The seminar of the International Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration

Yuri Kabanov, Research Fellow of the International Laboratory of Digital Transformation in Public Administration, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the Higher School of Economics – St. Petersburg, spoke at the next online seminar of the laboratory. The report was devoted to the role of international indices in the policy of the "digital state" using the example of the UN E-Government Index, which remains a key source of information on the development of digital public services in a cross-national perspective.

International indices not only serve as "barometers" for policy success, but they also define ideal policy models that in turn form the priorities for states. In this context, it becomes crucial to study how countries respond to international indices and engage with experts. In the pilot study, Yuri Kabanov focused on the role of the questionnaire sent out by UN experts as part of the preparation for the e-Government Index. Using data from 2018 to 2022, he identified possible causes and consequences of countries' varying levels of responsiveness to the questionnaire. Preliminary statistical analysis suggests that responsiveness is a significant predictor of e-government effectiveness and e-participation, according to UN estimates. More successful and globally integrated countries are more likely to respond effectively. The results suggest that there may be structural differences between countries that persist, as reflected in the final scores and our understanding of the global development of "digitalisation".

The laboratory staff recognized the significance of the research and suggested additional measures to expand this area, such as conducting interviews with professionals involved in the creation of the Index. A significant step would be a more in-depth examination of the inner processes of communication between government officials and UN specialists taking place within the public administration framework. This would allow, among other things, to identify potential directions for enhancing the significance of international aspects of the digital transformation of government.