Bled - DT of the Public Sector 2024 : 37th Bled eConference - Digital Transformation of the Public Sector

The continuous digitization of the public sector plays a vital role in societal transformation. As an evolving and emerging trend, it’s crucial to highlight the integration of intelligent ICT and AI solutions within the public sector to improve both internal performance (e.g., more efficient processes) as well as external performance (e.g., better public services). This means that on the one hand, governmental bodies on different levels explore novel technologies. On the other hand, public values should be maintained while this transforming government continues. ICT can and does have positive and negative transformational impacts on public values (Bannister & Connolly, 2014). Considering the latter, among other features, there is a fundamental difference in the nature of the public and private sectors. In the information systems discipline, e-government occupies a distinct niche encompassing both practical and theoretical significance.
Topics of interest in this track include, but are not limited to:

- Information and Data Governance in the Digital Public Sector: strategies and frameworks for effectively managing, protecting, and sharing information and data within government entities to ensure accuracy, security, and compliance with regulations.
- Digital Twins for Urban Planning and Infrastructure Management: application of digital twin technology in urban planning and managing public infrastructure, exploring how digital replicas of physical assets can enhance decision-making, maintenance, and sustainability efforts.
- Impact of Digital Transformation on Public Values and Trust: how the digital transformation of public services influences and shapes public values such as trust, transparency, accountability, and fairness, and analyze the factors that contribute to the success or failure of aligning digital initiatives with these values.
- Impact of Digital Governance on Citizen Engagement: how digital tools and platforms influence citizen participation in government processes and decision-making, and assess the effectiveness of these technologies in enhancing transparency and accountability.
- Digital Inclusion and Accessibility in Public Services: how digital transformation efforts can inadvertently lead to the exclusion of marginalized populations due to limited access to technology, and devise strategies to ensure that digital public services are accessible to all citizens.
- Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Public Administration: how AI and automation can optimize administrative processes, enhance decision-making, and streamline public service delivery while considering the ethical implications and potential job displacement.
- Digital Transformation and Organizational Change: challenges and opportunities associated with managing organizational change during the process of digital transformation in government agencies, including resistance to change and strategies for fostering a digital culture.
- Open Data Initiatives and Civic Innovation: the impact of open data policies on fostering innovation in the public sector and empowering citizens, businesses, and researchers to develop new solutions and services using government-provided data.
- E-Government Interoperability and Integration: technical and policy challenges involved in integrating various e-government systems and services across different government departments, levels, and jurisdictions to provide seamless and coherent digital experiences for citizens.