How the centre of government can be an enabler – not a blocker – of public service digital transformation

Most countries have a digital transformation strategy for government, but what is the role of central digital units in helping turn those ambitions into reality?  

In this, the third episode of Government Transformed, guests Shira Lev-Ami, chief executive of Israel’s National Digital Agency and Àstrid Desset, former director general of the Open Government of Catalonia’s Open Administration Consortium, offer insights into implementation.  

As well as exploring the roles and benefits of central government digital units – Lev-Ami stresses that these should be “centralised enablers” and not “centralised obstacles” – the two leaders also highlight some of the biggest barriers to digital transformation in the public sector, including data sharing hurdles, the bureaucracy tied up in government procurement, and difficultly attracting and retaining top tech talent.  

Desset believes recruitment and renumeration systems must be “changed radically and adapted to new times” if the latter is to be addressed.  

Also touching on digital ID, public trust, and describing projects they’ve worked on or have been inspired by that provide lessons for peers overseas, this is a must-listen episode for anyone working to turn government digital strategies from paper into practice.   

This episode of Government Transformed was recorded in September 2023.

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