Assessing the effect of digitalisation on a public “self-servicing” service

Purpose: Digitalisation should increase participation by making it easier to engage citizens and other stakeholders, which in turn should reduce costs and increase service quality and accountability. Yet, evidence shows that it might create further divides, harming inclusiveness, and increasing burdens due to hidden costs not only for citizens but also for public officials. The article explores whether and how digitalisation influences public administration’s co-production efforts and what the key benefits and challenges are from the perspective of public officials. Design/methodology/approach: Following a literature overview, we selected a public “self-servicing” service that was recently digitalised in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in North-East Italy. We reviewed the relevant legislation and interviewed public service providers to map processes and identify gains and losses from their points of view. Findings: Results show that digitalisation can hinder public administration in its co-production efforts because the dysfunctional role played by digitalisation may increase burdens and negatively influence engagement for public officials, as it may have a negative impact on data accessibility, easiness of interaction, tailoring, and simplification. Practical implications: Findings contribute to the debate on the impact of digitalisation on public services, while policymakers can learn about how to foster co-production through digitalisation and how to mitigate the challenges and risks arising from it. Originality/value: The research focuses on public employees, their experiences, and perceptions on how the digitalisation of public services impacts efficiency and engagement, while much of the literature has so far explored mainly citizen engagement and participation through digital technologies.