Digital government transformation has a central role to play to tackle societal challenges and make use of the emerging digital opportunities. Amongst others, the digital transformation of public administration can strengthen trust in government that is necessary for public policies to have effect: by increasing transparency, responsiveness, reliability, and integrity of public governance. Digital government transformation is also significant for the development of the data economy, for ensuring the movement of data as an enabler for digital innovation and for reducing the costs and the barriers to functioning of markets. The course explores the potential of digital technologies in the public sector. It also addresses the patterns of implementation of innovation projects in the public sector focusing on the public management rather than the technical aspects of the digital transformation. This implies analyzing the strategies that the promoters of digital innovation employ in order to define appropriate modes of public governance, shaping new technologies socially given the specific context in which they are embedded. The course aims to provide students with skills to be used in the following fields: - public administration: ensuring the success of e-government measures that public managers and civil servants are increasingly required to implement; optimizing the supply of online public services in line with the users’ needs. international organizations: formulation of standards and recommendations concerning digital transformation in the public sector; monitoring and evaluation of digital government transformation initiatives. - consulting: providing public administrations with knowledge and innovative solutions for digital transformation. - public/private research centers and networks: re-using public sector information to conduct research on trends in public administration and make data-driven decisions; data collection supporting implementation of digital government transformation. - public engagement: providing advice to facilitate participation in decision-making as well as linking public and private partners. - business: re-using public sector information to generate new services and innovative products.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to demonstrate: 1) Knowledge and understanding ability The course addresses the main areas of digital government transformation (transparency and open data, simplification of administrative procedures, applications based on Artificial Intelligence, teleworking arrangements). It also reviews the theoretical approaches for the study of digital government transformation. 2) Capability to apply knowledge and understanding At the end of this course the student will be able collect and process data relating to digital government transformation. The student will also be able to recognize the key factors that affect the design and the implementation of digital government transformation projects. 3) Capability to approach the subject in a critical manner At the end of this course the student will be able to formulate a judgment on the quality of digital government transformation project. The student will also be able to address digital government transformation in terms of risks and adverse effects that may endanger its success. 4) Communication abilities At the end of the course the student will be able to use adequate language for the communication of digital government transformation initiatives. 5) Learning ability At the end of the course the student will be able to review the literature on digital government transformation and to draft a methodology for the analysis of specific case studies.

No specific pre-requirement is needed.

Key principles of digital government transformation (trustworthiness and security, openness and inclusiveness, user centricity, interoperability by default, “once only” - 6 hours); - From New Public Management to Digital Era Governance: the role of digitalization within public management paradigms (6 hours); - Digital government transformation as a multi-level endeavor: the role of international organizations and national, regional and local governments in domestic contexts (6 hours); - Contextual factors and enabling policy steps that affect the implementation of digital government transformation (6 hours); - Transparency and Open data (6 hours); - Digitalization of administrative procedures (6 hours); - Big Data and Artificial intelligence in the public sector (12 hours); - Teleworking in the public sector (6 hours); - Smart cities programmes (6 hours).

The first part of the course consists of frontal lectures to introduce the main concepts and approaches for the study of digital government transformation. The remaining part consists of seminars and students’ presentations on specific issues, followed by discussion.

