According to a recent survey, Swiss municipalities consider digitalization and cybersecurity to be two of the most important themes in their eyes. Openness to digital transformation is real, but the human and financial resources for implementation are often lacking.
Apart from infrastructure projects and finances, digitalization and cybersecurity are the main topics of concern to municipalities. Four out of five municipalities consider digital transformation as a way to improve their efficiency and as a service for residents. This is what emerges from a survey carried out for the fourth time by the Myni Gmeind association in collaboration with the Association of Swiss Municipalities and the University of Applied Sciences of North-West Switzerland.
The survey results show that it is not digital skills or know-how that are decisive for the success of digital transformation, but openness to the topic of digitalization and political will. In total, 61% of the communities surveyed said they felt this desire strongly or somewhat strongly in their municipality. “Digital transformation has entered municipal executives and administrations for good,” says Alex Sollberger, president of Myni Gmeind.
Lack of human and financial resources
Human and financial resources are almost as important to respondents as openness and political will. However, only 42% of municipalities indicate that the financial resources for digitalization are fulfilled or rather fulfilled, while the majority considers their personnel resources insufficient or rather insufficient.
Around 40% of the communities surveyed indicated that they believed they could increase staff resources temporarily, in particular by increasing the work rate. A quarter see temporary outsourcing of other tasks to external service providers as a solution.
“Both paths would generate additional human resources for digital transformation, but at the same time increase the challenges in terms of financial resources,” explains Alex Sollberger.
Digitalization can help reduce the shortage of qualified personnel in the long term, according to Myni Gmeind President. Currently, almost half of municipalities have designated a department or person responsible for digital transformation (compared to 41% last year). “We therefore encourage municipalities to persevere in digital transformation. Aware of the challenges, but above all of the opportunities it represents,” declares Christoph Niederberger, director of the Association of Swiss Municipalities.
