The Use of Digital Public Services by Romanians, in Light of the Digital Single Market (original) (raw)

Digital Governance in Romanian Municipalities

A national strategy represents the critical first step in building digital government. It provides the framework in which most digital government projects are prioritized, designed, and implemented. Effective implementation of digital government requires a well-articulated strategy. It is considered the first and most important step in securing the success of information technology projects. Critical success factors have been identified in other research, which examines IT projects at the local level. This article presents a comparative cross-country study in order to know the level of web service implementation at the municipality level (what are the public services that municipalities offer to their citizens using the electronic platforms). In order to find this, we have accessed each municipality’s Web portal from Romania (103 in total) and using a defined scale; we have rated each one very strictly. The results are presented here both as a table in which a classification of all the municipalities and their rates will be presented, and as a chromatic map, which represents the actual development of Romanian digital government by cities and counties. It is understood that the existence of very well maintained Web platforms does not imply that they are also used by the citizens or the business society. The new methods of administration do not need only innovative solutions but also “intelligent citizens”. By this study I will find out what the most critical aspects for a municipal Web site are: Transparency, E-documents management, Communication (with citizens), Content etc. Knowing those aspects will help the municipality to be more attractive and to gain inputs from the citizens making them an important actor in the decision making process. I have to mention that this study is the third one (the first was made in 2010 and the 140 second one in 2012) and by that I will be able to present some dynamics (by presenting the chromatic maps made before) of Romanian municipalities and how this study helped IT departments from the municipality to obtain a higher rate this year, and by that, to be closer to the citizens offering multiple online services.

Digitalization in Romania Measured with DESI

New Trends in Sustainable Business and Consumption

The current paper examines the current state of the digitalization in Romania and the European Union (EU), considering also the first year of pandemic. The purpose is to identify those zones with a significant performance gap between Romania and EU regarding digitalization and to highlight barriers that prevent digitalization. At EU level, one of the evaluation tools regarding the success of the digitalization strategies is the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). We have used this tool in this article. Our research revealed a number of relevant indicators pertaining to digital economy where Romania ranks above the EU average however, most of them have values below EU average. Based on a comparative and a factorial analysis, we have assessed a set of elements that may influence the digitalization. We have created a statistical model that uses historical data and linear regression in order to estimate how the digitalization dimensions look like without the influence of pandemic and we have compared this estimation with the actual data from the first year of pandemic. The originality of the article consists of the comparative analysis between the actual evolution of the digitalization during pandemic and the estimated trend of this evolution should the pandemic did not occur. For this, we have used the most recent formula for DESI, which is the 2021 edition. As the new data from DESI 2022 becomes available, the new researches might be able to evaluate more accurately the impact that pandemic had on the digitalization of Romanian society and economy.

Comparative study on the analysis of digital governance in Romania and Bulgaria

Technium Social Sciences Journal

Digital government boosts countries' economic growth and brings important benefits. This way, it involves the use of communication and information technologies by the public sector to improve the delivery of services and information by encouraging citizens to participate in the decision-making process and the holding government accountable in an effectively transparent way. Digital government offers new opportunities for more convenient and direct citizen access to government and the delivery of government services directly to citizens. This paper aims to provide an analysis of Romania and Bulgaria's digital governance compared to the European Union, highlighting the evolution of digitisation in recent years. Although they joined the European Union at the same time, the applicability and timeliness of digital technologies differ from country to country, with Romania and Bulgaria always compared to each other in their evolution over the years.

E-Government Challenges in Romania

Journal Research & Discussion, 2009

This article attempts to present the main challenges of e-government in a reforming country as Romania and the related barriers which comes when trying to implement it. E-government is not a tool limited to richer countries, even if some of the most innovative uses of the Internet in governance are appearing in the developing world. I will examine here the reasons for citizens to still pay tribute to the old traditional methods of service delivery instead of these new electronic ways like e-Tax, e-Vote, e-Market, e-Procurement, etc. Existing studies of e-government concentrate on the supply-side by focusing on the availability and level of sophistication of online services and usage. But there may be also a problem of citizens acceptance, of citizens level of knowledge when comes to ITC, focusing in the evolution of ITC in Romania and how this may affect the absorption of the new electronic services delivered to citizens by the government.

Analysis of Digitization in Romanian Society

Proceedings Volume: International Conference Global interferences of knowledge society , November 16-17th, 2018, Targoviste, Romania, 2019

This paper presents aspects of the digitalisation of the public and private sector in Romania. The work begins with a theoretical presentation of the notion of digitalisation and short statistics of this concept taken from the records of Eurostat. The motivation of the treated theme derives from the fact that this concept is increasingly met in the public press and in the specialty works of the recent period. It has also become a "must have" that any public or private organization must care to survive in the 21st century, which is characterized by a growing economy based on the online environment. Digitisation considers it to be the fourth industrial revolution and will affect all economic or public entities due to the increased appetite of users to order goods and services through the digital interfaces available on Mobile devices. The work shall be completed with a review of the mutations produced by digitisation in the accounting services industry in which the accounting expert will operate and report the information, Thanks to the innovations in the ITC sector.

