Digital Government podcast (e-Governance Academy)

Every digital transformation journey needs a good place to start from. What’s the first step? Understanding where you stand, what are your valuable assets, how to move forward from there, and what to focus on first.

The Digital Readiness Review does just that. For a long, e-Governance Academy has been offering this analysis to both governments and businesses – to pinpoint strengths, and weaker spots to work on.

With Marit Lani, Programme Director of Smart Governance, we take a look at how both public and private sector organizations can benefit from it and become more digital. Tune in!

In today's episode, IT-visionary Linnar Viik talks about the post-pandemic trends of teaching and learning at schools, and shares with us the findings from the survey he conducted among teachers and parents in Estonia. Listen to the discussion and find out how did the schools in various countries react to the lockdowns and how did the experiences that we gained from lockdowns change the expectations towards teaching and learning at schools. 

Is there something useful that could be implemented in schools in the future or even right away? Tune in!

Can a digital society exist sustainably without e-citizens? Who are the e-citizens - the user the e-services or something more? This is a topic we will discuss today with e-democracy expert Kristina Reinsalu. 

In this episode, she introduces us to the e-citizen concept and to the digital nudging in society that supports the citizens' use of digital tools and better engagement in decision-making processes. You can explore examples from Island and Estonia with us. 

Moreover, you will get more insights into the digital divide that digitalization can create, and how Estonia has decreased it. And finally, we address the governments and civil society organizations, while asking where to begin to have active e-citizens in a society. The podcast is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Tune in!

This week, the world looks quite different from what it used to. We’re here to talk about a tragedy taking shape just before our eyes – the war in Ukraine. Oleh Burba is not a war correspondent, but a Component Leader in our EU4DigitalUA team in Kyiv, Ukraine.
With him, we look at how safety suddenly had to become the priority, and how the e-Governance Academy team there is dealing with the quickly escalating conflict.
The episode is hosted by Kristina Mänd.

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Something might have caught many observers by surprise in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. After a solid history of cyber threats that could be linked back to the Federation’s territory, cyber warfare seems to not be playing a major role in the attackers’ plans this time.  It hasn’t been the same in the past, and no one guarantees the current situation can’t change in a matter of weeks, or even days. Perhaps particularly when, on the ground, the Russian army appears to not proceed at the pace initially envisioned by the architects of the invasion.

Does that mean we can overlook the cyber side of the conflict? Absolutely not, Merle Maigre, Senior Cybersecurity Expert at e-Governance Academy and former top NATO diplomat in this field, warns in our conversation. 

Let’s look at what is happening in Ukraine now and how to be better prepared at all levels – personal, organizational, national – to protect our systems and data in the face of a cyberattack.  

The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Tune in!

Yurii Kopytin, Cybersecurity Component Leader of EU4DigitalUA project and general architect of Ukrainian data exchange platform the Trembita system, works now 18 hours per day by safeguarding the Ukrainian digital government, keeping the Trembita system functional and fighting with cyber attacks and fake news together with the government authorities of Ukraine. 

Even the workload and conditions are very hard the digital transformation in Ukraine is not stopped during the war. Slowly but still some developments take place according to the project plan. Listen to the episode with him to find out how is the situation there and what developments are still ongoing despite the war!

Slava Ukraini!

In today's podcast, Hannes Astok, a member of the e-Governance Academy Board, sheds light on the two main keywords that should describe the future goals of digital transformation for every government organisation - resilience and seamlessness.  Tune in to the episode to find out why these features are critical for any digital government!

Interested in more? Join the e-Governance Conference on 10 - 12 May to get the best insights into and lessons learnt about the digital ecosystems that cope with crises and create seamless digital services to help citizens cope with them.

Today's episode features Giovanni Allegretti, senior researcher and coordinator of the PhD programme “Democracy in the 21st century” at the University of Coimbra (Portugal). He has worked for over 20 years on citizen participation in budgeting and territorial management. Based on his abounding experiences, he casts light on how crowdsourcing, matched with technology, can enhance and amplify people’s voices in the halls of policy design.
The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.
Tune in!

Interested in more? Join Giovanny Allegretti at the e-Governance Conference in the discussion on ‘Next step: “Will People Make Policy Digitally?’.
Register now at https://2022.egovconference.ee/

In today's episode, we continue to introduce the speakers of the upcoming e-Governance Conference on 10 - 12 May.  Vitaly Friedman is an author and UX designer who is right now involved in the navigation improvement of European Parliament websites - there are altogether 150 webpages. In this episode, we explore how design and clear principles can help public authorities ease citizens’ journey through the vast and deep sea of public data and information.
Tune in!

Interested in more? Join Vitaly Friedman at the e-Governance Conference to learn more about designing government webpages and other complex systems! Register now at https://2022.egovconference.ee/

Less than a month to go to the 2022 e-Governance Conference. To mark this countdown milestone, we called back a known voice of the Digital Government Podcast and the Conference, introducing the ever-more-pressing theme of digital sovereignty. 

Taking the floor is Paul Timmers, a scholar at various European universities and former director at the European Commission for e‑government, health and ageing, future cities, and many more things digital. 

With increased digitalization, governments are met with new and changing sets of challenges – over trust, service delivery, and cybersecurity. Here is a sneak peek into what his keynote and the panel discussion he will moderate will sound like, with a great conversation on current and fundamental issues urging decision-makers to keep sovereignty in focus for the information age.

Interested in more? Join the e-Governance Conference on 10 - 12 May to listen to the keynote of Paul Timmers and panel discussion ' Next step: Digital Sovereignty – How Is it Possible?' featuring Michel Paulin, CEO of OVHcloud and Lisa Talia Moretti, Digital Sociologist at the Ministry of Justice of the United Kingdom. 

Siim Sikkut barely needs any introduction. 17 years in the civil service, of which five as Chief Information Officer of the Government of Estonia. Throughout this time, many of our readers and listeners have had the chance to meet him, or hear from his team about what a constant process of digital transformation looks like.

At the upcoming e-Governance Conference in May, he will be among the changemakers to tell us what it takes to be effective digital leaders – based on his own and others’ experiences. Sikkut, in fact, has also spoken to 20 colleagues in leading digital government strategies and collected findings and reflections in a not-to-miss, upcoming book.

In the build-up to the e-Governance Conference, we caught up with him to give you an introduction to what is set to be one of the most interesting sessions on Day 2. In the episode, he shares also his two lessons for digital leaders. Tune in!
 
The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera. 

Interested in more? Join the e-Governance Conference on 10 – 12 May to listen to the keynote of Siim Sikkut and panel discussion ‘ Digital Government Excellence: Lessons from Effective Digital Leaders’ featuring  Barry Lowry, Chief Information Officer for the Irish Government, and Siim Sikkut.

The wait could not have been faster. Just one week to go to the e-Governance Conference 2022, to discuss resilient and seamless governance with high-level government representatives, experts, and academics. So let us do the honours with an introduction, and a look forward, from Estonia.

Luukas Kristjan Ilves, freshly appointed Chief Information Officer of the Government of Estonia, features in this last episode of the podcast building up to the conference. What’s next in Estonia in terms of public service delivery? Tune in!

Interested in more? Register now and join us online at https://2022.egovconference.ee/!

In today's episode, we take a  look at how does effective digital transformation look from above? From the perspective of those who need to inspire, guide, and organize teams so that plans become policies, and then action. We are talking about Government CIOs, a role whose specifics we explored already in an episode with Siim Sikkut on 27 April.

Let’s take now a look at five lessons learnt through the lens of Barry Lowry, Chief Information Officer of the Irish Government, and Chief Adviser to the government on all things digital.

One by one, we present the main takeaways from his experience, in a wide-ranging conversation from user journey design to tech, regulation, and the meaning of innovation.

The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.
Tune in!

In the Horn of Africa there is yet another blue pin on the world map of interoperability supported by X-Road technology. The Government of Djibouti via ANSIE has recently completed the implementation of the data exchange platform, marking another step toward more efficient and effective public service delivery.

On e-Governance Academy’s side, Programme Director of Technology Heiko Vainsalu has managed and dealt hands-on with the project. In this episode of the podcast, we outline some insights into how the Djiboutian government did it, relevant points of strength, and recommendations to move forward. Sounds interesting? Tune in!

In the Western Balkans, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and governments are on a quest to increase civic engagement in the digital agenda. Take all the initials of this task, ICEDA, and you have the ongoing project that e-Governance Academy is currently involved in within the region.

Recently, stakeholders took the chance to visit Tallinn for a study visit. We caught up with two representatives from both sides, government and CSOs, to talk about the state of digitalization in the five subject countries: North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania.

