Engaging with technology would allow the government to channel its resources to focus on other substantial work.
igital technologies (e.g., Internet of Things, cloud computing, blockchain and artificial intelligence) have undeniably triggered radical organizational changes, otherwise known as the digital transformation. The pervasiveness of these technologies, supported by the benefits they entail (e.g., boosting business efficiency), has been an essential impetus to the digital transformation among businesses.
Although many parts of the private sector have embarked on their journey of digital transformation, the public sector has been reported as lagging somewhat behind the immense wave of digital transformation. This fact is somewhat perversely counterintuitive since the government is the actor behind successful digital enterprises transformation through its extensive support and encouragement, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The timing is right for the government to undertake a digital government transformation. The drastic changes in the business sector operation stemming from digital transformation necessitate the government to undertake the same transformation to keep assisting the business sector, as they may require different levels of support. However, such support can only be provided if the government has set digital transformation into motion, placing both parties in the same technological spectrum.
Furthermore, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development notes that governments worldwide have been confronted with decreasing levels of public trust. Embracing digital government transformation might be a viable alternative approach to regaining public trust and meeting increasing public demand, including improving transparency, accessibility, accountability, responsiveness and enacting citizen-centric approaches.
Digital technologies promise utilitarian benefits, not only for the government but also for the public. For instance, blockchain technology might be used to promote efficiency, transparency, avoid fraud, and reduce human error in the field of public budgeting. Furthermore, in land administration, blockchains may also be used for the registration of property certificates. The use of blockchains may reduce disputes related to property ownership as the blockchain enables authentication of the rightful property owners of a given property. The same logic can be extended to other ownerships, including patents and vehicles.
On the other hand, the government could harness artificial intelligence to respond to basic public queries using virtual assistants that are available 24/7. Some corporations (e.g. Amazon and Google) have successfully adopted this technology to improve their customer satisfaction and reduce their operating costs.
Engaging with this technology would allow the government to channel its resources to focus on other substantial work. The government could also resort to cloud computing for web hosting instead of buying their own data centers, which could result in cost efficiencies. The adoption of cloud computing might also streamline government operations by automating some of their procedures.
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