The state can digitize, the question is how to go about it

Each government must define its own modernization path based on its unique objectives, capabilities and the expectations of its citizens. According to KPMG, the digital transformation of the public sector should be supported in five key areas.

Citizens at the Center

For the majority of citizens around the world, interacting with government is still a fragmented, manual, slow and complex process. Many still have outdated back-end systems based on paper-based processes and Excel spreadsheets. Citizens want seamless, integrated government services; and many governments are struggling to meet this demand. In a KPMG Global Technology Report, 69 percent of government respondents said they consider the needs of citizens, employees and stakeholders when making decisions. 74 percent agreed that customer feedback influences their technology investment decisions. According to KPMG, governments that focus on voters, citizens, and are willing to break down government silos, integrate systems and rethink their processes will be most successful. It can be a good idea to involve citizens directly in the decision-making process, for example as testers. The key to success may be smart and well-timed scaling, gradual expansion of services, and creating a digital identity system that people trust and have good reason to use from the start.

“Citizens expect to be able to control who can see their data and for what purpose. However, modernization is not attractive to all customers; many would still prefer to speak to an agent or simply have a plastic ID in their wallet rather than an app on their phone. However, a public body cannot do what a competitive brand does, which is to cut down on its non-profit customer base and focus exclusively on digital channels. Customer-centric solutions must be expanded in a way that also provides a seamless experience through legacy channels,”

– points out an important challenge, says Marcell Németh, senior manager at KPMG.