Hear it from Snežana Nikčević, National Project Coordinator for NGO 35mm from Montenegro, and Admirim Aliti, Minister of Information Society and Administration from North Macedonia, in this episode. Tune in! 

In today's episode, we invite you to explore the United Kingdom's government approach to designing public digital services for citizens with Lisa Talia Moretti. How do they design services that actually work for all – with their diverse needs, vulnerabilities, and behaviours in society? 

Tune in to find out! 

Let’s face it – we are more used to talk about the results achieved through digital transformation, its success stories and business cases, rather than drawbacks or failures. Despite, in any case, a growing trend of re-humanizing digitalization processes, with private change-makers and CIOs increasingly talking about drawbacks and lessons learnt too.

But some needs still might fall between the cracks of a bright narrative. That is why, both through our activities and at this year’s e-Governance Conference, we introduced the topic of digital vulnerability. Kristina Mänd, Senior Expert on e-Democracy at eGA, delves deeper into the theme in this podcast episode. According to her addressing digital vulnerabilities could be considered as a measure of government effectiveness and performance in delivering public services.  The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.
Tune in!

The Western Balkan Digital Security Forum took place in Tallinn and online on June 15, 2022, bringing together leaders and experts in cybersecurity to discuss developments and challenges on the topic in the region. Merle Maigre, e-Governance Academy’s own Senior Expert on Cybersecurity, joins us in this episode to explore some of the takeaways from the high-level meeting, and how to support six Balkan countries in building strategic cybersecurity capacity.
Tune in!

Learn more about the Western Balkan Digital Security Forum here.

Our interviews with Chief Information Officers continue, and after Siim Sikkut (former CIO of Estonia) and Barry Lowry (CIO of Ireland), we are excited to feature Yolanda Martinez on this podcast episode. Martinez held the national CIO and Digital Strategy Coordination posts in Mexico for six years – five for the first, one for the latter. During that time, the Mexican public administration achieved terrific results, to name (really just) a few, exponentially increasing availability and access to the Internet, and reshaping the digital provision and use of public services.

Today, she is Overall Lead for the GovStack initiative at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Let’s see how approaching public sector innovation through building blocks can help governments accelerate digital transformation. Tune in!

In Borneo Island, Malaysia, the largest of the 13 states making up the country has an ambitious plan – to turn the region into a digital economy powerhouse of the area. Through the works of the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) as its implementing agency, the government in the region is driving initiative to give the state a digital economy and society. During his last visit to Tallinn, we caught up with the Chairmen of the SDEC, Mohamad Morsidi, to hear about the premises and priorities of this transformative journey, and what inspires them in Estonia's digital journey. Turn in!

We could never say it enough – digital identity is a must-have to make societies more digital. It has been around for some time already, so it is natural that types and approaches to its development vary, between contexts and country specificities.

To explore these, Mark Erlich is the speaker of choice for a mini-series of podcast episodes on digital identity. He is the Senior Expert on Digital Identity at e-Governance Academy. And with his 15-some years’ experience on the matter at Estonia’s Information System Authority, we take a deep dive into typologies and use cases of digital identity, and lessons learned from Estonia’s, – one of the most digital countries – own journey. Tune in!

Digital citizens in a digital Europe? We are not quite there yet, but significant steps forward have been made in recent years with eIDAS. And progress doesn’t stop at the borders of political Europe, as a bilateral agreement between the Union and Ukraine is set to enhance the mutual recognition of trust services.

We hear all the latest from Mark Erlich, eGA’s Senior Expert on Digital Identity, and Business Architect at the Electronic Identity Department of the Information System Authority of Estonia. Government-issued digital identity can work across borders – let’s see how, and where we stand today. Tune in!

It was just June that we were talking about improving cybersecurity capacity in the Western Balkans area. And a few months later, between August and September, the countries of Albania and Montenegro respectively suffered disruptive cyber attacks.

Merle Maigre, Programme Director on Cybersecurity at eGA, joins us again to take stock of the situation. Together with Klaid Mägi, Cybersecurity Strategist at Estonian company RaulWalter, we explore the importance of investigating the attribution and consequences of such attacks, and what to do to increase preparedness and resilience. Tune in!
The episode is hosted by Federico Plantera.

Based on essentially all wiki facts and general information, Brazil and Estonia could not be more different. Geographically, culturally, and socially. And still, as we luckily very often saw happen in the past years, these too have a joint meeting point – digital transformation.

Interest in Estonia’s digital journey remains constant among policy and changemakers from the Latin American country, while Brazil’s own digital development probably picks up pace probably more than ever before. Raphael Fassoni, Co-Founder and CEO of Estônia Hub, gives us insight into the state of digitalization in Brazil and why Estonia remains a reference point across the ocean. Tune in!

Digital skills are essential for the development of a full-fledged digital society. We can – and should – expect both companies and governments to develop their services in the most user-friendly way, to actually serve customers and citizens. But how to empower people further, and give them the tools to navigate effectively the information age?

Kristi Kivilo, in-house Senior Expert on Smart Governance, joins today’s episode of the Digital Government Podcast to talk the skills people need in a digital society, and how to get everyone on board with online services. Tune in!

Another year has passed. Another year in which e-Governance Academy has been involved in digital transformation projects worldwide. Most might have expected calmer waters after exiting the emergency situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, with 2022 came a number of events that saw our experts at the centre of the international scene.

Executive Director Hannes Astok joins us to paint a picture of what year 2022 has been for our centre of excellence, and what topics defined it in the digital sphere. Tune in!

That’s right. e-Governance Academy is turning 20 years old this year! Two decades of digital transformation; of understanding societies through the lens of technology; of advising governments worldwide on how to reap the benefits of digital development.

And who better than Hannes Astok, Executive Director at eGA, to draw a bit of a retrospective. In this episode, we take a look back, between personal memories and organizational milestones, to what has been a two-decade journey into the future of our digital societies. Tune in!

Making national cyberspace more secure does not pertain only to protecting it from cyber-attacks. It is a day-to-day job, a commitment to small best practices too that do make a difference – and help prevent disruptions in our work activities, and the functioning of the public sector.

Epp Maaten, Team Lead on Cybersecurity, joins us from Chișinău, Moldova, to explore how e-Governance Academy assisted Tonga in its digital recovery from a natural disaster and the place of cybersecurity within that unique context. 
Tune in!

It may sound like a paradox, but there is much, much more to it. In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we return to the Asian islands – southeast in the continent – to address public service development in Timor-Leste.

Piret Saartee, a Senior Expert on Smart Governance, was part of the team that drew up our study on the path to creating effective service centres in the country. With her, we dig into why limited network reach shouldn’t hold back e-governance projects, and how Timor-Leste aims to give its citizens one-stop shops to access services. Tune in!

Sweden is perhaps one of those countries that, in international rankings on government and digitalization, you sort of expect to do well – and indeed, so they do. Estonia figures among them as well, and we regularly see the interest this draws in understanding how development takes place, where, what’s next.

To take us there, and discover lessons learned, today we invite Johan Magnusson – professor, author, and Director of the Swedish Center for Digital Innovation (SCDI) in Gothenburg. Tune in!

How long do 20 years of cybersecurity actually feel? Quite intense and intensive, for sure. It’s unlikely that anyone thought that with the internet and ICTs would come no risks, no maliciousness, no actors aiming to exploit vulnerabilities of digital systems. 

Two of e-Governance Academy’s own cybersecurity experts are here to remind us how far we’ve come. With them, we recap events and lessons learned on safeguarding digital spaces from two decades of activity. But also, how future strategies and actions should strike the right balance between protection and freedom. Tune in!

The last time we started with a question “Is i-voting here to stay?”; this one around, we move on from a strong statement. One week ago, national elections were held in Estonia, and more than a few important records have been set. Among these, the highest ever overall turnout, and the highest ever amount of people casting their ballots through the national i-voting system.

In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we welcome back Priit Vinkel, Senior Expert on Smart Governance. He worked 15 years in electoral management, of which six as the Head of the Estonian State Electoral Office. On the ins and outs of achieving such a key milestone, and more takeaways from a pivotal record in electoral history.

Digital development has gone fast in the past two decades. Largely on its own momentum, as tools and their applications come to impact both more deeply and extensively different spheres of life. Also, due to unprecedented events and circumstances – see, the pandemic – that sped up digital adoption. 

The question is, what fell in the cracks of such transformation? Who, if at all, has been left behind?

Two of e-Governance Academy’s top e-democracy experts come together in this podcast episode – Kristina Mänd, Senior Expert on hosting duties, and Kristina Reinsalu, Programme Director. Twenty years of digital engagement and participation deepened ties between governments and citizens, but not without challenges and new, digital social risks to address.

This podcast is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the e‑Governance Academy, to sum up the most influential digital developments in the last two decades and shed light on how it shapes the digital transformation topics and priorities in the near future.

