Blog & podcast
The newly formed Competence Centre of e-Governance Academy on Governance and Engagement already has a track record of matching active citizenship with institutional dialogue, bringing citizens and administrations closer together. But let’s zoom out for a moment. We have worked on improving the relationship between public service providers and users in Georgia, Ukraine, and many […]
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Keywords: engagement, Online participation
E-governance practitioners well know that the implementation of digital tools is essential, to enhance the provision and reach of public services. This applies across domains, from the most specific in user base to the more generalist ones. But innovation gains even further relevance when services matter to the entire population at large when it […]
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Digitalization is rapidly transforming democratic processes. Ensuring digital security, as a consequence, has become paramount for safeguarding free and fair elections. Countries in the Western Balkans have recognized the critical role of cybersecurity in preserving the integrity of democratic systems, but at what cost? Repeated high-profile cyberattacks over the past year have underscored the urgency […]
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Despite the war, despite the devastation. We saw it last year already, through the eyes and voices of e-Governance Academy’s team in Ukraine – digital transformation never stopped in the country. If anything, it picked up pace. In fact, in many ways, digital tools helped Ukrainians work and access public services despite the ongoing Russian […]
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Our journey to bring to the spotlight country cases of digital transformation from Africa does not stop. One occasion was not enough – the all-African panel featuring changemakers from the continent at the latest e-Governance Conference. After taking a trip to Uganda, we now head to The Gambia, to see how the country laid the […]
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The all-African panel that took place at the e-Governance Conference 2023 brought into the spotlight country cases of digital transformation from the continent. An enlightening sessions, where everyone attending – both online and offline – got a unique chance to hear, at a glance, the most salient developments in digital taking place in Uganda […]
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The Tallinn Summer School of Cyber Diplomacy returns for its fourth edition, keeping up the pace with global developments in diplomacy and cybersecurity. But it’s not just about the mainstreaming of cyber diplomacy as a foreign policy topic, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In both war and peace times, it has become evident how […]
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The upcoming book by e-Governance Academy, “Twenty Years of Building Digital Societies”, brings into focus the role that digitalization played in Estonia, in the countries eGA has collaborated with – and what such expertise adds to the digital development strategies of countries worldwide. Vision, sustainability, people, security. We take the long view here, in a publication […]
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For the first time, the 2023 e-Governance Conference is set to feature an all-African panel showcasing case studies from the continent. Exactly: both moderator and speakers will present examples of inter-sector cooperation from Namibia, Uganda, and the West African region. Collaborative partnerships for digital policy implementation are core to their experience, and there we stand […]
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Keywords: e-Governance Conference, Podcast
The ongoing conversation and development around artificial intelligence are bringing data policy back into the spotlight, as we will explore in a dedicated session at the e-Governance Conference 2023. Perhaps it’s also a signal, an indicator of how much work and care is needed before AI starts convincingly scaling to the public sector. Because while […]
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Not just talks and panels, at the upcoming 2023 e-Governance Conference. As always, we didn’t forget about the practical side of things – workshops. One of them will focus on the design of public digital services. Designing and re-imagining public services takes effort and knowledge, but it becomes less intimidating when expert show how much […]
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We are well over one year into Russia’s ongoing threat to Ukrainian state sovereignty. And from terrain to the digital sphere, it is now clearer than ever before that the aggression has been total. If, in the beginning, the war seemed to take on a more traditional, kinetic shape, cyberattacks have intensified with the […]
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Nothing about us, without us. From foundational principle of representative democracy, to inclusive approach to service design. The journey of this quote is long and spans across centuries, but gains renewed relevance today – when digitalization is ubiquitous, and public services must be designed for all, not just the ‘most’. Margus J. Klaar is a […]
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A review of technological change in the past 20 years, applications and narratives, sweet birthday wishes. We have it all in this week’s episode of the Digital Government Podcast, where we head to distinguished technology experts of e-Governance Academy (eGA) for another expert chat dedicated to eGA’s 20 years anniversary. Programme Director Heiko Vainsalu meets […]
