Analysis of the Danish Approach to E-Government benefit relalization

The successful use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in public administration and for service delivery has long been the focus of research, international benchmarking, and various case studies. Similarly, governance and cooperation, and multi-stakeholder models used to implement national strategies for electronic government (eGovernment) are attracting attention. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in July 2014, adopted a number of recommendations for public sector digitisation and eGovernment strategies. The recommendations address the strategic direction of eGovernment, implementation, governance, and cooperation models. The recommendations focus on the successful benefit realisation of ICT infrastructure and online services investments, rather than a technological and supply-orientated approach. To achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness, a public- sector governance model and multi-stakeholder cooperation are essential for the successful use and implementation of information technology (IT).
In light of the OECD’s recommendations, this paper investigates the three most-important aspects of eGovernment implementation in Denmark: the strategic focus on benefit realisation, the mandatory joint public IT project, programme and business case models, and lastly a joint public governance and cooperation model.
The analysis shows that the joint public sector eGovernment strategy not only ensures that ICT projects build on previously implemented projects and past experiences but also help authorities to refocus their attention to benefit realisation. The Danish joint-governance IT project and programme and business case models are closely associated with the strategic focus and help minimise the risk of project failure, particularly for IT projects exceeding Danish Kroner (DKK) 10 million (circa € 1.35 million) – for which the models are mandatory. Interestingly, the consensus, participatory and cooperative approaches taken to digitisation in the public sector are two of the most-important factors behind past Danish successes in the field of eGovernment but could be strengthened even further.
In conclusion – and in line with the OECD recommendations – the Danish experience highlights that the technical and supply side focus of eGovernment must be complemented by a strategic focus on public-sector governance and cooperation. Similarly, cross-governmental governance and cooperation models will advance and accelerate successful ICT use.