Share
The Digital Power Summit 2024, a pivotal event in the realm of digital innovation, was successfully convened. It served to honor communities that have made significant strides in digital advancement. The event also marked the unveiling of Ukraine’s first pilot Territorial Community Digital Transformation Index (TCDTI).
The forum served as a communication platform for Chief Digital Transformation Officers (CDTO) of Regional Military Administrations and leaders of digital communities with government officials. They discussed the priority projects for 2024 and explored potential digital solutions that could be implemented within their communities and regions.
The summit focused on several key areas:
The summit fostered an interactive environment where participants, divided into groups, dissected successful local digital projects. They analyzed outcomes, exchanged views, and brainstormed ideas. Each group was guided by regional coordinators from the EGAP Program and the Regional Military Administration CDTO. Following these discussions, each group showcased digital case studies to the forum attendees, demonstrating potential initiatives that could be launched at the local level.
Indrek Eensaar, the Head of the Innovation Department of the Municipality of Saue (Estonia), participated in the forum online. He shared his municipality’s journey towards digitalization and highlighted the importance of community support in implementing digital projects.
“Decentralization reform is a crucial aspect of public governance in Ukraine. Its successful implementation hinges on the active participation of communities in the transformation process and their commitment to the initiatives of the Ministry of Digital Transformation. To assess the digitalization level of communities, the Ministry, in collaboration with its partners, has developed the first pilot Territorial Community Digital Transformation Index. This Index, akin to the Digital Economy and Society Index that monitors the progress of EU member states, incorporates the digital economy, enabling us to evaluate the IT development level and its accessibility within communities. It also contributes to enhancing community competitiveness and fostering innovative development. I extend my gratitude to the communities that participated and contributed valuable information through self-assessment” Valeriia Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration, said.
The purpose of the Index is to track the level of digitalization of communities. The results will help community leaders identify strengths and weaknesses and implement the necessary digital initiatives.
“The ambitious goals set by Ukraine can only be achieved through synergy of efforts at all levels: from central authorities to local communities and international partners. As a partner of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, we can offer the necessary expert, organizational, and technological support. However, the proactivity of CDTOs on the ground and the leadership of the community in this process can significantly expedite it. It is truly inspiring to witness the immense demand for digitalization among community leaders, citizens, and proactive local leaders. This bodes well for the future of Ukraine’s digitalization,” Viktor Liakh, President of East Europe Foundation, said.
The pilot Territorial Community Digital Transformation Index was implemented with the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, East Europe Foundation under the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Program, and the methodological guidance of Deloitte.
“Last year, in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, we crafted the methodology for the Territorial Community Digital Transformation Index. Today, we are unveiling the outcomes of a pilot measurement within Ukraine and acknowledging communities that have achieved digital success. You are trailblazers, and your endeavors in digital transformation are recognized not just at the community level, but also on a national scale,” Simone Troller, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, stated.
The Index was measured using the following indicators:
“The Index’s structure and calculation methodology were developed in alignment with the EU’s digital development concept. The Index considers the balanced development across all areas and not only provides opportunities for self-assessment and prioritization of community digital development, but also indicates areas of growth and support for the government, investors, and donors,” Serhii Hunko, leader of the regional digitalization team of the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP program, explained.
Based on the results of the first pilot Index, communities that demonstrated significant digital progress in 2023 were identified.
“It’s crucial to understand that the pilot Index is merely one of the tools for measuring digitalization in communities, aimed at motivating the community team to foster e-governance. The Index enables communities to ascertain their digital maturity for the first time, which is contingent on the activity of local authorities and community residents. The score difference between some communities is quite insignificant. We considered the thousandths of the Index after the decimal point to pinpoint a hundred communities with the highest digitalization rates,” Tetiana Prykhodko, Regional Digitalization and Innovation Coordinator at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and East Europe Foundation, added.
The first pilot Territorial Community Digital Transformation Index of Ukraine is accessible via the link to the beta version of the Digital Community web platform.
The roadmap for 2024 includes CDTOs and local digital leaders continuing their efforts towards the digital transformation of communities, supporting existing projects, and launching new ones.
The Digital Power Summit 2024 was spearheaded by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Program, executed by East Europe Foundation.