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Costa Rica is all but new on the world map of countries that took digital transformation as a priority. Over there, in Central America, this relatively small nation started investing in digital-related development and education already more than 20 years ago. Almost similarly to Estonia – and as similarly, they have come to create a […]
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Keywords: Cyber resilience, e-Governance Conference
Preparations for the 9th e-Governance Conference are well under way, for what has come to be one of the highest level e-governance events globally. In the past few years, we addressed ever-so-salient topics such as resilience and crisis management, with the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine inevitably driving the agenda. In the 2023 edition […]
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Digital development has gone fast in the past two decades. Largely on its own momentum, as tools and their applications come to impact both more deeply and extensively different spheres of life. Also, due to unprecedented events and circumstances – see, the pandemic – that sped up digital adoption. The more and more topical […]
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The last time we started with a question “Is i-voting here to stay?”; this one around, we move on from a strong statement. One week ago, national elections were held in Estonia, and more than a few important records have been set. Among these, the highest ever overall turnout, and the highest ever amount of […]
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How long do 20 years of cybersecurity actually feel? Quite intense and intensive, for sure. It’s unlikely that anyone thought that with internet and ICTs would come no risks, no maliciousness, no actors aiming to exploit vulnerabilities of digital systems. Two of e-Governance Academy’s own cybersecurity experts are here to remind us how far we’ve […]
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Sweden is perhaps one of those countries that, in international rankings on government and digitalization, you sort of expect to do well – and indeed, so they do. Estonia figures among them as well, and we regularly see the interest this draws in understanding how development takes place, where, what’s next. To take us there, […]
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The title of this blog & podcast may sound like a paradox, but there is much, much more to it. In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we return to the Asian islands – southeast in the continent – to address public service development in Timor-Leste. Piret Saartee, a Senior Expert on Smart […]
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Making the national cyberspace more secure does not pertain only to protecting it from cyber attacks. It is a day-to-day job, a commitment to small best practices too that do make a difference – and help prevent disruptions in our work activities, and the functioning of the public sector. Epp Maaten, Team Lead on Cybersecurity, […]
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That’s right. e-Governance Academy is turning 20 years old this year! Two decades of digital transformation; of understanding societies through the lens of technology; of advising governments worldwide on how to reap the benefits of digital development. And who better than Hannes Astok, Executive Director at eGA, to draw a bit of a retrospective. In […]
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Another year has passed. Another year in which e-Governance Academy has been involved in digital transformation projects worldwide. Most might have expected calmer waters after exiting the emergency situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, with 2022 came a number of events that saw our experts at the centre of the international scene. Executive Director […]
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Digital skills are essential for the development of a full-fledged digital society. We can – and should – expect both companies and governments to develop their services in the most user-friendly way, to actually serve customers and citizens. But how to empower people further, and give them the tools to navigate effectively the information age? […]
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Based on essentially all wiki facts and general information, Brazil and Estonia could not be more different. Geographically, culturally, and socially. And still, as we luckily very often saw happen in the past years, these too have a joint meeting point – digital transformation. Interest in Estonia’s digital journey remains constant among policy and changemakers from the […]
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Keywords: digital transformation, e-Governance, e-government, e-Services, Estonia, Innovation, Podcast
It was just June that we were talking about improving cybersecurity capacity in the Western Balkans area. And a few months later, between August and September, the countries of Albania and Montenegro respectively suffered disruptive cyber attacks. Merle Maigre, Programme Director on Cybersecurity at eGA, joins us again to take stock of the situation. […]
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Digital citizens in a digital Europe? We are not quite there yet, but significant steps forward have been made in recent years with eIDAS. And progress doesn’t stop at the borders of political Europe, as a bilateral agreement between the Union and Ukraine is set to enhance the mutual recognition of trust services. We hear […]
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We could never say it enough – digital identity is a must-have to make societies more digital. It has been around for some time already, so it is natural that types and approaches to its development vary, between contexts and country specificities. To explore these, Mark Erlich is the speaker of choice for a […]
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By Kristina Mänd Have you considered digital vulnerability when planning a service or a project? Do you know how to design a good solution? Are you thinking creatively, flexibly and experimentally? In Tbilisi, 14 teams of civil society organisations and public authorities are designing action proposals to address the challenges digitally vulnerable citizens are encountering […]
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In Borneo Island, Malaysia, the largest of the 13 states making up the country has an ambitious plan – to turn the region into a digital economy powerhouse of the area. Through the works of the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) as its implementing agency, government in the region is driving initiative to give the state a […]
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Our interviews with Chief Information Officers continue, and after Siim Sikkut (former CIO of Estonia) and Barry Lowry (CIO of Ireland), we are excited to feature Yolanda Martinez on this podcast episode. Martinez held the national CIO and Digital Strategy Coordination posts in Mexico for a total of six years – five for the […]
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If countries’ national security is indivisible on a global level, as in actions and consequences are interlinked for everyone, governments have then two good places to start. Firstly, international cooperation, creating a strong government-to-government community. Secondly, seeing public expenditure in this area as an investment, and not just a cost. The Western Balkan Digital […]
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By Merle Maigre and Jurijs Svirko High-level representatives from Tirana, Sarajevo, Pristina, Podgorica, Skopje and Belgrade discussed the cybersecurity development in the Western Balkan region, shared knowledge and learned best practices of the EU at the Western Balkan Digital Security Forum on 14-15 June 2022 in Tallinn. The main takeaways from the forum are: […]
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Let’s face it – we are more used to talk about the results achieved through digital transformation, its success stories and business cases, rather than drawbacks or failures. Despite, in any case, a growing trend of re-humanizing digitalization processes, with private change-makers and CIOs increasingly talking about drawbacks and lessons learnt too. But some needs […]
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Implementing new technology, both in the public and private sectors, is often regarded as a matter of developing products and services. In addition to code itself, design thinking has recently come to play an important role in identifying users’ needs and process challenges. But some argue that tech is not just a product – […]
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In the Western Balkans, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and governments are on a quest to increase civic engagement in the digital agenda. Take all the initials of this task, ICEDA, and you have the ongoing project that e-Governance Academy is currently involved in within the region. Recently, stakeholders took the chance to visit Tallinn […]
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In the Horn of Africa there is yet another blue pin on the world map of interoperability supported by X-Road technology. The Government of Djibouti represented by ANSIE has recently completed the implementation of the data exchange platform, marking another step toward more efficient and effective public service delivery. On e-Governance Academy’s side, Programme Director […]
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This year’s e-Governance Conference has been a key moment of observation and learning to walk the path of digital transformation. Plenty of interesting sessions and contents for all tastes – from AI to cyber-resilience, to digital sovereignty and proactive services. For one session, though, we went for the helicopter view (quite literally). How does […]
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The wait could not have been faster. Just one week to go to e-Governance Conference 2022, to discuss resilient and seamless governance with high-level government representatives, experts, and academics. So let us do the honours with an introduction, and a look forward, from Estonia. Luukas Ilves, freshly appointed Chief Information Officer of the Government of […]
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Siim Sikkut barely needs any introduction. 17 years in the civil service, of which five as Chief Information Officer of the Government of Estonia. Throughout this time, many of our readers and listeners have had the chance to meet him, or hear from his team about what a constant process of digital transformation looks like. […]
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Less than a month to go to the 2022 e-Governance Conference. To mark this countdown milestone, we called back a known voice of the Digital Government Podcast and the Conference, introducing the ever-more-pressing theme of digital sovereignty. Taking the floor is Paul Timmers, a scholar at various European universities and former director at the European […]
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For this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we figuratively fly with our microphones to Africa. Specifically, to Kenya and Nigeria – where winners of the first Africa D4D Journalism Competition are based. 175 journalists from 35 countries participated, signalling a great response to the call submissions made by the African Union – European […]
