TITLE: Digital Transformation Plan for the General Administration and Public Agencies (ICT STRATEGY 2015-2020)

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Information and communication technologies (ICT) have had a deep impact on society, giving rise to a new scenario in which citizens have developed new behaviour patterns and expectations in their use of e-services, their leisure time, the way they relate to business and their interaction with public administrations.

In this new context, the Administration should be capable of swiftly adapting to new demands in an ever-changing environment without prejudice to security assurance, offering e-services and information through a variety of channels and making them available anywhere at any time, developing new ways of interacting with citizens, contributing to create opportunities and do business in our productive fabric, and innovate in the provision of services on the basis of the possibilities of new technologies.

Fully aware of the importance of ICT in contemporary society, the Government of Spain commissioned the ICT Strategy Committee to draft a reference framework for the coordination and involvement of all State actors and resources in the digital transformation of the General Administration and the public agencies belonging to it.

This document sets forth the short-, medium- and long-term goals and initiatives for a dynamic, efficient Administration that uses resources wisely and is closer to the people, offering services that meet the actual needs of society and a competitive, entrepreneurial economy.

It is thus a fundamental tool for the advancement of the transformation of the Administration and for a sustainable quality improvement and innovation process in the provision of public services.

Being now approved by the Government of Spain, it embodies our country’s commitment and willingness to embrace new technologies as a driving force of innovation, economic development and welfare.

ICT Strategy Committee

2015

Composition of the ICT Strategy Committee

15 September 2015

PRESIDENT

D. Cristóbal Montoro Romero

Ministro de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas

Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas

SECRETARY

D. Domingo J. Molina Moscoso

Director de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones

Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas

MEMBERS

D. Antonio Germán Beteta Barreda

Secretario de Estado de Administraciones Públicas

Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas

D. Víctor Calvo-Sotelo Ibáñez-Martín

Secretario de Estado de Telecomunicaciones y para la Sociedad de la Información

Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Turismo

D. Tomás Burgos Gallego

Secretario de Estado de Seguridad Social

Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social

D. Pedro Argüelles Salaverría

Secretario de Estado de Defensa

Ministerio de Defensa

D. Jaime Haddad Sánchez de Cueto

Subsecretario de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente

Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente

D. Cristóbal González-Aller Jurado

Subsecretario de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación

Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación

D. Miguel Temboury Redondo

Subsecretario de Economía y Competitividad

Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad

D. Fernando Benzo Sainz

Subsecretario de Educación, Cultura y Deporte

Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte

D. Pedro Llorente Cachorro

Subsecretario de Empleo y Seguridad Social

Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social

D. Mario Garcés Sanagustín

Subsecretario de Fomento

Ministerio de Fomento

Da. Pilar Platero Sanz Subsecretaria de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas

Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas

D. Enrique Hernández Bento

Subsecretario de Industria, Energía y Turismo

Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Turismo

D. Luis Aguilera Ruiz

Subsecretario de Interior

Ministerio del Interior

Da. Aurea Roldán Martín Subsecretaria de Justicia Ministerio de Justicia

D. Federico Ramos de Armas

Subsecretario de Presidencia

Ministerio de la Presidencia

Da. Mª Jesús Fraile Fabra Subsecretaria de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad

Introduction

The Digital Transformation Plan for the General Administration (GA) and the Public Agencies belonging to it (PAs) sets out the global strategic framework to make progress in the transformation of the Administration, sets forth the guiding principles, goals and actions required to complete it, as well as the landmarks in the gradual development of Digital Government. These, in turn, shall become the basis on which the various ministries will draft their sectoral action plans for the digital transformation to be carried out in their areas, led by the Directorate of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC), i.e. the body in charge of the development of shared means and services.

This plan was adopted by the Council of Ministers of October 2nd, at the ICT Strategy Committee’s initiative, as proposed by the Ministry of the Presidency, the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration, and the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism on the basis of the work carried out by the Directorate for Information Technologies and Communications. It covers the period from 2015 to 2020, its validity being subject to review and annual modification by the ICT Strategy Committee.

In writing this plan, the provisions of the Bills of Law on Common Administrative Procedures in the Public Administration and on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector ¹ were taken into account, along with the suggestions made by the Public Administration Reform Committee (CORA)² (where ICT play a key role) and the OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies.³

Although the Digital Agenda for Spain envisaged a series of guidelines for the digitisation of the Administration through 2015, the results obtained by the CORA and the provisions in article 9 of Royal Decree 806/2014, on the organisation and operational ICT tools at the GA, require continuation of the endeavour undertaken under a new strategic approach that speeds up the digital transformation of the Administration.

This plan contains five chapters. The first one, ‘Digital Government’, gives an overview of the current situation and future prospects of the Administration that should serve as the background to the transformation of the GA and its PAs.

Chapter 2 describes the plan’s guiding principles that should govern both its implementation and those of sectoral action plans: orientation for services users,⁴ unity and global vision of needs and actions, as if they were the work of a single body, collaboration within and between administrative units and the forging of alliances to ensure goal achievement, transparency and accountability for management improvement, and the promotion of innovation to make progress and adapt to changes more effectively.

Chapter 3 introduces the five strategic goals that structure the ICT Strategy for a real transformation of the GA and its PAs. These goals are:

1) Increasing productivity and efficiency in the internal functioning of the Administration as an element of national competitiveness.

2) Deepening the digital transformation of the public administrations, making the digital channel the preferred choice of citizens and businesses to interact with the Administration, as well as an apt means for public servants to perform their tasks, thus improving the quality of the services provided and enhancing the transparency of internal functioning.

3) Achieving greater efficiency in the provision of common ICT services in the Administration, building synergies in the use of shared means and services so that more resources can be allocated to innovation and service expansion.

4) Implementing the smart corporate management of knowledge, data and information in order to capitalise on this asset and improve the efficiency of the Administration to the benefit of citizens, while ensuring the protection of their digital identity.

5) Developing a corporate security and usability strategy for public e-services in order to increase confidence in them and promote their use.

