Connecting Government 2030 strategy launched
The Government has launched its digital and ICT strategy for Ireland’s public services, which lays out the pathway to achieving its goal of having 90 per cent of applicable government services consumed online by 2030.
The strategy, Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service, was unveiled by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath TD and Minister of State for eGovernment Ossian Smyth TD in early March 2022. It has been designed to complement two previous government strategies, addressing the public services dimension of Harnessing Digital: The Digital Ireland Framework, the national digital strategy, and also supporting targets set in the Civil Service Renewal 2030 plan.
Key to both Connecting Government 2030 and Harnessing Digital are the goals that have been set in terms of both provision of digital public services and uptake by citizens of said services. Under the overarching goals of the EU’s Digital Decade, the Government is seeking to develop a “trusted, user-driven, intuitive, inclusive and efficient world-leading digital government service”, with 90 per cent of applicable services to be consumed online by 2030. It also aims to have 80 per cent of eligible citizens using the online MyGovID service by 2030.
Under the strategy, the Government aims to provide individuals with: better access to high quality digital government services; services that are “delivered in an equitable, inclusive and sustainable manner”; secure and transparent reuse of personal data; and opportunities to co-create government services. Complementing this will be the Government’s aims for businesses, which include: better access to integrated digital government services; reduced administrative overhead; govtech opportunities; and greater engagement with government.
Six priority action areas will define where the Government will seek to reform in its efforts to digitise the public service over the current decade. First is the development of a human-driven digital experience, whereby understanding of users and their needs will be developed in order to deliver a more effective service, a goal that will be helped by the second action area, harnessing data effectively. Examples of this approach will include the adoption of the once-only principle, meaning that users will have to supply information to public service organisations once.
Under the third action area of government as a platform, the Government pledges to take on a cloud-first approach to the delivery of services, as well as the expansion of the Build to Share Programme in order to transform delivery and enhance cybersecurity. Verified MyGovID accounts will be used where applicable to authenticate individuals attempting to access services under the same action area.
The fourth action area, evolving through innovation, concerns the development of fresh approaches to problem solving and the building of user-centric solutions within the public service. In order to do so, the Government plans to develop partnerships with industry and academia, as well as making it easier for start ups and SMEs to work with government in order to improve digital services.
The strengthening of digital skills will be key to any development of Ireland’s digital public services, and this is the fifth action area of the strategy, where the Government pledges to update the competence model to include a core digital and data competence at all levels of the public service, as well as the development of a new Civil Service ICT HR Professionalisation Strategy. The strategy will “need to reflect the support requirements needed to deliver digital government services that are available on demand, 24-7”.
Sixth and last among the action areas is a focus on governance and leadership, whereby the Government will “put in place governance structures to drive digital transformation across government”. A digital government development roadmap will ensure “consistent and coherent delivery of quality digital government services as framed in the vision” and a Digital Strategy Implementation Unit will work in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s expenditure management units to ensure progress is being delivered.
Connecting Government 2030 sets out a framework within which all public service organisations can deliver their own digital commitments as appropriate. Those who have not done so already will also be required to name a board member responsible for digital transformation within the department and/or sector, who will be the liaison with the Digital Strategy Implementation Unit. The strategy states that “investment decisions and approvals for initiatives will be contingent on alignment with this strategy and the wider national digital agenda”.
Speaking upon the launch of the strategy, McGrath said: “We have seen a great improvement in the provision of online public services over recent years. But we must build on those strong foundations and accelerate how we progress into the future. Connecting Government 2030 provides us with a framework to do this and to create world-leading digital government services while at the same time improving the off-line experience for those who are unable to access services digitally. The ambitions set out in Connecting Government 2030 also reflect my overall strategy of reform and innovation which my department is pursuing. My aim with this strategy is to provide better public services for individuals and businesses.
Minister of State Smyth added: “In government, we must continuously examine how our public services are delivered and how digital technologies and data can assist in that delivery. This new strategy, Connecting Government 2030, guides us towards achieving this ambition.
“Successful digital transformation will ensure digital channels are the preferred way for people to access public services. We must continue to make services as seamless, user-friendly, and accessible as possible. Digital transformation is not a project; it must be central to government policymaking and culture.”
