Morten Meyerhoff Nielsen

Nationaal Congres Digitale Overheid, Amsterdam (NL)

14-15 May 2014

SPEAKING DANISH IN THE NETHERLANDS: What can we learn from the Danish experience?

THE BACKGROUND

GOALS AND DILEMMAS TODAY

GOVERNANCEUsers as citizens, entrepreneurs, and voters

Dilemma: Balance between interests and transparency

EFFICIENCYUsers pay tax

Dilemma: ’More for less’

EFFECTIVENESSUsers as consumers

Dilemma: Public sector can’t choose its customers

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

Export market share Wage competitiveness

Index (1995=100) Index (1995=100)

Denmark has lost wage competitiveness and lost market shares since 2000

0,0

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

KO

R

PO

L

CH

I

US

A

FIN

SW

E

JPN

UK

NLD

DE

U

ES

P

FR

A

NO

R

DN

K

BE

L

ITA

0,0

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

Pct. Pct.

Yearly productivity growth since 2000 in Denmark and selected countries

Source: OECD, Statistics Denmark and calculations from the Ministry of Finance, Denmark:

WEAK COMPETITIVENESS & PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH

1,49 1,56

0,670,30 0,60

1,34

1,41

2,313,79

3,87

4,24

0,00

0,50

1,00

1,50

2,00

2,50

3,00

3,50

4,00

4,50

5,00

5,50

6,00

Online service(automated)

Online service(manual)

Telephone Electronic post Post In person

Fixed costs in € (estimate) Variable cost in € (incl work hours)

DANISH STUDIES SHOW THAT

• 85% of Danes want to serve themselves online, as long as the solutions are user-friendly

• 10-15% of the citizen service takes place digitally

Studies also show that average € cost of service provision is:

Source: KL, 2011. € 1 equal to DKK 7.44 on 30/11/2011

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL:

2 to 3.75 times cheaper to provide services online compared to other channels

discrepancy between supply and demand

THE CONUNDRUM

OUTLINING A CONUNDRUM

Household internet connection

Internet use in the last week (all individuals)

Online banking

Interact with public administration

Obtain information

Download forms

Complete eService

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

83%

91%

82%

85%

83%

50%

66%

95%

92%

82%

79%

75%

53%

57%

79%

72%

42%

41%

37%

25%

21%

EU28

NL

DK

Source: Eurostat 2014

• Denmark (pop. c. 5.600.000)

• 20+ national ministries

• 5 regions (pop. av. 1.100.000)

• 98 municipalities (pop. av. 55.000)

• Discretion to set taxes

• Municipalities and regions responsible for 75% of public consumption incl. health care (regions), elderly care, primary schools and child care (municipalities)

• State (central) primarily responsible for public services incl. police, defence and railroad services

LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT

Danish Regions

(5 regions)

Management committee of

Danish Regions

Local Government Denmark

(98 municipalities)

Management committee of

LGDK

STAKEHOLDERS

Central government

(23 ministries)

DIGST / Ministry of Finance

CENTRAL REGIONAL LOCAL

Region

Region Region

Region

Region

Danish Regions

Municipality

Municipality Municipality

MunicipalityMunicipality

LGDK

Ministry

Ministry Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

DIGST / MF

THE SOLUTION

Contributes to the implementation of

sound economic policies through:

• Public sector innovation through ICT

• Improving efficiency and effectiveness

• Ensure outcomes of eGov. implementation

Takes full responsibility of initiatives from

idea to outcomes

MISSION AND VISION

10 YEARS OF eGOVERMENT STRATEGY

THE eGOVERNMENT STRATEGYTHREE MAIN TRACKS FOCUS ON KEY DANISH CHALLENGES

TARGETED FOCUSDIGITAL COMMUNICATION AND eSERVICES

Legislation, channel-

strategy, communication

ensure volume

User-friendliness

underpin choice

and volume

incentive

to invest in

eServices

eServicesvolume

of information

request

ROI

volume

ALL ROADS LEAD TO ACTION - INTEGRATION

Between different government departments or agencies including non-governmental actors such as companies in the private sector (in PPPs), and NGOs in the third sector,

e.g. integration of multiple governmental functions in one place or between places at the same level (cross-border).