Chapter 4 is about the lines of action that may lead to the achievements of the above-mentioned goals, as applicable to the GA and the PAs. The suggested actions, to be carried out and supervised by the DTIC, should be supplemented with specific actions in the sectoral plans for the digital transformation of individual ministerial departments.

Finally, chapter 5 introduces a governance model for the coordination and evaluation of this Digital Transformation Plan, defining the organisational structure required for implementation and follow-up, as well as a series of outreach activities.

With the cooperation of the Digital Government Ministry Committees, the DTIC shall submit annual follow-up reports to the ICT Strategy Committee, informing about the progress made in the implementation of the ICT Strategy. These reports shall be delivered to the Council by the President of the Committee.

The DTIC will also be in charge of the provision, operation and management of shared means and services, except for budget IT services belonging to the General State Administration Intervention Board (article 10.5 of Royal Decree 806/2014) or the IT services of the Office of the State Secretary for Social Security, in compliance with their special regulations.

Given the special functional nature and regime of competences of the Law Enforcement and Security Forces, the provisions in section 2 of article 10 of Royal Decree 806/2014 regarding common ICT infrastructure, resources and services, and the common ICT service catalogue will require special approval from the State Secretary for Security when they may affect these forces’ special operational systems. In addition, the Office of the State Secretary for Security will be in charge of the provision, operation and management of their shared means and services.

Likewise, the measures in this plan shall not be applicable to the National Tax Agency, which shall be governed by its own special regulations in this regard. However, the National Tax Agency will be able to participate in the taking of measures for the implementation of this plan as it sees fit, as long as its participation is compatible with the relevant specific regulations. With the aim of defining the areas for collaboration, a joint body will be established with representatives of the DTIC and the National Tax Agency to discuss the content and scope of the measures and protect the Agency’s legal independence.

1

Digital Gobernment

Information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly the Internet, are playing an increasingly relevant role in society.

96.1% of citizens have a mobile phone. 53.7% use smartphones. 50% are social media users. 45% operate with online banking. For younger generations, these figures are even higher: 90% of youngsters have social media profiles and 53.6% use online banking services. Moreover, the percentages are expected to be even higher in the next few years.

In the business world, all companies, from multinational corporations to SMEs, are becoming increasingly dependent on a smart use of IT – a key factor to continuity (even survival) in business activity.

‘The Administration should be in the vanguard of the use of new technologies, pulling Spanish society and economy along. To accomplish this, a comprehensive transformation is needed towards Digital Government.’

In this scenario, the Administration should be in the vanguard of the use of new technologies, pulling Spanish society and economy along. It should be capable of swiftly adapting to new demands, offering e-services and information through a variety of channels and making them available anywhere, at any time and in the most convenient ways for both citizens and public servants, under adequate confidence and security conditions. Likewise, it should make available communication channels for the collaborative definition and design of public services, so that they meet actual needs. To accomplish this, a comprehensive transformation is needed for the Administration to become Digital Government.

VISION FOR AN ICT STRATEGY

By the year 2020 Spain must have Digital Government, ICT being an integral part of the Administration and the e-channel being the preferred choice – the easiest and most intuitive – among citizens and businesses in their interaction with the Administration. There must be fluent collaboration with stakeholders if comprehensive services are to be offered, boosting ongoing innovation and transparency in administrative procedures, improving internal efficiency and increasing productivity among public servants.

For this transformation to be possible, a clear starting point is necessary. Law 11/2007, on Citizen’s Electronic Access to Public Services, gave impetus to the modernisation of the Spanish Administration by enshrining citizens’ right to interact with the Administration through digital channels. It also introduced the corresponding obligation for the Administration to make electronic means available for the various stages of those administration procedures that involve interaction with citizens.

Thanks to the efforts made, Spain is among the EU leaders in terms of the availability of online public services, as shown by EC and UN surveys.

Although most of the external interface of public services has already been digitised, internal procedures to the Administration have not evolved at the same rate. There is still a long way to go for every action and file processing to be available by electronic means. Digital Government also means redesigning full processes and services, and reviewing the existing organisational approaches. This would not be possible without a larger, more general, cultural change.

In addition, public e-services need to be refined and improved to meet the needs emerging in an ever-changing environment. This means placing end users at the core of public service design.

The digital transformation⁵ of the Administration requires the participation of top-level decision-making bodies. Certainly, ICT units should get involved, but units in charge in administrative procedures are needed too, for they can contribute the necessary leverage to make the transformation happen. What is more, every stakeholder in both the public and the private sectors should be invited to participate, working together and feeling they are actors in the process of the digital transformation. Special attention should be paid to the design of public-private collaboration models to engage the private sector in the design and implementation of measures, increase efficiency in the Administration and take advantage of the knowledge and innovation capacity of private stakeholders.

Against this background, the ICT Strategy will guide the actions at the GA and PAs as a reference tool in decision making and coordination between multiple units supervised by the DTIC. For this to be accomplished, strategic goals and lines of action will be defined, and a series of common landmarks will be set forth to ensure the alignment of all departments on the road to achieving the ultimate global goal.

2

Guiding Principles

The ICT Strategy of the Spanish Government relies on the following principles:

Services need to be redefined from a user-oriented perspective, taking into account both citizens’ and public servants’ needs to make them more accessible, usable, simple and secure. The redefinition should spread inside the Administration, reformulating procedures and the associated information towards unique sets of consistent, interoperable, redundancy-free data shared by simplified, standardised, interoperable digital procedures from beginning to end.

The digital transformation of the Administration should rely on a holistic view of its common actions and needs, ensuring robust evolution and avoiding redundancy. A strategic vision of services and an adequate scope of common projects can only be accomplished on the basis of a global vision at the core of the organisation, just as behaving as a single client before suppliers can save costs and improve service quality.

In order the face the challenges posed by the transformation of the Administration in an ever-changing environment, joint efforts should be made by all stakeholders, including citizens, businesses and organisations. Alliances should be forged with both public and private actors to offer better-quality services, increase efficiency, boost innovation and make available to businesses the information held in the Administration that might contribute to the creation of wealth.

Ongoing monitoring of activity, along with evaluation and dissemination of results, raises citizen satisfaction through the possibility to know and control Administration activity, and facilitates the analysis of results for the alignment of ICT with Government priorities.