 There will also be an e-Democracy session at the upcoming 2023 e-Governance Conference entitled "Nothing for us without us: Empowering the digitally vulnerable". 

“The more digital and connected we are, the more societies are exposed to new types of vulnerability,” Reinsalu points out. Tackling digital vulnerability means preventing people from falling into the cracks of the new, digital social risks stemming from accelerated development.

Something that only effective engagement can support. “Because engagement makes us bigger, as a nation, culture, society.” The point of engagement, “is not to find a solution that makes everyone happy, but to take decisions that solve particular problems the best way,” Mänd concludes. “And it’s not just the result that you can be happy with, but the process too, how we get there.”

Preparations for the 9th e-Governance Conference are well under way, for what has come to be one of the highest level e-governance events globally. In the past few years, we addressed ever-so-salient topics such as resilience and crisis management, with the pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine inevitably driving the agenda.

In the 2023 edition we look at what are the sustainable and distributed societal returns that come from technological development. “Digital Innovation as Catalyst for Social Change” is the umbrella for this year’s programme, and Senior Expert on e-Democracy Kristina Mänd joins us today for the appetizer, a preview of what to expect from the conference on May 30-31 in Tallinn and online.

‘Present calls the future’ – a conference about social change

This year’s e-Governance Conference features stories of digital transformation from all corners of the globe – from Costa Rica to Georgia, from Ukraine to Tonga. But the overarching scope lies on the long run, on how technology can serve lasting, viable social change. 

“Because social change can be defined by human interactions and the relationships that transform our cultural and social innovations, and the impact they need to have,” Mänd explains.

In the past few years, digital development happened very quickly, so to say. “Now we are wondering what we can do in the field of healthcare, now in artificial intelligence implementation, now on improving this or that particular service. But the social change view needs to come along with that, to make sure that with those digital innovations we are not harming societies, the way they function, and the system of human interactions between people, and with the state.”

Find out more on the official website of the 2023 e-Governance Conference. And whether in person or online, join us to build better and inclusive digital societies, together.

Costa Rica is all but new on the world map of countries that took digital transformation as a priority. Over there, in Central America, this relatively small nation started investing in digital-related development and education already more than 20 years ago. Almost similarly to Estonia – and as similarly, they have come to create a crisis-proof digital society.

Jorge Mora Flores, now expert consultant and account manager in cybersecurity, is the former Director of Digital Governance in Costa Rica. In a podcast episode bridging across the ocean, he raises the curtains over the digital path of the country, and how resilience remains in focus after two decades of development.

Not to miss at the 2023 e-Governance Conference: “Crisis-proofing the digital society”, May 31. Hosted by Merle Maigre, eGA’s Programme Director on Cybersecurity, Flores will join Ministry of Defence from Montenegro Denisa Kurtagic to discuss preparedness and response in the face of cyber crises.

A review of technological change in the past 20 years, applications and narratives, sweet birthday wishes. We have it all in this week’s episode of the Digital Government Podcast, where we head to distinguished technology experts of e-Governance Academy (eGA) for another expert chat dedicated to eGA’s 20 years anniversary.

Programme Director Heiko Vainsalu meets Mark Erlich, Senior Expert on eID. From popularizing tech talk in government and society, to novelties and black boxes to unpack, the two experts take us through two decades of digital transformation. To see what’s changed in digital development worldwide and, always clearly put, what’s not. Coming up next?

20 years of technological change and transformation

For how surprising it may seem to the least aware, technologists as well have a life beyond development projects and digital solutions. “20 years ago I was completing my university studies, I wasn’t that aware of e-governance. To me, it meant public services for taxes and banking, simply because those were my two point of contacts with the topic back then,” Erlich admits.

And while we heard from eGA cyber and e-democracy experts in previous episodes what these two decades of change entailed, what about the technology domain?

“The core is pretty much the same as 20 years ago. What happened is a crucial shift from niche to popularity. From niche products used just in some specific business areas, to technology getting out to the public. It was something only true techies knew about, people in general didn’t know about cryptography or anything else like that,” Erlich says. 

“Moving away from the core, a lot has happened in terms of technological application. We see many new technical solutions around us that are part of our daily life. All kinds of smart gadgets, from smartphones to household appliances. That has evolved indeed, and we are benefitting from such development not just from the development side, but also simply as common people.”

Nothing about us, without us. From foundational principle of representative democracy, to inclusive approach to service design. The journey of this quote is long and spans across centuries, but gains renewed relevance today – when digitalization is ubiquitous, and public services must be designed for all, not just the ‘most’.

Margus J. Klaar is a strategist, service designer, and founding partner of agency Brand Manual. Services that are accessible to the most vulnerable, improve usability for everyone else too. So where do we stand on the way towards that, and how much do we really listen to people’s particular needs?

More on this at the e-Governance Conference on 30 May. A wonderful preview, instead, in this episode of the Digital Government Podcast.

Who are we designing for?

At its very core, and applied to digital service development, the Latin maxim that inspires this session has a straightforward meaning: good design takes into consideration who you are designing for. So let’s imagine, with a practical example, that we are going to design a chair for our mother.

“Once you prototype a chair that does not fall apart, then you’ll ask your mother to sit on it and ask her if she likes it or not. You will take her comments and go back to the workshop, a little angry that you didn’t get it right the first time, and you are going to make version two. Then version three, four, five, until your mother says it’s perfect,” Klaar begins with.

“It is then, that you will have designed something, for someone who can use it the way they want to use it.” Maybe with some specific add-ons your mother might have asked for. But ultimately, that is the whole idea of inclusive design. “In service design, that means expanding the scope to target groups you are designing for, and involve them actively in the process of creating that solution,” Klaar says.

Consider the minority, and make better services for everyone

This does not mean that, so far, all service design has purposedly discarded the opinions of the most digitally vulnerablein society. But the tendency to focus on the better able mass, so to say, has definitely been there for long. 

“It’s actually quite common, in terms of user groups, to design for the mass of people who are going to use a certain service. But when you add vulnerabilities related to variables such as age, degrees of disability of different kinds, these so-called extreme cases tend to fall out of the majority group of consumers – and therefore they are not considered as important as that majority of reference, which is there by default,” Klaar points out.

But there is a paradox here. “People who have specific problems or issues in using a product, however, do have definite opinions about it. Using the insight of these very specific and narrow user groups to fix the service in general, as a consequence, will make a service more usable  for everyone else too.”

Through another example, let’s take how cityscapes have become more accessible, once vulnerabilities were taken into account. “When we started focusing on the most vulnerable, such as someone bound to a wheelchair, and made cities completely accessible to that person, then suddenly the city is accessible also to other sensitive groups to this issue. The elderly, little kids, people who walk without paying attention to the sidewalk.”

“If you make something vulnerability-proof, then that product or service is automatically going to be easier to use than before for everyone else too. But in order to do that, you need to involve and take into account in the process those vulnerable groups,” Klaar explains.

We are well over one year into Russia’s ongoing threat to Ukrainian state sovereignty. And from terrain to the digital sphere, it is now more evident than ever before that the aggression has been total. If, in the beginning, the war seemed to take on a more traditional, kinetic shape, cyberattacks have intensified with the passing of the months – and with the staunch resistance of Ukraine’s forces.

This postulates the key takeaway, for international observers and governments alike, that modern warfare features a digital dimension. And who better than e-Governance Academy’s Programme Director of Cybersecurity, Merle Maigre, to take stock of how things have changed for states’ cyber defence and what lessons they carry for governments worldwide. Tune in!

Not just talks and panels, at the upcoming 2023 e-Governance Conference. As always, we didn’t forget about the practical side of things – workshops. One of them will focus on the design of public e-services. Designing and re-imagining public services takes effort and knowledge, but it becomes less intimidating when expert show how much common sense actually goes into it.

Piret Saartee, Senior Expert on Smart Governance at eGA, joins us for today’s episode of the Digital Government Podcast, and is here to help. What makes for a good e-service? An introduction to the e-Governance Conference workshop, and things to know on the path to making citizens’ life easier in a digital society. Tune in! 

Interested in re-design public services effectively? Join Piret Saartee and Kristi Kivilo in the workshop“Digital services - constantly developing and improving” at the e-Governance Conference on 31 May at 11:00 – 12:30! Register now at https://2023.egovconference.ee/

The ongoing conversation and development around artificial intelligence are bringing data policy back into the spotlight, as we will explore in a dedicated session at the e-Governance Conference 2023. Perhaps it’s also a signal, an indicator of how much work and care is needed before AI starts convincingly scaling to the public sector.

Because while it is true that technological advancement can unlock new levels of digital governance, the great reliance of AI models on enormous amounts of information refocuses the importance of data quality, management practices, ways and purposes of use.