Traditional, compartmentalised, bureaucratic government

Between government levels:

• international

• national/federal

• regional

• local

• community

e.g. integration of single government functions like administration, health, education, etc.

Both vertical and horizontal integration = tailored and joined-up government for:

- citizens e.g. life events

- business e.g. discrete activities

- targeted at specific user groups

Vertical integration

Horizontal integration

WELL-FUNCTIONING AND USER-FRIENDLY SERVICES

Requirements incl.:

• Short and precise formulations – no thanks to ”burocrathic language”

• Logic and intuitiv, graphical design

• Access to help

• Summary of all entered data before submission

• Functions in major browsers

• Receipt

• Reuse of data and components

• WCAG 2.0 AA

http://arkitekturguiden.digitaliser.dk/godselvbetjening

And what do we do to secure it?

• Screening of existing eServices

• Status reporting related to mandatory eServices

• Development guide for well-functioning eServices

• Information and advise to authorities and it-developers

• Re-vamped borger.dk

• Joint communication, it-skills development and it-assistance

https://www.gov.uk/service-manual

REMEMBER AGILE DEVELOPMETN, USER-INVOLVEMENT AND TEST

Source: Andy Williamson and Morten Meyerhoff Nielsen (2013) www.democrati.se

INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS

STS and strategy committees, Agency for Digitisation, cross-organisational initiatives in consultation with other national stakeholders. Existence of ICT-promoting mechanisms in different fields, eg national portals borger.dk, virk.dk, sundhed.dk and campaigns

ICT-PROMOTION MECHANISMSNATIONAL STRATEGIESFocus on a consistent eGovernment system. Emphasis convenience and efficiency and effectiveness and key infrastructure and components (eg standards, eIDs, Single-Sign-on),

platforms and platforms (eg portals)

PERSONAL INFORMATIONProtection by laws and the Data Protection Agency. Trust in agencies

DECENTRALISATION OF GOVERNMENT AUTHORITYHighly advanced, also in budgetary aspects

POLICY-MAKING PROCESSConsensus/mixed top-down and bottom-up

INCENTIVE POLICIESClear incentives and semi-mandatory measures

CONTRIBUTING TO INFRASTRUCTURE

UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS AND INDENTITY MANAGEMENT

Personal ID/CPR since 1968. Cooperation with the private sector; Corporate ID/CVR in operation; Property ID/BBR in

operation

DIGITAL SIGNATUREc. 3.7 million active personal - simple three factor

authentication digital signature with an ID, password, and keycard

Professional/corporate - software based but with simple three factor

authentication being developed for roll-out in 2012 　

Professional/corporate - software based but with simple three factor

authentication being developed for roll-out in 2012 　

NB: Smartphone version mid-2014

SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

Business case, user-centric, private sector inspired,

testing, participatory design

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT - VENDORSInitiatives taken by Local Government Denmark (KOMBIT /Umbrella projects) for joint development and/or procurement (past KMD set-

up and owned by municipalities). Limited competition

SYSTEM CONSTRUCTIONIn-house. Accumulation of know-

how

In-source expertise, out-source development

INFLUENCING FACTORS

THE MARKET

Demand-pull

BUSINESS RELATIONS

Cooperation with the private sector

ENGAGEMENT

High level (c 85% voting rate)

RISK ADVERSITY

Tendency to try to change risks into investment opportunities

CONCLUSIONS

• Do not reinvent the wheel, ie cross-governmental cooperation and reuse makes is at the core of success.

• Funnels are good, ie promote online services, personalise the service experience

• Feedback loops are essential, ie have a channel strategy and ensure the channels work together

Morten Meyerhoff NielsenMobile: +45 4078 7065

Mail: meyer@digst.dk

LinkedIn: mortenmeyerhoff

Twitter: @mortenmeyerhoff

Danish Agency for Digitisation

Landgreven 4, Postboks 2193

1017 København K

Denmark

www.digst.dk, www.borger.dk, http://arkitekturguiden.digitaliser.dk/godselvbetjening

FOR MORE INFORMATION