1.
The challenge of speed: Government in Europe
Only a minority of government managers in Europe report a sense of urgency about the need for
executives in the public and private sectors conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
managers believe that rapid organisational change is important.
Compared with their counterparts in business, a sizable proportion of government managers appear to
However, while governments may not feel the pressure to change, change is certainly coming
to governments. Technology-led change in the private sector has transformed the way in which
people expect to deal with organisations, at a time when European governments are facing resource
constraints. In parallel, change-resistant public bodies are in danger of missing out the advantages of
the new paths to improving service-delivery opportunities that are opening up.
Fortunately, Europe’s governments can rise to this challenge.
AN ECONOMIST
INTELLIGENCE
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The challenge of speed: Government in Europe
government leaders, as well as substantial
desk research. This article aims to offer some
guidance to managers in government hoping to
drive greater process speed as well as harness
the potential of changing technologies to
better serve the goals of their stakeholders.
from the government sector. The government
sample is senior, with 50% at C-level or above
In addition, The Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU) conducted three in-depth interviews with
About the research

2.
2
The challenge of speed: Government in Europe
Not enough money and too much to do
In a climate of lingering austerity, governments are being asked to do more with less. Public spending
cuts have come at a time when high unemployment and ageing populations are boosting the need
for services. This combination has led many European governments to invest in online services as a
substitute for expensive personal interactions.
For instance, the Danish capital, Copenhagen, has estimated that face-to-face interaction costs on
Heath, spokesperson for Neelie Kroes, the vice-president of the European Commission responsible for
Europe’s Digital Agenda.
expected to come from the more effective use of information and communications technologies (ICT).
In Spain, three out of four administrative procedures are now initiated online. This cuts red tape and
delivery online can be found in the UK and the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, constituents are demanding easier ways to interact with government. Citizens have little
patience for multi-layered, paper-dependent bureaucracies when they have become accustomed to
dealing with their friends, families and private-sector entities using computers or mobile devices.
In the government sector, fewer executives feel under intense pressure to change: How much
pressure do you personally feel to adapt to rapid changes in your organisation?
(%)
GovernmentAll sectors
2
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Extreme pressureSignificant pressureModerate pressureLimited pressureNo pressure
5
19
25
41
43
35
27
3
0

3.
The challenge of speed: Government in Europe
“There is a huge demand for e-services from the side of the citizens,” says Mehis Sihvart, director of the
agency to agency,” adds Mr Heath. The private sector may have led the way, but public expectations
have only risen as a result.
processes to use them effectively can foster innovation elsewhere. “Government itself creates new
business opportunities when it allows the reuse of its data by third parties in order to provide better,
more personalised and value-added online services,” according to Mr Heath.
This can deliver new applications, more open government and enable tailored private-sector products
and services, he says. “Plus, if you make these online services available across borders, we strengthen
the digital single market by removing electronic barriers in key areas of business and citizen mobility.”
reducing costs, thanks to a combination of data integration and automation.
One example is Estonia, a recognised leader in e-government, which is beginning to deliver public
services automatically.
“The big change in the last year or so has been that our citizens are demanding automated processes,”
This shift has been made possible by the fact that data interoperability is mandated by law. “It is
written into the law that if a citizen or entrepreneur has entered some kind of data once, in any state
database, the state has no right to ask for the same information twice,” says Mr Sihvart. “The data has
to come from where the information was already entered.”
This mandate means that data integration is a fundamental principle of public service in Estonia. “All
through a legally mandated data-exchange layer. This interoperability has enabled us to provide about
2,500 e-services.”
Similar legislation has been passed in the Netherlands, where “it is illegal for any public body to ask
twice for information or data that it already holds,” according to Mr Heath. “So it is the data that
circulates, not the citizen from agency to agency, or form to form.”

4.
The challenge of speed: Government in Europe
Small steps towards a big change
Despite these pioneering examples, many governments have been slow to adapt. Worse yet, many
seem to think that the change is behind them.
Over half (55%) of European government managers polled in the survey expect little or no disruption
in their sector in the next three years. This is despite the fact that the clear majority of respondents
operate in the last three years—and that digital advancement shows no signs of slowing down.
Moreover, the challenge for e-government is only set to rise in the coming years. Within the EU, the
Some member states have even greater ambitions.
Yih-Jeou Wang, head of international co-operation at Denmark’s Agency for Digitisation, explains:
Denmark, progressing to use a digital channel for at least 80% of all written communications between
e-government action plan.”
Most government executives expect tech-led disruption to slow down over the next three years:
To what extend has the government sector been exposed to tech-led disruption over the last
three years. What do you expect over the next three?
(%)
Next 3 yearsLast 3 years
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit.
ExtremeSignificantModerateSlightNot at all
9
27
46 45
32
23
9
4 4

5.
5
The challenge of speed: Government in Europe
As e-government becomes the norm, disruptions are not limited to
government workers but also affect the lives of those citizens who have
trouble adapting to a more digital world. The proliferation of available
channels makes connecting with the public crucial. At the same time as
opening online paths, governments still need to reach the whole population,
making their public communications a key risk factor.
an area of concern. Ensuring that all citizens know how to engage with
their governments is vital if IT-enabled advances are to deliver real value.
The real challenge in pursuing these goals is adapting the organisation to
Danish public sector’s ability to change.
and effective.” This is a challenge, but leading organisations are already
embracing it.
services. In fact, we see the smart use of ICT as a way of empowering our citizens in the sense that they
are experiencing more freedom in living their everyday lives.”
As the author William Gibson once joked: “The future is already here—it’s just unevenly distributed.”
There are initiatives moving ahead, but too many European governments still lag behind. The way
forward isn’t simple, but there are concrete lessons available to those aiming to improve. In the private
sector this means customer centricity, but for the government it really is a focus on making the lives of
its citizens easier. Getting your internal processes right should ensure ease and simplicity for the end
user. The motivation to do so can take legislative mandates, but it shouldn’t have to.
public services. In fact, we see the smart use of ICT as a way of empowering our citizens in the sense
that they are experiencing more freedom in living their everyday lives.”
In which of the following functional areas does
changing at speed, without full consideration
of all elements, present the most risk to your
business operations?
(%)
GovernmentOverall average
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit.
MarketingIT
43
45
29
45

6.
The challenge of speed: Government in Europe
About the sponsor
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can help organisations worldwide to optimise
business document processes. Offerings
include managed document services,
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www.ricoh-europe.com
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