Anthopoulos, L., Reddick, C.G., Giannakidou, I. e Mavridis, N. [2016], Why e-government projects fail? An analysis of Healthcare.gov website, in «Government Information Quarterly», vol. 33, pp. 161-173. Di Giulio, M. e Vecchi, G. [2021], Implementing digitalization in the public sector. Technologies, agency, and governance, in «Public Policy and Administration», https://doi.org/10.1177%2F09520767211023283. Giest, S. e Raaphorst, N. [2018], Unraveling the hindering factors of digital public service delivery at street-level: the case of electronic health records, in «Policy Design and Practice», vol. 1, pp. 141-154. Giest, S. e Samuels, A. [2020], ‘For good measure’: data gaps in a big data world, in «Policy Science», vol. 53, n. , pp. 559-569. Goldfinch, S. [2007], Pessimism, Computer Failure, and Information Systems Development in the Public Sector, in «Public Administration Review», vol. 67, n. 5, pp. 917-929. Meijer, A. [2015], E-governance innovation: Barriers and strategies, in «Government Information Quarterly», vol. 32, n. 2, pp. 198-206. Wirtz, B.W. e Müller, M.M. [2019], An integrated artificial intelligence framework for public management, in «Public Management Review», vol. 21, n. 7, pp. 1076-1100. Young, M.M., Bullock, J.B. e Lecy, J.D. [2019], Artificial Discretion as a Tool of Governance: A Framework for Understanding the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Public Administration, in «Perspectives on Public Management and Governance», vol. 2, n. 4, pp. 301-313. Further readings Bailey, D.E. e Kurland, N.B. [2002], A review of telework research: findings, new directions, and lessons from the study of modern work, in «Journal of Organizational Behavior», vol. 23, n. 4, pp. 383-400. Bullock, J.B. [2019], Artificial Intelligence, Discretion, and Bureaucracy, in «American Review of Public Administration», vol. 49, n. 7, pp. 751-761. Clarke, A. [2020], Digital government units: what are they, and what do they mean for digital era public management renewal?, in «International Public Management Journal», vol. 23, n. 3, pp. 358-379. de Vries, H., Tummers, L. e Bekkers, V. [2019], The Benefits of Teleworking in the Public Sector: Reality or Rhetoric?, in «Review of Public Personnel Administration», vol. 39, n. 4, pp. 570-593. Homburg, V. [2018] ICT, e-government and e-governance: bits & bytes for public administration, in E. Ongaro e S. van Thiel (a cura di), The Palgrave Handbook of Public Administration and Management in Europe, Basingstoke, Palgrave, pp. 347-361. Janowski, J. [2015], Digital government evolution: From transformation to contextualization, in «Government Information Quarterly», vol. 32, n. 3, pp. 221-236. Janssen, M., Charalabidis, Y. e Zuiderwijk, A. [2012], Benefits, Adoption Barriers and Myths of Open Data and Open Government, in «Information Systems Management», vol. 29, n. 4, pp. 258-268. Maciejewski, M. [2017], To do more, better, faster and more cheaply: using big data in public administration, in «International Review of Administrative Sciences», vol. 83, n. 1, pp. 120-135. Margetts, H. e Dunleavy, P. [2013], The second wave of digital-era governance: a quasi-paradigm for government on the Web, in «Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A», vol. 371, 20120382. Mele, V., Bellé, N. e Cucciniello, M. [2021], Thanks, but No Thanks: Preferences towards Teleworking Colleagues in Public Organizations, in «Journal of Public Administration and Theory», vol. 31, n. 4, pp. 790-805. Mergel, I., Hedelmann, N. e Haug, N. [2019], Defining digital transformation: Results from expert interviews, in «Government Information Quarterly», vol. 36, n. 4, 101385. Misuraca, G. e Van Noordt, C. [2020], AI Watch - Artificial Intelligence in public services, Lussemburgo, Joint Research Centre. Misuraca, G., Barcevičius, E. e Codagnone, C. [2020], Exploring Digital Government Transformation in the EU, Lussemburgo, Joint Research Centre. Sieber, R.E. e Johnson, P.A. [2015], Civic open data at a crossroads: Dominant models and current challenges, in «Government Information Quarterly», vol. 32, n. 3, pp. 308-315.

Slides; Dispense;

Modalità di esame: Prova orale obbligatoria; Elaborato scritto individuale; Elaborato scritto prodotto in gruppo;

Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Individual essay; Group essay;

... The exam tests: • the knowledge and the understanding of the concepts and theoretical approaches for the study of digital government transformation presented in the lectures; • the capability of using concepts and theoretical approaches to analyse, and deal with, digital government transformation. Oral presentation (1/3 of the mark): 20-minutes oral presentations will be assigned to couples of students. Each couple will cover one of the major areas of digital government transformation that will be addressed during the lectures. Oral presentations will take place during seminars for this course. They will be followed by a Q&A session with the peers. Final essay (2/3 of the mark): An assignment (3,000 words) addressing one topic of digital government transformation. The final essay requires the identification of a research question, a brief overview of the relevant literature, a proposal of data and theory to address the research question.

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.