Modern technologies play an important role in transforming public administration by providing new tools to increase the availability of public services. Today, the use of information and analytical systems is becoming a necessity to ensure prompt access to services and information, which simplifies greatly the life of citizens and increases confidence in the authorities.
Innovation in public administration
One of the main problems of public administration is the lack of transparency and accessibility of the services provided, which reduces the level of trust in public institutions. The development of digital technologies opens up new opportunities to solve these problems, providing platforms for simplifying the processes of interaction and increasing the openness of government bodies.
Information and analytical systems (IAS) is a software package that helps to collect and process large amounts of data in real time, so the efficiency of decision-making and the provision of public services increases. The implementation of IAS allows companies to improve the efficiency of management and the quality of decisions made by working with up-to-date data.
A striking example of the use of such systems is the mos.ru platform – a modern information and analytical portal designed to provide Moscow citizens with convenient access to state and municipal services. The site includes more than 420 different electronic services, covering both the daily needs of city residents and superservices like renovation or veterinary services. Among the most popular functions are making an appointment with a doctor, paying fines and utilities, submitting applications for various certificates and documents. Mos.ru is designed in such a way as to provide users quickly with the necessary information and perform the necessary operations without having to visit government agencies in person. The integration of the mos.ru platform with more than 20 different state and municipal departments allows to centralize the provision of services, which simplifies greatly the process of interaction between citizens and government agencies. Thanks to this, citizens can solve many issues in one digital space, so that the level of trust in state institutions increases.
The electronic project of the Moscow mayor’s office “Active Citizen” allows residents of the city to participate in decision-making on urban management issues through voting, involving citizens in management processes and contributing to raising awareness. The platform with more than 7 million registered users, for 2024, has become an important tool for involving Muscovites in the discussion and solution of topical issues of urban management. In turn, through mos.ru in 2020, an online registration system for vaccination against COVID-19 was organized, which was used by more than 2 million Moscow residents. This made it possible to organize mass vaccination in a pandemic effectively. These examples highlight how digital projects contribute to improving the quality of life of citizens and increasing their trust in government institutions.
Advantages of using modern technologies
Automation and digitalization of processes is a necessary element to increase the efficiency of government agencies. The introduction of information and analytical systems reduces significantly the burden on employees, freeing them from performing routine tasks and providing the opportunity to focus on solving more complex issues. It helps minimize human errors, which improves the overall reliability and accuracy of government agencies.
Digitalization of public services can reduce significantly the processing time of citizens’ requests. For example, in 2024, approximately 95% of requests from Moscow residents were processed daily through digital platforms using IAS, which on average reduced the waiting time for services by 30%, eliminating the need for long-term employee participation. Such optimization of processes not only increases the speed of service provision, but also improves their quality, which contributes to the growth of citizens’ confidence in government agencies.
In turn, their use in Moscow allowed the mayor’s office to reduce costs by 15%. The analytical capabilities of these technologies make it possible to predict more accurately the needs of citizens, identify problem areas and develop effective strategies for solving them, that is, resources are allocated more rationally, improving the quality of services provided. Digital platforms are important in ensuring the transparency of information provided by government agencies. They allow citizens to access data on the activities of government agencies, including budget expenditures, development plans and project results. Public accountability is greatly enhanced by the introduction of digital technologies.
Digital platforms allow to record and analyze the actions of state organizations, and also enable citizens to assess their effectiveness. Feedback systems and service quality ratings make the management process more transparent. In the context of digitalization, feedback becomes not only a tool for assessing the effectiveness of government agencies, but also a mechanism that allows citizens to participate in decision-making. It allows to identify weaknesses in the work of state bodies and introduce changes aimed at improving their activities.
Digitalization of public services in Moscow allowed:
- to handle 95% of requests online;
- to reduce waiting time for services by 30%;
- to reduce expenses of mayor’s office by 15%;
- to reduce the burden on employees;
- to minimize errors.
The future of digital government
Modern trends in the field of digitalization of public administration indicate the continued introduction of innovative technologies to increase the efficiency and accessibility of public services. Despite significant achievements in the digitalization of public administration, the introduction of new technologies is accompanied by a number of challenges that require an integrated approach to overcome them.
Among the prospects there are the further development of platform solutions, the integration of blockchain technologies to improve data security and the expansion of the use of AI in processing citizens’ requests. However, the digitalization process faces problems such as insufficient digital literacy of the population, and the need to modernize infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Successful experience in the implementation of electronic services shows that thanks to IAS, the cost of providing public services is reduced by an average of 25-30%. Obviously, such systems will help create a more open, efficient and citizen-oriented public administration.
By Vadim Tymchik, General Director of the consulting company Elementum Technologies