Enabling Digital Innovation in Government

6. Conclusion

Abstract

This chapter provides a specific set of actions governments could take to advance their GovTech maturity by using the GovTech Policy Framework as a guide to develop the building blocks, establish the enablers, and use the GovTech Decision Tree to consider when the time is right for GovTech.

While these actions maximise the impact and chance of success of GovTech engagements, countries do not need to have reached full GovTech maturity before GovTech can take place.

GovTech collaborations can be a key enabler for the digital transformation of the public sector. By using the OECD GovTech Policy Framework as a guide, governments could more confidently leverage GovTech for their digital initiatives and maximise the impact of their collaborations based on 3 possible actions:

Action 1: Develop the GovTech Building Blocks

Looking at the micro-level, investing time and resources in developing the GovTech Building Blocks can help governments build a successful and sustainable GovTech practice longer-term. This includes:

• Mature digital government infrastructure: aiming to build on digital government maturity relying on the necessary technology, infrastructure, tools, and data governance. This includes high-quality data that can be accessed and shared openly, which is supported by cloud computing and open-source policy.

• Capacities for collaboration and experimentation: successful GovTech engagement thrives alongside a capable public sector that has digital skills and multidisciplinary teams; agile processes tools, and methodologies; and a culture that encourages experimentation and accepts failure.

• Resources and implementation support: GovTech should be considered as both a method to help deliver digital investments and as a digital investment itself. This means considering how to make funding available, how to evolve procurement approaches, and how to scale successful pilots across organisations and internationally.

• Availability and maturity of GovTech partners: GovTech also works best when there is a mature and capable ecosystem of GovTech partners ready to support co-creation. This means considering acceleration programmes to support start-ups growth by facilitating access to capital, the scaling up of solutions, and minimising barriers to access procurement opportunities.

Action 2: Enhance the GovTech Enablers

At the micro-level, establishing the GovTech Enablers can help ensure that the ecosystem operates in a co-ordinated manner and progresses in a unified direction in alignment with the:

• Strategic layer: where governments could use GovTech strategies and champions in senior leadership positions to mobilise support and set a clear direction for GovTech.

• Institutional layer: where governments could seek collaboration and knowledge-sharing across institutions at the national, regional, or policy levels.

• Network layer: where both governments and GovTech actors should seek to mobilise the network collectively to strengthen the GovTech practice and garner broader support from communities.

Action 3: Consider when the time is right for GovTech

To maximise its effectiveness, governments should leverage GovTech in scenarios where either the problem is well-defined and the scenario is replicable, but the solutions are unknown; or where both the problem and potential solution configuration are clearly defined. The GovTech Decision Tree can be a useful tool to guide public sector teams when assessing scenarios benefiting from GovTech collaborations.

However, governments do not need to count on the full maturity in all building blocks and enablers before GovTech engagements can take place. Rather, governments can prioritise certain components in the short-to-medium term, while working on broader maturity to ensure the sustainable and effective use of GovTech in the longer-term.