The culture of continuous improvement in public services should be promoted at all times. This means redesigning procedures and services for digital transformation, so that the tasks performed by public servants lead to focus on results in their units, in compliance with the relevant procedural regulations. This, in turn, entails opening up to innovative ideas, following goal-oriented approaches and enhancing capabilities by means of training with the aim of offering the best public services.

Orientation for service users

Unity and global vision

Collaboration and alliances

Transparency

Innovation

3

Strategic Goals

Strategic goal 1

Increased productivity and efficiency in the internal functioning of the Administration

Law 11/2007, which enshrined citizens’ right to get electronic access to public services, was a milestone in the expansion of new information technologies in the Administration. However, although this law set forth an ambitious scheme for a comprehensive transformation of the Administration, its clauses only focused on those stages in administrative procedures where there is interaction with citizens. At present, some procedures can be initiated online, but when the application reaches the receiving administrative unit, it is printed and processed in paper for resolution and notification.

‘Automated administrative procedures are to be preferred when the nature of the procedure makes this possible; also, a deadline must be set for file resolution when the procedures do not require individual verification.’

The deep, conditioning changes that the General Administration (GA) and the public agencies belonging to it (PAs) must face to fulfil their mandates and missions require increased efficiency in internal functioning, as well as the development of new, more dynamic and flexible, procedures.

To this end, information and communication technologies (ICT) and their possibilities are a key tool to improve and rationalise internal management and administrative processes, both within and between departments.

In designing information systems, the productivity of public servants must be maximised by sparing them all those tasks that can be computerised. Thus, the order of precedence in any file-based procedure should be:

1)      Automated: When the analysis of support information and the decision criteria can be integrated into the programme processing the file.

2)      Collective: When the analysis of support information enables file classification by attributes, based on which a public servant can process a group of files with common attributes.

3)      Individual: When there is no other way of analysing support information content and/or applying decision criteria, i.e. when it is not possible to translate the procedure into automated rules or attributes and thus classify the file for collective handling.

It should be noted that the digital transformation should apply not only to administrative procedures where there is interaction with third parties (citizens or businesses) but also to the internal functioning or management procedures underlying the activity of the functional areas⁶ of the various departments. This goal is laid down in the forthcoming Law on Common Administrative Procedures in the Public Administration.

In this regard, the encouragement of digital jobs or telecommuting (both home-sourced and nomad workers) could result in a significant increase of efficiency in the Administration, and more flexibility as well as higher motivation for public servants.

Telecommuting is a critical factor to take into account when designing technology solutions for the workload to be transferred where the most qualified public servants are to take care of it, in compliance with the regulations governing the allocation of competences in each PA.

In order to ensure the implementation of e-Government, it is essential to rely on the support of the public servants involved. The staff in front-line offices play a particularly relevant role in digitising the Administration, so they must all have the knowledge required to use the new technologies.

Strategic goal 2

Choice of the digital channel by citizens and businesses to interact with the Administration

There is a wide variety of e-services in the public sector in Spain, giving citizens and businesses the chance to complete administrative procedures by electronic means. However, the use of e-services is limited: only 32% of Internet users apply to initiate, carry out and finish administrative procedures online (source: Eurostat 2013).

‘Each and every sector in the Administration must be capable of developing business models with all the actors involved in an effort to offer comprehensive services to citizens.’

The public services offered on the Internet have to be comprehensive, irrespective of the PA in charge. Also, they must be designed on the basis of citizen and/or public servant needs, involving these actors in their development and evaluation. Finally, they need to be simple and easy to use. This should attract users, making e-services their preferred choice over traditional procedures and eventually improving their quality of life.

Synergies must be cemented between the Administration and the public sector to provide services that match today’s society and economy. Each and every sector in the Administration must be capable of developing business models with all the actors involved in an effort to offer comprehensive services to citizens.

This goal is a complement to the first strategic goal, as the internal digitisation of the Administration should contribute to improve the quality of public services, simplifying the relationship with citizens through the digital channel.

Strategic goal 3

Greater efficiency in the provision of ICT services in the Administration

‘The provision of shared IT services should be the preferred option in order to take advantage of economies of scale and thus save costs in the Administration.’

E-services in the public sector and the expected use of IT should be not only as good as possible but also as cost-effective as possible, guaranteeing the value of the investment made.

In order to optimise the functioning of the Administration and transform it into an efficient body, strong collaboration is needed between the various administrative units. The search for synergies is thus a fundamental principle to make progress towards an organisation that is agile despite being so big.

The new ICT governance model in the GA lays the foundation for greater efficiency in the allocation and use of public resources, in accordance with the Law on the Organisation and Functioning of the General Administration (LOFAGE). The provision of shared IT services should be the preferred option in order to take advantage of economies of scale and thus save costs in the Administration, except when coordination costs would lead to diseconomies of scale.

In complex organisations like the Public Administration, the establishment of efficient procedures, the standardisation of service and technology, interoperability, the re-use of assets and the sharing of knowledge will all contribute to create an efficient scenario where it is easier to select the most adequate provision of services on a case-by-case basis. This will in turn lead to greater efficiency from the standardisation of services unrelated to ICT. Thus, in order to ensure an optimal functioning of the Administration, it is necessary to invest in ICT services that can act as change facilitators.

Strategic goal 4

Smart corporate management of knowledge, data and information

Information is a vital resource in an organisation. Almost every activity in the Administration revolves around information in a variety of forms: numerical data, text documents, images, videos, etc. All this information must be produced, stored, protected, shared and/or published in compliance with the highest standards, making it available at the right time and accessible from any place, with the required security and privacy assurance. In line with this process to open public information, the Law on Transparency and Good Governance was passed a couple of years ago.

ICT development has led to the production of a huge amount of information as a result of the activity of the Administration in connection with internal procedures, social media, interaction with citizens, and so on. All this information opens up new perspectives and enables the development of innovative services based on emerging technologies, such as the processing of large volumes of information, data mining, predictive analytics, and others.

‘A shared interdepartmental platform or the equivalent technical means will be developed, containing the necessary computer tools and regulatory instruments to ensure a proportional, justified and secure use of the aggregate information according to its benefits for citizens and for the Administration.’

