The principles of digitization

The principles of digitization are based on the citizen and the expectations and demands that exist on public Sweden, but they is just as much about streamlining our processes through digital communication and efficient information management.

Sometimes legislation and other obstacles can prevent us from fully following the principles, but they still help us understand what we are striving for and what demands we should all place on processes, communication, systems and information management.

The principles were developed as a starting point during the work on the assignment "Digital first - for a smarter community building process" and is partly based on E- the work of the delegation.

Digital meetings are based on the citizen

With the help of e-services, the citizen can contact a municipality or authority at any time. It is the citizen himself who decides when and how the digital meeting should take place and the citizen can follow his own affairs via the e-services. Through collaboration between authorities and administrations, the meeting is based on the citizen's case and is handled in an uninterrupted process.

It is now obvious that we handle our banking matters online, that we book airline tickets and hotels on our own without between hands, and that we buy goods in online stores. It is easy to compare, order, book, review and follow the path of our ordered goods until delivery. Even in public Sweden, we have focused on developing e-services to facilitate citizens' everyday lives.

In the community building process, we increasingly see services for applying for building permits and property development, to see and retrieve detailed plan-won plans, visualization of detailed plan proposals, citizen dialogues, error reporting, etc. Often the services provide the opportunity to submit an application, order or point of view. is not as common that the citizen can follow his case digitally throughout the proceedings, or that there are functions for payment or connection to business systems.

Digitally first

The digital services are the first choice and paper forms are only used in exceptional cases. When new digital services are developed, an analysis is made to assess whether there is still a need to support a paper-based process as well.

Citizens and other actors increasingly prefer digital channels. Digital services make it easier for citizens to manage and follow their errands. For the municipality's and the authority's processes, this means that incorrect registrations and misinterpretations are reduced and that automation becomes possible. Procedures must still be in place for handling paper forms as authorities cannot refuse to accept them.

Get the information from the source

Information is always retrieved as close to the source as possible, ie via a service with the producer.

If we read the information directly from the manufacturer, we ensure that the information is correct and current. When all actors use the same information from the same source, misunderstandings and misinterpretations are avoided. It will be easier to control who will have access to the information and we will avoid costs for storing the information twice in our own systems.

The systems used in the community building process thus need to be able to use services from other actors but also create services so that others can easily use the information created in the process.

Digitally once

A task only needs to be submitted once to a public administration in order to then be re-used by other authorities.

When a citizen submits his information, it only needs to be done once. If a name or property designation has been filled in at one time, the citizen shall not have to do it again. The information must be able to be used automatically in other forms to make it easier for the citizen. In the same way, the systems must be able to help the citizen to fill in e.g. correct residential address.

This type of handling only applies to the exercise of authority and the data may only be stored in a way that does not contravene current legislation.

Digital original

The digital information may be original. The fact that the digital basis in a case may be considered original is a prerequisite for the process to be able to be digital and uninterrupted. Decisions in a digital process must be able to be made and archived on digital data. This means that municipalities and authorities must build up digital archives and introduce digital signing. In order for digital information to be able to be original, team development is required in some places.

Open digital information

The digital information can be freely shared and reused without restrictions. However, protected information such as personal data, classified information or other information protected by copyright or other legislation may not be transparent.

By opening digital information from municipalities and authorities, we create transparency in public activities, which is positive for co-determination and democracy. Open data is also a new form of raw material that creates new better conditions for innovation and growth. Both companies and authorities benefit from open data because access to information provides a better basis for making quick and qualitative decisions.

The fact that public data that does not need to be protected should be open sounds obvious to many, but today the use is often hindered by the fact that the information is subject to fees or is otherwise protected by intellectual property or copyright. This is often the case with geodata produced by Lantmäteriet and the municipalities, which means that the information is sometimes not used as it is considered to cost too much.

Available and useful information

The digital information is easy to find and read, it is also easy to understand and use.

When the information needed is easily accessible to all actors, processes become faster. It can provide an opportunity for more actors to contribute their expertise at an earlier stage than is often possible today.

Sometimes it is time consuming, difficult and costly to access the information you need. In the worst case, you then choose to refrain from using information. This may be due to the fact that it is unclear who is responsible for the information and where to turn to gain access to it. It may also be that the information is structured in a way that makes it difficult to understand and use. One way to remedy this is to use standards and established conceptual and information models. For the information needed in the community building process, standards are lacking in many places. These standards must be developed in collaboration between relevant actors.

You who work in community building in municipalities and authorities can take part in more information about digitization of the community building process.