public Investment Programme (PIP), the NSRF and European programmes, another source of funding, the Recovery Fund, will be added. This is beyond any doubt a unique opportunity for a structural change in the institutional background of public administration, the achievement of which will significantly boost the development of the national economy and the well-being of society.
The Recovery Fund will give a very big boost to digital projects. With interventions covering a wide range of actions to put public administration on the road to growth and investment, with projects worth around €4 billion. A huge amount of money that needs to be translated into an operational plan that will change the landscape of the Civil Service and the country.
By emphasising human skills and entrepreneurship, it will make a decisive contribution to changing the way citizens and businesses perceive the state and the quality of the services it provides. With focused actions to support entrepreneurship and by improving the services provided by the State to businesses or in areas that facilitate entrepreneurship (Justice, Insurance, Licensing, Registers). With actions that enhance the development of appropriate digital skills in the workforce of the Public Administration, but also in society as a whole, so that everyone can search for information and data, create and share digital content, communicate and collaborate.
It is certain that the proper management of the Recovery Fund resources requires new logics of approach to the life cycle of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects and drastic improvements in the implementation mechanisms. To achieve results, we need to go beyond, adopt new practices and be willing to make radical changes, both on the part of the State and on the part of the market and businesses.
For this reason, we are in daily cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Governance and together we will try to make the most of this new funding opportunity for the benefit of society, businesses and of course the Public Administration.
Our goal at I.S. SA is to contribute with our expertise so that the results we need to achieve as a country in the context of the new digital reality are immediate and visible to citizens.
First publication: www.powergame.gr