The information must be electronically stored by default to facilitate the opening of data to the country’s economy, favour the exchange of information, capture knowledge, improve accountability in administrative activity and enable data-based decision making.

The aggregation of information from different sources in the Administration, as well as from external sources, adds exponential value to knowledge of citizens in an effort to offer new services and significantly improve sectoral decision making. A shared interdepartmental platform or the equivalent technical means will be developed, containing the necessary computer tools and regulatory instruments to ensure a proportional, justified and secure use of the aggregate information according to its benefits for citizens and for the Administration and protecting the security of personal information.

Strategic goal 5

Corporate security and usability strategy

For a deep digital transformation in the internal functioning of the Administration and its relations with third parties, confidence in e-Government must be built to minimise or eliminate the risks associated with using it. The lack of trust has to do with the perception (often on no grounds) that digital information is more fragile, privacy in digital environments is more vulnerable and the technology used is less transparent. Active publicity of e-services and their quality can play a significant role in modifying this perception, disseminating information on the assurances and advantages of their use (saving time and money).

Security is crucial to overcome mistrust in the use of new technologies. Issues to be addressed include the prevention of cyber-attacks and the reduction of cyber-risks.

‘In any case, balance has to be struck between service security and usability.’

In any case, balance has to be struck between service security and usability. In order to do this, services must be classified in terms of criticality. The aim is to encourage their use while reducing threats. A system that is user-friendly minimises involuntary mistakes, while system security prevents undesired activity against the system.

A holistic view of the environment that needs to be protected is provided in the National Interoperability Framework.

4

Lines of Action

In order to achieve the strategic goals set forth above, the ICT Strategy is structured into a series of lines of action comprising sets of measures to be implemented in the GA and in PAs. These measures will be carried out by the Directorate of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC) or by ministerial departments, in the development of specific actions promoted and coordinated by the DTIC within the framework of the ICT Strategy.

Chapter 6 – Appendix: Landmarks – lists the short-, medium- and long-term accomplishments for a follow-up of the results for each line of action.

Line of action 1

Making the internal management processes of administrative units digital

The increase in productivity and efficiency in the Administration can be boosted with a wise use of new technologies in the internal procedures of administrative units. For once, task performance can become more agile by doing away with paper document exchanges between and within units. Also, the use of ICT ensures greater control of the functioning of the Administration and, consequently, greater transparency.

Steps need to be taken towards automated processing in the design of sectoral procedures when individual file processing is not required and the nature of the files makes this possible.

Furthermore, process digitisation should reach not only the procedures initiated by citizens, businesses or external organisations but also those involving services to public servants and internal management in support of the mandates of the various functional areas in each department. This is addressed in the forthcoming Law on Common Administrative Procedures in the Public Administration.

Thus, it is essential to get users and functional areas involved in the design of digitised administrative and internal management procedures. The redesign process should minimise administrative burden, based on the Handbook for the Reduction of Administrative Burden.

The sectoral action plans for digital transformation should specify which functional areas are being digitised in order of priority for improve their organisation and functioning.

The measures for the internal digitisation of the Administration are:

To promote the use of e-procedures from beginning to end, without conversion to paper in any stage.

To update the catalogue of administrative procedures so that it contains the following information for each procedure:

Diagram.

Subject of the procedure.

Statuses it might go through and maximum amount of time for each status.

Description of procedures and matching statuses; possibilities of automated and/or collective processing.

To analyse and simplify working procedures before digitisation, adding those functions that may be asked for (new forms of access, enhanced security, etc.) and deleting redundant or duplicate functions.

To develop new solutions or re-use those that have been tested in similar environments for the digitisation of activity at the various functional areas of GA and PA departments.

To ensure the electronic exchange of information between administrative units by default, thus boosting the use of Web services.

To devise an e-document management policy that ensures acceptance at the various units, encompassing document organisation, classification of information and implementation of standards for the exchange of information by electronic means and for the filing of documents.

To enable public consultation by electronic access and ensure semantic interoperability between surveys (primary registers held in the Administration) after inventory, protecting the proprietary nature of the data and the disclosure exceptions set forth in the law.

To include e-Government indicators in the goals plans for front-desk staff in order to assess their digital skills. In line with this, e-Government training programmes will be implemented.

Line of action 2

Developing digital jobs

The need to implement digital jobs in the GA partly stems from the sixth final provision of Law 11/2007, of 2 June, on Citizen’s Electronic Access to Public Services, which referred to telecommuting in the GA.

Likewise, Royal Decree-Law 3/2012, of 10 February, on Urgent Labour Market Reform Measures, describes telework as ‘that work arrangement in which tasks are mostly performed by employees who do not commute to a central place of work but rather stay at home or work from their location of choice.’

In addition, the Council Recommendation on the National Reform Programme of Spain 2012 supports the regulation of telecommuting in the Public Administration, encouraging the modernisation of work systems and cost reduction in chapters 2 and 6 of the State’s General Budget.

On the basis of these provisions, the Administration needs to play an active role in this area, developing digital jobs.

This means making the material means available for the use of ICT in the development of digital jobs and the implementation of a framework laying down the terms of new work arrangements, e.g. more flexible hours so that employees can perform all or part of their tasks in a location other than a central place of work.

The measures that would contribute to implement this line of action are:

To provide public servants in this work system with the material means required to perform their tasks in a location other than their workplace, ensuring full access to the information and the collaborative tools they need to do their job.

To set the framework for the definition of goals, characteristics of a flexible work scheme and performance follow-up.

To draft a guide or handbook on the implementation of digital jobs in the Public Administration.

Line of action 3

Providing e-services in the public sector that match the new technologies

The quality of public e-services reflects the maturity of an Administration. E-services in the public sector include both transactions based on legally established procedures (applications for benefits or entitlements, aids, leaves, jobs in the public sector, and others) and information services involving an interaction between the Administration and citizens in the absence of specific procedures. At present, there are several digital channels for the provision of services. In addition to the Web, there is growing demand for mobile platforms and social media to have access to services or interact with service providers.

