15 minute read 31 Jan 2022
How can Nordic governments succesfully bridge the digital divide?

How can Nordic governments successfully bridge the digital divide?

Authors
Jonas Groes

Partner, Government & Infrastructure Leader, EY Nordic

Head of EY's services to the public sector in Denmark and Nordics. Analytical and strategically strong adviser who focuses on tasks, challenges and opportunities in the public sector.

Elisabeth Heggløv

Head of Public Sector in the Nordics and the Enterprise Risk business area.

Head of Public Sector in the Nordics. Passionate about improving our public services, innovation and working in a team. She divides her time among her husband, two children, friends and EY.

Linda Andersson

EY EMEIA Sector Leader Government, EY Nordic, Health Sciences & Wellness, Advisory Partner

Present, focused and engaged. Client-centered with a keen interest in innovation and transformation. Runner and cat lover.

15 minute read 31 Jan 2022
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While accelerating public service digitization, governments must understand citizens’ relationship with technology to avoid the risk of disconnecting them.

In brief: 
  • COVID-19 increased people’s reliance on technology for all aspects of their daily life. While many welcomed this change, many are overwhelmed and afraid.
  • As Nordic citizens expect governments to play a more critical role in their lives, public policy and service are under unprecedented pressure to deliver better.
  • To serve citizens better, governments must understand people’s relationship with technology and ensure that disadvantaged groups are not left behind.

The pandemic changed people’s expectations of technology, with the remote set-up pushing them to grow more digitally connected. Now more familiar with technology, most people have clear expectations of how technology should help them with their day-to-day activities. In the Nordic countries – specifically Norway, Sweden and Denmark – 62% of citizens surveyed believe that technology makes life better, with 69% agreeing that it’s needed to solve future problems.

Overall, Nordic citizens are optimistic that advancements in technology will positively impact their lives. However, there are still sections of people who find technology challenging and overwhelming. Thirty-two percent of Nordic citizens feel that while technology can be a major enabler, it could result in greater inequality in society.

But what does these perceptions of technology mean for the public and private sectors?

While the private sector has taken the lead in driving digital services seamlessly, the public sector has some catching up to do. As governments shift more services online, core capabilities such as high-speed digital networks and digital payment systems become more critical. ​Disparities in connectivity and digital access will have huge implications for groups that have limited access to technology.

Without a deeper understanding of people’s expectations of and access to technology, ambitious digital public services will only disconnect more citizens. Governments must understand people’s relationship with technology before continuing to digitize public service delivery.

EY has launched a major research initiative – Connected Citizens – to examine people’s expectations for the role of government and public services, and the nature of the relationship between those who govern and those who are governed.

The study was conducted for 19 countries with the aim to help governments prepare for the future through clear insight into the changing expectations of citizens. In this report, we focus on the findings for Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

Governments can rise to the challenge of building the digital state that citizens are demanding.
George Atalla
EY Global Government & Public Sector Leader

The report answers the vital questions: how do citizens view their lives in a connected world? What do they think about the services they receive from governments? Are they ready for governments to use more data and technology in the delivery of public services? How should governments take a proactive approach to ensure equal access to digital public services?

Chapter 1: Meet the 21st century citizen
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The better the question

Chapter 1: Meet the 21st century citizen

The 21-st century Nordic citizen has lived experience of the pandemic and is aware of how technology has transformed lives.

The 21-st century Nordic citizen has lived experience of the pandemic and is aware of how technology has transformed lives. Digital transformation is no longer a distant concept for people, whose reliance on technology keeps growing every day.

Citizens are using online channels to access private services to a greater extent than government services. While governments have accelerated the digitization of many public services, they continue to lag behind many services provided by the private sector.

We have gathered six key insights on what has changed for citizens since the advent of the pandemic. Nordic citizens believe that:

  1. Quality health care and financial security are key parameters that decide the quality of life.
  2. Advancements in technology will positively impact their lives.
  3. Government was effective in using technology to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  4. While technology plays a positive role but remain unsure about its impact on subjects such as social equality and regulations.
  5. Governments must raise the quality of public services, as citizens have low trust in data sharing.
  6. They must increase their technical skills and participate in the delivery of local public services.

Use of technology in responding to COVID-19

61%

of Nordic citizens believe that government has used digital technology effectively in tackling COVID-19 pandemic, slightly more than the global average across all the countries surveyed.

Use of technology in responding to COVID-19

56%

of Nordic citizens believe that there will be more use of technology in people’s day-to-day lives than there would have been had the pandemic never happened.

Citizens are optimistic about the potential for technology to improve public services in the future. However, governments still have some way to go on their digital journey to meet the expectations of the people they serve.

Before deciding how best to connect with citizens, governments must take up the preparatory task of understanding their citizens’ changing behaviors and expectations.