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Organizing and presenting information, as well as finding it when citizens need, must be up there in governments’ agendas. Not only because we should be able to access it in the most effective and efficient way, but also because the systems where this is stored and listed are often very complex. Perhaps overly complex? […]
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By Radu Serrano Many governments have accelerated their digitalization and e-governance projects to support and serve their citizens. These projects are complex and intricate endeavors that must take into consideration cybersecurity in order to succeed and benefit all. The NCSI shows clearly trends the governments follow, best practices they use and the gaps, that […]
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Keywords: küberturvalisus/cybersecurity, NCSI
The seamlessness of the governance is one of the focuses of the e-Governance Conference this year. We welcome you to investigate the seamless options of citizen engagement in policy design and participatory practices. Giovanni Allegretti, senior researcher and coordinator of the PhD “Democracy in the 21st century” at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), has […]
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The e-Governance Conference 2022, this year reaching its 8th edition, welcomes digital leaders and experts over the three years in Tallinn but also online at egovconference.ee. This year the main focus is on the resilience of digital governance in times of crisis and the next step in the path of digitalization – seamlessness. Hannes […]
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Perhaps one of the strongest displays of resistance is, also, to ensure that what should be working in normal times does so as well during exceptional circumstances. This is of course a euphemism, referring to what Ukraine is undergoing with Russian forces on its territory. In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we […]
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Something might have caught many observers by surprise in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. After a solid history of cyberthreats that could be linked back to the Federation’s territory, cyberwarfare seems to not be playing a major role in the attackers’ plans this time. As it did instead in 2007, during the first cyberwar […]
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This week, the world looks quite different from what it used to. Yet again we’re here to say this, and see the dramatic consequences of what unfolds, for the second time in the span of two years. Yet again, as spring approaches, we’re here to talk about a tragedy taking shape just before our […]
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Can a digital society exist sustainably without e-citizens? Who are the e-citizens – the user the e-services or something more? This is a topic we will discuss today with e-democracy expert Kristina Reinsalu. In this episode, she introduces us to the e-citizen concept and to the digital nudging in society that supports the citizens’ […]
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In this episode, IT-visionary Linnar Viik talks about the post-pandemic trends of teaching and learning at schools, and shares with us the findings from the survey he conducted among teachers and parents in Estonia. Listen to the discussion and find out how did the schools in various countries react to the lockdowns and how […]
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Every digital transformation journey needs a good place to start from. What’s the first step? Understanding where you stand, what are your valuable assets, how to move forward from there, and on what to focus first. The Digital Readiness Review does just that. For long, e-Governance Academy has been offering this analysis to both […]
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Behind a successful cyber attack, it is very often the poor cyber hygiene of internet users or employees of an organisation, as revealed by the analysis of cyber incidents. Thus, the demand of being cyber-wise concerns every citizen, and the government as well. In this episode, Lauri Tankler, lead analyst of the Estonian Information System Authority, and Merle Maigre, […]
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Keywords: küberturvalisus/cybersecurity
It seems almost physiological that the latest tech buzzwords, with time, undergo some sort of resizing. Technology advances, consulting firms and market actors take the leap envisioning how the latest development could change everything, and then we notice how such upheavals are slower to unfold than expected – or they even underachieve, compared to the […]
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AI is one of the technologies that influences the public sector service provision and also our expectations towards it. In today’s episode, we invite you to explore how are governments approaching the use of artificial intelligence in public service provision. Consider Estonia, as a case study – and let Ott Velsberg, Chief Data Officer of the […]
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Today we invite you to follow the government CIO’s special edition! Two former leaders of digital transformation, Siim Sikkut from Estonia and Randall Brugeaud from Australia, cast light on the trends that governments should follow in their digital transformation plans to benefit from pandemic lessons learned. In the episode, our guests share their views […]