The Administration has to meet emerging social demand and facilitate the search and sharing of information. Services must be available anywhere, from all kinds of devices, at any time. The Administration needs to know how to use the new technologies (e.g. social media) to continuously improve the provision of services and to encourage citizen participation in day-to-day operation. The services must be conceived and designed in a citizen-oriented approach – and, in some cases, in an approach focusing on public servants. This means reengineering and simplifying procedures and regulations to make digital channels the main channel, accessible from mobile devices.

The Administration is a complex and big-size body with divided competences at the territorial and institutional levels. However, the vocation to serve citizens means protecting them from this complexity, sparing them the internal structure mechanisms when they access public services. Coordination and collaboration are fundamental to ensure the provision of quality public services. New technologies can contribute to project a unified image of the Administration. Citizen folders containing all the procedures with the GA are a key tool too.

New regulations must envisage the digital channel as the default channel for administrative procedures, other formats being kept as alternative channels for citizens requesting to use them. What is more, certain rights have to become effective, like the right not to provide data that is already registered with the Administration. Digital Government has to be a tool at the service of entrepreneurs, SMEs and big companies too, contributing to a rise in business start-ups in Spain.

The measures that could be taken to provide public services that match the new technologies include:

To include the digital channel by default in the provision of services when the user is qualified to use digital media.

To gather all the information needed to process a file via communication between administrative units, refraining from requesting data already held in the Administration.

To design new services for mobile platforms, taking advantage of their capabilities (e.g. to carry e-documents in image, audio or video file formats).

To implement social collaboration and registered proxy access mechanisms in all the services and procedures targeted at citizens, making it easier to act on behalf of citizens in their relationship with the Administration.

To enable an identification mechanism through username and password, integrated into the Cl@ve platform.

To implement citizen folders where the information kept in each administrative unit about a citizen is kept.

To enable e-notifications (email address and/or single point of access for appearance notices) and integrate them into the general point of access.

To facilitate access to public services to Spanish citizens living abroad and foreign citizens living in Spain.

To make available the digital management tools and information required to set up a business.

Poner a

Line of action 4

Improving user satisfaction with e-services in the public sector

For citizens and businesses to use public services over the Internet rather than visiting Administration offices and for public servants to prefer electronic means to perform their tasks, their opinion should be taken into account and indicators should be developed to measure their level of satisfaction and respond to their demands adequately.

Eurostat is currently conducting a survey about the most demanded services and the most frequent problems faced by citizens when using public e-services.

An internal view associated to each service is required, making decision making easier for continuous improvement. Also, a global vision can help improve usability and accessibility of both services and information in the Administration at large.

The contributions made by public servants leading to significant improvements in terms of the efficiency and quality of public services are to be encouraged and rewarded.

The measures aimed at improving user satisfaction with public e-services are:

To give assistance in the use of public e-services (by chat, email or phone).

To centralise phone and user assistance services at departments and PAs to encourage the use of e-services 24/7, all year round.

To offer training to agents who provide information on e-Government at citizen/business assistance centres.

To analyse and promote the improvement of public e-services.

To give information on status/completion when a public e-service is used.

To conduct satisfaction surveys after a public e-service is used.

To make administrative activity measuring tools available to GA organisations.

Line of action 5

Promoting innovation in the provision of services

The Administration has a highly complex organisation and functioning. This often makes it difficult to innovate when trying to provide better-quality services or increase internal efficiency.

Innovation allows for the design of new ways of providing public services, but there must be room for innovation inertia in public service design. New technologies are constantly evolving; thus, knowing and applying them can be an invaluable source of innovation in the Administration.

Innovation can come from a need that must be addressed or an ICT solution that may be applied.

The Ministerial Committees on Digital Government (Spanish acronym: CMADs) should be set up as catalysts for innovation, as they gather public servants using many of the services provided and ICT staff with the required knowledge about ICT potential. Innovation is not to be confined to computer applications but extended to ideas to transform public serves. This means identifying all the components in a solution: redefinition of procedures, changes in the organisation, changes in the information required, possible alliances, ICT pieces.

Sharing innovation experiences at CMADs may lead to an exchange of good practices between administrative units and, with it, to the introduction of continuous improvement cycles in the Administration.

Also, social media can be a key channel to promote innovation, allowing for interaction between citizens or businesses and public administrations about initiatives to improve public services.

The Public Management Quality and Innovation Awards make a good platform to discuss innovative ideas. The Spanish Administration should be perceived as an innovative administration.

Measures aimed at promoting innovation in the Administration include:

To encourage the creation of interdisciplinary teams to design e-services.

To promote the emergence of ideas and creativity when looking for new solutions.

To enhance communication with citizens and businesses in social media, engaging them in the design of public services and thus favouring continuous improvement cycles.

To exchange knowledge using collaborative tools.

To establish a digital transformation forum gathering autonomous communities, local governments, business associations, middlemen and user organisations.

To include innovation promotion procedures in action plans at the ministerial level, supporting the actions taken by CMADs.

To encourage the development of applications for the production of information in re-usable formats.

To set a common project management framework where innovation is welcomed right from the project concept stage.

To give awards to public servants suggesting innovative measures to take in the Administration.

To find cooperation mechanisms with the private sector in order to develop processes that optimise the provision of services.

Line of action 6

Providing shared common services

The TDIC shall promote the identification, declaration, design and implementation of common means and services for the provision of quality e-services in the GA and PAs, in accordance with the lines of action laid down by the ICT Strategy Committee.

At the ministerial level, CMADs shall be in charge of internal coordination in each department for the digital transformation of functional areas. The whole process shall be governed by the principle of rationalisation, encouraging the sharing of common services and infrastructure, as well as the use of shared sectoral applications within each ministry.

In order to do this, ICT means and services should be identified that fulfil transversal needs in a significant number of administrative units. Meanwhile, CMADs could focus on the digitisation of services and procedures at the departmental level in order to standardise, simplify and improve them.

ICT services will be provided in a collaborative way by those centres with the capacity to act as providers of certain transversal services that may be of use to the GA and PAs in an effort to take advantage of economies of scale.

Encouraging the general use of shared services, along with the measures listed below, will be framed within the governance of ICT in the GA and the applicable legal regime.

The measures targeted at sharing common services are:

To reduce the number of data processing centres (DPCs) in the AG and PAs, declaring them as shared and setting them as ICT consolidation nodes.

To consolidate public hosting and housing nodes.

To consolidate technology platforms and infrastructure on a hybrid cloud (SARA cloud) offering software, platforms and infrastructure as a service (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS). The SARA cloud will be comprised of private nodes and consolidated public nodes, allowing for joint planning of capacity management. The cloud should allow for reversible loading between public and private nodes at all times, with no impact on the service being provided.

To centrally manage workplaces and peripherals, or to set forth mandatory management standards.

To centralise common ICT services that may be considered as shared services, so that they can be provided within a ministry if they have a sectoral character or for the Administration at large if they are transversal in nature.

To make it mandatory to use an existing shared service or application before developing a new one from the onset. Likewise, before introducing significant changes in an application, it should be mandatory to use an existing shared service performing a similar function.

To analyse and carry out a reallocation of ICT human resources with the bodies having HR competences to match the shared service model as services are declared as shared.

To design public-private cooperation models that make it easier to implement shared services.

Line of action 7

Publishing information for citizens and businesses and facilitating its being re-used

Information can be an invaluable asset in contemporary society. The Administration handles huge amounts of information related to its activity. Quite often, the information held in the Administration is the raw material used to manufacture new services for citizens or businesses. Access to and re-use of the data owned by the Administration in compliance with the constraints imposed by the relevant laws can have a positive impact on the national GDP, as the development of new services usually results in job creation and citizen satisfaction with a broader offer of services that make everyday life easier.

Likewise, citizens have a right to know about the functioning of the Administration, as stipulated in the Law on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance. This information is published in the Transparency Portal, which also serves as a point of access to request further information of interest.

The sharing of information should comply with the applicable protective measures, e.g. those arising from the Organic Law on Personal Data Protection.

For huge amounts of information to be handled and published, ICT must reach the heart of every administrative unit.

The measures that could be taken to implement this line of action are:

To identify the information with a potential for re-use from the moment when information systems are conceived, including an analysis of the public interest of the information being handled and the possible API integrations with infomediaries in application development file reports.

To promote the use of re-usable formats in data management.

To standardise and optimise Web publishing systems for better-quality portals.

Line of action 8

Relying on data analysis systems for decision making

Within any organisation, information is need to make changes for organisational improvement, produce knowledge, plan effectively, assess and review achievements, analyse trends in service use, and manage prevention and budgetary control.

To some centres in the Administration, data analysis is fundamental for activity. In many others, however, data analysis has not been implemented. Progress has to be made in this area in order to introduce continuous improvement based on available information.

The measures that could be taken in this regard are:

To establish a platform for interdepartmental analysis of shared data or an equivalent mechanism, subject to a prior favourable report from the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), introducing the necessary regulatory changes.

To develop tools and standards to use location-based information in compliance with European regulations.

To design mechanisms to share information with citizens, making integrated presentations.

To encourage systematic, predictive and evaluative analyses based on multiple data sources.

To establish activity and/or performance indicators with the relevant bodies for the GA and PAs in connection with the provision of public e-services. These indicators should be obtained directly from information systems rather than being processed manually.

Line of action 9

Ensuring the security of GA and PA information systems

The National Security Scheme (NSS) contains all the necessary elements to build confidence in the use of electronic means for interactions between citizens in the Administration in fully reliable, secure environments.

The NSS includes a set of measures applicable to information in the systems and networks owned by the Administration, with a focus on those systems that support the provision of public services to citizens or businesses. This approach should be broadened, introducing continuous improvement cycles in the protection of all information systems.

In addition, balance between security and usability should be considered, as well as the increased system availability and publishing.

This line of action bears a direct relationship with goal 1 of the National Cyber Security Strategy and can contribute to it.

To broaden the scope of the NSS to encompass all information systems in Spanish public administrations, thus extending their benefits and facilitating their implementation in accordance with the National Cyber Security Strategy.

To give information on service availability, indicating the maximum percentage of unavailability for the most critical services.

To create secure environments where citizens feel safe when using public e-services.

To design a common security policy for the GA and PAs.

To implement a common security platform that ensures compliance with acceptable minimum security standards by all bodies.

STRATEGIC GOALS

RELATED LINES OF ACTION

SG1. Increased productivity and efficiency in the internal functioning of the Administration

LA1. Making the internal management processes of administrative units digital

LA2. Developing digital jobs

SG2. Choice of the digital channel by citizens and businesses to interact with the Administration

LA3. Providing e-services in the public sector that match the new technologies

LA4. Improving user satisfaction with e-services in the public sector

LA5. Promoting innovation in the provision of services

SG3. Greater efficiency in the provision of ICT services in the Administration

LA6. Providing shared common services

SG4. Smart corporate management of knowledge, data and information

LA7. Publishing information for citizens and businesses

LA8. Relying on data analysis systems for decision making

SG5. Corporate security and usability strategy

LA9. Ensuring the security of GA and PA information systems

5

Governance

The ICT Strategy designs the road map for the digital transformation of the General Administration (GA) and the Public Agencies belonging to it (PAs) in a period through the year 2020. It sets the global strategic framework that should comprise the sectoral action plans drafted by the various ministries to promote the digital transformation in their areas, with the collaboration of the Directorate of Information and Communication Technologies (DTIC), the agency in charge of implementing the shared means and services.

The DTIC shall review the validity of this plan on an annual basis, suggesting changes whenever necessary to make sure an adequate use is being made of the IT resources available, meeting the needs arising from the Government’s general strategy.

This document is thus flexible enough to constantly adapt to the goals set forth by the Government without ever losing sight of the overarching purpose of the Digital Government in both internal functioning and relations with citizens. Thus, in addition to the progress made in the implementation of this strategy, the annual review should check its alignment with the public policies launched by the Government.

In order to coordinate the efforts required to materialise this strategy, a well-structured governance system is needed that allows for all the measures set forth here to become effective and includes follow-up and control mechanisms for corrective action.

