Digital Administration Reloaded

Interview

Partner

Progress, hurdles and what the new federal government must now deliver

Germany is on the move when it comes to digital administration - sometimes briskly, sometimes bumpily. But things are moving. In recent years, projects such as register modernization, the EUDI wallet and the administration cloud have been launched. Progress is visible, even if there is still room for improvement. Since 6 May, we have had a new federal government - with a real novelty: for the first time, there is a separate Ministry for Digitalization and State Modernization (BMDS). This is a strong signal - now it needs to be filled with content. Now it's time to set course for the future!

At the Governikus Summit, just two days after the German parliamentary elections, I spoke to various Governikus partners about what has gone well so far in the digitization of public administration, where there are still problems and what they expect from the new government. Here is a small foretaste; in the video interviews with my discussion partners, you will find even more impulses, ideas and demands.

Rays of hope: it's already digital here - at least in places

A few success stories in digital administration show that progress is possible, according to my interviewees:

Digital offers: Car registration without queuing at the office
Hami Desireisoglu is delighted: "Car registration is now digital! There used to be an endless wait for an appointment." Digitalization improves quality of life - if it is implemented consistently.
Apps that inspire: property tax rethought
Peter Rost raves about the property tax app, which is not only user-friendly but also flexible enough for special cases. In his opinion, it is a prime example of successful administrative design.
Infrastructure: Administrative cloud as a basis
Martin Schallbruch highlights the German administration cloud - a step in the right direction. The infrastructure is in place, but how well it performs in the end depends on the next steps.
Digital identity: Well thought out - but nobody knows it
Rudolph Philipeit sees the online ID function as one of the best achievements. 70 million Germans have a digital ID card - and many don't know what to do with it. This is the real challenge: making technology understandable and "do good and talk about it".

Where the digitalization of administration is stuck - and badly so

Many people talk about potential. But what needs to happen for potential to become reality?

Pushing the ID card
The online ID card could be a game changer - if it is marketed correctly. Rudolph Philipeit draws a comparison: "Digital identity could become as simple as using a debit card." But this requires crisp IT marketing that makes people want to use the functions.
Education, education, education
Sven Kindervater emphasizes that digital tools also require digital education - for citizens and administrative staff alike. Without understanding, even the best technology remains unused.
Reducing bureaucracy
Vanessa Jarochi and Wilhelm Rosemann dream of a leaner administration. Why not design the processes in the same way as Amazon or Booking.com do? Enter your details, pull out your credit card, done. Sounds utopian? Maybe - but the new BMDS can now show what is really possible.

Now it's the government's turn: expectations of the new coalition

And now to the clear demands on the new government. There is no beating about the bush here:

Digital leadership
Peter Rost calls for a digital ministry that delivers results quickly. His appeal: "No party rivalries, just act!" The ministry is here. Now it has to deliver.
More marketing
Philipeit dreams of marketing the online ID card. "We have one of the best products in the world - but without marketing, it remains a shadow of its former self." His words show: The solutions are there, but they need more tailwind.
Speed and courage
Alexander Dörner demands: "Stop blocking - follow through!" The time for pilot projects is over.
Thinking education and society together
Kindervater wants a digital strategy that not only reflects technology, but also takes cultural change into account. Administration affects us all - not just as users, but as a society.
Freshening up the administration
Peggy Katzer says: "Let's learn from Estonia or Denmark - and modernize the German administrative image." The new ministry also has state modernization in its name. Both an aspiration and a mission.

Conclusion: don't put the brakes on again - do it now

The digitalization of the administration is a marathon. But we are at a crucial point: with the new government and the new ministry, everything is in place - now we have to deliver.

It needs: