Smart-optimism. Uncovering the Resilience of Romanian City Halls in Online Service Delivery

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the digitalization progress of Romanian city halls' online services from 2014 to 2023, highlighting advancements, disparities, and implications for public sector resilience during technological shifts.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive assessment of Romanian municipalities' e-service dissemination, revealing progress and disparities, and offers insights for policy and digital service improvement.

Findings

Most municipalities offer online services like tax payments and civil documentation.

Significant progress in digital transformation observed from 2014 to 2023.

Disparities in service quality and availability indicate need for standardization.

Abstract

Recent technological advancements have significantly impacted the public sector's service delivery. Romanian city halls are embracing digitalization as part of their development strategies, aiming to deploy web-based platforms for public services, enhancing efficiency and accessibility for citizens. The COVID-19 pandemic has expedited this digital shift, prompting public institutions to transition from in-person to online services. This study assesses the adaptability of Romanian city halls to digitalization, offering fresh insights into public institutions' resilience amidst technological shifts. It evaluates the service provision through the official web portals of Romania's 103 municipalities, using 23 indicators for measuring e-service dissemination within local contexts. The research reveals notable progress in the digital transformation of services over time (2014-2023), with a majority of municipalities offering online functionalities, such as property tax payments, public transportation information, and civil status documentation. It also discovers disparities in service quality and availability, suggesting a need for uniform digitalization standards. The findings enlighten policymakers, assist public institutions in advancing digital service delivery, and contribute to research on technology in public sector reform.