Administrative processes need not be entirely digitalized, according to the Minister's statement. - Administrative processes not being digitized, according to the Minister.
Minister of Reform: Not Every Administrative Process Ought to be Digitized
In a recent statement, Digital Minister Steffen Schuetz emphasized that not every work stage in administrative processes needs to be digitalized. If a company has inefficient processes, Schuetz suggested either streamlining or phasing them out. In the public sector, however, such processes are often maintained before being digitized. If an average work process is digitized, Schuetz argued, it results in an average, digitized process—which needs improvement.
Schuetz believes the focus should be on work processes themselves during the digitalization process. It's crucial to question whether regulations and reporting obligations are truly necessary, he said.
Thuringia has lagged behind other federal states in terms of digitalization, as shown by the Bitkom State Index 2024. In the ranking by the industry association, Thuringia scored 49.6 points compared to Hanseatic city of Hamburg's 73.5 points. In the Germany Index of Digitalization 2023 from the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems, Thuringia also underperformed.
university and educational digitalization are being prioritized in Thuringia. The "eTeach Freiräume" funding program, available to Thuringian universities, supports lecturers in improving digital teaching formats and enhancing learning success. This initiative demonstrates Thuringia's commitment to digital transformation, focusing on education rather than public administration.
Moreover, broader trends, such as the EU’s focus on digital sovereignty, harmonized digital security requirements, and cross-border cooperation, may shape future Thuringian strategies but are not directly linked to administrative process reform or regulatory reduction in Thuringia.
Although educational improvements are on the agenda, no specific work process reforms or regulatory reductions have been outlined as part of the digitalization strategy in Thuringia. The main digitalization initiatives revolve around educational improvements at universities while broader public sector reforms are absent in the available sources.
In light of the Minister of Reform's stance on digitalizing not every administrative process, it could be beneficial for Thuringia to consider digitalizing areas such as vocational training to enhance business efficiency and technology adoption in their community policy. However, the region should also carefully assess the necessity of existing regulations and reporting obligations to ensure a streamlined and improved final digital outcome.
