Dansk IT congratulates the new members of Parliament on the election and looks forward to Denmark being given a new and empowered government. Dansk IT welcomes the fact that digitalisation and digital issues have filled more during this election campaign than they have done in the past. Danish society relies heavily on us to harness the digital potential wisely and efficiently. This requires politicians to engage in the digitalisation debate, to have vision and to give a direction to digitalisation.
The Danish IT Committee and Council regularly provide input and recommendations to policy-makers so that they are best placed to take political decisions on how digitalisation can help support the public sector of the future.
It is important that we, as a society, take a critical and constructive position on issues of digitalisation and IT on an informed basis. A broad political debate on digitalisation is also crucial.
Dansk IT hopes that the new Folketing takes note of the impact of digitalisation on the daily lives of individuals. We call on the new Folketing to set an ambitious direction for digitalisation, while ensuring that digitalisation preserves the human face and does not forget citizens and individuals.
In Dansk IT, we have drawn up the following recommendations for the new Folketing:
1. The Danish Parliament should set up a Digitalisation Committee
Itis important that we anchor digitalisation and IT policy in the Danish Parliament. This will ensure the anchoring of political responsibility for digitalisation and the digital foundations of society. This is essential to drive digitalisation forward. A Digitalisation Committee will provide a much-needed boost to the public debate and contribute to greater cohesion.
2. The Government and the Danish Parliament should decide that technology understanding becomes a subject at the Danish School.
A quarter of citizens lack basic digital skills. We need to boost citizens’ digital skills and ensure that future generations are equipped to be reflective and competent digital citizens. Therefore, technology understanding is a crucial subject in the Folkeskole. We are already educating teachers for it – we are just missing the profession.
3. Lack of labour force
Denmark lacks thousands of IT professionals. We need more university and professional forces. In addition, we need to upskill the workforce we already have. Finally, we can also free up many hands by becoming more skilled and smarter to digitalise. This can free up to 12.000 FTEs, as you can find out more in the State procurement practice in the field of digitalisation.
4. Targeted support for SMEs
SMEsneed to be lifted when it comes to digitalisation and cybersecurity. However, many of the measures do not affect the target group and it is too complicated and time-consuming for businesses to look for money and support in the variety of pools and projects. A rethink is needed, such as collective solutions for SMEs and larger, accessible programmes that can truly lift the digital level.
5. Putting citizens first
Dansk IT recommends that the Danish Parliament translate the previous government’s actions into a digital society for all in practice, including an easier exemption from mandatory digital communication. It is crucial that we ensure sufficient and good help on the citizen’s premise, which can at the same time create digital learning. We must ensure that citizens do not lose trust in the state and digitalisation.
6. Public IT solutions to be designed with a human face
We need a new approach to the development of public IT solutions. A holistic mindset is needed, covering the whole process of serving a citizen. It is not only the digital solution that needs to be easily accessible. The same applies to communication, technical and organisational implementation and, in particular, to the support. A representative sample of the population must be involved in the development process in order to ensure that solutions affect the target groups.
7. Invest in the security of digital foundations
Our digital foundations are critical infrastructure – like motorways, electricity grids and bridges. Our society is deeply dependent on digital solutions and the functioning of the internet. Therefore, we must never underestimate security. At the same time, we must have a plan B if a hacker attack or breakdown causes greater damage. This has already happened and will happen again. In this case, we must be prepared. It is more expensive to donate.
8. Determined action to strengthen trust in public IT
If citizens lose trust in digitalisation and public IT systems, at the same time, citizens risk losing trust in the public sector and in democracy. Digital solutions have become the face of the state towards the citizen. This is why we need to step up our efforts to offer the citizen IT solutions that are well-functioning, well designed and beneficial to the citizen.
9. Raise the value of society’s digital investments
Dansk IT has carried out a comprehensive analysis of the state’s digitalisation practices. We have made 14 clear recommendations on how to increase the success rate and impact of digital investments through an assessment of the excessive and complex projects. In addition, our Code of Good Procurementshowshow we can rethink public procurement.
10. Changes in management practices
Dansk IT sees a fundamental need for a new approach to public IT projects. It starts and ends with management. Dansk IT has published a book on leadership at the top of the digital society, which clearly describes the competences a leader must be able to master in a digital age.
See more recommendations and articles from Dansk IT on dit.dk.
Whether Dansk IT
Dansk IT is an independent association of interests and a community of IT professionals. We have almost 12.000 individuals as members. In Dansk IT we can focus on her career through continued skills development and participation in Denmark’s largest IT professional network.
Dansk IT works to promote and support it where this creates value for society and individuals. To bring together, strengthen and develop the skills and professionalism of IT users and IT professionals. And defends, on an independent basis, the IT interests of society and its members.
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