Chapter 2: Seven citizen personas based on varying degrees of digital readiness
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The better the answer

Chapter 2: Seven citizen personas based on varying degrees of digital readiness

The Connected Citizens survey revealed seven citizen personas – categorized as per their attitude and behavior in the context of being digital-ready.

The Connected Citizens survey revealed seven citizen personas – categorized as per their attitude and behavior in the context of being digital-ready.

  1. Diligent Strivers: young, proactive, and ambitious, they are digitally competent and feel comfortable sharing data with government. They also believe in equal opportunities for all.
  2. Capable Achievers: an older age profile of independent, successful technophiles who embrace digital innovation. They trust governments to use their data appropriately but worry about data theft.
  3. Privacy Defenders: citizens who are older, independent, and well-off. While they value the benefits of technology, they are extremely cautious about sharing personal data with government.
  4. Aspirational Technophiles: younger city -dwellers who are eager for opportunities to be successful. They incorporate technology into every aspect of their lives and are excited by the potential for innovations to empower people and society.
  5. Tech Skeptics: older citizens with lower incomes who are dissatisfied with their lives. They are wary of technology and people in power. Even when the purpose is clear, they are hesitant to share data.
  6. Struggling Providers: the category of younger citizens who tend to be in low-paid, less secure work. They have conflicted feelings about technology and lack the access and skills needed for it.
  7. Passive Outsiders: people with lower levels of income and education who are averse to change. They are completely detached from the digitally connected world around them and are not inclined to learn more about it.

Each of the seven personas interacts differently with technology, and each holds different lessons on how governments can better engage with citizens.

Chapter 3: The way forward for governments
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Chapter 3: The way forward for governments

Governments can take a four-step approach to address people’s needs and build a holistic digital strategy for public service delivery.

Governments can take a four-step approach to address people’s needs and build a holistic digital strategy for public service delivery.

  • Build agile and innovative policies: innovative policies must be built to respond quickly to people’s immediate needs and to address challenges on overall well-being. These policies will be most effective if they are made persona-specific.

To support this, governments must adapt quickly to changing market needs by creating training programs that help workers remain relevant.

  • Promote inclusive digitalization: digitization is needed to rapidly transform public services and ensure that citizens receive the same level of service they get from the private sector. But governments must do this in an inclusive manner and ensure that no groups are left behind.

To do this, governments must deepen their understanding of citizens’ needs and use this insight to design services with efficient touchpoints.

  • Support responsible use of data: as organizations embrace good practices in ethical design and governance, governments will be better equipped to prevent risks, protect information against harmful outcomes and build trust.

With trust established, citizens may become more accepting of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in various government services.

  • Encourage public participation in decision-making: governments have an opportunity to engage citizens directly on the issues they care about. Digital e-participation tools, such as mobile apps and online digital platforms, allow governments to collect inputs directly from citizens, gaining insights to enrich government policy.

By having a say in how public policies should be formulated, people can positively influence the structures that govern them.

Sweden

29%

of citizens say that governments must prioritize using digital technologies in the provision of public services, to improve the quality of services.

Governments must know their connected citizens

The survey shows that Nordic citizens, in general, care deeply about having meaningful experiences, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, learning new skills, and preparing for the future. They also believe that government needs to include more people in decision-making and bring more services available online.

Going by these insights, governments can harness the wisdom of the crowd to help with budget prioritization and service design. In the future, this wisdom will play a key role in improving public policies, advancing digital government, and engaging the public in improving public value.

For responsible governments, understanding the seven citizen personas and utilizing this understanding towards devising clever policies for equitable digital service delivery is the need of the hour.

Download detailed survey insights for Norway, Sweden and Denmark

Summary

Accelerated adoption of technology provides Nordic governments with a unique opportunity to better serve their citizens. But an ambition to digitalize as much and as rapidly as possible results in a one-size-fits-all approach, which could leave more people disconnected from essential government services. Understanding the seven Connected Citizens personas will help governments plan digital service delivery mechanisms that cater to citizens’ every need. By doing so, governments can become more efficient, address digital exclusion to help reduce social inequality and help build a more equitable working world for all.

About this article

Authors
Jonas Groes

Partner, Government & Infrastructure Leader, EY Nordic

Head of EY's services to the public sector in Denmark and Nordics. Analytical and strategically strong adviser who focuses on tasks, challenges and opportunities in the public sector.

Elisabeth Heggløv

Head of Public Sector in the Nordics and the Enterprise Risk business area.

Head of Public Sector in the Nordics. Passionate about improving our public services, innovation and working in a team. She divides her time among her husband, two children, friends and EY.

Linda Andersson

EY EMEIA Sector Leader Government, EY Nordic, Health Sciences & Wellness, Advisory Partner

Present, focused and engaged. Client-centered with a keen interest in innovation and transformation. Runner and cat lover.

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