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With the year-end approaching, we could not let this opportunity slip for a proper wrap up of 2021. Hannes Astok, Executive Director at e-Governance Academy, gladly bears the weight of this responsibility in the latest episode of the Digital Government Podcast. Remote work and cybersecurity are the topics that dominated the digital transformation landscape this […]
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Based on what trends we have witnessed in advanced digital societies – the next level of public services will be fully automated services that are based on AI and Machine Learning. In this episode, a distinguished legal expert on digital governance topics Katrin Nyman-Metcalf covers another side of the coin – essential and ethical dilemmas behind […]
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The number of mobile users is already exceeding 7 billion worldwide, and 3 billion of them are using smartphones. The rising mobile penetration has pushed governments to develop services that could be used via mobile phone. On the other hand, more and more governments are exploring how to benefit from AI by providing public […]
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In the title ‘Freedom of expression in the digital age. A lost battle for truth?’, we put the question mark to not sound too gloomy, or pessimistic. The battle for truth is inextricably tied to that for freedom of expression. But of course, with freedoms and their protection, always come responsibilities too. The […]
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Of the many things that have been put to test by the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians and decision makers’ ability to face an unprecedented crisis situation is arguably among the most salient. Effective leadership took shape not only through the actual preventive and limiting measures pursued, but also the ways these have been communicated. The […]
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More and more Estonian residents have decided to participate in the recent local elections in October 2021 simply using internet and their own digital ID. To be precise, more than ever. From the comfort of home, the office, or even a holiday destination. Priit Vinkel, Senior Expert of Smart Governance at e-Governance Academy, […]
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The pandemic caused countries around the world to employ digital solutions, which they had been ignoring or postponing, almost overnight. Such rapid development also raises several questions related to digital responsibility and accountability. Digital responsibility has mainly been addressed by the business sector. However, the expectations to the governments to set the agenda for digital […]
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The rapid digitalisation of societies introduces new expectations towards tech companies. People expect companies to take care of their ecological footprint, support free expression, respect privacy and develop a more secure cyberspace. Explore how enterprises and governments can address these demands for digital responsibility with tech innovator Üllar Jaaksoo, from Greenergy, technology and public policy leader Eli […]
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Keywords: Digital responsibility, Podcast
Estonia conducted i-voting for the 12th time, in the recent local elections on 11 – 17 October 2021. In this episode, we cast light on these election results and explore with Priit Vinkel, the former Head of the Estonian Electoral Office and one of the implementers of the internet voting system in Estonia, what […]
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Today we invite you to listen to the episode on the next normal of digital transformation featured by futurist Thrond Arne Undheim and the former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. Follow their discussion on what have the governments learned from 2020 and what they have refused to learn. Moreover, the guest will talk about the trends that […]
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In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, you are welcome to meet our distinguished e-democracy expert Liia Hänni, who recently celebrated her 75th birthday! Known as the “mother” of the Estonian Constitution, she has had a massive impact in the design of Estonia’s democratic face and digital society. Within the following 21 minutes, […]
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Tänavu 17.oktoobril toimuvad kohalikud valimised, mille eel on kõigil soovijatel juba 12. korda võimalus e-hääletada. Pühendame oma saate e-hääletamisele ning e-riigi akadeemia eestvõttel loodud e-hääletamise heale tavale. Saates räägivad e-hääletuse hea tava üks väljatöötajatest Liia Hänni ja kauaaegne valimisteenistuse juht, pregune E-riigi Akadeemia vanemekspert Priit Vinkel e-hääletamise protsessist ja tehtud uuendustest, valija- ja erakondade käitumisest, kordavad üle e-hääletamise […]
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We are wondering whether we are already taking sides, by using buzzword to describe the way that latest tech developments are often portrayed in media articles, tweets, or even vision papers and strategies. In this episode of the Digital Government podcast, Heiko Vainsalu, a Senior Expert on Technology at e-Governance Academy will debunk the most […]
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Estonia is preparing for its first e-census or register-based census, where all Population and Housing Census data will be compiled from the data of the national registers. About 24 national registers will be included, and they involve data on many fields of life. Only the information that is not available in registers will be […]