For an introduction to data policy and artificial intelligence in government, we are joined by Paul Timmers, Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and Senior Advisor, and Heiko Vainsalu, Programme Director on Technology. Plans, expectations, democratic legitimacy – how disruptive is AI set to become, exactly, in and to public sectors worldwide?

Interested in rethinking frameworks for data policy? 

Join Paul Timmers, Heiko Vainsalu, Ott Velsberg – Government Chief Data Officer of Estonia, Claudia Oliveira – Programme Manager at EU Commission’s Department for Informatics (DG DIGIT), and Amos Mpungu – Principal ICT Officer, Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Uganda in the discussions “Data deluge – do we control data or it controls us?” at the e-Governance Conference on 31 May at 11:00 – 12:30. And whether in person or online, join us to build better and inclusive digital societies!

For the first time, the 2023 e-Governance Conference is set to feature an all-African panel showcasing case studies from the continent. Exactly: both moderator and speakers will present examples of inter-sector cooperation from Namibia, Uganda, and the West African region. Collaborative partnerships for digital policy implementation are core to their experience, and there we stand to learn from them.

The African Union – European Union (AU-EU) Digital for Development (D4D) Hub is giving the floor to e-governance practitioners from a large and diverse continent. Helena Lepp, Digitalization Expert at the AU-EU D4D Hub, and Koffi Fabrice Djossou, Senior Programme Manager at the Western African Development Bank, join us in this podcast episode for a preview of the session – a long-time coming one.

The upcoming book by e-Governance Academy, “Twenty Years of Building Digital Societies”, brings into focus the role that digitalization played in Estonia, in the countries eGA has collaborated with – and what such expertise adds to the digital development strategies of countries worldwide. 

Vision, sustainability, people, security. We take the long view here, in a publication absolutely not to miss, into both the past and the future of digital transformation. 

A peak into it is offered today by Peeter Vihma, author and social scientist at the University of Helsinki. Join us to hear how the book came about, and what makes it a must-have for your changemaker’s reading list.

The Tallinn Summer School of Cyber Diplomacy returns for its fourth edition, keeping up the pace with global developments in diplomacy and cybersecurity. But it’s not just about the mainstreaming of cyber diplomacy as a foreign policy topic, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In both war and peace times, it has become evident how international collaboration can set the world to create a safer and more secure cyberspace – from attributing cyber operations, to applying international law on the Internet too.

Tanel Sepp is the current Ambassador-at-Large for Cyber Diplomacy at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Counting on his latest role after a long career in Estonian diplomacy, we explore together in this podcast episode how the Summer School invites everyone to keep upholding a free, open, and secure cyberspace. Tune in!

The all-African panel that took place at the e-Governance Conference 2023 brought into the spotlight country cases of digital transformation from the continent. An enlightening sessions, where everyone attending – both online and offline – got a unique chance to hear, at a glance, the most salient developments in digital taking place in Uganda and Namibia, among others.

In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we host one of the speakers of that session – Dr. Amina Zawedde. As the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance of Uganda, we discuss the status of digital transformation in the country, priorities, and the next steps on their journey.

National guidance in focus throughout the digital journey

First interesting thing to notice, as our attentive audience might have already thought, lies in the name of the Ministry – “National Guidance”. It does reflect, however, what information technologies and digital transformation mean to the country’s government. More and beyond plans and digital services, “it is also about incorporating in these ventures the values we uphold as a country, and as citizens,” Dr. Zawedde begins with. 

“In some economies or ecosystems, you might notice that – with technology – people change too. You wonder where values or culture have gone. Instead, we want to make sure that we keep track, maintain, and preserve our culture,” Dr. Zawedde says. “In parallel with the natural mindset change that digitalization requires, we try to ensure that such national guidance is kept into consideration as we move forward.”    

Status of digital transformation in Uganda, at a glance

Digital transformation, as we know, does not take place overnight. It is a long process, one that Uganda has already embarked on, and with interesting results so far. “We have had good progress over the last years where we now have over 71% of Government mainstream agencies using one form of an e-service. This comes with the much-needed benefits in reducing time taken to access an e-service, costs that would otherwise been incurred in tedious paper based manual processes and also removed the hustle of having to physically move between Government offices,” Dr. Zawedde says.

“As a result, we have calculated that over 5 million working hours have been saved to date over the last 10 years, and the country has improved its positioning in international rankings on digital government development. Uganda’s ranking on the E-Government Development Index has improved by over 5%. As per the World Bank’s recent GovTech Maturity Index, Uganda’s has moved from Group B to Group A of GovTech leaders. This shows that we have improved across all the four core areas considered in the GovTech Maturity Index: government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and govtech enablers.” 

The most used e-services are eTax, ePassport, automated business registration e-services, and e-procurement. All core components, among others, of a full-fledged and functioning digital government.

Speaking today is Serign Modou Bah, Director of Telecommunications and Postal Services at the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy of The Gambia. In this episode, next to delving into the status of digital transformation in the country, Modou Bah discusses the importance of getting right needs and policy actions, and the role of international partnerships in advancing the country’s digital journey.

Status of digital transformation in The Gambia, at a glance

The Gambia, like many other countries, is in the process of embracing digitalization and leveraging technology to drive development. “We can distinguish three categories that define Gambia’s digital transformation journey: its evolution, the assessment of digital readiness maturity, and our work on e-government services,” Modou Bah begins with.

The Gambia's digital transformation journey began in 2005 with the goal of bringing telecommunication and internet connectivity to government offices. Over time, the country has made significant strides in digitizing processes, moving from analog to digital records. 

Words do matter in understanding where the country is at: “We are in between digitization and digitalization, speaking of stages. Not yet at what is commonly identified as a digital transformation status. But we do stand as an emerging and developing government on the topic, whereby we have done certain things in certain areas, and strive now to reach a more advanced and established stage in digital development,” Modou Bah says.

Developing e-government services, advancing in maturity

That is valid, particularly, when framing their journey in terms of digital readiness maturity. The government has demonstrated strong leadership, vision, and political will to support digital transformation. Policies such as the e-government strategy 2021-2024 and the ICT for development policy have been implemented to guide digital initiatives. Collaboration with the private sector, proliferation of services, and the use of digital solutions at the government level are also notable achievements. But even if change continues, milestones have already been reached in e-government services development. 

The government of The Gambia has introduced various e-government services to benefit citizens, businesses, and government employees. Notable examples include the single window business registration, which simplifies the business registration process and reduces bureaucracy. The recently launched e-procurement platform aims to streamline tender applications. Government websites provide citizens with access to information on policies, strategies, and laws. The transition from physical salary payments to electronic funds transfers and mobile money has improved efficiency for government employees. Additionally, The Gambia has implemented innovative solutions, such as mobile banking and digital wallets for social safety net projects, supporting disadvantaged individuals.

The milestones add up. By 2010, the country initiated an e-government program with a focus on infrastructure and digitalization. The establishment of an ICT unit within the government and the introduction of an e-government data center facilitated the development and hosting of various government systems and services. Connectivity milestones were also achieved through the connection to an international submarine cable. “That was definitely a game-changer, enabling private businesses and citizens to better utilize the Internet for communication and services,” Modou Bah says.

Despite the war, despite the devastation. We saw it last year already, through the eyes and voices of e-Governance Academy’s team in Ukraine – digital transformation never stopped in the country. If anything, it picked up pace. In fact, in many ways, digital tools helped Ukrainians work and access public services despite the ongoing Russian invasion.

And another milestone has been reached in April. Ukraine has become the first non-EU country to see digital signatures of its businesses and citizens recognized by the European Union. Oleksandr Kozlov, Senior Expert on e-ID at eGA’s team in Ukraine, joins this podcast episode to explain trust services, the significance of this achievement, and the implications for businesses and individuals in Ukraine and the EU.

Digitalization is rapidly transforming democratic processes. Ensuring digital security, as a consequence, has become paramount for safeguarding free and fair elections. Countries in the Western Balkans have recognized the critical role of cybersecurity in preserving the integrity of democratic systems, but at what cost? 

Repeated high-profile cyberattacks over the past year have underscored the urgency of adopting a well-structured approach to cybersecurity. The European Union (EU) has stepped in with its "Cybersecurity Rapid Response for Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia" project, implemented by the e-Governance Academy, to bolster cyber resilience in the region. 

At the Tallinn Digital Summit, stakeholders and representatives involved in the project explored challenges and pillars in making the Western Balkan cyberspace more secure. Moderated by Merle Maigre, Head of eGA’s Competence Centre on Cybersecurity, we hear from Dušan Polović, the Head of Cybersecurity Department of Montenegro, Igli Tafa, General Director of the National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security of Albania as well as Priit Vinkel, former Head of the Estonian State Electoral Office and e-Governance Academy Senior Expert about what it takes to learn, and bounce back, from cyber attacks.

