VFar too often it still follows the old pattern: you can submit an application online, but you have to print it out and send it by post to the responsible office. Going to the authorities – including the waiting time – is still part of everyday life in Germany, although things would have been better in the internet age for a long time. The Online Access Act (OZG) is now forcing local authorities to act. By the end of the year, all administrative services, from registering a dog to applying for an ID card, must be offered electronically.
The current interim status shows how ambitious this undertaking is. According to the “OZG Dashboard”, 181 of the 321 services in Hesse are already fully accessible online, but there are sometimes significant discrepancies between the states and municipalities. Making the processes of the offices more efficient costs a lot of time and money. The state of Hesse is investing a total of around 37 million euros in the digitization of the administration of the municipalities.
“It feels like it’s already five to twelve,” says Holger Klötzner (Volt). The 34-year-old trained business informatics specialist has been in office as the city of Darmstadt’s digitization department for less than six months. The preparations went well. “I see good chances that we can make a large part of the services digitally accessible by the deadline.” Many of the foundations have already been laid. In some offices, the e-file has already replaced the file folder: “That was an important first step, without which much more would not be possible.” Some processes can now be completed completely and directly online – but by no means all services, that citizens need.
“At least it’s not about the money”
“Seeing opportunities instead of obstacles” is what Kloetzner’s Volt party advocates. Access to public services is to be made easier, and state administration is to become more transparent and efficient. The OZG is such an opportunity: for more service, less time and less paper. Kloetzner believes that everything that is done under the heading of digitization must ultimately result in a practical benefit for the public. It starts with your own online presence. “A lot of applications are needed,” he says, referring to the city’s website, which is due to be completely revised over the course of this year.
The extent to which Kloetzner is immersed in the subject can also be seen elsewhere. The “Darmstadt Podcast” has been running on Spotify for a few weeks. A project that was particularly important to him in his hometown of Giessen. “I’m up for it too. Because what am I supposed to be a councilor in a city I don’t care about?”
In the digital model city, the IT specialist’s ideas and enthusiasm for work fall on fertile ground. “People are literally screaming for digitization, they are very tech-savvy and very open to innovation,” he reports. This openness can not only be felt in the city society, but also in the administration. Although the way they work is being fundamentally changed – Kloetzner calls it “cultural change” – there is little resistance. On the contrary: “The majority of our employees play along and are open to it.” Last but not least, the strong science location also has the necessary financial resources. “In any case, it’s not about the money,” says the head of department with a view to the 13.8 million euros that Darmstadt wants to invest by 2024 for the implementation of the digital pact.
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