Review of the Report on the Public Service Reform by the National Research University Higher School of Economics

Abstract

After proving to be highly effective in technical fields, digital transformation is now making its way into the social field as well. The digital transformation of routine procedures is developing most successfully; the sheer scale of operations makes the results of digital transformation very obvious, which inspires hopes for similar success in applying the same methods to the activities of public authorities. This review covers the concept of the digital transformation of the government, as suggested by the Higher School of Economics. The creators of the concept believe that digital transformation will not only help meet the goals of bureaucratic reform but also improve the quality of governance. They cite the experience of businesses that have extensively integrated digital transformation into their operations as proof of this claim. This review, however, highlights the dangers of applying digital transformation methods to public governance at a superficial level, without analysing the issue's legal background or predicting possible consequences beforehand. We demonstrate that similar attempts at optimising the management of the national economy without changing the underlying economic mechanism, as undertaken in the Soviet period, were ultimately unsuccessful. Each area of economic activity has its own theoretical guidelines and its own unique experience, as reflected in the legal regulations. We do not believe it possible to solve issues in one area of knowledge and activity by using methods that were meant for other areas. Therefore, the HSE's concept, which relies on experience in big data processing, raises some serious questions, some of which are voiced in the review.