Implementation

In order to implement this ITC Strategy, the DTIC will design a series of specific measures for the shared management of certain services, while the ministries will draft and implement sectoral action plans following the DTIC guidelines. The DTIC, along with the Ministerial Committees on Digital Government (CMADs), will supervise the implementation of the specific measures set forth in the sectoral action plan of each department in an effort for global follow-up.

Meanwhile, the CMADs will act as facilitators and catalysts in this process, contributing to engage the managers of the various administrative units. In order to facilitate measure design and provide basic criteria for action standardisation, a project management framework will be developed to apply across the GA and PAs. This should make it easier to set forth clear goals for action, plan activities and resources, and assess results on the basis of standard indicators.

Besides, technical interoperability and other standards will be drafted to ensure that homogeneous, coordinated solutions are given in the provision of services.

Autonomous communities and local governments will be invited to join in the measures set forth and approve plans that are in harmony with this ICT Strategy. This aspect will be coordinated by the Sectoral E-Government Committee of the DTIC.

Follow-up

The DTIC will be in charge of the follow-up for this plan, suggesting the necessary measures for individual action adjustment to the implementation of this ICT Strategy to the ICT Steering Committee and the CMADs. In addition, it will draft reports on the progress made in the implementation of the ICT Strategy, with the collaboration of the CMADs. These reports on the status of the digital transformation of the Administration will be submitted to the ICT Strategy Committee on an annual basis for approval and subsequent submission to the Council of Ministers by the President of the Committee.

Using the appropriate management tools, the DTIC will follow up progress and gather the relevant information about measure development. A balance scorecard will be used to check the main progress indicators in a clear, easy way. Also, key indicators will be determined to measure the achievement of strategic goals and follow up both compliance with the ICT Strategy by individual departments and effectiveness of the actions taken. These indicators should measure progress towards goal achievement in such areas as rationalisation of costs, technical quality of services, and user behaviour and satisfaction.

Communication

A Communication Plan will be drafted to raise awareness among members of the managerial and technical staff of the need to address process digitisation and show how to deal with the digital transformation.

In particular, the need will be addressed that both management units in the Administrative Information System (Spanish acronym: SIA) and Web content units in ministries are sufficiently acquainted with the ICT Strategy and with the action they must take to achieve the relevant landmarks in coordination with the CMAD in their departmental area.

Finally, the dissemination of the ICT Strategy and the state of progress in its implementation will be promoted. Outreach activities will be carried out in international forums, including the OECD LE-Leaders network for the follow-up of digital strategies. All actions connected to the ICT Strategy will be available on the E-Government Portal, and information sessions will be held at the National Institute for Public Administration (Spanish acronym: INAP) and state schools at the regional level.

Finance and human resources

The digital transformation of the Administration involves adequate management of change and, therefore, strong political leadership.

One of the main goals of the ICT Strategy is the rationalisation of public resources in the area of ICT, which are currently scattered across the Administration. In line with this, an aggregate use of resources is to be promoted for the shared provision of services common to two or more administrative areas, which should result in more efficient public spending in common systems and the reallocation of financial resources and staff to other sectoral needs.

It is a necessary exercise in responsible public management, using the available resources for common goals along lines that group scattered, independent (sometimes even redundant) actions. The new administrative performance principle enshrined in the Bill of Law on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector – the interoperability of electronic means and systems, and the common provision of services for citizens – is easier, faster and less expensive to comply with through the availability of shared services.

The policies to curb public spending that citizens expect public authorities to implement and the demand for guaranteed efficiency in administrative performance are the strongest argument for a Digital Transformation Plan whose starting point should be the mandate not to increase public spending. The GA’s financial capacity should be used to achieve better results, steering expenditure on the basis of a common strategy and rearranging the human resources available to materialise the changes.

As to public spending on the development of the ICT Strategy, the goal is to address it without increasing the existing appropriations. However, in order to make the transformations included in this plan, financing mechanisms should be developed for the investment required – internal mechanisms for the reallocation of financial resources for both shared and sectoral services. The transformations for the shared use of ICT services and means should result in less expenditure. This should in turn enable to address the transformation projects defined in the sectoral action plans in accordance with budgetary stability and as indicated by the relevant bodies.

The Administration’s ICT human resources should play a key role in this digital transformation, so they need to be adequately allocated in terms of both goals and tasks, going beyond the mere management and follow-up of resources to become the critical factor for digital innovation and transformation.

A diagnosis must be made of the situation of ICT staff in ICT units whose tasks correspond to shared services being consolidated and ICT human resources should be reallocated with the help of bodies with competences in this area (especially the Executive Commission of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Remunerations, CECIR). The above-mentioned staff could go to strengthen those units providing the shared services or stay in the original ICT units if they are to provide other, sectoral, ICT services. Both the rearrangement and selection of staff to provide shared services, and the staffing policies to meet the technological capability needs for goal achievement will be designed by the DTIC, with the collaboration of the relevant bodies with competences in public office and HR management.

In line with the provisions in the Bill of Law on the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, the proliferation of centres providing ICT services is to be avoided, encouraging the concentration of staff in the most relevant ICT units and thus increasing the overall capacity to provide ICT services by eliminating data silos. This should result in a smaller number of ICT units and remedy the excessive fragmentation of the ICT resources currently available.

Parallel to the implementation of this plan, a staffing proposal will be drafted to have the personnel with the technological capabilities needed to achieve the goals set forth.

6

Appendix: Landmarks

Line of action 1      

Making the internal management processes of administrative units digital

2015: 80% notifications produced in the Administration issued at the GA and PA print and postage centres; 20% sent by electronic means.

2016: 80% GA and PA entries digitised, so that no paper documents are sent to units in charge in administrative procedures except for documents that cannot be digitised. 100% entries digitised by 2017.

2016: Review of the National Interoperability Framework in support of the measures taken to implement this line of action.

2016: Content update of procedure catalogues by individual bodies, based on the description in the measures for high-impact procedures. 2017: Review extended to other procedures.

2016: At least one automated high-impact procedure and one collective processing for a high-impact procedure for each body in ministerial departments, according to sectoral priorities, except for those bodies whose procedures require individual processing. In subsequent years, bodies shall analyse and report to the corresponding CMADs on the feasibility of developing and implementing new automated and collective procedures, in decreasing order of impact.

