Digitisation
Digitisation of the administration - only together
At the latest since the publication of the Act to Improve Online Access to Administrative Services (Online Access Act - OZG) in 2017, the digitisation of the administration in Germany is being driven forward with focus, if not at top speed. The district administration of the Waldeck-Frankenberg district has set the course - and created new working structures to coordinate the digitisation process:
- The specialist service "Information Technology and Digital Administration" was formed in 2017.
- The position "Project Manager Digitalisation" has been filled since 2019.
- Since 2021, the dual study programme "Digital Administration" has been offered for the first time and one candidate has been trained.
- In order to enable the administration to adapt dynamically and flexibly to the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow, a full-time process manager has been working in the department of district organs, organisation, awarding of contracts and public transport since 2021.
- Digitisation officers were appointed in each department in 2019 to drive the topic forward in their department and to support and exchange information with each other.
- The overall digitisation project was subdivided into more than 20 sub-projects, each of which is led by a sub-project leader from the respective technical area of responsibility.
- In addition, the "Innovations in Administration" team has been formed.
- Overall, interdisciplinary exchange is promoted and cultivated. Everyone pulls together.
In order to make the district administration fit for the future, a digitisation strategy was adopted by the district committee in February 2018. It is based on the following guiding principle:
People are at the centre of the entire process. Technology should only serve to support citizens, entrepreneurs and employees in administration-related processes and to promote cooperation and togetherness.
A 3-step plan was drawn up for this guiding idea. This plan provides for the employees of the district administration to be prepared and trained for digitisation first. For this purpose, a multi-stage "further training programme ondigitisation" was developed and implemented; specialist service managers and digitisation officers were trained, application training for e-billing and e-files was implemented, and lightning talks on the topic of digitisation were offered monthly. A "Digitisation Newsletter" ensures transparency. The digitisation consultation hour provides support for questions and suggestions.
In the second step, process management was established. After this basis was created, citizens have been actively involved in the digitisation process since 2021, e.g. within the framework of the annual Nationwide Digitisation Day or by means of surveys and workshops. The slogan "Digitisation - only together" is to be lived, digital competence built up and participation promoted. Within the administration, the measures are implemented step by step together with the employees. During the Corona pandemic, all planned digitisation projects were seamlessly continued.
The following goals have already been achieved since 2019:
- The district council information system SD-Net was introduced. The aim is to distribute all documents for the meetings of the district committee and the district council bodies only digitally in future.
- Electronic time recording was introduced in all specialised services.
- Fully electronic invoice acceptance and processing has been introduced. Invoice senders can thus save paper and postage costs, and processing times can be shortened.
- The Social Affairs and Foreigners' Affairs departments are already working with the electronic file. All other specialised services are to follow by the end of 2022.
- Process management was established to optimise all processes, especially digital processes. A process manager, together with staff and citizens, is successively implementing the online application procedures.
- The exchange with other Hessian counties was intensified via the digitalisation working group at county council level.
- The training concept for digitalisation was established.
- In order to realise a gateway to digital administration for future application procedures, the homepage of the district has been redesigned and is directly linked to the Hessenportal, the so-called Hessenfinder.
- Every year, the district administration participates in the nationwide Digitaltag with many partner organisations from the district area and invites towns and municipalities to cooperate every year. In 2021, the cities of Korbach, Bad Wildungen and Volkmarsen were cooperation partners.
- In a very short time, home office capacities were expanded during the pandemic to about half of all those working in the district administration.
- An internal social network was established.
- A data protection-compliant video conferencing system was procured for video conferences.
- The Geoportal Nordhessen was published.
Online application procedure
In implementing the online application procedures, we rely on the implementation agreement on the Online Access Act, which was reached between the state of Hesse and the municipal umbrella organisations. So that not every district reinvents the wheel again and again, application processes are created in a division of labour and then made available to all Hessian districts. The Waldeck-Frankenberg district administration itself was involved in the Hesse-wide development of the processes in the areas of weapons law, traffic and veterinary affairs.
You can find information on the online ID card function here.
The following online procedures are currently available (as of June 2021):
- Vaccination follow-up platform
- Compensation in case of quarantine, activity ban or care requirement
- Online application
- Online booking calendar of events
- Volunteer search engine
- Settlement of education and participation lunches
- Education and participation benefits
- Application for the assumption of day care centre fees
- Maintenance advance
- Complaint about violations of youth protection regulations on the Internet
- Training Assistance for Pupils (Schüler-BAföG)
- Application for a state grant from the investment programme "Continuation of the Association's Work
- Registration of associations for promotion
- Application procedure Promotion of sport
- Application procedure for Freiherr-vom-Stein plaque or certificate of honour
- Notification/change of self-help groups
- Plant protection - certificate of competence
- Supplementary motion to the Joint Motion 2021 in the field of agriculture
- Car licence plate
- Decommissioning of vehicles registered after 01.01.2015
- Car re-registration
- New vehicle registration
- Motor vehicle transfer
- Change of address KFZ
The following further sub-projects are being implemented or continued within the district administration:
- In future, customers will be able to book appointments in the area of immigration and transport online.
- The electronic file will be introduced in all specialised services, based on a new file plan.
- For this purpose, the current paper files are scanned by an external service provider.
- Internally, an internal scanning station for replacement scanning is being planned.
- All necessary processes of the district administration are surveyed and adapted (e.g. electronic mail, digital signatures).
- All online application procedures from the OZG implementation catalogue are published incl. online payment function according to availability.
- Accounts receivable invoices are processed online.
- The implementation of electronic legal transactions is in preparation.
- Human resources management is being further digitalised.
- Internally, room booking is being switched to an online resource booking system including fleet management.
- One conference room will be equipped with permanently installed video conferencing technology.
- The trainees become "digital detectives" in a workshop at the Azubitag 2021 and put existing processes to the test. As a result, the areas of digitalisation and process management take on a high priority right from the start.
In order to implement the individual sub-projects in a sustainable and meaningful way, the following measures will be pursued, also beyond 2022:
- Inclusion of people living and working in the district
- Hardware adaptation
- WLAN expansion within the district administration
- Human resources development
- Process management
- Organisational development, because digitalisation can only be sustainable beyond 2022 if it is not just understood as a trend, but as a holistic, organisational change process or innovation driver alongside others (e.g. globalisation, climate change, new mobility, demographic change).