Use Of The Internet By The Romanian Citizens. An Empirical Study Of Digital Gaps Between Regions

Annals - Economy Series, 2018

New IT technologies have generated changes in the economic and social system, and the rapidity with which countries adopt these technologies is essential for increasing economic and social competitiveness in the future. Thus, the measuring of ITC technologies integration in the economy and society is essential, and at the level of the EU-28 countries there is a Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) that shows how a country evolves digitally compared to others. The 2017 report shows significant disparities within the EU28 regarding digitization. Although Romania ranks 2nd in the EU28 for high-speed broadband subscriptions, it is ranked the last in the EU28 from the point of view of Internet usage. In this paper, we will limit to identifying the regions in Romania with the highest percentages of Internet usage and commenting on the main causes underpinning the regional gaps. The research method used was cluster analysis that identified 3 clusters in terms of Internet usage. The dat...

The Transition to e-Government. The Romanian Case

2008

The e-administration or the administration on-line becomes a reality in the developed countries nowadays, but also developing countries and countries in the transition period to the market economy begin to implement this concept. The modernisation of the Romanian public administration is a necessity. The Romanian government must realise the necessary efforts for aligning the public administration at western standards, especially in the perspective of the European integration, and as a prerequisite. On another level, the new approach of the public administration, the informatisation of the public administration, correlated with the development of the e-government, permits to increase the citizen's degree of access to public information or his degree of satisfaction as regarding the quality of services offered by the public institutions. Transition countries and generally, developing countries, have to impel the on-line public services implementation and computerisation of the public administration together with the Internet development. For the governments in the transition countries, the transformation to e-government supposes to overpass more obstacles than in developed countries. This is also the Romanian case. But, the Romanian Government seems to be decided to implement the e-government in the next years, taking into account their plans.

Unlocking Economic Growth: The Benefits of Digitalization for Public Institutions in Romania

Revista de Științe Politice. Revue des Sciences Politiques, 2024

In recent years, the process of digitalization has transformed numerous aspects of society, including the way public institutions operate. In Romania, this shift towards a more digitalized approach has become increasingly important. The present article examines the impact of digitalization on public institutions in Romania, focusing on its economic implications. One of the key benefits of digitalization for public institutions is its potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs. By digitizing processes and services, public institutions can streamline their operations, leading to increased productivity and cost savings. In turn, can free up resources that can be allocated to other areas, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness of public services. Furthermore, digitalization can also help public institutions in Romania better meet the needs of their citizens. By offering digital services and tools, such as online portals and mobile applications, public institutions can provide more convenient and accessible services to the public. This can result in higher levels of citizen satisfaction and engagement, ultimately leading to a more responsive and citizen-centric government. From an economic perspective, digitalization can also have broader implications for the Romanian economy as a whole. By investing in digital technologies and infrastructure, public institutions can contribute to the development of a more competitive and innovative economy. This can attract foreign investment, stimulate entrepreneurship, and create new opportunities for growth and development. However, challenges remain in fully realizing the economic benefits of digitalization for public institutions in Romania. These include issues related to infrastructure, digital literacy, and data security. By embracing digital technologies and investing in digital infrastructure, public institutions can enhance their efficiency, effectiveness, and overall impact on the economy. It is essential for Romania to continue on this path of digital transformation to fully reap the economic benefits that digitalization can bring.

THE INTEGRATION OF THE ROMANIAN E-SERVICES TECHNOLOGIES IN THE EUROPEAN INFORMATIC SOCIETY

2007

Due to the fact that a big part of the public services is provided/supplied at local or regional level, the main information regarding their condition are available only at the level of the local public administration. The development of the relationship between the institutions of the local public administration and the citizens and also the business environment depends on certain

Towards Sustainable Web Platforms: Post-pandemic Reflections on E-government in Romania

New Trends in Sustainable Business and Consumption

The Covid-19 pandemic has spurred the acceleration of the digital transition by bringing digital ethics to the forefront to extend cybersecurity to the privacy of consumers' personal information and to provide truthfulness to digital content. At the same time, when properly used, the Internet has a positive effect on consumers, improving their quality of life. New consumers are more receptive, selective, and interested in new technologies. They are quickly informed about the offer of products / services on the Internet, and organizations provide them with a suitable process, simplified by diversity and accessibility. The aim of this paper is to explore whether the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated or not the transformation towards electronic government (e-government) in Romania. Thus, based on a descriptive desk research, the paper briefly puts forward the general landscape of e-government in Romania between the period 2020-2022, focusing on particular features and strategies. This study might be useful to all parties involved in the egovernment process.