"Clicking Together with Citizens"- Technology Serving Community

Belgrade, October 31, 2024 - Today, at the United Nations (UN) House, in the presence of high-ranking officials from the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, the UN Resident Coordinator's office in Serbia (RCO), and UN agencies, the launch of the Digital Service Design Hub within the Office for IT and eGovernment (ITE) was announced. The Hub is being established as part of the new initiative "Clicking Together with Citizens“ which aims to support their continuous involvement in the design process of digital public services. This initiative represents a continuation of the UN's partnership with the Government of Serbia in implementing digital transformation and improving the quality and accessibility of public services for everyone, particularly the most vulnerable groups. It is being implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and  the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). 

At the Digital Service Design Hub, new public digital services will be developed and current ones enhanced, by working closely with citizens, to boost efficiency in meeting public and business sector needs, and to grow the user base. This approach entails active citizen participation in all phases of creating digital public services — from the initial idea, through co-creation and prototype testing, to continuous service enhancement based on user feedback.

"This initiative marks a pivotal step for public services in Serbia", says Matilde Mordt, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. "By engaging citizens, especially the most vulnerable like the elderly, people with disabilities, and rural communities, we aim to reduce discrimination and enhance accessibility to the digital space. It reinforces Serbia's digital transformation and our commitment to leaving no one behind".

“Digital Service Design Hub – Clicking Together with Citizens” is a three-year initiative funded with 3.25 million euros by the Joint SDG Fund (Sustainable Development Goals Fund), with support from the EU and the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The project in Serbia is led by the RCO and is implemented by UNDP, FAO, and UNICEF.

"The service delivery to citizens and businesses, in particular e-services, is continuously improving. Serbia is the top performer in the region. However, the main impediment for further developments remains the fragmentation of responsibilities and mandates between institutions and the lack of a dedicated coordination system. Within the reform agenda, digital transformation is seen as one of the key priorities and therefore significant EU funds have been allocated to support further digitalisation in Serbia", stated Nikola Bertolini, Head of the Cooperation Department of the EU Delegation in Serbia. 

Through the project, the ITE team will develop their skills in product management as well as in user needs and experience research, by working with experts and mentors from the private sector. Workshops are scheduled for the ITE team, public sector partners and students, in addition to training for civil servants through the National Academy for Public Administration's (NAPA) online platform. Moreover, attendees will be able to share their best practices and insights with experts from various local and international backgrounds. The initiative includes international cooperation, through study visits and participation in significant events related to citizen-centered service design, aiming to integrate the principles of this approach into domestic legislation and e-government processes. For hands-on practical learning, the project includes plans to redesign and enhance digital services in the areas of agriculture and social protection.

The main national partner in the implementation of the project is the Office for IT and eGovernment (ITE). Additionally, project partners include the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy, the Ministry of Family Welfare and Demography, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, and the Directorate for Agrarian Payments, as well as the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, the National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA), and the Public Policy Secretariat of the Republic of Serbia.

"By launching the 'Digital Service Design Hub – Clicking Together with Citizens' project, we are beginning a new chapter at the Office for IT and eGovernment. It is extremely important for us that the voices of our service users are heard in everything we do. Our intention is to work with citizens on the development and testing of new offerings, receiving feedback from them, to make sure they are accessible, easy to comprehend, available on all devices, and adjustable for individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to perfect this new working process over the next three years so that citizen-focused service development becomes the standard for creating e-services, and for our Office to become the primary state promoter of this new practice, which will also support other institutions", said Dr. Mihailo Jovanović, Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment. He added that for the past eight years, the Office has been the driving force behind digital transformation in the Republic of Serbia, working on the development and improvement of the entire eGovernment system with significant support from the UNDP.