E-governance practitioners well know that the implementation of digital tools is essential, to enhance the provision and reach of public services. This applies across domains, from the most specific in user base to the more generalist ones. But innovation gains even further relevance when services matter to the entire population at large – in short when it comes to public goods.

Healthcare represents by full means one of these cases. And as of late, the e-Governance Academy features in its ranks an expert in this field.

Piret Hirv, Senior Expert in eGA’s Data and Services Competence Centre, joins this episode of the Digital Government Podcast to talk about her experience in the public and private sectors of healthcare, and how ICT – and understanding the needs of care – can improve healthcare provision for governments worldwide.

The newly formed Competence Centre of e-Governance Academy on Governance and Engagement already has a track record of matching active citizenship with institutional dialogue, bringing citizens and administrations closer together.

But let’s zoom out for a moment. We have worked on improving the relationship between public service providers and users in Georgia, Ukraine, and many other countries worldwide. In what context and which direction, though, these developments took place more at large?

Dmytro Khutkyy, Expert at the Competence Centre and Research Fellow in Digital Governance at the University of Tartu, joins this podcast episode to do just that – draw the bigger picture, on latest trends in digital participation and civic engagement.

Changing trends in civic digital participation

Over the past decade, significant changes have occurred in the realm of civic digital participation. As Khutkyy notes, people are shifting from classic web-based platforms to social media for participation. While governments used to create dedicated participation platforms, citizens are now directly engaging with decision makers through more informal. "People use social media on an everyday basis, so sometimes they just reach politicians directly. This creates buzz around certain issues, and politicians take them into account," he explains.

Another notable trend is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into civic engagement. Municipal authorities and governments are starting to use AI tools to analyze popular sentiment and trends among citizens. AI can help structure and categorize these sentiments, providing valuable insights for policymakers. While this AI-driven approach is still in its infancy, it certainly holds great potential for the future of digital participation.

The relationship between democracy and participation

But we can’t talk about digital engagement without focusing on the connection between democracy and civic participation, too. The level of participation can vary significantly depending on a country's political context and regional factors. However, Khutkyy points out, some tools already worked better than others in getting citizens involved. Participatory budgeting has proven to be a powerful tool for local communities to influence policymaking, for example. "Participatory budgeting empowers citizens by involving them in the entire policymaking process, from generating ideas to monitoring and overseeing the results," he says. And this inclusive approach strengthens democracy at the local level.

Additionally, citizen assemblies make the chart as well, as a format of participation that has gained traction at the national or EU level. These assemblies allow citizens to deliberate and contribute to policymaking. Khutkyy believes that this format, when implemented effectively, can lead to substantial policy improvements and better democratic representation.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) are assuming growingly critical roles in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. These organizations act as intermediaries between citizens and governments, advocating for inclusive digital policies and services that cater to the needs of all. 

In the Western Balkans, the ICEDA project aimed to foster and improve CSOs role and positioning in order to do just that. From shaping the digital agenda, to spreading a culture of cybersecurity and cyber hygiene. In conversation with Kristina Mänd, today’s host, Mila Josifovska Danilovska, Program Coordinator at the Metamorphosis Foundation from North Macedonia, tells us the ins and outs of this project.

October is cybersecurity month. Not that in the rest of the year we are not supposed to place the same attention to safeguarding our digital spaces – that needs to be constant, ever-present. But moments like this do help us highlight, and stress once more, the importance of cybersecurity as a cross-cutting component of digital development actions and strategies.

In this podcast episode, we do so by focusing on cybersecurity trainings – why do we need them, differences in skills and audiences, the salience of simulating real-life scenarios. With Merle Maigre, Director of the Cybersecurity at e-Governance Academy, and Aare Reintam, Chief Operating Officer of CybExer Technologies.

Times of digital love, those we live in – as Daft Punk stated too. Practically, the entire supply chain of romance has somehow been impacted by societal digital transformation. Instant messaging, dating apps. So why not take online as well all the boring bureaucratic steps that would lead to the “yes, I do”.

A podcast episode on love, war times, and digital services. All elements that coexist in the roll-out of the marriage application e-service, a reality in Estonia and now also in Ukraine. Tune in for peak digital romance tales with Ihor Podolskyi, Administrative Assistant, and Anton Yermakov, Communication Expert at the e-Governance Academy.

Podolskyi recently used the service first-hand, while Yermakov shed light on the ins and outs of making digital marriage application a reality in Ukraine.

Crucial distinctions exist between cybersecurity and cyber defence – even more so, at times when war and conflicts seem ever-present in news headlines from all around the globe. It is only fair, then, that governments look into enhancing their cyber defence capabilities and adapt plans and policy agendas to fit a constantly changing threat landscape.

Merle Maigre, Head of the Competence Centre on Cybersecurity at e-Governance Academy, joins us in this closing podcast of the cybersecurity month. We explore how war has already changed governments’ attitudes and priorities in national cyber defence strategies, and what international expertise can do to assist at-risk countries.

The past decade has seen digitalization efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean area ramp up rapidly. Development has been fast, but not homogenous. Differing approaches across countries have created a map of digitalization, so to say, that sees governments in the region excel at different things. So what’s the way forward, in such a rapidly moving landscape?

Carlos Vargas is an Expert at the Competence Centre for Government and Engagement of e-Governance Academy, currently based in Chile. In this episode, we explore with him the current status of digitalization in Latin America, and how diverse challenges and opportunities call for country-tailored approaches to propel digital development in the region.

Whether in population management, or more specific business processes and use cases, we can’t stress enough the significance of digital data quality. Because tidy registries equate to informed decision-making, and the possibility to build powerful tools and solutions on top of them.

In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we expand on how ensuring data quality might be an overlooked yet essential aspect of advancing digital transformation. And prepare governments for the next wave of data-hungry innovation – artificial intelligence and machine learning. Piret Saartee joins us to do just that, as the Head of the Competence Centre on Data and Services at the e-Governance Academy (eGA). 

How long are two decades, when it comes to digital government? Well, very long – and with a lot of things happening. At least that is what it feels like, as the rapid pace of technological development presents governments with new opportunities, sure. But also, with challenges and risks, new elements to consider in strategy papers, and different ways of delivering services to citizens.

Arvo Ott has seen quite some things happen in this time span. First, as the first Government CIO of Estonia until the early 2000s; then, in his work for e-Governance Academy, where he is a Member of the Management Board. In conversation with Chairman Hannes Astok, we review how the task of managing digital transformation has changed throughout the years. In Estonia and beyond.

Digital transformation of government in Central Asia, in this podcast episode, has the face of Kyrgyzstan. Almost a decade since the inception of the country’s first plans, public services are now available online for citizens, and data exchange is happening between government agencies.

Something Tõnis Mäe, Senior Expert of the Digital Architecture Competence Centre of e-Governance Academy, is rightfully proud of – and it shows. Fresh from his two-year tenure in Kyrgyzstan, we discuss with Mäe the country’s significant strides in digital transformation, and how digital evolution is progressing in the Central Asian nation.

The saying goes, that the weakest link in the chain of cybersecurity is people. But what about a change of perspective? People, instead, could be considered the first line in a cyber battlefield. An approach that signalled a change of mindset in Moldova, for example, within the ongoing EU-funded project on developing cybersecurity rapid assistance. Including citizens in the scope, next to technical development, to increase online safety.

In this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, Rica Williams joins us to discuss the awareness-raising on cybersecurity. As an Expert and Communication Expert involved, from eGA’s side and that of local initiative (Digital Safety) Siguranța Digitală, we delve into what comes after disseminating valuable information, and some key tips to stay safe online.

“Digital skills feel like a superpower. Because if you can use computers and the internet, the world opens in front of you,” says Kristi Kivilo, Senior Expert in the Governance and Engagement unit of e-Governance Academy. And digital skills, indeed, are the perfect example of something rather small, but that may have a tremendous impact on people’s lives.

That holds true in rapidly growing countries, in nations tackling issues of digital and media literacy, or in the day-to-day with common cyber hygiene practices. Kristina Mänd, Senior Expert on Engagement at the e-Governance Academy holds the microphone, in this podcast episode, and joins as a host her colleague Kristi Kivilo. Together, they discuss the relevance of developing digital skills, how did that go in the past couple of decades, and what lies ahead.

And here we are, at the end-of-year appointment with Hannes Astok, Executive Director and Chairman of e-Governance Academy (eGA) to take a look back at what 2023 meant for governments worldwide. 

