Confusing digital service increases the need for digital support: new recommendations encourage investments in quality

A high-quality digital service is easy to use, and digital support is also available for using it. Using a confusing digital service, on the other hand, is not easy even to someone with digital skills. The recommendations published today by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency encourage investments also in the quality of digital services and digital support for businesses and communities.

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The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has examined ways to promote the digitalisation of businesses and communities as part of the Programme for Promoting Digitalisation of the Ministry of Finance. The transition of businesses and communities to digital services has been studied for a year and a half. Based on the findings, recommendations have been formulated for the development of digital services and digital support. The recommendations have been prepared in cooperation with the authorities producing digital services. Key observations that can be brought up are the link between the need for digital support and the quality of services, the need for uniform digital support, consideration of different support needs, and the development of practical ways of implementing digital support.

“Digital competence and digital support needs vary greatly between businesses and communities. It is important that we can extend the digital support network not only to cover the involved authorities, businesses and communities but also others working with digital support. Then we can develop the digital support together to better serve businesses and communities. Customer-orientation needs to be more central in both digital support and the development of digital services”, says Project Manager Minna Piirainen from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

The task of digital support reacts to changes in the operating environment

The Ministry of Finance has granted the Digital and Population Data Services Agency EUR 1.8 million for 2022 for the development and piloting of a national digital support operating model, which will be later adopted as a permanent service. The funding was granted from the Programme for the Promotion of Digitalisation. One of the programme objectives is to expand the national operating model to cover the development of digital support for business operators.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (formerly known as the Population Register Centre) has coordinated digital support for citizens since 2018.

“The need to monitor the change in digital competence was identified as part of the recommendations for digital support for businesses and communities. We need more detailed information on the digital competence and the need for digital support. The aim is to develop a situational overview and a data utilisation plan for digital support that takes into account the definition of digital competence at the EU level. The aim is to implement continuous measurements and introduce the situational overview in 2022”, Piirainen explains.

Digital support is part of the measures promoting equality in Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Government Programme, which aims to strengthen the participation of individuals and communities in society. Digital support services help with the use of digital services and devices and support the development of the digital skills of individuals and communities. The development of digital skills also makes it easier to adopt and start using new electronic services.

Further information

Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Project Manager Minna Piirainen, tel. + 358 295 535 280, firstname.lastname[at]dvv.fi

Ministry of Finance, Marjukka Saarijärvi, tel. +358 2955 30208, firstname.lastname[at]gov.fi