I’ve been observing Latvia’s digital performance, and it’s been quite impressive, particularly in fixed connectivity and digital public services. According to the EGDI report, Latvia made a remarkable leap forward in e-governance, improving its ranking by 20 places in 2022.
What caught my attention was the significant boost in participation levels. Latvia moved from the 93rd place to the 29th, indicating a substantial increase in engagement with digital initiatives.
When it comes to delivering digital public services, Latvia excels, too (more on that below).
Moreover, Latvia surpasses the EU average in the use of prefilled forms, streamlining processes for citizens and businesses.
The country’s Digital Transformation guidelines for 2021-2027 serve as an important strategy for Latvia’s digital evolution. Encompassing areas like internet access, ICT education, public administration efficiency, and societal digital content, these guidelines outline a holistic approach to digital transformation.
Additionally, complementary guidelines for education development and public health further enhance Latvia’s overarching digital strategy. This integrated approach positions Latvia as a notable player in the digital governance sphere, setting the stage for continued advancements in the coming years.
Latvia’s performance on digital public services
Latvia stands out as a leading Member State in the digitalisation of public services. The country not only performs above the EU average in this area but excels at acquiring and providing innovative digital services.
What caught my attention is the high level of digitalisation in public services for both individuals and businesses in Latvia. An impressive 77% of internet users in the country utilise e-government services (for comparison, the EU average is 74%.)
Latvia’s strength lies in the availability of digital public services, and it outperforms the EU average in key aspects like online service provision, transparency, user support, mobile-friendliness, and access to e-health records.
The E-Government Benchmark 2023 paints a consistently positive picture for Latvia.
The country not only exceeds the EU average in all dimensions, including:
- User centricity (to what extent information about a service is offered online)
- Transparency of service delivery, design and personal data usage
- Key enablers (think: eID, prefilled forms, e-documents, etc.)
- And cross-border services.
→In Latvia, 91% of all services are online (compared to the EU average of 84%.)
→Something that’s worth noting is that all government platforms disclose if personal data was used ( a level of transparency that far exceeds the EU average of below 50%.)
→And 67% of e-services are available cross-border, ranking Latvia 6th out of 27 EU countries in this aspect.
Increasing interaction public-governance
Latvia is actively fostering citizen and business interaction with public administrations by participating in the GovTech consortia called ‘The incubator for knowledge sharing and collaborative delivery for all GovTech initiatives in the EU (GovTech4all)’.
This consortium is a collaborative effort that unites 22 partners from 15 countries with the aim of creating a unified GovTech initiative within the European Union.
The project involves a joint effort between public and private sector entities, research bodies, and NGOs. The overarching goal is to establish an ongoing forum for collaborative innovation among public sector innovators across all EU Member States.
I believe this initiative is a significant step toward advancing innovation in the public sector and encouraging online interactions between citizens, businesses, and public administrations.
By bringing together a diverse range of partners, including both public and private entities, the GovTech4all consortia create a platform for shared knowledge and collaborative delivery of GovTech initiatives.
This not only benefits Latvia but contributes to the broader goal of fostering innovation in public services throughout the entire European Union.
In essence, Latvia’s involvement in GovTech4all reflects a commitment to leveraging collaboration and shared expertise to enhance digital governance and public services. This type of joint effort is crucial for driving innovation and ensuring that the benefits of GovTech initiatives are widespread and accessible across the EU.
Final thoughts
In my assessment, while a significant portion of Latvians already utilises e-Government services, there’s untapped potential to enhance the appeal of public services, especially for those who don’t use them regularly.
I believe Latvia should expedite its efforts in the digitalisation of public services.
It’s crucial to ensure that electronic health records remain easily accessible, and there’s a need to continue advancing digital services for both citizens and businesses.
By doing so, Latvia can not only cater to the needs of its current users but also make public services more attractive and user-friendly for a broader audience.
I think ongoing improvements in accessibility and functionality will contribute to a more inclusive and user-centric approach to e-government services in Latvia.
Sources:
https://publicadministration.un.org/egovkb/en-us/Data/Country-Information/id/93-Latvia
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/countries-digitisation-performance
