Promoting digitalization in the municipality (MKKSV0001)

Commitment ID

MKKSV0001

Commitment Title

Promoting digitalization in the municipality

Problem

The increasing growth of digitalization and modernization is inevitably reshaping all societies globally. At the national level, steps have been taken towards a modern information society and digitalization of government services at the central and local levels: a decision of the Government of Macedonia was adopted to establish a National Council for the Digital Transformation of Society, a separate Ministry for Information Society and Administration was established, where several strategic documents and programs were adopted.

In May 2024, the Municipality of Kisela Voda promoted its new, modern and digitalized website. The website contains information about current events and activities, information about the work of the Municipal Council and relevant sectors, strategic documents, programs and action plans.

Digital services of the municipalities is closely intertwined with citizen participation and represents an important aspect for improvement of governance and  implementation of public services. Digitalization enables more fast and efficient delivery of services, while the participation includes the community in the decision-making and planning processes. Combining these two aspects can have a major positive effect on local governance:

1. Online platforms for submission of documents and requests
2. Digital advisory platforms
3. E-services and automation

Establishing participatory online mechanisms, citizens can have direct contact in decision-making processes.

Status quo

The solutions for e-government offer a wide range of benefits both for the local authorities and for the citizens. By adopting digital tools and technologies, the Municipality of Kisela Voda directs its​ internal processes in improving the services for the citizens. Through the municipality's website, citizens can receive information of their interest any time, while the digitalization allows them to access services online, such as payments, applying for permits, and requesting municipal services. This makes the administrative processes more convenient and accessible.

At the moment, the e-services for the citizens of the Municipality of Kisela Voda are not finalized: citizens can make payments electronically, submit requests, but cannot receive an electronic version of the final document due to the lack of an electronic seal of the municipality for document certification.

Action

To obtain the requested document, it is necessary to visit the relevant departments and units in the Municipality to finalize the process of issuing the necessary documentation. This makes the e-service incomplete: the request for a certain document can be submitted electronically, but the document cannot be issued online and received by e-mail. The collection of the issued documentation is an additional consumption of time and energy of citizens and reduces the value, efficiency and effectiveness of the e-services of the Municipality of Kisela Voda. The introduction of the electronic signature through the creation of an electronic seal will complete the process of e-services of the Municipality of Kisela Voda. After applying for a certain document online, citizens will also receive the requested document electronically, thus the whole process will be entirely digitalized. In this way, citizens will obtain the documents needed in a much faster and easier manner, and at the same time the efficiency of the municipality will be enhanced. Moreover, the public trust in the process will be increased and at the same time this will contribute to expanding the horizons of the community for the era of digitalization that is here, and that overcomes traditional ways of functioning.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

Digitalization enables more fast and efficient delivery of services, while the participation includes the community in the decision-making and planning processes. Combining these two aspects can have a major positive effect on local governance:

1. Online platforms for submission of documents and requests – Citizens can apply for various services (permits, construction acts, property registration, etc.) through municipal websites.
2. Digital advisory platforms – Opportunity for citizens to participate in consultations and decision-making processes through online platforms.
3. E-services and automation – Automated systems for paying taxes, public services, or even for referendums and voting.

Establishing participatory mechanisms, citizens can have direct contact in decision-making processes. Examples of participatory mechanisms include:

1. Online voting for municipal projects – Citizens could vote which projects would have highest priority in the municipal budget.
2. Feedback platforms – Channels through which citizens could express their opinions on public policies or proposing projects.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

As technology advances, younger generations naturally adapt to new digital tools, while older generations may face difficulties in using e-services. Among the older population, there is still a belief that the most reliable and trustworthy form of a document is the hard copy, no matter how much time and energy is spent to obtain it. According to the latest EU statistics, the participation of citizens in using local government websites to obtain information and services varies by age: among people aged 25 to 64 it is highest (47%), followed by 16-24 years (40%) and 65-74 years (36%).

The gap between these two groups can lead to inequalities in access to services, information and participation in the work and functioning of local government. The goal of Municipality of Kisela Voda is to increase awareness among all citizens equally about the benefits that arise from using e-services offered by the municipality and to facilitate access and the way in which e-services function.

By facilitating the use of e-services, the municipality of Kisela Voda is creating long-term paths for changing the awareness and habits of its citizens towards accepting modern times, globalization and improving the quality of life of the entire community.

Primary Policy Area

Digital Governance, Legislative Openness, Open Contracting, Open Data, Tax

Primary Sector

Environment & Climate, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?