But also, we reflect on what the year meant for eGA. Through our projects and activities, we have once again had the pleasure – and duty – to work with an impressive number of countries, cultures, and various digital government ecosystems. Data quality, cybersecurity, and digital identity have been key themes in 2023. Looking ahead, whether it is about catching up, consolidating, or advancing, 2024 sure sports interesting trends for digital transformation practitioners.

Tune in!

Digital skills, collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors and governments are important in leading businesses into the digital era. We start the year with a strong vision and a focus on Europe, in light of the recently published DigitalEurope 2030 report. And we do so with Raido Lember, former CEO of the National Investment Promotion Agency of Estonia, right now consulting businesses independently and as eGA expert.

It is a strategy that goes beyond wishful thinking, or at least aims to do so. Of the many pillars to unpack, the government’s role as facilitator stands out. Of a more international reach for small and medium enterprises, of citizens empowered by savvy use of digital tools, of an increasing interconnection between national information systems.

In this podcast episode, Lember takes us on an insightful journey into future Europe – from where we stand today, towards an EU conscious of its digital potential, and what it takes to get there.

Cybersecurity has been, undoubtedly, a dominant theme in last year’s digital governance discourse. The attention, and relevance, that cybersecurity increasingly enjoyed in the past years should be taken as a sign. As our life becomes increasingly digital, it is natural that more and more subdomains of it enter the scene too.

In this podcast episode, Elsa Neeme, Senior Expert on Cybersecurity at eGA, and Vitalie Varaniță, assisting activities in Moldova, tell us more about cyber laws’ role in the development of secure cyberspace. One of the topics in focus of the EU-funded Cybersecurity Rapid Assistance project taking place in the country.

How the cyber legislation benefit to safer cyberspace? What needs to be kept in mind when creating laws concerning cyberspace? What lessons can share Moldova after the launch of its first cybersecurity law? All of this and more, as we dissect with experts meanings and targets of taking action in cyber legislation.

The e-Governance Conference reaches its tenth edition. In 2024, we mark a decade of digital dialogues – ten years through which topics and participants have become increasingly diverse, and the Conference established itself as a key appointment for practitioners worldwide.

This year, we invite you to unlock the secrets and key enablers of successful digital transformation. “Digital success leads to aware and competent societies that enjoy prosperity and openness. It involves a journey of continuous learning, committed national initiative, a systematic approach to the advancement of governance and regulations, smart technologies, enlightened leaders, and a competent community,” points out Kristina Mänd, Senior Expert at the e-Governance Academy and Programme Director of the 2024 Conference.

People and their skills, modern technologies and their strategic selection, systematic processes and governance – all foundational elements to achieving digital success. In this podcast episode, Mänd highlights the core themes and speakers of this year’s Conference edition. And how we all deserve a moment to celebrate and acknowledge digital success, to move forward more conscious of our own strengths and capabilities.

We find ourselves often saying that it is people, rather than technological tools, that make the digital transformation successful and effective. That holds true for what concerns listening to the needs of users, taking invaluable feedback, and returning to citizens with solutions that do actually fit their asks and necessities.

That holds true as well, though, when applied to managing teams, and leading them to goals set in plans and strategies. Public service delivery makes no exception in this sense – the essence of digital leadership lies as much in driving things forward, as in enabling teams to do that most organically.

Ingrid Toonekurg, recently appointed as a Member of the Management Board of e-Governance Academy, is no stranger to such practices. After years in sales management at large IT companies and a wealth of international experience, she joins eGA – and this podcast episode – to delve into the determinants of successful team management. In digital transformation too, indeed, listening to your team can be as valuable as listening to your end-users.

Ukraine's journey towards digital transformation has been marked by significant achievements, notably through the development and implementation of Trembita, the nation’s data exchange layer, and the Diia app. These tools have revolutionised the way citizens interact with government services, making them more efficient, transparent, and accessible.

Zooming out, though, the context and circumstances within which this rapid development took place would make most of us go red. If there’s one – next to many more – story of unlocking digital success while taking a big leap among extreme hardships, digital transformation in Ukraine then ranks high on this chart.

Illya Rodin is the Chief Solutions Architect at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. Oleh Burba is Component Leader of the EU4DigitalUA project and Senior Expert in Digital Architecture at e-Governance Academy. In this three-voice episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we delve into how Trembita and Diia complement each other, to provide Ukrainians with easy access to an ever-growing number of digital services. Tune in!

The European Union's AI Act is an initiative aimed at regulating the field of artificial intelligence. On Wednesday, March 13, the Parliament approved the regulation. It seeks to establish a legal framework for the use of AI, but also to position the EU at the forefront of global digital governance – at least on this aspect, and in this regard. 

The approach is comprehensive, touching on a wide spectrum of applications, from low-risk to high-risk categories, tailoring regulatory requirements accordingly. Katrin Nyman-Metcalf, Adjunct Professor at TalTech and Associated Expert for e-Governance Academy, guides us through propositions and principles of the AI Act, and how the EU plans to move toward ensuring a thoughtful and ethical use of artificial intelligence. This podcast episode was recorded shortly previous to the approval of the EU AI Act.

The EU AI Act – principles, features, mission

“This is one of the first legal attempts by the EU to harmonise AI regulation across member states and protect against negative effects. The EU AI Act introduces a risk categorisation for AI, dividing it into categories based on the level of risk each poses. This approach dictates the level of regulation needed, focusing on what the technology does – rather than prescribing specific uses. It's a general but effective method to ensure that AI development aligns with European values and standards. But it's also a measure to protect consumers, users, people,” Nyman-Metcalf begins with.

The categorisation of AI systems into risk profiles is crucial here – in a range that goes from ‘minimal’ to ‘unacceptable’ risk. This risk-based approach allows for a regulatory framework that is fairly nuanced and can adapt to the diverse applications of AI, from consumer products to critical infrastructure. At the heart of the EU AI Act, after all, lies the ambition to safeguard European values and consumer rights while fostering a good environment for innovation. Thus, the Act's dual focus: preventing fragmentation of AI regulations among member states and ensuring user and consumer protection. With an eye on the EU’s internal market dynamics, and one on its global competitiveness.

Moreover, the establishment of an EU AI office is expected to guide member states on the matter. “The EU AI office is set to play a coordinating role, not just overseeing regulation at the member state level but also facilitating dialogue with the industry and civil society. This approach, more proactive than previous initiatives like GDPR, aims to involve all relevant stakeholders from the outset, ensuring that the AI Act is shaped by a wide range of insights and concerns,” Nyman-Metcalf explains.

* this podcast episode has been recorded shortly previous to the approval of the EU AI Act

Service design remains in focus at the e-Governance Conference – this year hosting a keynote by the former Director of Design for the UK Government, Lou Downe. The founder also of the School of Good Services, a design and consulting practice that resulted from the wide reach of their design principles, and the book ‘Good Services: How to Design Services that Work’.

A start in the arts, the switch to service design. To then set such standards and practices to create a community of designers committed to making good services. Many interesting things to unpack, in this introductory episode of the Digital Government Podcast. From the essence of services, through designing them all, to fostering a culture of innovation across government – dive in.

Interested in getting more insights into good service design? Join us at the e-Governance Conference on 22-23 May 2024! Check the programme and get your tickets at egovconference.ee

Some terms in the public discourse, despite filled with meaning and relevant concepts, somehow happen to not really take hold. The green transition, a necessity of our times to address, still it’s something that – here and there – could truly benefit from more support. That support can come from citizens, enabled to participate in more democratic decision-making processes, and from digital tools too, that favour and streamline such participation.

All in all, the end is still to achieve more inclusive and prosperous societies – which means, sustainable too. Kristina Reinsalu is a Senior Expert on Governance and Engagement at eGA, while Fabro Steibel is Executive Director of the Institute for Technology & Society (Brazil). In this intro episode to the e-Governance Conference 2024, we discuss how synergising digital and green transformations can supply more solutions to tackle pressing environmental problems. 

Digital landscapes, by default, evolve and expand beyond the borders of national cyberspaces. So it is natural that the paths of cybersecurity and geopolitics become increasingly intertwined. What countries cannot afford in this context, though, is to overlook roles and modes of countering effectively cyber threats.

On cybersecurity, the e-Governance Conference 2024 features a fireside chat between Andrew Grotto, seasoned expert and professor from Stanford University, and former White House advisor, and Merle Maigre, Head of Cybersecurity at eGA. In this podcast episode, the two introduce the upcoming session on protecting critical infrastructure, making sure responsibilities are clear, and deploying public-private partnerships for better strategies.

Digital frontiers are constantly reshaping the world, making digital diplomacy and public digital infrastructure critical areas of innovation and policy. Naturally, as governments navigate the complexities of fast-paced technological advancements that actively impact society, the need for a robust digital public infrastructure (DPI) and the effective use of digital public goods (DPG) becomes crucial.

