Exclamation point raises questions about the government's efforts to digitize the public sector

Finally, the government, through Minister of Civil Affairs Ardalan Shekarabi (S), is speaking out and talking about using digitization to use our tax money smarter and more efficiently: for equal service to all, higher security and increased transparency! Today's announcement in DN Debatt that the digitization of the public sector will be accelerated, is very gratifying reading - even sweet music to my ears. But it also leaves some questions unanswered.

Worthy of praise, from the industry, in the Minister of Civil Affairs' reform proposal:

! Good intentions: initiatives are finally being taken on this issue. The government (like previous governments...) has been far too reluctant to take the lead and point out a common direction and way forward.

! Promising: the recognition of the need for joint responsibility for driving digital development in all of Sweden's authorities, municipalities and county councils, where the individual - instead of the organization - should be put at the center. The fact that the government's thoughts are now moving in the direction of an authority solution with joint responsibility for digitization issues, something that we in the industry have advocated for a long time and that our Nordic neighbors have long since decided, is very gratifying.

! Finally, politicians are daring to talk about how digitization can make public administration more efficient and free up billions for the treasury. The justification for increasing the pace shows an awakening: "more billions can be freed up by now accelerating the digitization work [...] there are billions to be saved through increased efficiency", the Prime Minister states. So money is the main argument. In practice, this means freeing up more resources to offer more and better welfare to more people.

Questions that the Minister for Civil Affairs' reform proposals do not answer:

? What is the link to the government's upcoming Digitization Strategy, which is expected to take a holistic approach to the digitization of Sweden? The Minister for Digitization, Peter Eriksson (MP), who is responsible for the overall strategy, with the goal of Sweden being the best in the world at using the opportunities of digitization, has flagged that this will be presented sometime in February/March next year. It is not clear from today's announcement how the Minister for Civil Affairs' plan for digitization of the public sector is closely and clearly linked to the Minister for Digitization's strategy for digitization of the whole of Sweden. Can we assume that it does? Anything else would be irresponsible.

? Will the responsibility of the new authority Shekarabi (S) is opening up be limited to the digitization of the public sector? Or does the government envisage a broader mandate that also includes coordination and management of the digitization of health and social care, of schools, of business...? Eriksson (MP) mentions in the preparatory work for the national strategy that the focus will be on follow-up and governance of digitization work. Wouldn't it be appropriate to gather all of this governance and follow-up in a single authority, with combined knowledge and expertise in the field?

? Shekarabi talks about savings and improved quality, but nothing about the allocation of funds to implement these. If the ambition to create a modern, world-class public administration is serious, it will initially entail major costs for the development of new operating and collaboration models, recruitment of new skills/training of existing employees, etc. How does the government intend to prepare for this?

? We hope that Shekarabi realizes that open data has a bearing on more than "other actors'" innovation capacity? Transparency and the possibility of reusing government data can greatly affect the authorities' own business development, provide increased focus on core activities and increase interaction between citizens as well as organizations and companies, and provide both efficiency gains and higher productivity and social benefits. This is a perspective that should not be forgotten, as self-interest often motivates more than the opportunity to support "other actors"!

That said, no one is happier than I am that our politicians and decision-makers finally seem to have got the message; that digitization is not an IT issue, but an issue of welfare, of skills supply, sustainability, innovation, gender equality, and competitiveness. We now see that initiatives in the right direction are being taken by more than just the person responsible for IT policy; even the Minister of Education has opened his eyes to the issue and is planning a strategy for school digitization. And we already have a national e-health strategy that boasts the goal of Sweden being the best in the world in e-health by 2025.

But, without wishing to put too fine a point on it, we would like to raise a small warning flag: many cooks rarely make a better soup. Clear overall and joint governance is needed, including within the government and government offices. If we are to achieve the goals of a world-class public administration and Sweden being the best in the world at exploiting the opportunities of digitization, the government's departmental collaboration should also strive in that direction. The fact that we have had a Minister for Digitization for a few months now with an explicit responsibility for coordinating digitization work is good. Now let Peter Eriksson take that responsibility and lead and coordinate Sweden overall towards the common goal of being the best in the world at digitalization - regardless of which policy area and which ministerial portfolio it concerns!