2017: Single e-files in all bodies for e-documents corresponding to completed procedures.

2020: 100% data and document exchanges within and between GA units made by electronic means. By 2020, 100% of the functional areas in the GA with shared means and services should perform their activities electronically.

2020: 75% functional areas classified as sectoral within a given department on the basis of their specific competences to perform activities by electronic means. To achieve this goal, each ministry should design specific measures in their action plans for digital transformation.

2016: Technology training and update plan for public servants, with distinct contents for ICT users and staff with ICT tasks.

It should be understood that those administrative or internal management procedures that cannot be digitised with the technology solutions available at a given moment (as verified by the relevant CMAD on the basis of the special characteristics of the department they belong to) should not be taken into account to calculate the percentages above.

Line of action 2

Developing digital jobs

2016: Definition of adequate job positions to implement this work system.

2016: At least three ministerial departments with specifically defined job positions subject to the new system. 2017: Selection gradually extended to other ministries within a maximum of two years (2017-2018).

First half of 2017: Drafting of guide or handbook on implementation and framework for definition of goals, characteristics of flexible work schemes and performance follow-up.

Second half of 2017: Material means supplied to public servants working within the new system.

Line of action 3

Providing e-services in the public sector that match the new technologies

Feasibility analysis of electronic implementation of procedures in regulatory impact reports on the regulations governing administrative procedures.

2016: 30% citizen files processed in the GA and PAs available in citizen folders. 2017: 50% files available. 2018: 75%. 2020: 80%.

2020: 100% public services accessible from mobiles, except for those services that are not functionally adaptable.

2017: Interoperability of administrative units with Electronic Proxy Registries or use of the GA Electronic Proxy Registry, managed by the DTIC, for units without this kind of registries.

2020: 100% administrative units holding information about citizens or businesses registered in the mediation platform.

Line of action 4

Improving user satisfaction with e-services in the public sector

2016: Availability of a style guide to provide e-services in the GA and PAs.

2016: 20% public e-services offering satisfaction surveys. 2017: 100% public e-services offering this kind of surveys.

2017: Assistance plans to use e-services available in social media or through other channels for all ministerial departments.

2017: GA and PA public e-service Usability Observatory in operation – one of the tasks to be performed by the Deputy Directorate-General for ICT Unit Coordination.

2017: Assistance given to citizens in the use of public e-services in all front-line offices.

2020: Indication of state of progress in all services.

Line of action 5

Promoting innovation in the provision of services

2016: Availability of an Innovation Plan for the GA.

2016: Availability of a style guide to standardise Web publications in the GA and PAs.

2016: Internal availability of collaborative tools within the GA and PAs. 2017: Tools extended to 100% users.

2020: Availability of a common project management framework for the GA.

2017: First edition of individual awards for innovation granted to public servants.

Line of action 6

Providing shared common services

2015: First declaration of shared services. New declarations every year from then on.

2015: Availability of a common identification system through username and password integrated into the Cl@ve platform for all GA services.

2016: Availability of the Infrastructure Transformation Plan, guiding ministerial departments in the technological convergence and transformation required to reduce the number of DPCs in the GA.

Late 2016: Less than 100 DPCs in the GA. 2018: Less than 50 DPCs. 2020: Less than 10.

2016: Availability of a plan to unify licences and custom application development and running environments across the GA (voluntary adherence).

2017: 20% workplaces centrally managed or managed in accordance with DTIC standards. 2018: 40% workplaces managed in this way. 2019: 60%. 2020: 80%.

Line of action 7

Publishing information for citizens and businesses

As of 2016: Re-use analysis identifying the data that may be produced and published included in reports accompanying development projects whose budgets exceed €300,000.

2017: Mandatory information and document classification model so that all departments arrange the information in a manner that makes it easier to exchange and re-use it.

2020: 100% information and documents produced at departmental level following the above-mentioned information and document classification model.

Line of action 8

Relying on data analysis systems for decision making

Organisational and technological coordination measures envisaged in sectoral action plans to ensure the consistency, quality and integration of diverse repositories.

2016: Availability of follow-up tools for administrative tasks, with activity or performance indicators for 20% bodies. 2018: Activity or performance indicators for 50% bodies. 2020: Activity or performance indicators for 100% bodies.

Line of action 9

Ensuring the security of GA and PA information systems

2016: Levels of unavailability of public services of interest and high-impact services published on the e-offices of ministerial departments.

2018: Availability of service and information and telecommunication system support infrastructure continuity plans in case of unforeseen events, in compliance with Law 8/2011, setting forth protective measures for critical infrastructure and classifying ICT as a strategic sector.

2018: Managed security mechanisms available in 100% administrative units.

Notas

[←1]

Respectively, Law 39/2015, of October 1, the Common Administrative Procedure Public Administration (BOE-A-2015-10565); and Law 40/2015, of 1 October, the Legal Regime of the Public Sector (BOE-A-2015-10566).

[←2]

Public Administration Reform Committee Report, 21 June 2013, http://www.seap.minhap.gob.es/dms/es/web/areas/reforma_aapp/INFORME-LIBRO/INFORME%20LIBRO.PDF

[←3]

OECD Recommendation on Digital Government Strategies, http://www.oecd.org/gov/public-innovation/Recommendation-digital-government-strategies.pdf

[←4]

The term ‘user’ here refers to citizens, businesses, organisations and administration agencies.

[←5]

The term ‘digital transformation’ refers to the full review of the tasks, activities and management processes of the goods and services that are specific to an organisation’s nature and mandate, on the basis of the integration of IT resources and capabilities in the organisation’s activities and processes. This review enhances efficiency and effectiveness in public activity and thus adds value to society at large from either an individual or a collective perspective. In a digital transformation, IT plays a key role in the comprehensive processing of large volumes of information, the improvement of decision-making processes and the opening up to innovation and dynamism in expectations, requests and demands of clients and users of these goods and services.

[←6]

The term ‘functional area’ refers to a group of tasks in a specific field or for a specific interest group around which the functioning of an agency is organised and its goals and mandates are established.