Tonight, at the final event of the public digital services competition Su(g organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the best digital service in the public sector in Estonia was announced as the healt care decision support by Eesti Haigekassa. An award was also presented to the Most Prominent e-Governance Leader in Estonia – Kristina Pähkel, Head of the Development Unit of the Social Insurance Board.
According to Raul Siem, Minister of Foreign Trade and Information Technology, user-friendly and secure public sector digital services are Estonia’s international success story. “Our people can use hundreds of digital services regardless of location and time – it reduces bureaucracy and brings governance closer to the citizens. In addition to the fact that the people of Estonia can enjoy the fruits of decades of purposeful work, our international position in the field of information technology is also an important argument for attracting foreign investments to Estonia, as we are one of the most developed and innovative digital societies in the world,” said Siem. According to the Minister, information technology capacity is Estonia’s competitive advantage, which stimulates the local economy and makes the functioning of society more coherent. “Secure digital services that provide a convenient user experience increase transparency and build bridges across institutions, invisibly making people’s lives easier,” Siem noted.
Siim Sikkut, Deputy Secretary-General for IT and Telecommunications and chairman of the competition jury, pointed out that as many as 75 applications were received in the category of the best digital service, of which 10 made it to the finals. “Among the finalists, services from various fields were represented, which shows the broad-based nature of the Estonian digital society. It also indicates the public sector’s ability to offer high-quality digital services in a spectrum of very different activities,” said Sikkut. He emphasised that the Estonian people are used to the availability and high quality of digital services, but this cannot be taken for granted. “The use of digital services is constantly increasing and users do not accept cumbersome, slow or unreliable solutions. The best digital service is when things get organised effortlessly, almost invisibly, in the background. Hundreds of people work in public sector institutions for this purpose, and their daily work creating or enhancing digital services improves the quality of life in Estonia. These invisible heroes deserve recognition,” Sikkut said.
The finalists were given the task to present the main strengths and vision of their respective digital services to the jury. According to Sikkut, the presentations were well prepared and the discussions to determine the winner were heated. “We evaluated the content, innovation, impact, user experience and development ideas of the service, and it was the fine details that turned out to be decisive. The winner of the competition … solves an important problem, has a very high technological level and has a great impact on reducing the administrative burden for both institutions and individuals. In addition, it is user-centric, safe and has the potential to be a pioneer in the world,” said Sikkut.
At the final event of the public digital services competition Su(g, the Most Prominent e-Governance Leader was also announced. It is Kristina Pähkel, who works as Head of the Development Unit of the Social Insurance Board. “It is gratifying that people notice and recognise colleagues whose enthusiasm, commitment, ability to work and positivity are contagious. In total, as many as 35 applications were received in this category. In addition to excellent professional skills, all the nominees share a very strong sense of empathy and a sincere desire to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the people of Estonia,” said Sikkut. He added that Kristina Pähkel is an example for everyone, because she has a long-term vision, dares to formulate ambitious goals and is demanding, yet human-centred and encouraging. “Developing high-quality digital services and leading teams requires putting yourself in the shoes of the people around you, and Kristina has acquired this skill perfectly,” Sikkut pointed out.
In addition, the winners of special awards in the following categories were announced at the final event of the national digital services competition Su(g:
- The Best Data-Based Digital Service – the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund's decision support
- The Best Digital Service Created or Customised for the COVID-19 Situation – HOIA mobile app
- E-governance Technology Guru – Martin Õunap (IT Architect, Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre)
- The Most Brilliant e-Governance Product Owner – Sirli Gatski (product owner, Information Technology and Development Centre of the Ministry of the Interior)
- The e-Governance Fastest Adapter in the Fight against COVID-19 – Katrin Reinhold (Director, Centre for Health and Welfare Information Systems)
The public digital services competition Su(g is organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications from the EU structural support scheme “Raising Public Awareness about the Information Society” (European Regional Development Fund) and is facilitated by BDA Consulting OÜ.
