[16.11.2020] During the corona pandemic, the Rhineland-Palatinate state government prepared a resilience report. Kommune21 spoke to Prime Minister Malu Dreyer about the results and the role of IT infrastructure in crisis management.
Prime Minister Dreyer, the corona pandemic has silenced the last doubters about a comprehensive digitalization of public administration. Do you agree with this statement?
Above all, the corona pandemic has shown how important public administration is, not just in the health sector. Digital applications and infrastructures help to maintain critical infrastructures – and this also includes functioning, networked, citizen-oriented administration. Extensive use of digital applications in public administration, education or medical care can, as we say, further strengthen this resilience. Certainly one or two doubters have recognized that the digitization of the administration offers an opportunity for stability and crisis security. In doing so, I believe that careful consideration at one point or another can ensure that the administration does not somehow digitize, but that it is done carefully, efficiently, sustainably and intelligently.
Against the background of the crisis management, the state government published a resilience report in May of this year. With a view to public administration, what do you understand by resilience?
I understand this to mean that the administration is also equipped for extraordinary challenges, for example a pandemic, in order to ensure public services of general interest. This means that they can still offer their services regardless of contact restrictions or working from home. This can be achieved through digital applications and infrastructures.
What are the main statements of the resilience report?
The statements and contents of the resilience report are very extensive and varied. The main focus is on digital work processes in administration, mobile communications and broadband coverage, as well as education and research. The challenges of the corona pandemic have shown that the resilience of the system is massively strengthened and partially ensured through digital applications and infrastructures. In order to make the country even more crisis-proof, Rhineland-Palatinate is already on a sustainable path thanks to many innovative projects. The strategy for digital life in Rhineland-Palatinate is the basis for securing and further developing the previously achieved and the determined further expansion of sustainable and resilient digital infrastructures and applications across all areas of life.
What measures have you already taken?
To name just a few examples in the area of administration: We were able to increase the number of home office access in the state administration from 5,000 to over 15,000. An extended expansion is possible. In the police department alone, we were able to increase home office access to up to 3,400. In addition, over 100 video conference systems and over 80 audio rooms have been set up. I would like to particularly highlight the state government’s crisis team, which itself had to work under difficult conditions for infection protection reasons. The KriSta.rlp software, specially tailored to the working methods of the Rhineland-Palatinate crisis team, was developed and introduced within a very short time. It enables all contact persons in the departments to send reports on the situation or questions to be clarified to the crisis team. The software is continuously developed. Corona has also enormously accelerated our path to digital education. The central information page schuleonline.bildung-rlp.de or the school box as a central cloud for providing learning materials should be mentioned here.
“The expansion and further development of digital infrastructures is essential for crisis-proof public services of general interest.”
How have digital applications and infrastructures specifically contributed to maintaining the ability of the public administration in Rhineland-Palatinate to act?
An example: Digital applications and infrastructures such as electronic files have made it possible for us to massively increase the possibilities for home office in the highest state authorities with the short-term expansion of capacities and to maintain the administration even against the background of contact restrictions. Additional options for telephone and video conferences that were installed at short notice also provided support.
What is your assessment, will the crisis bring about a breakthrough in home office and alternative forms of collaboration in administration?
The pandemic has certainly ensured that employers and employees are far more open to home office options. I believe that experience with the current situation and the associated digitalisation push will change the way we work in some areas, but also that we appreciate working in presence with colleagues for reasons of social interaction even more than before the pandemic .
What lessons do you draw from the experiences you have now made?
We have seen that we are on the right track and that the expansion and further development of digital infrastructures and applications is essential for crisis-proof public services of general interest. We will continue to use the digitalisation boost to drive the expansion quickly and effectively. In addition, with the sudden shift to digital applications in many areas, we have realized how important media literacy is to all of us. We continue to strive to take everyone with us. From the successful project “Medienkompetenz macht Schule” via the digital ambassador project to the goal of making the digital world more inclusive and accessible.
The federal government has now provided three billion euros for the digitization of the public sector as part of the economic development program. Is it all done with money?
No, money alone is not the solution here – it also has to be invested and used wisely. This is exactly what we are doing with the funds from the economic development program in a variety of areas.
What are your expectations of a future resilient digital public administration?
I expect the public administration to become more resilient in all sorts of crisis situations, not just a pandemic. I want a networked, digital and citizen-oriented administration that is modern and attractive – as a service provider and as an employer. We have already laid a very good foundation here in many places. With the planned introduction of the e-file, also to the subordinate authorities, and the implementation of the Online Access Act, the next steps are pending, the success of which will contribute to this.
Interview: Alexander Schaeff
This interview was published in the November 2020 issue of Kommune21. Here you can order a copy or subscribe to the magazine. (Deep link)
Keywords: politics, Rhineland-Palatinate, Corona, Malu Dreyer
Image source: State Chancellery RLP / Elisa Biscotti
– .
