The difficult procedures, the red tape, the lack of specialists for project analysis, the long duration of tender procedures and the resolution of possible appeals and the long duration of project implementation cause a digitization project to last on average more than five years, since the beginning of the documentation work until the completion of the implementation process.
“During this period, the project is either no longer of interest, or the technology on which it is based has become obsolete, or a new Government has been formed and therefore the priorities are different than they were five years ago. That is, if a project ends up being completed. In most cases, however, the lack of interest is the main factor hindering the start of digitization projects in the public sector. For example, we sent 50 emails to 50 of the most important local administrations in Romania, in which we offer to provide the town halls, free of charge, with consulting services for digitization projects. So far, we have not received any response, no reply to emails,” said Mihai Filip, CEO of OVES Enterprise.”
By comparison, the public sector in Western Europe is much more digitized, with many institutions being fully digitized: town halls, police stations, with a focus on the area of releasing documents. And the procedures are simplified so that the projects are implemented as quickly as possible.
“In Germany, for instance, they have a tender, which means that the winning projects will be implemented in a maximum of one year, after which they will be further developed. We have been involved here in developing an infectious disease surveillance, management and analysis application that allows countries to monitor outbreaks, follow-up cases and contacts and maintain an overview of general figures and statistics with the participation of several institutions. public health, such as hospitals, laboratories, surveillance officers, etc”, added Mihai Filip.
In Romania, OVES Enterprise is involved in digitization projects in the public sector, as a subcontracted company, with a small share in the company’s turnover – less than 5%.