Executive Meeting with Eduard Contijoch

Paperless Administration in Public Services: A Challenge for the Next Decade

• The Education of Public Officials is Key to Achieving Digital Transformation

January 27, 2025. We inaugurated the First Executive Meeting of 2025 with the participation of Eduard Contijoch, Senior Manager for the Public Sector at Minsait, part of the Indra Group, and professor of our Tech MBA. Alongside Dr. Casilda Güell, Dean of the school, Contijoch discussed the importance of digital transformation in public administration.

Traditionally, the interaction between public administration and citizens was considered a bureaucratic procedure, and the services provided were always designed from the perspective of government officials. Today, this has changed radically: these services are now designed from the citizen's perspective, enabling them to play a more active role in evaluating, managing, and applying policies. This shift facilitates the exercise of their rights and the fulfillment of their obligations. According to Eduard Contijoch, this evolution follows four key trends: Simplification, clarity, and transparency of services. Clear and understandable communication, avoiding jargon and complex language. Development of measurable evaluation criteria for public policies. The assessment and implementation of services that address new circumstances, such as demographic changes or climate change.

Digital transformation has been instrumental in this evolution. For example, cloud computing has become vital for this transformation. While this technology initially raised concerns in public administration due to potential privacy issues, it has proven to be even more secure than the traditional systems of public institutions. Contijoch also highlighted the prominent entry of Artificial Intelligence (AI), stating:

"The potential of Artificial Intelligence is enormous [...] Just as robotics has enhanced our physical capabilities, AI will improve and expand our mental capabilities, replacing us in repetitive and tedious tasks prone to error.

The goal of these tools is to ensure that organizations move away from isolated silos and start leveraging synergies, increasing interoperability to provide better services to citizens. In adopting these new tools, cybersecurity plays a fundamental role.

The implementation of technology is not only improving existing processes but also enabling the creation of new services thanks to a shift in mindset. However, the challenge lies in ensuring that everyone is prepared and willing to embrace it. According to the professor, new professionals must have advanced knowledge in technology and project management, but most importantly, they must develop soft skills to work effectively toward the common good.

The Role of Education

Given the rapidly changing nature of technology, the new workforce must engage in continuous learning. Contijoch suggests that instead of pursuing a new master's degree every two or three years, education should be atomized into micro-training plans offered more frequently. These would allow individuals to stay up-to-date with what they need for their jobs. “Institutions should be able to create these modules so that everyone can design their own educational journey,” he explained.

On the topic of sustainability—a critical focus today—Contijoch emphasized the importance of ethical and sustainable projects, areas where public administrations are making notable progress. “These are cross-cutting topics that must also be measured,” he stated.

Future Challenges for Public Administration

Despite the progress achieved, Contijoch outlined several goals for the next decade:

• Achieving a paperless administration, where all public services are fully digitized within ten years.
• Ensuring these services become simpler and more accessible to everyone.
• Attaining near-total interoperability, so that citizens no longer hear the infamous phrase, “Please go to the other counter.”
• Fully implementing AI across all public administrations.

"To achieve this, education is fundamental," concluded Eduard Contijoch.