DIGITAL GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES
FOR WELFARE AREAS
Digitisation and fiscal sustainability in the health sector
4th Meeting of the Joint Network on
Fiscal Sustainability of Health Systems
17 February 2015, OECD, Paris, France
Barbara-Chiara Ubaldi,
Digital Government Project Manager
Public Sector Reform Division
Public Governance and Territorial
Development Directorate
OECD

• New challenges for governments
• OECD Digital Welfare Project
• Questions for the future
Roadmap

What has changed for governments?

• Capacity to understand and tackle complex issues
• Public services tailored to individual needs and
aligned with national priorities
• Open and engaging public sectors
• Innovative and cost-effective approaches to public
service delivery
New expectations of governments?

• Beyond consultation and FoI to openness,
engagement, co-creation
• From government as service provider to enabler
and convener
• From service delivery to new forms of collaborative
governance, innovation and joined-up
administrations
• From government-centred, to user-centred to
people-driven e-government.
Evolving role of digital government

OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies:
Bringing Governments Closer to Citizens and Businesses
Engage citizens and
open government to
maintain public trust
Improve governance
for better
collaboration and
results
Strengthen
capabilities to ensure
return on ICT
investments
www.oecd.org/gov/public-innovation/recommendation-on-digital-government-strategies.htm

• Integration of digital government in public sector reform
strategies
– Conceiving technology to help shape policy outcomes, and not just
support internal processes
– Supporting new and more innovative ways of working
• A new (digital) public governance context and x-border services
– Government as a platform
– Explicit responsibility to support ecosystems to create value, integrate
services and engage users
– Recognised need for standards
• From process-centred to data-driven public sectors
– Improved use of evidence and open data
– Use of data analytics to better anticipate, target and respond
How can effective digital government
strategies help?

Digitisation – information and communications technologies
and public services The elements of digital transformation
Information and Communication Technologies
Digitisation
(greater use of digital technologies to
improve cross government activities and
data /information management)
E-Government
(use by governments of digital
technologies, particularly the Internet,
to achieve better government)
Digital Government
(Digital technologies and user
preferences integrated in the design and
receipt of services and broad public
sector reform – integral part of
governments’ modernisation strategies
to create public value)
Change path
From a focus on: efficiency and
productivity
Through a focus on: efficiency and
productivity in delivering tailored services
to individuals
To a focus on: governance, (openness,
transparency, engagement with and trust
in government), as well as efficiency and
productivity
Public Services
Administrative Services
(internal core functions of government,
and internal activities in agencies that
indirectly support service delivery)
 improve internal processes of
government
 improve internal processes
supporting service delivery of direct
personal services, to improve
services
 innovative changes in internal
processes
 innovation in service delivery, at the
margin
 transforming internal processes
 transforming service design and
delivery
Direct Personal Services
(government services provided to
address the personal well-being of
citizens and support public policy
outcomes)
From Government-centred – users
passive recipients of services
Through User / Citizen-centred – users
participate in service delivery processes
To People-driven – users voice their
demands and needs, contribute to
shaping the agenda and services’
content and delivery
 individual databases and information
systems
 standalone service delivery
 standardised services
 Integration of IT systems and
databases
 Collaboration
 24x7 online services
 data sharing and data/ information
crowdsourcing /data analytics
 joined-up administrations – ICT
platforms for sharing information,
services and enhancing
collaboration
 innovative services tailored to
individual needs /ubiquitous services
(“m-government”)
Digital Welfare
A subset of direct personal
services, based on Nordic
countries’ use of ‘welfare’;
digital transformation of
education, healthcare and social
care and protection services.
Digital transformation
Focus of available examples

Digitising public welfare

Digital Welfare Technologies Project:
Analytical Framework
Overarching themes Digital Welfare Tech
New governance models: Areas:
• Service Delivery Healthcare
• Public Engagement Education
• Empowerment Social care and
• Inclusive growth protection
Relations local/central
Multi-stakeholder engagement
Governance framework for implementation

Admini
strative
service
Digitising the whole of government
Strategy
Services
Data Public data, open public data, data registries
Welfare
service
area
Welfare
service
area
Welfare
service
area
Admini
strative
service
Coherent digitisation of the welfare areas
Government
and local rep.
Welfare
sectors
(ministries,
regions and
local gov)
Government
driven – key
user operated
Key owners
of joint data
and users
Common enablers and services
Strategy for transformation through the use of ICT

Main expected benefits
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Good
Governance
Digital public
welfare service
Openness,
transparency,
accountability,
autonomy
Empowerment,
evidence,
demand mgt,
personalisation
Reliability,
participation,
citizens’ driven,
public value

Changing
boundaries of the
core of
the public sector
Users
Increased involvement af
users or relatives in order
to optimise value of
services and exploit gains
of co-production and auto-
management
Partnerships
Innovative use of joint
incentives in public and
private communities in
welfare service delivery
The political mandate
Sharper priorities of tasks
and service levels
Suppliers
Rethinking of sourcing
strategy and core
competencies
Changing core competencies of the
public sector
Policy making
process
boundaries
Service delivery
process
boundaries

Digital transformation of public welfare
services: Main trends
• Combining data deluge with digital technology
• Governance frameworks: co-ordination, collaboration,
partnerships
• Fiscal and budgetary policy setting the context
• Specific funding arrangements
• Business cases to prioritize investments and ensure full
implementation
• Productivity and efficiency gains
• A public value chain approach: user engagement

A checklist for decision makers
Project approach
• Clarify the governance framework
• Have a clear long-term vision
• Lead implementation with the right team
• Experiment through pilots or ‘beta-tests’
• Develop a solid Business Case
Involvement of users, public servants and sector professionals
• Identify and engage with key testimonials from users’ groups
• Involve civil servants right from the start
• Actively engage sector professionals from the field
• Engage all levels of government

A checklist for decision makers cont’d
Communication
• Establish communication networks
• Share experience and knowledge
Review and evaluation
• Use available data to identify evidence in support of better welfare
policies
• Document project implementation
• Adopt a clear evaluation framework inclusive of impact indicators

Questions to address for future work
• Where are the most important challenges and perspectives – political and
economic – in the area of digital education; digital healthcare; and digital
social care and social protection?
• What are the preconditions and enablers to using technology to achieve
improved efficiency and effectiveness of public sector welfare services?
• How do we create the case for a user- and value-focused (vs programme)
approach to public welfare service delivery? Can this strengthen
productivity and value creation?
• What mechanisms (e.g. joint strategies, budgeting, committees) can best
support governments in aligning the digitization efforts across welfare
areas?
• How can the OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies be
operationally helpful to advance digital transformation of the large public
welfare service areas?
• What relevant experiences across OECD countries can help understanding
the role of digital technologies in transforming healthcare?

Thank you!
For more information:
www.oecd/gov/egov
barbara.ubaldi@oecd.org