Marc Hansen, Minister for the Civil Service & Minister Delegate for Digitalisation, discusses the challenges of digitization and civil service reform. Interview.

 

Can you share your main objectives?

        

I attach particular importance to the implementation and monitoring of management by objectives. This approach indeed allows us to guarantee efficient and quality services for everyone. In addition, we are currently redesigning the initial and continuing training to meet real and expressed needs, on one hand, and to promote new, particularly digital,

 skills, on the other as for example with new training courses for human resources managers or senior executives. At the Ministry of the Civil Service, we have also set ourselves external strategic objectives defined and divided into three distinct areas, but concerning the state civil service as a whole. These aim to improve the overall performance of the organizational entities of the civil service, ensure the continuity of state services, but also ensure the digital transformation of the public sector to further improve public performance.

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"The digital transition can under no circumstances be restricted to a "connected"  class.”

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How can we reform the civil service of a country whose electorate depends mainly on public jobs?

 

The missions of the Ministry of the Civil Service are to ensure the civil service has effective and modern personnel management, promotes quality and innovation, and develops modern, client-oriented human resources management and organizational methods. Finally, it seeks to guarantee a legal framework that meets the requirements of a competent, attractive and well-prepared civil service. Since the 2015 reforms were legislatively introduced in the civil service, we have been working on developping our missions as effectively as possible, always looking to improve conditions for our staff or future staff and modernizing organizational methods. All past and future reforms have been or will be the result of a constructive social dialogue that benefits all employees but also the state as an employer. There is nothing to stop us from continuing on this path!

 

What challenges and opportunities do you see for Luxembourg in terms of digitization?

 

Successful digital transition remains the government's ultimate objective. However, it is also about making this transition an opportunity for all by putting technological developments at the service of the citizen. As a result, the Ministry for Digitalisation pays particular attention to simplifying administrative procedures and intends to offer efficient, online government services and user-friendly and intuitive user interfaces. Data security and cybersecurity also remain of crucial importance in the digital sector. In this field, Luxembourg and Estonia have already made history by joining forces to create an e-embassy, the first of its kind in the world! This will be an opportunity for Luxembourg to position itself as a secure and efficient data center. Yet a digital society also entails digital inclusion, a major challenge that the Ministry intends to address as the transition should never be restricted to a "connected" class.