In this last instalment of our Podcast before the upcoming e-Governance Conference 2024, we spoke to Nele Leosk, Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs in the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The paths of digital progress and civic empowerment are tied and bound together, so how nations can benefit from sharing and re-using digital tools to enhance governance?

 Digital public goods, digital public infrastructure and commons are shaping the digital societies of tomorrow. So the question is how can policymakers navigate the challenges of reusing, adopting, and scaling existing digital solutions and create synergies across national, European, and international digitalization initiatives to deliver effective digital public goods. The panel session at the upcoming e-Governance Conference 2024 will give the floor to Mr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Tiago Carneiro Peixoto, Coordinator for Digital Government Services at the World Bank to hear some examples and lessons. Join us at the e-Governance Conference on 22 May for discussion on “Uncovering the potential of digital public infrastructure”.

Since years already, the Republic of Moldova has had to take measures to safeguard the integrity of its national cyberspace in the face of russian interference and aggression. In doing so, it has been supported by international partners and the European Union. But little would have been possible, without the effort and dedication of its civil servants.

It was our pleasure, then, to award the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation of Moldova as Partner of the Year 2024, at the latest e-Governance Conference and to speak to Alexandru Corețchi, Director of the IT and Cyber Security Service of the country, during the Conference days in Tartu.

In a heartfelt interview on our Podcast, he removes the lid on what national cybersecurity agencies did to keep Moldova’s online ecosystem safe and secure, and the necessity for continuing support to ensure the country’s independence – online too.

Putting digital transformation to work for the benefit of society means taking an extra step, to Lacina Koné. The CEO of Smart Africa supports the idea that on the way from digital buzz to business success, efficient digital government can be key in attracting and retaining top talent and investments. On the path towards a digital Africa, though, a mix of deep-rooted challenges and bold steps to take awaits. Dive in this briefing on the state of digital transformation for business and society in Africa, with Lacina Koné, the CEO of Smart Africa. 

Digital governance, done right, calls for leaders and changemakers to be versed in a variety of spheres and domains. Cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, diplomacy, relations with societal stakeholders. In a way, that was to be expected – digital development and technological advancements accelerated global and international integration, of both markets and general trends, in the past thirty years.

All themes Paul Timmers, Research Fellow at Oxford University and Chairman of the Board at e-Governance Academy, has enthusiastically dived in in this podcast episode. An argued review of what awaits, how is Europe equipped to face the implications of technological dependence, and competition with other major international blocs.

Costa Rica has one Minister for four domains – science, innovation, technology, and telecommunications. It is Paula Bogantes Zamora, who joined us on stage at the latest e-Governance Conference 2024 for a panel on leadership in driving digital transformation. 

Very fittingly so, as Costa Rica keeps advancing on its path towards effective and all-encompassing digital transformation. From healthcare to education, through digital identity and interoperability, a lot has been done already in the country. 

Bogantes joins us for a chat on achievements, challenges, and future plans – during and beyond her term as Minister – in a small Central American country that keeps digitalisation at heart.

Digital advancements present us with numerous opportunities to move forward on the path toward more inclusive and democratic societies. That has been the case when tech-enabled social movements and civil society organisations to sprout, regroup, and act. However, the opposite holds true too – technology is agnostic, and supported by authoritarian or malicious intents, it can be used to threaten, surveil, and cancel out opposition.

Doug Rutzen, President and CEO of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and professor at Georgetown University, saw how this dualism unfolded throughout the past three decades. In this podcast episode, we discuss where we were and where we’re at. A wide-ranging conversation on including the Global South, safeguarding civic spaces, and advocating for the rule of justice (not just that of law).

In Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is advancing fast in digital development. A series of initiatives in the last ten years significantly brought the country forward in increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery. However, the transformation does not stop there.

With support from both the population and high-level decision-makers, digital leaders in the country have the opportunity (and full legitimacy) to look further ahead. Nuria Kutnaeva, Minister of Digital Development of Kyrgyzstan, tells us in this podcast episode where the country is at – and where it is headed next.

"2024 is the biggest election year in human history. Half of the world’s population – some 3.7 billion people – have the opportunity to vote this year across 72 countries.” So notes Merle Maigre, Head of Cybersecurity at e-Governance Academy, on host duties for this podcast episode on securing elections.“Voting is at the very heart of democracy, making it vital that we safeguard the integrity of elections.” October, being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, provides the perfect backdrop to discuss these issues. Maigre is joined in the conversation by Priit Vinkel, Senior Expert at e-Governance Academy and former head of the State Electoral Office, and Tonu Tammer, former head of Estonia's CERT and Associated Expert of e-Governance Academy.
Elections are no longer solely about paper ballots and polling stations with sliding curtains. So what to look out for, in order to safeguard them in the digital era?

Can a group of Caribbean islands become the Estonia of the region, looked up to on digital transformation and service delivery? E. Jay Saunders thinks so – for both citizens and businesses. He is the former Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Investment, and Trade of the Turks and Caicos Islands. And at the 10th e-Governance Conference, by all rights took part in a panel on enlightened digital leadership.

In this episode, Saunders takes us through what digitalisation means for small countries in the area. Between breaking down barriers to better access digital markets, and providing citizens with a 24/7 experience of government that has nothing to envy from what they see in countries – on paper and volume of state revenue – with larger availability of resources and capital.

As the fifth Tallinn Cyber Diplomacy Summer School currently taking place in Tallinn, attendees reflect on a year of diplomacy in cybersecurity. Some of them, too, having gone from participants to speakers. The program, organised annually, is designed to bridge theoretical understanding and hands-on experience in cyber diplomacy, and for Claudio Peguero and Alban Andreu, the Summer School has turned out to be a point of growth and community-building.

Claudio Peguero is Ambassador and Advisor on Cyber Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic. Alban Andreu, instead, Policy Officer in the Strategic Affairs and Cybersecurity Department of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

In this podcast episode, the two alumni-turned-speakers share their experience during and after the coursework, and how the previous year’s learnings played a role in their diplomatic work. Yet a testament to the Summer School’s role in shaping effective and adaptive cyber diplomacy leaders. 

Estonia’s e-Residency program turns ten years old, and we join in the celebrations with a deep dive into what’s been, so far, a very exciting path. As one of the international golden children of Estonia’s digital and global economic policy, the e-Residency program has changed, evolved, and grown. In the digital space, ten years are no short time.

From government start-up, to world-known solution for digital entrepreneurs and location-independent workers. To explore the program’s journey, we sat down with Katrin Vaga, Head of Global Communication for e-Residency. Speaking milestones, tangible benefits of the initiative, and navigating as much global trends and cultural shifts.

It is a major step towards global digital integration, the one coming from Ukraine. The country recently launched its uResidency programme in September 2024. With that, the country aims to open up to international entrepreneurs who seek to establish and operate businesses in a vibrant digital economy. Without the need for physical presence – sound familiar?

Don’t call it an Estonian spin-off, though. Ukraine’s uResidency has its own winning features on considerably decreasing bureaucracy, taxation, and benefitting from all the country’s recent advancements in online services.

Oleksandr Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Andrii Piskun, Head of e-Services at e-Governance Academy in Ukraine, share insights on an initiative that welcomes the world into Ukraine’s digital sphere.

Awareness of the benefits of digital transformation is increasing in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), as it is collaboration with international entities to drive projects forward. Year by year, this is laying down pathways for a more connected and inclusive digital government, with tangible benefits for the population and the economic area as a whole. 

Miguel Porrúa, Lead Specialist on Digital Government at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), sat down with us to share some valuable insight into the evolution of digital government across LAC. Picking up on the post-pandemic momentum is essential to keep the ball rolling in the region. But all development projects and new initiatives must be tailored to local, national needs, and the key topics in governments’ focus across the area. 

The AI reckoning is here, and that’s not just based on announcements and latest releases from top corporate actors in the field. Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how governments serve their citizens, making processes more efficient, policies more targeted, and economies more dynamic.  

Among experts, few understand this transformation better than Luukas Ilves, former Chief Information Officer of Estonia, and now Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine. You may find him where innovation is.  

Drawing from his experience in two nations that are widely acknowledged as digitally advanced, he presents a compelling view of AI's transformative potential in governance. The challenges it brings, the practical steps needed to realise its promise – in this episode of the Digital Government Podcast, we do a deep dive into what the future holds for governments approaching AI. 

With cyber threats growing in sophistication and scale, organisations must rethink their strategies to safeguard digital assets and operational continuity. Security Operations Centers (SOCs) stand at the forefront of this effort, acting as centralised hubs where cybersecurity professionals monitor, manage, and mitigate threats. 

