The 2018 eGovernment Benchmark helps European governments improve their public sector digital services
The latest Capgemini study, jointly carried out with consortium partners Sogeti, IDC and Politecnico di Milano, shows that further reuse and transparency of personal data is needed to secure an efficient and effective eGovernment for all citizens.
In its 15th edition, the eGovernment Benchmark sheds light on the status of Europe’s digital government transformation and reviews to what extent public sector organizations are taking the steps necessary to achieve shared eGovernment goals.
The 2018 report encompasses details on the availability and quality of digital services measured in 2017 and 2016, such as public services related to moving, owning and driving a car, business start-ups, and losing and finding a job.[1]
By assessing over 10,000 websites across the EU28+ countries, the study reveals that the European public sector continues to bring more services online (matured 13 percent point over the course of four years).
The report has shown that overall, Europe’s eGovernment performance is steadily progressing.
User centricity now stands at 82% and further improvements are visible on the mobile friendliness indicator, with six out of ten of the services (62%) accessible via mobile devices.
This enables users to use public services anytime, anywhere. As measured with the eDocuments indicator (63%), a larger proportion of services allows citizens and businesses to send and receive public service related documents in an online format, saving traditional paperwork.
Niels van der Linden, Principal Consultant and Capgemini Invent’s eGovernment Benchmark project lead notes: “The 2018 results underline that European governments increasingly design public services with the needs of citizens and businesses in mind.
“This accommodates a diverse audience of national and fellow-European users in their digital journeys. By continuously innovating services based on user preferences, governments are creating more inclusive and accessible services.”
Further personalization of eGovernment services could help to meet the individual needs of existing users and open up digital public services to a broader range citizens and businesses.
Dinand Tinholt, Vice President and Capgemini Invent’s EU Account Director reflects: “Personal data ownership and cyber security have changed from nice-to-haves to inevitable must-haves.
“With GDPR and other regulations in place, public administrations should embrace digital security to ensure they step into the next era of personalized and data-driven services.”
References
[1] The report presents biennial scores: this means the scores obtained for eight life events measured in the past two years: 2016 and 2017. Each life event is evaluated once every two years.
[2] Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment: the Tallinn Declaration. Available online: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/ministerial-declaration-egovernment-tallinn-declaration
