Many processes are being digitized and the possibilities of digitization largely determine the future functioning of the government, but there is a downside to this. Not all citizens are digitally skilled and the barriers raised by digitization are also increasing.
The Dutch ‘allowance affair’ (toeslagen affaire) and more recently the introduction of apps in the fight against Corona show that in every digitization process more attention must be paid to the people who cannot or do not want to participate. What is the use of a facility if a large part of Dutch society cannot or does not want to use it? It fuels mistrust in government.
The government is increasingly operating in chains. Among others, the tax authorities, the criminal law chain and the migration chain. Interoperability or the ability to exchange information is central to this. As a result, new privacy, ethics, compliance and security risks arise, which must be covered across the chain. This requires a different mentality in thinking.
Today, digitization is not only about technology, but above all creates an organizational challenge. It concerns people with the right knowledge, positioned in the right places in the organization with sustainable organizational forms and business processes as preconditions. The focus must be from a singular focus on the IT project organization and the identification of responsibilities to the professionalization of commissioning, developing the organization in line with digitization and being aware that digitization extends far beyond the IT organization.
“Success in digitization is not only a technology, but above all an organizational challenge. It is all about mobilizing the right people with the right knowledge and the associated sustainable organization and processes.”