CEO Today Management Consul t ing Award s 2022 - GERMANY - - 24 - blockchain will soon become a natural part of public IT solutions, and reform them at the same time. I think that we are on the way to digital governance – and that this will be irreversible. Can you share anything about what the future may look like for PD beyond 2022? Stéphane: We will further strengthen our position as a networker to promote the exchange of knowledge and make best practices available. With our newly founded Science Group, we act as an interface between science and administration and contribute to, for example, harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence for the public sector and reducing reservations about AI methods. We are also increasingly providing information via webcasts and podcasts so that even more stakeholders can benefit from our expertise. Ultimately, our task will also be to accompany administrations on their way from vertical task fulfilment towards horizontal approaches. Otherwise, they will not be able to successfully handle major issues of the present, e.g. in the fields of security, climate, sustainability, globalisation and protection of our democracy. Claus: We consider ourselves a role model for the European market. Other European countries, such as Finland and Denmark, have also established in-house public consultancies that advise administrations so that they can become more modern and sustainable – which is in the best interest of the taxpayers. In theRepublic of Cyprus, an in-house consultancy is being planned, which will continue PD’s successful consultancy activities locally. Cyprus is a PD shareholder, and since 2014, we have been advising the country’s Ministry of Finance on the gradual modernisation of the tax and financial administration. We are proud that PD’s consulting services have sparked this development in Cyprus! Are there any trends in the public sector that you feel especially excited about? Stéphane: There are indications that public sector organisations are starting to improve their cooperation in some areas. For example, the PD publication ‘Improving Cybersecurity Through Cooperation Between Federal States’ shows that coordinated cooperation in the field of IT security is one way of effectively countering cyberattacks. Another example is the digitalisation of local authorities. The success of the local authorities in the district of Hochsauerlandkreis is proof that digitalisation can advance rapidly in rural areas if local authorities share tasks and make the results available to everyone. Apart from digitalisation and cooperation, sustainability is one of the most important topics in the years to come for the public sector. Not least due to the worsening climate crisis, all levels of government are now dealing with questions of sustainability. Every local authority, every district and every federal state must implement the goals of the German Sustainable Development Strategy. We support this goal with a growing team of experts for sustainability, the environment and climate protection. We are developing new approaches to how local authorities and the federal government can leverage their potential to make Germany sustainable in an effective and efficient way. Claus: One trend I perceive is the increasing speed in which changes and modernisation projects are being implemented. Public sector organisations are currently reinventing themselves as they adapt new forms of working and cutting-edge technology – with all the challenges and learnings that come with such change processes. The degree of automation will increase significantly, which will accelerate speed and responsiveness even further. Even technologies such as AI or Stéphane Beemelmans
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz