The Policy Learning Platform organised an online peer review on the topic of ‘implementing a digital transformation strategy’ with Krapina-Zagorje County, Croatia, on 6-7 July 2021.
Alongside Arnault Morisson and Marc Pattinson, our research and innovation experts, peers from different EU countries were invited and participated to the peer review.
The host’s main policy challenges and peers’ suggestions can be found in the peer review in the follow-up report.
Peers from across Europe
The following five talented peers shared with the host region their expertise and suggestions for implementing a successful digital transformation strategy.
- Harri Kuusela, Regional Council of Päijät-Häme (Finland),
- Jorge Muyo, Regional Government of Cantabria, Cantabria (Spain),
- Mariana Nagy, Tehimpuls Association, Regional Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer (Romania),
- May-Britt Roald, Møre and Romsdal County, Møre and Romsdal (Norway),
- Peter Grant, WSX Enterprise Hampshire (UK).
Policy recommendations
The host region, Krapina-Zagorje County, is currently designing its digital transformation strategy and wanted to learn how other public bodies have incorporated digital technologies into their services and operations, are offering fully electronic, online services to citizens as well as facilitating, and supporting entrepreneurship.
Building on two days of intense and very rich exchanges with the host region, the peers gave relevant and actionable suggestions on the main policy challenges such as:
- For implementing the digital transformation strategy, the County must led a bottom-up approach (as the owner of the DX strategy and resource holder) and the Zagorje Development Agency (as a coordinator of involved stakeholders) must focus on strategic objectives. The focus should be on efficiency, user benefits, and recognizing user feedback. Also, different audiences (user demographics) should be considered when designing services.
- For targeting the public sector, the County staff who will work with providing the services must be versed in using the necessary IT infrastructure. Trainings (which could be based on skill assessments) for digital skill improvement must be planned and implemented ahead of major DX rollouts in order to maximize efficiency and clarity of use for both County staff and end users.
- For targeting start-ups and entrepreneurs, the County must develop a clear role (e.g., proactivity, enabling, training) for the public sector in developing an entrepreneurship culture (targeting entrepreneurs in general, not only start-ups) for all ages. Synergize DX implementation with existing plans, digital innovation hubs, and possible EU funding opportunities (such as the Digital Europe 2021-2027 programme).
Discover more insights and suggestions from the peer review in the follow-up report.
