Affiliation:
1. Liepaja University, Circular Economy Center, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies
2. Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies
Abstract
Statistical data, as well as public reports and comments from industry experts, show that the transition of local governments to the digitisation of internal processes has several challenges, mainly related to ensuring sustainability, reducing the impact on the environment, data security, and technical maintenance [2,3]. Therefore, it is essential to assess the situation in local governments and choose the most appropriate support system for Latvia's situation, which would not only be financial support. In public and expert discussions, different visions of the necessary support tools and benefits from the transition of local governments to the digitalisation of internal processes appear. One of the main benefits is reducing paper, which diminishes recycling and resource consumption [5, 6, 11]. The readiness of local government employees for the transition to digitalisation of internal processes has already been written about in previous studies. This study developed four possible scenarios for supporting municipalities in the transition process, and a group of seven experts was selected for their evaluation. The expert survey was conducted in June and July 2023. Five factors influencing the transition were offered for expert evaluation: Technical infrastructure, socialpsychological aspects, legal, security and data protection elements, financial resources, sustainability, and environmental factors. For each group of factors, three factors were suggested to be ranked in order of importance. Then, using the four previously developed support scenarios, the most suitable one was searched using the multi-criteria decision-making method, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The research uses expert surveys, analytical hierarchy process analysis, and statistical data processing methods. As a result of the study, the most suitable support scenario for Latvian municipalities was determined, moving to the digitisation of internal management processes and reducing paper consumption.
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