Digitising Democracy: An Exploration of Chile's Senate Digital Transformation Initiative
About the Senado de la República of Chile. Written on September, 2022
Introduction
The digital transformation of governmental institutions is a pressing topic for the 21st century, characterised by increased citizen expectations for transparency, inclusivity, and efficiency. This essay will analyse a transcript in which the Senate of Chile discusses its journey towards a digital transformation initiated in 2019. This critique explores the motivations, processes, and objectives underpinning this transformation, underlining its potential implications on governance, policy-making, and citizen participation.
Understanding the Digital Transformation Initiative
The transcript begins with an exploration of the Senate's pre-existing digitalisation efforts. While these played a critical role in equipping the Senate with the infrastructure to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, they were insufficient to catalyse a more profound change - a digital transformation. The difference between the two lies in the transformative potential. Digitalisation refers to using digital technologies to modify existing processes, whereas digital transformation involves fundamentally rethinking processes and business models to improve efficiency and adaptability. The Senate recognised this distinction and embarked on a journey to implement a more systemic, user-oriented transformation to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and improve public service delivery.
Implementing the Digital Transformation Strategy
The Senate's strategic transformation plan, rooted in the principles of the ISO 9001 quality management system, underpinned their efforts. To actualise this plan, the Senate embraced agile methodologies, allowing for a faster and more flexible response to changing needs and priorities. Consequently, they instituted a shift in their IT work model, demonstrating a willingness to self-transform before implementing broader changes.
The Senate's approach to digital transformation underscored two main pillars: cybersecurity, reflecting a growing concern about data safety, and performance metrics, essential to ensure efficacy and drive improvements. To deliver the intended transformation, they developed a new institutional architecture that focused on integrating strategic business, application, and technology layers.
Resulting Changes and Future Directions
The transformation has led to a reorientation towards the users - senators, officials, and citizens. This was manifested in the creation of separate online portals for each user group, a tangible representation of their commitment to improving stakeholder engagement. Particularly noteworthy is the citizen portal, marking a move towards broader public involvement in governance and promoting the democratisation of information.
The transformation's ultimate objective is to shift from a sole focus on application development to empowering users with technology, thereby aligning the Senate's digital efforts with the user needs. This approach is not only a response to the pandemic-induced surge in digital interest but also an attempt to create a sustainable digital culture that transcends the current crisis.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Senate of Chile's digital transformation initiative exemplifies an insightful case study of a governmental institution utilising technology to transform its operations and service delivery. It captures the strategic shift from simple digitalisation to profound digital transformation, highlighting the centrality of users in this process. However, its success hinges on its ability to maintain momentum beyond the pandemic, ensuring sustained commitment to fostering a digital culture and a secure, efficient, and inclusive digital environment.