Background
Efficient, transparent and inclusive public institutions form the basis of a functioning country and are essential components in implementing reforms, sustainable development and application of the European Union (EU) Acquis Communautaire. They ensure equal access to information and user-oriented public services, e.g., access to education and health care and administrative services such as the issuing of documents and permits for citizens and companies. The Agenda 2030 outlines the relevance of efficient, transparent, and inclusive public institutions in its United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16). Moreover, most other SDGs cannot be achieved without a functioning, citizen- and business-oriented public administration.
Against this background, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in 2018 adopted Regulation (EU) 2018/1724, establishing a single digital gateway to provide access to information, to procedures and to assistance and problem-solving services (Single Digital Gateway Regulation (SDGR)). This Regulation is a key element of the Single Market Strategy. The aim is to unlock the full potential of the internal market by making it easier for citizens and businesses to move within the EU and to trade, establish themselves and expand their businesses across borders.
Objectives
The Study’s objective is to undertake a comparative study on the digitalisation of specific public services, grouped by life events, in the selected countries compared against requirements and standards set by the EU SDGR. The aim is to identify and assess how the information, services and process for two life events (‘birth’ and ‘starting, running and closing a business’) are defined and delivered in the selected countries. This is compared to the EU SDGR requirements and standards to assess the individual preparedness of each life event and for each country.
Beneficiaries
The geographical scope of the Study (beneficiaries) includes a total of 14 (fourteen) countries: six WB countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), five EaP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine), and three EU Member States (Estonia, Germany, and Portugal).
Activities
In line with the overall and specific objectives of the Study, the core activities were grouped into five phases: Desk research, online assessment, user journey mapping, stakeholder consultation and cross-country comparative analyses. To compare the service delivery models, the Study uses the EU SDGR for the life events of Birth and Starting, running and closing a business.
Outcomes
The Study will provide an overview of the level of digitalisation of public service delivery in the WB, the EaP countries and selected EU Member States. The comparative analysis of the digitalisation of public service delivery in the 14 countries will provide a snapshot of the current state of affairs with respect to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, ICT skills, governance and cooperation models, strategic framework and focus, legal and regulatory frameworks, electronic government (eGovernment) key enablers, and electronic services (eServices) and user experience. As a result of the comparative analysis, a set of policy recommendations to improve the overall digital transformation and public service delivery ecosystems will be provided. These recommendations will help to narrow the gap between countries if proactively applied.