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While we approach the international identity day on September 16, we are addressing the topic that concerns our identity and its use, online or offline. In today’s episode of Digital Government Podcast, we explore with Kaija Kirch, Head of Digital Identity Technologies at Cybernetica AS, the pros and cons of using biometric data in identification and providing access […]
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The globalisation of economies, technologies and communication has challenged country sovereignty relative to actions and protection. In the global scene, we can witness every day how fake news attack democracy, and how hackers do the same to supply chains, electricity networks or hospitals. The problem of one country concerns simultaneously other countries too, as we […]
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Keywords: küberturvalisus/cybersecurity, Podcast
At the beginning of the school year, it is timely to talk about digital skills development since digital skills are one of the most critical enablers of digital transformation. In today’s episode, Kristo Vaher from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication of Estonia and Cigdem Ertem (INTEL) shed light on what kind of digital skills governments need to […]
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Cyber threats have been on the rise for years. Data is currency – especially in the cyber underworld – and locking critical systems for ransom can lead to enticing paydays for cyber criminals. The first half of 2021 already saw a number of significant cyberattacks against major actors, including Colonial Pipeline, Microsoft Exchange, and Bombardier. […]
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Cyber attacks are becoming a natural part of our digital life. Hence it is wise to know how to defend your data and infrastructure to avoid losses. In today’s episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we invite you to explore how governments and organisations can be better prepared for cyber attacks. Two distinguished cyber […]
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In today’s episode Ville Sirviö, the CEO of the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS), casts light on how to get digital data securely running between two countries, based on the X-road trust federation, and how citizens of Finland and Estonia have benefited from it. As we know, Finland and Estonia are exchanging data of […]
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Keywords: data exchange, Digital technology, e-Services, Estonia, Finland, Interoperability, Podcast
In this episode of Digital Government Podcast, Urmo Kübar, the former advisor to the Estonian President and the Executive Director of Praxis, talks about the role of civil society organizations in a digital society and explains how can they benefit from digital tools for building a more seamless society. Being involved in the Estonian […]
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This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal in which we find ourselves today, and the next normal that we are entering. In the build-up to the Conference, […]
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This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal in which we find ourselves today, and the next normal that we are entering. In the build-up to the Conference, […]
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This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal in which we find ourselves today, and the next normal that we are entering. In the build-up to the Conference, […]
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This year’s e-Governance Conference – A Digital Decade in One Year – looks at the implications of the accelerated digital transformation resulting from the pandemic. The programme creates space to explore the new normal in which we find ourselves today and the next normal that we are entering. In the build-up to the Conference, our […]
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For more than four years, the e-Governance Academy’s team has assisted digital transformation in Ukraine by creating the conditions for digital services’ provision. In this episode, our Ukrainian Team Leader, Mari Pedak and Executive Director Hannes Astok cast light on the technical developments within the EGOV4Ukraine project, the organisational developments in the Ukrainian government, and […]
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Keywords: data exchange, digital transformation, e-government, e-Services, Interoperability, Podcast, Ukraine
Other than national healthcare systems, patients, and patience, the COVID-19 pandemic has also tested the degree of collaboration between countries in overcoming the crisis. With the vaccines developed and immunisation campaigns being rolled out, governments and international organisations are now seeking a way to harmonise how to exit the crisis with vaccine certificates. […]
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Cyber threats and attacks are the part of the daily management of IT systems and e-services. Usually, we, as regular users of e-services, do not know about attacks as long as the e-service is available and working. In this episode Epp Maaten, Programme Director of Cyber Security, talks about how to secure e-services, IT systems […]
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Keywords: küberturvalisus/cybersecurity, Podcast
The COVID19 pandemic has created a new reality for the healthcare sector, globally testing its limits. The European Commission, along with the World Health Organisation, is looking for a scalable digital infrastructure for secure vaccination certification to help governments to reopen societies and economies. In this episode, Merle Maigre, the organizer of the Digital […]
