{"id":1678,"date":"2020-12-30T12:00:03","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/sea\/?p=1678"},"modified":"2023-04-06T18:06:54","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T18:06:54","slug":"digital-data-driven-government","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/sea\/2020\/12\/digital-data-driven-government\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Government 2020 & Beyond: Becoming Data-Driven"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we mark a new decade, efforts to digitize governments continue to deepen across Southeast Asia, and with good reason.<\/p>\n

Deepening Digital Government Efforts Across Southeast Asia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We are no longer at the early stages of digitization. Across industries, companies and organizations have become digital. And consumers (also citizens) \u2013 used to seamless interactions and conveniences from big techs such as Apple, Google and Amazon \u2013 have come to expect the same from their governments. At the same time, Industry 4.0<\/a>, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, is well underway. To sustain a nation\u2019s economic competitiveness, and drive continual positive social outcomes, the pace for technology innovation must keep up.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThink of an economy as a human body, and the digital core as the heart. In this regard, data is the lifeblood.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Data: Lifeblood of Digital Government<\/strong><\/h2>\n

But this is not about digitizing more processes or offering more government services online. Neither is it about innovating in an ad-hoc manner. To reap the full potential of a digital economy, governments need to be digital from the core \u2013 with the right foundational technology infrastructure. And become capable of using data as a strategic asset.<\/p>\n

To illustrate this, let me draw an analogy: Think of an economy as a human body, and the digital core as the heart. In this regard, data is the lifeblood. To ensure vitality and amplify the body\u2019s ability to fuel growth, one requires a healthy blood flow.<\/p>\n

To attain desired economic and societal outcomes \u2013 whether in education, health, employment, transportation, security, sustainability or justice \u2013 governments, and in turn, their economies, must become data driven. This is critical. And its importance is emphasized by the extent of the resources channeled into this outcome. For example, OECD has a guide on\u00a0The Path to Becoming a Data-Driven Public Sector<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Data-Driven Government: What It Means<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What does that mean pragmatically? How can we achieve data-driven governments, and in turn, data-driven economies?<\/p>\n

Governments need to rethink how they work and engage with citizens and businesses, so they become more data-driven \u2013 from policy and planning to operations, and across service delivery to citizen engagement. This begins with questions such as \u201cHow can we drive our constituents to interact with us digitally so that we have data to fuel transformation in a sector, and across the economy?\u201d<\/p>\n

This step is key. As citizens and business engage with public sectors digitally, governments can collect valuable data for policies to be adjusted based on data, rather than by trial and error. Combined with intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, operational responses can become predictive and proactive, instead of reactive. While services become anticipatory and personalized, instead of one-size-fits-all.<\/p>\n

Examples: Becoming Data-Driven<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some examples of data-driven public services include:<\/p>\n