An administration that is to meet current requirements must constantly renew itself. The digitisation of the German administration constitutes the largest modernisation project of public administration since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany. The goal is to streamline and optimise administrative processes and to create digital services for all citizens and companies. In future, citizens and companies should be able to apply for state services easily and securely from their living room at home.

This modernisation proves to be a complex process, as Germany is federally organised. A comprehensive digitisation and standardisation of the German administration can only succeed in cooperation between the federal government, the 16 federal states and the approximately 11,000 municipalities. The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) coordinates this large-scale digital construction site. The federal ministries, the federal states and municipalities, but also many other stakeholders such as associations, administrative staff, IT service providers and users are working together on this project.

Online Access Act (OZG) and OZG Amendment Act (OZGÄndG)

The Online Access Act (OZG) forms the legal basis for the digital modernisation of the Federal Republic of Germany. The OZG regulates the digitisation of administrative services and their provision via administrative portals. The implementation of the law requires, among other things, an efficient division of labour, a modern IT infrastructure and common standards between the federal government, the federal states and ministries as well as the municipalities.

When the OZG came into force in 2017, it was already evident that the digitisation of the administration would not be completed by the end of 2022 and that instead it would be a permanent and interdisciplinary task. For this reason, the federal government and the federal states have been working together on the further development of the OZG since spring 2022. The numerous "lessons learned" from the implementation of the OZG to date have been incorporated into the draft of the OZG Amendment Act (OZGÄndG).

Digital Identities

In order to securely access administrative services on the Internet, citizens need digital identities. German citizens have had a chip in their identity card since 2010. This contains an online ID card for secure, simple and privacy-friendly electronic proof of identity. In most cases, the identification can be done with a smartphone.

Only the online ID card certifies state-authenticated personal data. It works according to the principle of mutual identification: both sides always identify themselves. Citizens can always see exactly to whom their data is to be transmitted. The continuous improvements in user-friendliness achieved so far, along with the growing number of online services relevant to citizens, have led to an increased and continuously rising usage of the electronic identification (eID).

Modernisation of registers and once-only principle

Modern registers are the basis for offering administrative services digitally to citizens and companies. The goal of register modernisation is to network existing registers throughout Germany and the EU. It is one of the largest projects for the digitisation of public administration in Germany.

Networked registers will implement the once-only principle. This means that citizens and companies only have to submit the necessary information to the administration once. With their consent, this data may be reused later for other purposes if necessary. The processing of digital administrative services will thus become much simpler, faster and more secure.

Transformation

Due to the size and complexity of the task of a digitalised administration, a comprehensive transformation is necessary. Administrative transformation puts people at the centre and takes a forward-looking approach to the big questions of the future. It is supported by transformation actors who bring in their diverse perspectives and unites them in a cooperative process to form a common agenda.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) offers a comprehensive range of services to provide impetus, initiate cooperation and develop solutions for the public administration of the future. These include interministerial cooperation and networking formats, digital ready legislation and standards and guidelines for project and process management.