Governments have never been in a storm like the one we’re in today, and national and local administrations need to reinvent themselves as a new era is about to start.
In these unprecedented times, European governments are aiming to improve their ability to withstand long-term volatility and uncertainty, particularly through digital trust and operational resilience programmes.
In doing so, new business models will emerge to fulfil current and future challenges:
- Allocating the Recovery and Resilience Funds to the right priorities and purposes
- Selecting the right technologies to achieve short-term efficiency and long-term resilience
- Improving the citizen and civil servant experience by making the most of technology but also implementing deep cultural and organisational transformation to enable them to reimagine service delivery
IDC conducted an in-depth survey, including 230 senior executives and directors, to investigate the strategic business priorities and key action plans for European governments. The survey looked at the technology solutions that governments are investing in to execute their strategy and action plans, and the challenges they face in their strategic technology innovation investments.
European Government Business Transformation and Technology Priorities
According to the 230 European government decision makers that IDC interviewed:
- Their main purpose is to improve citizen experience and quality of life. By keeping this in mind, they might also facilitate other short-term initiatives. This goal must become a state-of-mind for every civil servant and government decision maker.
- The main barriers to innovation are not only budget (with RFFs impacted by fast-growing inflation) but also citizen trust and outdated IT. Again, both technical and cultural changes should occur simultaneously to regain trust.
- Redesigning services and business processes around the needs of citizens are key steps to achieve resilience. Technology is a critical part of this transformation, but it should go hand in hand with innovative approaches and a greater focus on change. European governments believe that governance, risk and compliance and data management tools are critical to execute digital trust programmes. Digital sovereignty is frequently discussed by European policymakers, but our survey shows that only civil servants in some countries, such as France and Germany, are already prioritising it to increase digital trust.
- Emerging technologies such as 5G, AR/VR and edge computing are key areas of investment to imagine new ways of delivering public services.
- European governments that want to master a citizen-centric approach are adjusting their KPIs accordingly and aggregating data to build a holistic view of citizen needs and implement the once-only principle.
- Long-term challenges — especially sustainability — can’t be fought alone. Governments’ ability to work closely with an ecosystem, through data sharing and massive investments in data capabilities, will be key.
What Are the Key Components of a Disruptive Approach?
Check out the following IDC European government “PRIME” survey studies (subscription required) to learn more about how European governments are aligning technology investment to societal Purposes, strengthening Resilience, Imagining new service delivery models, Mastering citizen and employee centricity, and opening up to the Ecosystem:
- European Governments’ Purpose Programs: The Role of Technology in Improving Citizen Experience and Setting Up New KPIs
- European Government Resilience Programs: Digital Trust, Operational Redesign, and IT Architecture Transformation Must Converge to Achieve Resilience
- European Government Technology Innovation Strategies: Reimagining Public Sector Services and Operations
- What European Governments Need to Master Their Future: Citizen Experience, Employee Experience, and Environmental Sustainability Goals and Capabilities for the Future
- European Government Ecosystem Strategies: Accelerating Digital Transformation Through Ecosystem Collaboration