Shaping digital futures: Kosovo’s journey in e-government strategy development

Kosovo’s size and population:

Area: 10,887 km²

Population: 1,806,279​

Duration of the project: August 2022​ – September 2023

Funded by: GIZ, the German Corporation for International Cooperation

Project title: Kosovo e-Government Strategy

Background, Needs, and Challenges

Digital transformation has gained momentum in Kosovo over the past few years, driven both by political will and the country’s need to modernise its public services. Following the 2021 elections, the Vetëvendosje Party led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti secured a majority, signalling also a shift in Kosovo’s institutional priorities – fostered by Kurti’s background in IT engineering and his government’s focus on e-governance.

Government plans under the tenure of Chief Technology Officer Lulezon Jagxhiu are clear and defined. Streamlining public services, improving inter-ministerial coordination, and creating a more inclusive digital ecosystem. Digitalisation, in fact, is regarded as a key enabler for better governance, efficiency, and service delivery. “Our main message is that digitalisation is not the end itself, but an enabler of efficiency and better quality in almost all areas of life,” the CTO stresses.

Kosovo can proudly showcase significant achievements so far, such as rising in the World Bank Doing Business Index from 163rd place in 2011 to 57th in 2020 – definitely something that laid a foundation for its newfound goals.

Lulezon Jagxhiu

Chief Technology Officer

“Our main message is that digitalisation is not the end itself, but an enabler of efficiency and better quality in almost all areas of life.”

However, digital tools adoption should not create a divide between those who have access to digital services, and those who don’t. While the Digital Development Strategy represented a step forward for Kosovo, the country faces its own digital transformation challenges.

One of the most pressing issues is vendor lock-in. Kosovo’s public sector has long been reliant on products from a single technology provider, which has limited its flexibility to explore other – perhaps more cost-effective – solutions.

Another significant challenge, common to many other governments around the world, is the lack of skilled IT professionals in Kosovo’s public sector. Skilled IT professionals are often drawn to higher-paying roles in the private sector, leaving the public sector at a disadvantage. The public sector offers salaries which are far less than what professionals can earn in the private sector. This is a major issue when it comes to building the necessary human capital for Kosovo’s digital future.

Lastly, there were coordination challenges within the government itself. Ministries traditionally operated in silos, and openly discussing issues across departments or with civil society was a novel approach. “They weren’t used to talking openly about problems in front of other ministries or stakeholders. The process we facilitated encouraged transparency and a shift towards more open dialogue. And that was crucial in creating a more collaborative governance culture, which will be essential for the successful implementation of the strategy,” Priit Vinkel observed​.

The Strategy: Five Pillars to Outline Vision and Objectives

To navigate these challenges, Kosovo partnered with the e-Governance Academy (eGA) in 2022 to devise a comprehensive  E-Government Strategy. The collaboration, supported by by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by GIZ, aimed to leverage Estonia’s experience in digital governance, while adapting it to Kosovo’s specific necessities. Government CTO Jagxhiu made that clear – “Kosovo is not simply copying other countries’ models, but coming up with the version of digitalisation that suits our needs best”​.

Priit Vinkel

Senior Expert, eGA

Kosovo reached out to us particularly because of their familiarity with Estonia’s digital success. The desire was clear and definitely there – to replicate some of those lessons in their own context with the country-specific understanding we proved to have in projects all around the world

The vision for Kosovo’s digital transformation is framed around five core pillars: Cooperation, Technology, Human Capital, Cybersecurity, and Innovation.

Each pillar reflects the government’s priorities for the next five years, particularly in addressing structural inefficiencies and ensuring inclusiveness in digital governance.

Firstly, Cooperation highlights Kosovo’s need to foster collaboration between its ministries, civil society, and private sector stakeholders. “One of the main objectives was to foster cooperation among stakeholders who previously hadn’t worked together. This was a novel approach for them, and we aimed to support that inclusiveness throughout the strategy development process,” Vinkel noted.

Technology focuses on modernising government infrastructure, particularly through improving interoperability between public institutions. Kosovo had previously faced challenges due to siloed government operations, which hindered effective service delivery.

The Human Capital pillar addresses the need to build a skilled workforce capable of implementing the strategy, while Cybersecurity and Innovation focus on safeguarding digital services and fostering technological advancements, adoption, application​​.

Inclusiveness cuts across all these dimensions, and is clearly a key aspect of the strategy. The country wants to ensure that all sectors of society, including citizens from rural areas and vulnerable groups, can access digital services. As part of this effort, Kosovo aims to establish integrated service centres, where citizens can receive assistance in accessing digital services.

Milestones and Achievements to Date

Despite the project’s relatively short timeline, significant progress has been made. The collaboration between the Kosovo government and eGA began in August 2022, with the first steps focused on drafting the e-Governance Strategy. Once that was completed, Kosovo benefitted from a clear direction for digital transformation over the next years.

One of the first major milestones was managing to bring together stakeholders from various ministries and civil society for the first time. “For many of them, it was the first time they were engaging with one another on such an important issue. Ministries had historically worked in silos, so fostering this level of cooperation was a significant step forward,” Vinkel explained.

Another core element of the strategy was the development of a baseline analysis, which provided an in-depth overview of Kosovo’s existing digital infrastructure. This document, highly technical, was essential for understanding the current state of digital systems in Kosovo and identifying areas for improvement. An action plan accompanied the strategy then, providing a concrete roadmap for implementing the vision’s objectives, complete with measurable indicators for success.

With the support of eGA, we have taken a very pragmatic approach. A government term provides a limited time window for substantial reforms, but we have already been able to put many things in motion”​,  – Lulezon Jagxhiu , Chief Technology Officer of Kosovo

Such approach, as Vinkel noted too, was fittingly engaging and responsive. “Kosovo’s government was highly responsive, and this allowed us to progress quickly. We worked on a very tight timeline, but the strategy’s development was marked by a focus on practical, implementable steps”. The methodology based on engagement and cooperation adopted during the project ensured that the strategy was not just theory, but a working document that could adapt to the evolving needs of Kosovo’s digital transformation.

The list of Kosovo’s steps forwards, in that sense, is impressive indeed. In new legislation, open data, or the service portal Platforma eKosova  (ekosova.rks-gov.net). By all measures, the country seems to be leaping forward. Many registries and certification services, like tax reports or vehicle registries, are already digitalised. And a number of upcoming projects are already in progress, such as the electronic ID and life-event-based proactive service provision.

Moving Forward

With the Digital Development Strategy now in place, Kosovo is focused on the next phase: implementation. A key part of this will involve capacity building, ensuring that Kosovo’s public sector workforce has the necessary skills to carry out the strategy’s objectives. One of the project’s final deliverables, not by chance, was a set of recommendations for developing and enriching human capital.

In order to fully realise the strategy, right skills and human capital must be in place,” Priit Vinkel noted.

In that sense, and beyond, Kosovo’s partnership with Estonia will continue to be an enabler of transformation. Kosovo does look to Estonia as a model, also because of similarities between the two countries. “Both countries are relatively small and have faced similar challenges in building a digital society, so it’s natural and mutual to see the two as partners for further development”.

As Kosovo moves into the implementation phase, the government’s agility and commitment will be key factors in determining the success of its digital transformation. The Digital Development Strategy provides a solid foundation, but the work isn’t over. The coming years will be decisive in unlocking the full potential of Kosovo’s digital vision for the future.