The rise in cyber threats – estimated to have grown by 25% annually over the past half-decade – has amplified the importance of SOCs. In this podcast hosted by Merle Maigre, Head of Cybersecurity at e-Governance Academy, Margus Vaino and Martin Paas from Telia discuss the evolution, challenges, and opportunities surrounding SOCs – from the point of view of a major telecommunications player.  

Acknowledging the rising importance of SOCs is only the beginning: the increasing complexity of cyber threats, and the essential steps required to build and sustain effective cybersecurity infrastructures, are all part of the roadmap to effective cyber defence. 

It is no mystery that the search for IT professionals to join the public sector’s ranks has come to be a full-fledged quest. Yet, next to being a challenge to address, it opens up opportunities for organisational growth, and also – perhaps – a few ways to rethink work. 

On the table, there should be a real understanding of people’s wishes and expectations from work. Next to that, public administrations should considerately present potential prospects of all value that comes from working in the public sector. Which means, for the community at large. 

In this podcast episode, Kadi Kanarbik, Senior Expert at e-Governance Academy outlines what makes recruiting and retaining IT talent effective, and the value propositions that the public administration should never forget to highlight.  

Digital transformation has long by now been a cornerstone of modern governance, reshaping how societies function and how services are delivered. How often, though, does the conversation evolve beyond efficiency gains and automation? 

In this special episode, Kristina Mänd, Programme Director of the e-Governance Conference 2025, joins us to explore:
🔹 How digital investments can contribute to long-term economic development
🔹 Why governments must shift their focus from efficiency to impact
🔹 The role of public-private partnerships in building sustainable digital solutions
🔹 How to measure the true success of digital transformation

Under the theme “From Bytes to Benefits: Raising Prosperity Through Digital Transformation”, e-Governance Conference 2025 (May 28–29) challenges policymakers and digital leaders to think bigger, ensuring that technology creates real value for citizens, businesses, and governments alike.

Tune in now for an exclusive preview of the big conversations shaping the future of digital governance! And after listening, be sure to join us for dynamic discussions, and hands-on workshops at the e-Governance Conference!

Explore at egovconference.ee

Once past the first point of emergency, integration into a new society is not limited to finding – as basic as the need is – only a safe place to live. It’s also about access to services, employment, and a sense of community, too. For many Ukrainians who relocated to Estonia following the full-scale war launched by Russia, digital skills can be the key to more easily addressing the needs of this new reality.  

The DEUCE project, led by the e-Governance Academy and funded by the U.S. Department of State, has done great in supporting this transition by empowering Ukrainian refugees with digital skills, strengthening their self-sufficiency, and training community resilience. 

At the heart of the initiative are “digital envoys” – volunteers, trained to help fellow community members better engage with Estonia’s digital society. Through targeted mini-projects, including tools to prevent scams, improve access to local services, and enhance job market readiness, we explore what digital inclusion encompasses with Dmytro Khutkyy, Expert in Governance & Engagement at e-Governance Academy, and DEUCE digital envoy Olena Denysenko, also Analyst in Political Studies at Tartu University. 

There’s motion in the Caribbean region. The area is known for its constant movement of people, businesses, and services across national borders. Whether for work, trade, or social reasons, citizens routinely engage in cross-border exchanges. Interoperability, as a consequence, becomes a prerequisite and enabler of these (and further) exchanges.  

Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), and Heiko Vainsalu, Senior Expert at the e-Governance Academy, join us in this podcast episode to explore how facilitating such exchange extends beyond matters of technology. Rather, it is a natural step to translate existing patterns of movement and collaboration into the digital space. 

While governments worldwide keep evolving and adapting to new ways of rolling out public services, Ukraine – even faced with a full-scale military aggression – offers a compelling example of how savvy transformation processes can bring services closer to people. Here is where the Digital Competence Centre (DCC)/ Центр цифрових компетенцій steps in, as a hub for the development, standardisation, and optimisation of Ukraine’s public digital services. 

Two guests join us in this episode to illustrate how it all comes together. Iryna Zabolotna, Head of the Department for the Implementation of Electronic Services at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Mykhailo Kornieiev, Senior Expert on Information Technology at the e-Governance Academy (eGA).  

Methodology, challenges, and impact of digital service development in Ukraine – get a hold of the progress made, and the valuable lessons that may help governments worldwide improve their service delivery. 

What does it mean to lead digital transformation when the stakes are high, and the playbook is being written in real time? Statesmanship shines in this Digital Government Podcast episode with Taimar Peterkop, Estonia’s former State Secretary now with e-Governance Academy, and one of the architects behind the country’s acclaimed digital governance model.  

From navigating the 2017 ID-card crisis, to coordinating national responses during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Peterkop brings front-row insight into the real-world meaning of purposeful leadership. 

In this week's intro episode Hannes Astok and Linnar Viik take you through the last four decades that shaped Estonian e-governance, share flashbacks about the early years and take a peek into the future. 

Tune in every Wednesday to hear our experts' insights and worldwide examples on how digital technology could benefit every society.

In today's episode, Hannes Astok and Linnar Viik shed light on the world's best driver of digital transformation - the COVID19 pandemic. They talk about the main obstacles in the way of epic digital transformation in many countries. We know that paper-based public services are practically useless when whole countries are shut down because of the pandemic. Why does it require governments so much effort to start providing public services online? How can governments build on the momentum? 
Tune in to our podcast and find out!  

There are many ways to measure the progress and impact of digital transformation in societies. Today, Hannes Astok and Linnar Viik make a deeper dive into DESI - the Digital Economy and Society Index. They look behind the numbers and explain where EU's national governments have succeeded and where they have failed. In this episode, they focus on digital skills and connectivity in EU countries. Moreover, Linnar explains what the European digital paradox is. Tune in to find out!

Hannes Astok and Linnar Viik continue examining the DESI - the Digital Economy and Society Index. This time they focus on how citizens use internet services, how businesses are moving towards digital, and on the development of e-government in different European countries. They look behind the numbers and explain where EU's national governments have succeeded and where they have failed. 

eGA's Digital Government Podcast is focusing today on Ukraine’s digital developments. Linnar Viik and Hannes Astok shed some light on the latest digital developments and challenges in one of Europe's biggest countries. In the last few years, Ukraine’s government has endeavoured incessantly to detach itself from paper-based procedures, to enable and provide e-services, and to reduce corruption with the help of IT-solutions and of the secure data exchange platform 'Trembita'. 
How has Ukraine managed so far? What are the highlights of success and what setbacks materialised in its digital transformation journey? Tune in to find out!

In this podcast, Kristina Reinsalu, e-democracy programme director, sheds some light on e-participation. She explains what makes ‘e-participation’ similar to ‘participation’ and why they differ. The use of ICT-solutions in decision-making processes is more and more popular in the world, but does it motivate people to participate more and are they heard by the government? She shares examples of various countries on how to make people’s engagement in decision-making processes more efficient and enjoyable for both citizens and officials.

As the UN e-Government Survey 2020 was recently published, Kristina digs through the e-participation rankings and explains what the survey measures. You will hear why the countries at the top have reached these positions and what the Estonian government has done differently to be ranked first in e-participation. Additionally, you’ll be aware of why there are only European, Asian and North-American countries at the top, but no African or South American countries. Does the ranking describe the local reality truthfully?

And as the cherry on top, Kristina lists e-participation best practices from Finland, Spain, USA and the UK. 

Tune in and find out why they are worthy to be followed by your government!

Are you interested in starting your country's digital transformation despite the pandemic? Wondering where you should begin? Listen to our new episode of the Digital Government podcast where Annela Kiirats, Programme Director of e-Governance Training explains the benefits of the e-governance training group courses, offline and online, where all team members are included.

Having more than decade of experience in advising various organisations in digital transformation, Annela shares the examples of the best trainees and what they have achieved so far. Tune in!

To many, the road to e-governance may seem rocky. Not only during some client meetings, but also in seminars and just conversations in general, an age-old question is often brought up: “Digitalization, okay, great. But there are too many legal obstacles to implement it in our country.” Today, we get this one off the board too.

Katrin Nyman-Metcalf, Senior Expert on Legal Framework at e-Governance Academy, addresses the legal obstacles to e-government that, as it turns out, basically do not exist. Easier said than done? 

Where do we come from? Where do we stand? And where to go from here? Though the feeling might be that of a high-school psychology blog, there is no existentialism in these questions – at least in the current case. In order to formulate with efficacy digital transformation roadmaps for governments, policy makers must first understand the digital maturity of their own institutional environment.

Linnar Viik, Programme Director of Smart Governance, presents here a government digital maturity assessment. As a stepping stone towards conscious e-governance development, the analysis works as a tool to identify bottlenecks and opportunities in moving towards a digital process management. Tune in and find out how does it work!