The Success of Digitalization Is Measured by the Number of Satisfied Citizens

This was stated at the panel “Digital Local Government: Bringing Public Services Closer to Citizens,” held as part of the eighth Digital Summit of the Western Balkans, organized by the Ministry of Public Administration under the auspices of the Government of Montenegro, in partnership with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and within Montenegro’s chairmanship of the Berlin Process. “In this regard, with the support and cooperation of UNOPS, we have established a very good foundation, and based on these results we are now working with the EU Delegation and UNOPS on a more strategic approach and on creating a strong position for local governments regarding electronic document management systems, the digitalization of registers, electronic delivery, and so on. I hope that next year we will begin implementing this project and that it will bring the change we need—namely, a transition from successful pilot projects to strategic solutions that can be replicated in all municipalities,” said Blažić. Marko Vujačić, Programme Manager at the UNOPS Office for Several Southeast European Countries, said that digital transformation is too often understood and equated with the procurement of hardware and software, whereas transformation is much more than that and certainly includes governance arrangements, regulatory reform, an appropriate framework, proper budget planning and, of course, resources to ensure that solutions are fit for purpose. Kokolanski said he would like most citizens in any Montenegrin municipality, in the period ahead, to be able to meet some of their needs from their living rooms via a single digital portal, in fewer than 10 clicks—to obtain certificates, make various payments, report problems and submit requests—without having to go from one counter to another or from one institution to another. “One of the pillars of the services is ‘test before you invest,’ which allows prototypes to be developed for a specific solution or a particular digitalization-related problem that municipalities may face, as well as the provision of specialized training through which the administration’s digital knowledge can genuinely improve and the digitalization process can be properly monitored,” he said.