In December 2023, Austria’s third digitalisation report was published. Under the title “Ready for the future. Manage smart. Shaping the future’, the Austrian Federal Government presents measures for modern administration. The digitalisation report the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) presents steps towards digitalisation of administrative services at federal and Länder level for all departments in the 2022 reporting period. The report also provides an international comparison of the acceptance and use of digital offers.
Measures at Federal level
Exemplary initiatives by all ministries illustrate the efforts to drive the digital transformation in Austria. The BMF improved the digital processing of financial services. With ID Austria and the FinanzOnline Login, the Ministry made it possible to manage queries and appointments via the internet, which relieves both administrative staff and citizens.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMAW) supported the digitalisation of businesses and the labour market with innovative digital tools. One example is smart digital support management with digital processes and platforms. For instance, eCall allows the Austrian Research Funding Company (FFG) to send requests for funding easily and easily.
Electronic service to all federal employees was ensured by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Public Administration and Sport (BMKOES). The introduction of 2-factor authentication was an essential step in meeting modern security requirements and preventing potential threats.
The Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) focused on innovative education and training for teachers. To this end, the Ministry introduced, among other things, the mandatory subject of digital basic education. Teacher training in this field has been promoted through a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for basic digital education.
Country-level measures
Efforts have also been made at country level to improve digital administrative services. The City of Vienna expanded its digital services for citizens and for specific target groups. An example of this is my.wien.gv.at, a personalised platform that provides fast access to the city of Vienna’s digital services. The Cybercrime Helpline, which serves as the first point of contact for cybercrime, has also been optimised. The further development of the Wienbot is also a contribution to the digital transformation of Vienna. The WienBot acts as a digital assistant to make information about the city of Vienna easily accessible and to reply directly to questions asked.
Comparison: Use and acceptance of digital offers
The Digitalisation Report also provides an insight into the international use of digital administrative services. The data from the Government Monitor study presented in the report show that the administrative portal oesterreich.gv.at in Austria, with a reputation of 80%, is the leading player in comparison with DACH.
In terms of e-government usage, Austria ranks first with 70%, followed by Switzerland with 60% and Germany with 56%. In terms of mobile use of e-government services, Austria also has a leading edge (56%) over Germany (54%) and Switzerland (53%). This represents a significant increase of 7% compared to the 2022 study and reflects the increasing trend towards mobile use of digital services.
Detailed information on the measures taken by all departments and countries and on the international comparison of the use and acceptance of digital services can be found in the Digitalisation Report. The report is also available in English.
© freepik.com, jannoon028
Source : European Digital Skills & Jobs Platform
