LIST OF PANELS

For over two decades policy scholars have researched the impact of ICT, e-government and more recently the digitalisation and use of AI in the transformation of public sector services and what this means for relations between the state, organisations, communities and individuals (Viana 2021). E-government and the digital transformation of government services was seen to herald in new forms of deliberation, engagement and transform modes of access to services and transactions with agencies (Katsonis and Botros 2015). These reforms spoke to neoliberal goals of improved service responsiveness, timely and convenient access, higher levels of diversification allowing the tailoring and individualisation of services, as well as greater competition and efficiency through the use of online provider platforms.

Data collection, monitoring, surveillance, and the analysis of behaviour, demand and the environment has provided higher levels of granulised information services. This includes real time data provision (eg, transport users) which has strengthened regulation and enforcement (electronic monitoring of transactions and behaviour), and supported timely safety warnings and responses (eg, hazardous weather alerts and public health warnings). Change and development in this field is rapid and continuous and the advent of AI has accelerated the capacity of digitalisation to seep into public sector analysis and decision making across a range of issues that might otherwise have been subject to higher levels of human supervision, intervention and determination.

Increasingly, expertise, knowledge and product development is occurring outside the public sector with agencies purchasing digital services that assist with the progression of public policy objectives. This points to the complex multiorganizational arrangements that now constitute public service delivery and governance arrangements.

This panel provides a timely opportunity to take stock of how the impact of digital transformation is not only reshaping the provision of services but also the decision making processes that impact how public governance occurs. We take a broad approach to the topic and are interested to explore how digitalisation has driven service innovation, the barriers and exclusions that such innovations might unintentionally create (O’Sullivan and Walker 2018), the role of third party providers and how their expertise and interests may reshape service provision and the direction of state policy objectives. And while more than a decade ago authors pointed to the opportunities for higher levels of deliberation, participation and engagement in policy and governance processes (OECD 2009), we are interested in observations of current practice to test the extent to which this has actually occurred or do such goals remain constrained, and why is this the case?

References:

Katsonis, M. and A. Botros (2015). "Digital government: A primer and professional perspectives." Australian Journal of Public Administration 74(1): 42-52.

O’Sullivan, S. and C. Walker (2018). "From the interpersonal to the internet: social service digitalisation and the implications for vulnerable individuals and communities." Australian Journal of Political Science 53(4): 490-507.

OECD (2009). Rethinking E-Government Services: User-Centred Approaches. Paris, OECD Publishing.

Viana, A. C. A. (2021). "Digital transformation in public administration: from e-Government to digital government." International Journal of Digital Law 2(2): 29-46.

As public services across the globe increasingly move to digital platforms, critical questions arise regarding how these changes are reshaping governance, stakeholder engagement, and the very nature of public service delivery. This panel explores the potential impacts of digitalisation on policy deliberation, policy design and public service delivery. By doing this we expect to gain insight into new and more contemporary forces that are reshaping public services and the manner in which organisations, citizens and clients engage with the modern governance process. We are interested in papers that consider a range of critical issues including;

·        Are digital services subject to mission drift as third-party technology providers influence priorities, and what are the implications of this for public policy and governance?

·        How has digitalisation impacted on stakeholder engagement in public policy deliberation, service design and implementation? Has the push for digital solutions inadvertently marginalized certain voices while privileging others?

·        Is the progress of digitalisation impacted by the skills and capabilities of public sector agencies and the skills and capabilities of clients and users?

·        What evidence is there of genuine innovation in service redesign and delivery? What are the gains and who benefits?

·        Does the shift from face-to-face services to digital simply represent a repackaging of traditional offerings and why might this be the case?

·        Has service redesign and interests in efficiency impacted on access and utilisation by some client groups? Is there evidence of how public services compensate for any negative impact?

·        What other observations have been made about the impact of digitalisation on public policy design, participation and delivery?

Together, these questions encourage a comprehensive discussion of how digitization is reshaping public service delivery, innovation, and governance. The panel aims to offer critical insights into both the potential gains and the pitfalls of the digital turn in public administration.