The Effect of Digital Transformation on the Development of E-Governance in Cyprus and Greece: A Critical Review Through the Analysis of the Digital Economy and Society Index

Abstract

The need for ever-increasing administrative and socio-economic results combined with the demand for a more productive public administration has led to an ever-greater focus on the utilisation of IT and communication technologies through the implementation of integrated e-governance programs. By systematically measuring the implementation of e-governance strategies, their efficiency and quality are enhanced, and the wide use of services is achieved, creating value for society as a whole. The development of commonly accepted indicators provides the possibility of cross-national comparisons. The European Commission has established the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) to record the digital performance of the EU Member States, illustrating the quality and quantity of their development in digital technology. The present study will focus on the analysis of the DESI index for Cyprus and Greece through their comparison to the average of the corresponding indicators of the rest of the EU Member States. Ultimately, the digital maturity of the countries will be assessed by identifying problems and gaps as well as opportunities for improvement.