Supervisors info:
Νικόλαος Κομνηνός - Χλέπας, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Πολιτικής Επιστήμης και Δημόσιας Διοίκησης, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Digital Transformation and E-Government are interrelated concepts that refer to the introduction of new technologies and digital policy instruments in Public Administration, in order to achieve improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector, the simplification and acceleration of related procedures, the reduction of bureaucracy, the improved services towards citizens, the strengthening of democratic participation and the promotion of accountability and transparency. The four main technological instruments that government agents have at their disposal (Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Internet of Things and Digital Platforms) are interrelated and complementary. Through their specified targeted application, a series of beneficial advantages are achieved for public life in general. In the field of Electronic Transparency, Digital Platforms play a crucial role, as the strengthening of citizens' participation in the decision-making process and the publication of data concerning Local Authorities on the Internet seem to positively impact citizens' trust towards Institutions and the State. The most sophisticated and demanding applications of Electronic Government, such as Smart Cities, require a synthesis of most, or even all, available Electronic instruments. In Greece, the Digital Transformation of Local Authorities had lagged behind for several years, but significant progress has been made during the last decade. Despite the rising challenges, the path for the gradual Digitalization of Local Authorities has opened. For this reason, efforts are being made in order to tackle various types of emerging problems, such as digital inequalities, the creation of three-level digital municipalities, coordination problems between the involved actors, funding related issues and the general distrust of public officials towards the entire project of the Digitalization process.
Keywords:
digital transformation, e-government, digitalization, transparency, e-transparency, e-participation, local government
