The progress in e-governance across Montenegro is not consistent. While some institutions are leading the way in utilising new technologies to enhance their operations, there’s a notable variance in progress due to differences in available resources, extending to municipal levels.
I believe it’s crucial for digitalisation efforts to occur simultaneously at both central and local levels. For citizens, what matters most is not who provides the service but how easily and quickly it can be delivered.
Currently, digital procedures and the use of digital tools by certain public authorities are at a rather basic level. On the flip side, only a handful of institutions have fully functional e-services.
To bridge this gap, there’s a need to reinforce infrastructure, human resources, digital platforms, and systems for identification, authentication, and payment of administrative taxes.
This reinforcement is essential for developing citizen-centred and gender-responsive e-services while ensuring a secure and safe digital environment.
International support
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been actively supporting North Macedonia’s digital initiatives.
Through its projects, UNDP played a key role in implementing LOGES, the country’s first e-services software, at the local level. This system is already up and running in 18 municipalities, showcasing successful local-level digitalisation.
UNDP doesn’t stop there; they are also introducing innovative digital tools to enhance transparency and accountability in the operations of local self-governments. Additionally, they are working on creating a Macedonian model for an e-municipality, furthering the digitalisation agenda.
Switzerland has emerged as a major supporter of democratisation and decentralisation in North Macedonia. They recognise the crucial role of digital transformation in these processes.
The Swiss governance agenda places a high priority on the digitalisation of services and processes. Importantly, they are actively sharing their knowledge and expertise, a cornerstone of Swiss development cooperation efforts both globally and specifically in North Macedonia.
Digitalisation is a central focus of the Swiss development program in North Macedonia, notably within the Swiss-supported project Empowering Municipal Council.
This project aims to strengthen the capacities of local self-governments in North Macedonia, with a specific emphasis on empowering local councils. I believe this collaborative effort is important for advancing North Macedonia’s digital governance at the local level as well.
North Macedonia ranks last among 35 EU countries.
This poor ranking is attributed to subpar performance in various e-government dimensions, such as transparency, key enablers, user-centricity, and cross-border services.
Let’s delve into the figures to understand why this is the case:
- Only 44% of services are available online (a significant contrast to the EU average of 84%). This indicates a notable gap in digital service accessibility.
- Shockingly, none of the governmental platforms disclose whether personal data was utilised to provide a service, showcasing a substantial lack of transparency. Transparency is a critical aspect of successful e-government, and North Macedonia falls short, with the EU average at 56%.
- A mere 6% of online services accept eID login, hindering users from authenticating with their IDs to access needed services. This is strikingly below the EU average of 70%.
(For context, other Balkan countries outperform North Macedonia in these metrics.
Albania boasts 71% of services accessible with eID, Bulgaria stands at 73%, and Greece at 67%.)
- Only 5% of services are available for cross-border users, a stark contrast to the EU average of 49%, limiting accessibility for users across borders.
- On a positive note, North Macedonia excels in prefilled information, with 73% of services having prefilled details, surpassing the EU average of 68%. However, this may be explained by the relatively low percentage of available online services. I believe addressing these shortcomings and aligning with EU benchmarks is crucial for North Macedonia to enhance its e-government capabilities and better serve its citizens.
Final thoughts
In essence, North Macedonia grapples with substantial hurdles in its digital governance, as illuminated by the 2023 E-Government Benchmark report. The revealed data unveils a landscape where online accessibility, transparency, and eID login acceptance fall considerably short of EU averages.
Collaborative efforts and learning from regional counterparts with better results could offer valuable insights into North Macedonia’s digital advancement.
Also, in my view, North Macedonia needs a strategic approach to drive digitalisation effectively. It’s crucial to establish the right conditions and create an environment that encourages progress and modernisation across all levels of the system, including both local and central governance.
By strategically aligning efforts, North Macedonia can lay the groundwork for a more connected, efficient, and inclusive digital governance for all its citizens.
Sources:
https://northmacedonia.un.org/en/213011-empowering-municipal-councils
