The strategy “For sustainable digital transformation in Sweden” was presented on 18 May.
The Government’s strategy is good in many ways but could do with a bit of retuning. It fails to establish that the potential for innovation lies in open data, not in some kind of closed data. It should also state even more clearly, plainly and loudly that development, at least within the public sector, must be needs-driven. On the other hand, that applies not only to digitalisation but to all kinds of development.
Before reading it properly, I thought I would list what I consider most important in the coming years. It is not meant to replace the strategy’s points; it is what I myself think is important and often overlooked.
If you are going to criticise other people’s work, perhaps you should be prepared to take a bit of a risk yourself too:)
Overarching principle:
Digitalisation is a tool, not a goal.
1. Development should be based on the effects you want to achieve and the needs of target groups
2. Information once only
3. From administrative organisation to service organisation
4. Greater openness, transparency and insight
5. Everyone should be able, willing and have the opportunity to act in the digital arena
I realise I have not included infrastructure such as broadband here. It probably ought to be included, but I find it hard to muster much enthusiasm for an area that has received such an enormous amount of money over the past 15-20 years while the rest of digitalisation has received mere crumbs.
The Government’s strategy
The vision states:
“To promote innovation, it is important to have opportunities for further development, testing, validation, dissemination and scaling up.”
and here I really miss the point that development and innovation should be needs-driven. That ought to be a central part of a vision, at least for the part that the public sector is responsible for.
I realise that my list largely concerns the public sector, whereas the Government’s strategy covers the whole of society. A point to the Government.
My goal 5, about the opportunity to act in the digital arena, covers both the Skills area and the Security area in the Government’s strategy. They are closely linked to each other.
The Government notes that it is when digitalisation leads to use that the benefits arise (p. 11), and that is very important. Here too, they miss the chance to point out that needs-driven development increases the chances that development leads to use.
Digital skills
Here there is a lot of talk about abilities and skills, and in doing so they miss the important point that it is the will that drives things. Those who want to can acquire abilities and skills; those who do not want to will not. This means resources need to be invested in changing attitudes and approaches to digitalisation and digital tools.
Universally designed services are put forward as a component here. They should exist, but at least as important, if not more so, is creating opportunities to build complementary niche services for specific target groups with particular needs or interests. This can be done through open data or open interfaces with two-way communication. There is a risk that a service that is universal will in practice not be usable for anyone. Start from which effects are to be achieved, which target groups are affected and what needs they have. In other words, work in a needs-driven way – that is my hot tip.
Digital security
Here too, the will to use digital services is an important foundation for security. They depend on each other, but security in itself does not make people want to use digital tools. There should be more focus on the will here. It is a cultural journey the whole of society needs to embark on.
High security requirements are brought into focus, which is good. The creation of a national IT accident investigation board in connection with the launch of the strategy would have been welcome. Let us hope it is included in the forthcoming strategy focusing on security.
Digital innovation
Access to open data is an important prerequisite for innovation based on public data. Unfortunately, the strategy fails to establish that open data is the way forward. It talks about access to information, but that can be tied to fees and restrictive licence terms. Much of the innovation happens in small companies, and they rarely have the means or the interest to pay for information, so open data (which is free of charge by definition) is a necessary prerequisite. Many business models are also based on disseminating data, and that is rarely compatible with the licence terms that come with fee-based data. Without open data, then, innovation is limited to a large extent. That is counterproductive and a shame.
Digital leadership
The most important aspect of digital leadership is that the attitudes and approaches of many people need to change. The view of digitalisation needs to change; it is a cultural journey everyone needs to come along on. Here the Government can and should take an active role and do so explicitly.
“The sub-goal of digital leadership means that organisations become more efficient, develop and achieve higher quality through governance, measurement and follow-up.”
Is it really more governance, measurement and follow-up we need? I believe more in encouragement and a focus on the right effects, target groups and needs. It is hard to measure the right things, and it costs a lot of time, money and resources. Jonas Söderström often raises this issue, and there is plenty to read at javlaskitsystem.se.
“The Government wishes to emphasise that it is important for the work to focus on how the opportunities of digitalisation can be seized and the risks minimised, not only on how digitalisation as such can be promoted.”
One of the biggest obstacles to positive development of the public sector is the unwillingness to fail. It means that risks are not taken, and without risks there is no development. Something the strategy needs to encourage is a willingness to take risks in order to achieve well-defined effects. Here measurability and analysis are important aspects, so that we can learn as much as possible from the experiments.
It is good and important that legal obstacles are being looked at. I hope the will and the means to remedy what is identified also exist. That is where the big challenge lies…
Under this heading they do at least note that it is important to put the user at the centre. Important and good, but it should be stated more clearly and more forcefully.
Digital infrastructure
Good that they really address the soft infrastructure, collaboration and interoperability here. Important areas that will become even more important in the coming years.
My points
Many of my points are addressed in the strategy, but more of them should be expressed more clearly and given greater weight. This is most evident when it comes to open data, where they really beat about the bush regarding openness.