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Digital technologies have become ever more embedded in our everyday lives, introducing topical questions over their fair and ethical use. Openness and transparency in service delivery enable such requests. But, also, these trigger a change in values and attitudes that intensify pressure on governments and companies to be more accountable for the impact of […]
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In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, our guest Marten Kaevats, the National Digital Advisor of the Estonian Government, will shed light on why and how to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) for public service provision. Is AI a viral buzzword or a beneficial tool to make public service provision smarter and more efficient? He […]
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Digitalisation holds a promise of wide-ranging economic and social benefits – from greater efficiency and transparency to more harmonious interactions between the state and its citizens. Estonia is considered to have cracked the code in delivering on this promise, making the country’s experience a compelling case study around the world. To a great extent, Estonia’s […]
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By now, we have become familiar with how the relationship between big tech firms and governments has largely been portrayed in the media. So often it looks like a clash between opposing factions – the first standing on its ground to keep the market as free as possible, with the latter proposing laws […]
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Keywords: Digital rights, Podcast
The growing adoption of digital technology places greater demands and expectations on the provision of public services. With the proven benefits of digitalisation ranging from increased efficiency to transparency, this has pushed governments into an ongoing game of catch-up to maximise the value of going digital. The sudden onset of COVID-19 immediately moved the […]
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Keywords: e-Services, Podcast
What comes in your mind when you hear someone mentioning the Pacific Islands? Probably sandy beaches, palm trees and sunshine. In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we go beyond the tourist attractions and take a look at the digital side of these countries. Today’s guest, Hannes Astok, sheds light on how the governments […]
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Do you know how old is the concept of online voting? It comes back to the 19th century when Thomas Alva Edison introduced it to the US congress. Why then, even two centuries later, are there so few countries that use online voting to ensure equal access for their citizens to express their democratic rights? […]
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Keywords: elections, Electronic ID, I-voting, Innovation, Podcast, Privacy, The United States of America, voting
“Corruption as a disease, for which transparency is the cure” is a politically popular analogy, that surely resonates when trying to capture such widespread, global challenge all countries continue to face today. But researchers contend that the actual manifestations of corruption are far too complex to fit into the simple frames built by this parallel. […]
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At the beginning of the year, we summed up our lessons learnt from the digital transformation journeys of various countries. Our team has been on these journeys for the past 18 years and obtained useful lessons that could benefit every country that starts or continues its digital transformation. In this episode, Federico Plantera and Hannes […]
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This blog post refers to the podcast “Digital trends to watch out for in 2021” with Linnar Viik and Federico Plantera. Listen to the first episode of Digital Government podcast in 2021! Taking stock of more than twenty years of digital transformation, in the public sector and beyond, industry experts were making predictions on up-and-coming […]
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What lessons learned should governments and public officials take away from this year? In this year’s final episode of the Digital Government Podcast, former President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves shares his hopes, fears and criticisms on how governments have coped with the pandemic challenges. As expected from the former President of Estonia, his recipe […]
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In parallel with the long-anticipated and widely followed US Presidential election, 2020 was an important year also for many democracies in Europe. In the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic, electoral management bodies across the world were pushed to re-examine the strategic planning and decision-making process that go into running an election. For many election […]
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In a democratic society, the quality of the relationship between governments and citizens is a key talking point – and if not, most probably it should. Across the layers of governance, municipalities certainly represent the closest governmental actor to citizens. Such proximity not only works as the testing ground for state-to-people interactions but also as […]
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In the light of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, today’s Digital Government podcast addresses one of the most sensitive topics – privacy and human rights while governments are combating COVID19 and developing tracking apps. Are our rights and privacy in danger? How can governments address these concerns and what should be a good practice? Listen to […]
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